RAVENNA'S THOUGHTS WERE a jumbled mess of chaos and confusion. Her arms remained crossed over her chest, and her eyes were glued to the earth. She walked aimlessly through the town, weaving in between houses to avoid the cheerful people within the market. She just couldn't concentrate if she had to constantly stop and say hello.

Her mind replayed what Vyses had said over and over again. "If you decide that he isn't teaching you enough," he had said, as his eyes flashed that bright crimson, "Or that you'd like to find another teacher, you know where to find me."

Another teacher. Vyses was another teacher. He knew magic, and could teach her how to control her ice.

The idea made her stomach twist. She wasn't sure whether Vyses would be the best teacher. Despite deciding to forgive and forget the ghost incident, she couldn't escape the fact that he hadn't believed her when Caelan had.

Yet Caelan also hadn't quite taught her anything yet, aside from a few minor life lessons concerning humans.

Her brows furrowed. A cheerful hello dragged her attention upward, and she realized that she'd absently wandered right into the market. The bookstore sat right in front of her. She forced a smile upon her face and greeted the person who had spoken. As they went about their day, she entered the bookstore.

Nothing had changed. The bookkeeper poked his head out from a stack of books and grinned. "Good morning, Ravenna! Any luck with that spell book?"

"It's been quite difficult," she admitted. A real smile appeared on her face and she traced the spine of a nearby book. "The book is very stubborn. Its managed to lock me out in several different ways."

"Has it let you in at all?" the bookkeeper laughed.

She nodded. "It let me read a passage yesterday. It was very short and confusing."

That seemed to interest the bookkeeper. He arched an eyebrow and asked, "Do you remember what it said exactly? The book wouldn't open at all for me."

"The passage described a demon of sorts," she said. "With bright red eyes. It apparently has powers of persuasion and shouldn't be trusted."

The bookkeeper nodded. "Demons should never be trusted. They only cause mischief."

Ravenna frowned and took a seat. "It refuses to open up for me now," she said. "And Caelan is busy with a new spell, an advanced spell that I can't help with. So, I decided to walk around this morning and visit the tavern."

"It sounds to me that you need a good book to read," the bookkeeper said. He tapped his fingers to his lips and then stood. She watched him waddle toward a shelf and skim over the spines of the books on it. His finger lightly touched their spines. He paused and pulled one from the shelf. "Here. You might like this one."

He held it out to her. She took it and skimmed through it. "What is it about?"

"It's fiction," he answered. "It's about an evil queen that rises to power over a prosperous kingdom, and how a brave knight takes her down. It's a very interesting tale of magic and fantasy. It even has a bit of romance."

Ravenna eyed the book. "That does sound interesting."

The bookkeeper smiled at her. He returned to his desk. "Borrow it for as long as you'd like. It will give you something to do when that spell book doesn't open for you. I also want to know what you think about it once you are finished with it."

She smiled at him. "Thank you," she said. "I'll bring it back once I finish it."

He waved as she left the shop. As she stepped outside, she hugged the book to her chest. Already she felt much better, much happier. The offer that Vyses had given her was pushed aside, tucked away into the depths of her mind. For the moment, it didn't matter whether or not he might be a better teacher. It didn't matter that Caelan was too enraptured with his own spells to teach her.

The sunlight warmed her cheeks. She strolled through the market, watching the townsfolk bustle about. A few vendors lined the road with their carts, talking up a storm with anybody that passed. Most of the buildings behind them had their doors open, allowing the cool air to sweep through their stores. The smell of fresh bread and cinnamon littered the streets. As she walked, she cheerfully greeted everybody. She even paused in front of the baker, who had motioned toward her book, and chatted with him about books.

She wandered around until she ended up inside the general store. At the front of the store, a counter sat. A young woman stood behind it, trading coins with the customers. Her hair was fiery, tugged back with a ribbon. Ravenna ventured toward the shelves, looking through the wares. Near the back of the store was an apothecary, which was run by an older man. He smiled at her as she neared and waved a hand. "Can I assist you today?"

Ravenna smiled at him. "I'm just browsing around."

He nodded and returned to his work. She roamed around the store, glancing at the various items that littered the shelves. Most of it was basic items such as salts, spices, and leather. At one corner of the store, weaponry was sold, mostly arrows and axes. As she neared the front of the store, she noticed that the store had almost emptied. The woman behind the counter met her gaze and arched an eyebrow. "Can I help you?" she asked politely.

Shaking her head, Ravenna clutched her book closer to her chest. "I'm just browsing around. I've never been in here before."

The girl glanced around wistfully. "That's alright. It's not anything special," she said. She gestured toward the shelves behind her. "We have really nice soap though."

"Have you always worked here?" Ravenna asked. She stepped closer to the counter.

"Born and raised. My grandfather opened this store when he was younger. He manages the apothecary in the back," she said. "My name is Arabella. Bella, for short."

"Ravenna. It's nice to meet you, Bella."

Ravenna stayed and talked to Bella for a while longer. It was nice to speak to someone that seemed to be around her age, especially a girl. When Ravenna left the store, a free bar of rose-scented soap in hand, the sun was inching toward the horizon. The market was slowly breaking down, as vendors packed up their shops and retired for the night. She meandered through the streets until she found the house.

Caelan was in the kitchen when she entered. A various arrangement of food stretched out in front of him. He arched an eyebrow at her. "Have an eventful day?"

"I got free soap," she announced. She set the bar, and her new book, down on the tabletop. "And a book from the bookshop. It was great."

Amusement flashed across his eyes. "Simple pleasures for simple minds," he remarked. He pressed a knife into the chicken breast that sat on the plate in front of him.

She quickly fixed herself a plate and asked, "Did you get the spell to work?"

The amusement in his eyes immediately vanished. Annoyance replaced it. "No, I didn't," he said. "I believe that I will spend the night compiling a list of possible solutions. Once I get closer, I will attempt to perform it again."

"I could always help," Ravenna said. She shoved a piece of chicken into her mouth. Spices exploded across her taste buds, almost too strongly. She paused and her nose pinched.

Caelan noticed. He snapped his fingers, and her chicken glowed. When the glow vanished, most of the spices had too, leaving the chicken bare save for a few speckles of reds and browns. "I wasn't paying attention when I seasoned the chicken. I apologize."

She took another bite. "Much better," she told him.

He didn't respond. The rest of dinner carried on in silence, until Ravenna retired to her bedroom for the night. As she took a seat in her chair, Vyses returned to the forefront of her mind. She frowned and rested her cheek in her palm, elbow propped against the side of the chair. She didn't know how to respond to react to his offer. Something about it made her stomach twist.

She plucked the spell book from the side table and glanced at its sides. The lock wasn't present. She opened it and flipped through the pages. She heaved a sigh. It was all in a different language again. Setting the spell book back down, she picked up the fiction book. She flipped to the first page of the book and started to read. With each word, she slowly sank into the fantastical world of fiction. The world around her faded away.

Thank you for your patience guys! Your support means the world <3