Emeralds and rubies winked at her from within their silver casing. The athame felt light but strong, and a wild surge of power ran down the length of Arabel’s body. She shivered but it was not unpleasant; it was a deep, electric, anticipatory excitement, one which brought Arabel’s knees to trembling. It was the remembered knowing of the natural laws of energy and she could scarcely wait to venture deeper within them. Arabel stood within a sacred circle of flame and watched as Xavier led her through the easiest of the protective spells. They had been practicing for nearly two hours and she would need to leave soon to meet up with Eli and Zander, but Arabel found the training immensely satisfying and it felt so good, so right, to work the Gypsy magic. Xavier was a patient teacher and he made sure Arabel was crystal clear on the why’s and how’s of each spell they conjured. “The energy will be magnified when you are with the other two, and since you will be in the Copse, you will have a general air of protection around you anyhow, but you must ensure your mind is clear when you perform this rite – you cannot be distracted.
