I felt frozen in place as the world was revolving around me. 

How?, I thought. My little brother, Curtis, how can he already use magic? He hasn’t even turned four yet. 

Momma was inspecting Curtis, asking if he was hurt and if he felt well. 

“Yes, Mommy,” he said reassuringly.

This isn’t fair, I thought. I am almost eight and I still don’t have magic. And yet, Curtis, who is younger than me, was gifted with it. 

Momma was drilling Curtis with questions to explain himself. Apparently, he had suddenly felt the magic inside of him and decided he would try to use it. He said that he wanted to try making a ball of water like from the picture of the book he had been reading. But he lost control during the attempt, which caused the explosion. Once Momma got all the information she needed, the fog in the house had all but flowed out of the hole in the wall. 

I hate Curtis, I thought. He even has the element of magic that I want. He has gotten everything that I want, before me. 

Momma called Daddy to tell him what happened. She did not praise or blame Curtis with her description to Daddy. Momma then called Darra’s mother asking if she could pick her daughter up due to this unforeseen circumstance.

I’ll never get magic, I thought. Curtis must have stolen it from me. Or something. It just doesn’t make sense.

Shortly after, the police arrived. One of the neighbors called them due to the sound of the explosion. Momma had to explain everything again to the police and apologized on behalf of Curtis. They assured her it was alright and congratulated Curtis for his magic awakening. One of the policemen even used his earth magic to create a temporary seal for the hole in the wall. 

Will Momma and Daddy love Curtis more if I don’t get magic?, I thought. Of course they will. Right. They will be more proud of him than me. The daughter that can’t use magic. 

Once the police were all leaving, Darra had left and Daddy was just arriving. It was way past my bedtime, but Momma had forgotten and there was no way I could sleep now. When Daddy saw the damage in his study, he was shocked and angry. However, he did not lash out at Curtis because he knew it was an accident. Curtis apologized, using the charms of a baby to make Daddy less angry at him.

After Momma caught Daddy up on everything that had happened, Curtis and I were directed back to our room. They tucked us in our beds, Curtis’s on the left with the blue sheets, and mine on the right with the purple sheets. I wanted to ask them all the questions that have been forming in my mind for the past few hours but decided not to because I am afraid of their answers. 

I spent the entire night tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Hearing the sounds of my parents' whispers in their room, and the periodic pounding of my own thoughts. At one point, I just watched Curtis sleep. He looked exactly the same as he always has. Small, blonde, a round face like Momma, and even though his eyes are shut now, I know they are still green like Daddy’s. Nothing seems to have changed about him. He does not look mystical or stronger. He is just my little brother, Curtis.

So, what is it that I am missing?, I thought. All of the doctors that I have been to have said that my manucible is healthy, so why isn’t it doing its job of converting ambient mana to living mana? What makes Curtis so special?

We both have looked through Daddy’s books. Did he figure out something that I haven’t? Is there a way to awaken the manucible manually? 

Lost in this never-ending spiral of speculation, it took forever for the next day to finally come. Once I got up, my eyes were crusty from tears and heavy from a lack of sleep. Curtis was still drooling on his bed and I could hear Daddy talking downstairs.

“Yes, Mom, Curtis got magic… I know it is surprising… Yes, Mom, it is amazing… Now, Mom… Mom… The constucti—... The construction is going to take a few days. So, I was wondering if it would be alright if we stayed at your house for a few days… Yes, Mom… No, Mom, you don’t have to help pay for it. Just being able to stay at your house for a few days would be great… Yes, Mom… Thank you, Mom… Ok I need to go now so I will call you later… Yes, Mom… I know, Mom… Love you.” 

Right as I got downstairs, Daddy ended his call with Nana. He and Momma were standing in the kitchen. They seemed to have also had a long night. Daddy’s hair looked like an unevenly cut lawn, while Momma’s looked as if that lawn had exploded and caught fire. Daddy was wearing the glasses he normally uses for reading, yet, Momma was still the first to spot me. 

“Oh, hey Honey, why are you already up? It is still pretty early,” my mom said concerningly.

“I was having trouble falling asleep.”

  “Oh, I am sorry Honey. Was it because you were afraid that some bad people would try to break in because of the hole in the wall?”

Well, I am afraid of that now, I thought.

“Yea,” I lied.

“You know you could have always just come into our room. We’ll always protect our little girl. Right, Owen?”

Daddy nodded his head.

