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As we walked through the front doors, I looked around the restaurant. It was easy to see why so many people loved this place. To my right, booths lined the sand-colored walls, and every spare inch seemed to be covered in pictures. A couch and some plush chairs had been gathered around a large fireplace in one corner, perfect for enjoying a book and coffee during the colder months.

Tables filled most of the remaining space, the wood floors looking worn but well maintained. Every table was overflowing with people. To my left, more diners, mostly couples or people eating alone, were sitting at the large counter. Through the window behind the counter I caught a glimpse of the kitchen, a madhouse of activity this time of day.

We made a beeline for one of the big corner booths at the far side of the restaurant. Nearby, large glass doors opened out to the rear patio, where I could see every table was packed with people. A band played from a low stage while the guests ate and drank, heads bobbing and feet tapping to the music.

Sitting at the booth were a couple who looked like they’d jumped out of the pages of a fashion magazine. The dark-haired woman wore a simple flowing sundress of deep purple. A small locket hung from a delicate silver chain around her neck. She tucked a lock of wavy hair behind her ear as she leisurely sipped at a glass filled with something such a violent shade of electric green, I was sure there was no way it was meant for human consumption.

The man sitting across from her wore a simple black t-shirt, distressed jeans, and a pair of comfortable looking leather boots. His tall frame projected an aura of calm strength, the sleeves of his shirt tight around trim arms packed with muscle. His dark windswept hair faded into a shadow of stubble around his face, and his dark eyes scanned the room as he took a sip from his beer.

The woman’s face lit up when she saw me. She stood, smiling, arms open wide.

“Happy birthday, sweetie,” she said, pulling me into a tight hug.

“Thanks, Mom,” I said.

As my mother did her best to crush me, I looked over her shoulder at my dad, who just shook his head and laughed, before raising his drink to me in a silent toast. Dad always was more of the quiet type.

“Morgan, let the boy breathe,” he said, a grin pulling at the corners of his mouth.

Mom released me and held me at arms' length, looking me up and down.

“So handsome,” she said in the light British accent both my parents shared. An accent, I’m sorry to say, that I didn’t inherit. “Every day you look more and more like your father. Eric’s hair never seems to want to behave either.”

I reached up and ran a hand through my short brown hair. She was right, of course. It seemed like no matter what I tried, my hair just did whatever it wanted. At least if I kept it short it looked intentional, rather than like I was just too lazy to be bothered with fixing it.

“There’s the birthday boy!”

I turned and came face to face with the owners of the Dragon’s Roost.

“Hey Nick,” I said. “Hey Penny.”

Nick’s black hair was as disheveled as always, framing a friendly face. The only sign of his real age was the smile lines around his eyes. His wife, Penny, had tied her cinnamon-colored hair back into a loose bun, and her eyes, though dark like Nick’s, were just as warm. Neither of them looked like they could be older than their mid-thirties. Not bad for a couple who are pushing seven hundred years old.

Before they came to Crystal City, they lived in France, though any accent they had is long gone by now. In the Mundane world they’re better known by their full names: Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel. Nick and Penny are alchemists. Think scientists, but with magic. Anyway, a long time ago they managed to create a Philosopher’s Stone, which, along with a few other perks, made them immortal.

Happy as I was to see them, I hadn’t eaten anything since before I went for my swim. A fact my loudly growling stomach was quick to remind me of.

My friends and I slid into the booth as Nick and Penny left to fill our order. If you ever find yourself in Crystal City and want to try something new, this is the place to do it. Nick’s menu has only one rule: you want it, we got it.

A few minutes later and Nick was back, a tray heavily laden with food floating along beside him. With a snap of his fingers, the dishes floated down onto the table, the different aromas making my mouth water.

I grabbed my burger and took a big bite. And for the sake of my dignity, please, please don’t let anyone have heard the sound I made when I did.

Hey, don’t judge me. I was hungry, and Nick’s food is just that good.

“Oh, while I’ve got you all here,” said Nick, “Don’t forget to be at the Guildhall tomorrow by eleven o’clock.”

“What’s tomorrow?” asked Jason.

“This year’s crop of rookies are wound way too tight,” said Nick, his eyes roaming over Jason, Kora, and myself. “You all need to blow off some steam. So, I’m putting it to good use. You’re going to put on a show for the rest of the guild.”

“What kind of show?” I asked before popping a french fry into my mouth.

“Well, I can’t be much of a guild master if I don’t know what my mages can do. So, I want you to show me what you’ve got. Show off your skills, maybe some sparring. Nothing too crazy.”

Kora’s eyes lit up.

“Did you say sparring?” she said. She was practically squealing.

“Easy, killer,” I said. “Uh, Nick, are you sure it’s a good idea to put Kora in a sparring match? You remember what happened last time, right?”

“Hey!” snapped Kora, jabbing her fork in my direction. “I put those fires out.”

Nick laughed and waved away the warning. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. Besides, fire’s my specialty, remember? Anyway, make sure you do your best. Whichever team impresses me the most gets a very special reward.”

“What kind of reward?” asked Jason.

“Whichever team impresses me the most gets first pick for any job they want for their first official assignment as members of the Mage’s Guild,” said Nick.

Jason, Kora, and I all sat up a little straighter. That definitely had our attention.

“So,” said Nick, a conspiratorial gleam in his eyes, “You lot had better bring your A game, because I won’t be playing favorites. You want this reward; you’ve got to earn it. And you two-” he pointed at Kora and Jason, before jerking a thumb in my direction “-make sure this one’s on time.”

I felt heat rising in my face as the table burst into laughter. Nick wiped at his eyes as he glanced over his shoulder at the front doors as more customers started to file in.

