Serali had her usual walk with Galen that evening, but after saying goodnight, she rushed up to her room to study her chosen spell. She didn't want one that she would use for this test and then never use again, so she had found one that looked interesting and useful. She was still attending the social scene, though somehow Galen never seemed to be able to come to the parties that she attended. Still, she was a mage's apprentice and as such she was as much a part of the noble life as any highborn lady. The problem was that most of the nobles had no clue about magic, but were fascinated by it. She had often been asked to demonstrate her magic, and she usually used a small cantrip to put out or light a candle, the fire magic coming easily. The problem with that was there were others with magic insufficient to be mages, but more than enough to duplicate her tricks. The book of fire magic had offered a solution to this problem. There was a spell that could allow a mage to shape fire, either by simply willing it to move, or by holding it in her hand and physically molding it. A side effect of the spell kept the mage from being bunt. All in all, it would be a great deal more impressive to form illusions out of flame than to simply light a candle. And the activating chant was relatively simple, something she could whisper under her breath, once she mastered it, in a few seconds.

She set about studying. The spell wasn't the easiest in the book, and the words had to be exactly right, she knew that. Nothing she read was unfamiliar to her, but combining the words was very different than using them singly. Still Serali didn't doubt that she could master the spell. After all, hadn't Janus himself told her that she was an exceptionally talented fire mage?

She awoke the next morning with a crick in her neck. She had fallen asleep over the spell book. Good thing I was reading in bed and not at the desk, she thought to herself with an inner grin. Otherwise I'd really be sore. She opened the book, glad that she hadn't damaged it, and looked over the spell again. Through the whole rest of the day she continually sneaked glances at the book whenever she could. Even during her etiquette lessons with Lady Valerie, which she was still required to take. Lady Valerie wasn't too pleased with that, but Serali didn't really care by this point. She was eager for lunch to come and go so she could try out the spell, wolfing down her food so fast that Janus made a remark about giving herself the hiccups and ruining her spell, after which she slowed to a more normal pace.

At last lunch was over and Serali and Janus went up to his workroom on the fourth floor of the tower. Seralli was all set to begin at once, but Janus insisted on setting up what he called "working screens" protective spells designed to contain any misfire or mistake.

"This is fire magic, and while you may be quite immune to flames in dragon form, you wouldn't fit in here anyway, and I'm not at all immune myself. I insist on this as a precaution. It won't take too long."

It was almost all she could do to contain her excitement and impatience, but at last it was ready.

Stepping into the circle that was incised in the floor, she began to recite the incantation that began the spell, carefully gesturing in the appropriate places. Then she carefully visualized what she wanted, and spoke the final word and made the final gesture toward the fire that blazed in the fireplace. The flames flared higher and for just an instant she could see them moving into the shape she had imagined. Then the fire flared again, erasing the images, rushing higher and higher. It reached toward the ceiling, and then fell down, the flames winking out leaving only the swiftly cooling ashes behind.

"What happened?" Serali asked incredulously. "It should have been perfect, I didn't say a single word wrong!"

Janus shook his head. "The words aren't everything, the gestures, the intonation, and especially the state of mind that you're in, all can change the spell. The book never tells it all, there are some things you have to figure out yourself, because they're different for everyone."

"How can I do anything then, if it doesn't tell me how?" Serali groused. "This is impossible."

Janus laughed. "No it isn't, just very hard. Here, let me show you…"

They spent the rest of the lesson discussing possible reasons for the spell's failure, and what Serali might try differently next time. "The first few will quite likely be the hardest," he explained. "Once you've found out what changes you need to make, you'll start to find a pattern that works with your particular gift and after that learning new spells will be at least a little easier. But the first ones are always hard. Which," he added with a grin, "is why we spend so much time on cantrips first, trying to get you used to your gift as much as possible with small things that are less likely to go badly."

She rolled her eyes at him, and he laughed. "I'll light the fire and we can have another try tonight. Don't expect this one to work either! But I'm willing to bet that by the end of the week you have it mastered."

And sure enough, after a long week of study and a dozen various kinds of failure, Serali attempted the spell one last time and at last it worked perfectly, the fire dancing into shapes of dragons and castles as Serali directed it.