"Elara Jones! Get over here this instant!"

I sigh as I drag my feet over towards the hawk in disguise, aka my magic teacher. What he's going to say is predictable. Because after the summer holidays, I still have no magic.

He's getting really impatient with me. I'm behind my classmates in magic by years. They got magic at around ten, while I'm already fifteen with not a single ounce of magic in me.

I catch Nina snickering at me and wish I could zap her.

My teacher towers over me like a mountain. "Tell me you have magic now," he says grimly. "Otherwise you'll have to be classed as a lost cause."

"No. I still don't," I admit heavily.

His eyes grow disappointed. "I'm sorry Elara. You were amazing in all other subjects. But you just can't move on to the next grade without magic."

"I know."

There's a moment of awkward silence as Nina convulses in mute laughter.

I can feel the sob growing in my throat. I'm going to be one of the only dropouts in the entire history of Ether.

"Class dismissed."

I run out of the door and right towards the broken house behind it, where I begin to cry.