The next hour of ineffectual bangs and other accidental magic proved how out of practice they were. They improved during their second hour, and by the time they were ready to leave, Penny felt as if they were not just back on track, but gaining.
Penny, pointing the wand at her shoes, had levitated herself a full ten feet off the ground before nerves had forced her back to the earth. Zoe, who had practiced the irritatingly slow growth spell on the overhead willow boughs almost every time they had visited the hollow before their forced hiatus, finally saw the results of her work. They were thicker and greener than ever, almost completely blocking out the sky overhead.
Zoe was also getting better at casting fire, and if she was quick enough, could catch the little red sliver she’d cast in m