“Of course,” he said confidently, “I will never let anyone harm my little girl.”

Their words comforted me because they were sincere. I always feel safe when I am with my parents. Especially because Momma used to be an adventurer. Which means she is probably really strong and brave. And if I had magic, I would be too.

The rest of the morning went by quickly. I watched some cartoons as I ate cereal. Then, Curtis came downstairs after waking up, immediately apologizing to Momma, Daddy, and even me for destroying a part of the house. Momma and Daddy assured him that it was alright because no one got hurt and the hole would get fixed in just a few days. They then told Curtis and me that we would be staying at Nana and Papa’s while the house was under construction. So, we packed and traveled to Nana and Papa’s nearby house.

Their house is much cooler than ours. We live in a large neighborhood with many of the same one-and-two story houses. There is also not a whole lot of front or backyard space to play in. And if I want to ride my bike or scooter in front of my house, I have to watch out for cars on the road. Not at Nana and Papa’s though. They live on a ranch with a unique cottage-like home where they take care of horses, goats, chickens, and some other farm animals. I love coming here because I get to play with the animals and ride my bike without worrying about being hit by a car.

I can always smell Nana and Papa’s house before I can see it. Daddy says it is the animal’s poop that makes me want to cover my nose. Thankfully, the smell goes away after a little bit. 

Nana and Papa were waiting outside for us to arrive. They look the same as always when we visit. Nana’s almost transparent blue hair was held up in a bun, and she was wearing a pink shirt under a pair of overalls. Papa was wearing a hat over his messy white, with strands of light yellow, hair. As well as a sand-colored button-up and a pair of jeans. Normally, once Daddy parked the car, I would move as fast as I could to give them a hug, but today I do not feel like doing that. They probably are more interested to see Curtis today anyways.

I still got to Nana and Papa before Curtis though because Momma had to help him out of his car seat. Both of them were sweaty due to their morning work. They gave me a hug, but their eyes were fixed on Curtis when Momma lifted him out of the car.

“Is that the little genius?” Papa said proudly as Momma carried Curtis towards us. My little brother tried to hide a smirk.  

“You sound as if you had some sort of hand in that,” Nana chimed.

“Well, I mean…”

“I would be fearful if he had your level of intelligence, Aymer.”

Momma and Curtis giggled. Papa bowed his head in defeat.

“You don’t gotta be so mean, Elora.” 

Nana ignored Papa. Instead choosing to stare intently at Curtis, who Momma put on the ground. Curtis stood still while being examined by Nana’s eyes, which were the same color as Nana’s light blue hair. All elves’ eyes are the same color as their hair. Like how Daddy’s eyes are light green because his hair is light green. And how Papa’s eyes are light yellow because his hair used to be light yellow. I have blue eyes, like Nana, but they are slightly darker, and my hair is golden brown, not blue, since I am a half-elf. Or at least that is what Daddy told me.

“You really do have magic, and you’re a water elemental too. That’s amazing,” Nana said after a few seconds of silence.

“But I made house go boom,” Curtis responded guiltingly.

“Oh, that’s alright,” Nana reassured him. “It was just an accident and honestly, from what I have heard, quite impressive for a kid your age. Your Papa was right about you being a little genius. Trying a spell from a picture in a book takes skill. You just need a little help with mana control, which I would be more than happy to teach you.”

“Mom, you aren’t the best teacher,” Daddy said beside Momma, carrying some luggage.

Papa tried to stifle a laugh.

“What was that, Son?” Nana’s threatening tone was hidden behind a small smile.

“Oh, well… you… you see…” Daddy stammered. 

“We were planning on getting Curtis a tutor,” Momma finished for Daddy.

“Why waste money on a tutor, when I could do it?”

“It is just,” Daddy spoke up, a step behind Momma, “you don’t really know how to put things into words. We think you might confuse Curtis.”

“I am one of the best in water elemental mana manipulation on this side of the Celtera forest. While you guys are here, let me try to teach Curtis and if he doesn’t learn anything then I will accept you guys getting him a tutor. How about that?”

Daddy thought for a moment.

“You want Nana to teach you how to do magic, Curtis?”

Curtis is lucky, I thought. Although I could still listen to her teachings. 

“Yeah!” he responded.

A few days went by. Curtis and I learned nothing.

***

About a week later, we returned back to our house. Good as new. The window and wall that Curtis had blasted off were back, except the window seemed smaller and the entire study was now painted a darker blue. There were no books on the bookshelves yet, since Daddy had to move all the surviving ones to a different room during the construction.

When we arrived, everyone on our street was either watching or waving. Curtis had become kind of famous because his story appeared on the local news. Apparently, on one of the days that Momma and Daddy checked on the progress of the house, some reporters asked them questions about Curtis. They appeared on television, and now almost everyone in town knows about the miraculous three-year-old magic-user. Even though he is almost four. 

More people at school are making fun of me because of it. Saying that I am lame, weak, a loser, a Weddler (an insult used for those that can’t use magic). Darra doesn’t of course, but it still hurts. Why do they make fun of me? It is not my fault I do not have magic yet. They’ll be sorry once I do.

All I can do now though is watch Curtis as he gets ahead of me. 

His tutor is going to be arriving in about a month. Apparently, the tutor is my older cousin, Daphne Matale. She is eleven-years-old and my Momma’s sister’s daughter. I only met my Aunty Jessica and Daphne once when they came to visit us. Although, I do not remember much because it was when Curtis had just been born. Momma told me they live in a city on the other side of the Celtera forest, which is why they do not visit us all that often. 

Now, however, Daphne is going to be staying with us for a year or so, while teaching Curtis the basics of water magic. She is already a dual-elemental magic user, which I have heard is impressive for a girl her age. Momma called her a prodigy. Everyone in my family seems to be special, except for me. 

A month later, a few days after my birthday, there was a knock on the front door. 

“Daphne!”

Momma opened the door quickly. Her shout stealing my attention away from the book I was reading.

“Hello, Aunt Ilene.”

“Hi… Your Mom told me you weren’t arriving for another few days.”

I can not see Daphne. Momma is blocking her from my view in the living room. 

“Yes, I’m sorry. My Mom thought it would be funny to surprise you. I would have warned you, but she didn’t give me your number.”

She sounds sweet and has a cool little accent.

Mom sighed.

“That does sound like Jessica… Well, come on in. Do you have all your luggage? I feel bad. If I had known you were here, I would have picked you up from the airport. It must have been tough getting here all by yourself.”

Daphne assured Momma that everything was alright as she stepped into the house. 

The first thing that caught my eye was her height. She looks possibly shorter than me. Isn’t that small for her age? Oh, right. Momma told me she was a Half-Dwarf. I was not expecting her to be that short, though. Darra is a Mountain Dwarf, but she is taller than me right now. Maybe Mountain Dwarfs are taller than normal Dwarfs are. I’ll have to ask or look it up later.

The next thing that stood out about Daphne was her appearance. From what I have seen, most Dwarfs have round faces. Yet, hers was more human-oval like. With warm brown eyes cased behind glasses, and curly black hair neatly tightened into a bun making it easier to see her small ears. Her dwarfness showed through with the sturdiness of her body. She was not big, by any means, but I could tell there was no way I could push her off balance. 

Momma helped haul in the rest of Daphne’s luggage as I got up to greet her. Behind me, I could hear Curtis’s footsteps leaving Daddy’s study, in which he had promised not to use any spells inside again. 

“Hi,” I said, waving.

Daphne paused.  

“You remember Zaya, right?” Momma said as she closed the door behind her, carrying the last piece of Daphne’s luggage.

“Oh, right. Yeah, of course. Hi, Zaya.”

Curtis was now standing next to me. A head shorter.

“And this is…”

“Curtis.”

Of course she remembers his name. 

“The one that I have come to teach. Hi, Curtis.”

 “Hello, I’m ex-cited.”

Curtis was practically beaming rays of light. Momma and Daddy had forbidden him from using magic until Daphne arrived, so he was probably overjoyed by her early arrival. 

“Thanks for agreeing to live with us and teach Curtis for a year.”

“Oh no. I should be thanking you. I need the money to go to Tryxa Academy in Glam-Hale City. I have enough school credits, but Mom doesn’t have the job to support it.”

“Well, it is good that it benefits us both. Now, feel free to unpack or just relax. You are going to be staying in our spare room, which I will lead you to.” 

Mom led Daphne upstairs while explaining that the room was not completely ready for her yet, as she had been waiting to clean it the day before she arrived. Curtis followed behind them, but I went back to the couch in the living room. Just so I could listen, but also think. I do not know how I feel about Daphne. She seems nice, but also a little stuck up. I guess as long as she does not annoy me too much, things should be alright. Right?