“I better get back to the kitchen,” he said. “I’ll see you three tomorrow, eleven o’clock, don’t be late. Oh, and Zane? Happy birthday.”

“Thanks, Nick,” I said.

“You’re quite welcome,” said Nick with a smile, bowing his head slightly. “Kids. Morgan. Eric.”

My parents raised their drinks and returned his bow.

“Salamander.”

And with that, Nick turned on his heels and strolled off back to the kitchen, greeting customers as he went.

We spent the rest of dinner strategizing ways we could win that prize. I also couldn’t help but wonder about what kinds of skills and spells we might get to see tomorrow. There are so many different types of magic, and so many ways to use them, that even the craziest ideas weren’t totally out of the question.

After we’d finished eating and the plates had been cleared away, Nick returned with a large cake covered in blue frosting. Happy Birthday Zane was written across the top in bright white. He eased the cake onto the table, and with a snap of his fingers, the sixteen candles on top of the cake sprang to life, the little flames dancing in the breeze coming in through the patio doors.

After an enthusiastic (and rather off key) chorus of Happy Birthday, I blew out the candles and began cutting the cake. I made sure everyone had a piece before taking one for myself.

It was carrot cake, my personal favorite. The cake was light and fluffy without being dry, and the frosting was just short of causing diabetes. In other words, the cake was perfect.

As I enjoyed my dessert, Kora talked excitedly with my mother about a new spell she had learned, her wild gesturing threatening to send frosting flying off the fork in her hand. As I helped myself to a second slice of cake, Jason passed me a thin box wrapped in silver paper.

“Happy birthday, Zane.”

I ripped off the paper, and carefully opened the lid. It was a necklace, made from thin, lightly colored rope, tightly woven together in a braid. One end had been wrapped around a thin bar of black metal, while the other had been made into a loop to make a simple clasp.

At the center of the rope, a pendant was held in an intricate knot, looped tightly through a small hole at the top. The pendant itself was a bit larger than a quarter, flattened and smoothed into a fat tear drop shape, and a vivid Caribbean blue.

“Is that …?”

“Sea glass?” said Jason. “Yeah. I know how much you like it.”

I couldn’t argue with that. I had a jar in my bedroom practically overflowing with all the pieces I’d collected during walks on the beach.

I picked up the necklace and slipped it around my throat, pulling the metal piece through the loop to hook the ends together.

“It’s perfect. Thanks, Jason.”

He didn’t say anything, but the corner of his mouth was twitching like he was trying to hold back a smile.

From its spot on the tabletop, my mom’s phone lit up with a trio of beeps. She picked it up and glanced at the message on the screen.

“Oh, dear,” she said.

“Something wrong?” I asked.

“Apparently one of the mages assigned to cleaning duty at the academy enchanted the brooms to do the work for him.”

“What’s wrong with that?” I asked. “I’ve used that spell. It’s really not that big a deal.”

“And the brooms have started attacking the staff,” said Mom.

“Except when that happens,” I said.

“Sorry, Sweetie,” she said as she stood. “I need to go deal with this before it gets any more out of hand.”

“Want some help?” asked Dad.

“I think that would be best. It’ll go faster with the two of us anyway. But before we go,” she looked at Dad, who nodded. “I think it’s time we gave you your present. If you're hoping to be a mage, then that means you'll need a mage’s weapon.” She looked around the restaurant. “Probably better to do this outside.”

After paying the bill, we left out the back, crossing the patio and heading down onto the beach. I brought my fingers up to my mouth and gave a loud whistle. Dante came running around the building and onto the beach, setting a flock of seagulls scattering into the air. Though the sun had nearly set, the beach was teaming with people enjoying the brief break in the heat.

We walked down to a less crowded area of the beach before Mom stopped and faced me.

She held out her hands in front of her, and as she opened them, a sword appeared.

It was a katana, sheathed in a black scabbard. The sword’s grip was wrapped in smooth, dark leather. Three pieces of metal, each shaped vaguely like a comma, wrapped around the sword to form a circular guard at the base of the blade.

I took a firm grip of the hilt and drew the sword. It was more than two feet long and razor sharp. But that’s not what got my attention.

It was the color.

“It’s black,” said Kora.

She was right. The whole weapon was jet black. Blade, guard, and hilt. I gave the sword a few test swings. It was light, and perfectly balanced.

But there was something strange about it. I could feel warmth coming off the sword. Magic power pulsed through it like a tiny heartbeat. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think it was … alive.

“Where did you get this?” I asked.

“I took it out of the Vault years ago when you came into your powers,” said Mom. “With your magic it seemed appropriate for you to have it. It’s the Totsuka sword. That blade’s got a long and colorful history. And its own brand of magic.”

That got my attention.

“What kind of magic?” I asked.

“I thought you’d like that,” she said, smiling. “Just look at the sword and think fire.”

Carefully, I held the sword out in front of me, and thought of fire. As soon as the image popped into my head, flames leapt down the length of the blade, lighting up the sand around us. My parents burst out laughing as my friends and I jumped so badly we were almost airborne.

While my heart tried to slow down back to a human speed, I tried the sword again, leaving a trail of fire with each swing.

“Okay, that is really cool,” I said. “Can I make it any bigger?”

The words had barely left my mouth. I felt power surge through the sword as the flames roared twenty feet into the air.

“Careful,” said Dad. “That’s a powerful weapon. It’s going to take some time to get used to it, so try not to use its power until you’ve had a chance to practice.”

All it took was a thought, and the flames vanished. Slowly, I held my hand over the blade. Even after all that, I didn’t feel any heat. I quickly tapped my fingers against the metal. Nothing. The blade was cool, like nothing had happened.

“Thank you, both of you,” I said. “It’s amazing.”

“You’re welcome,” said Dad. “Use it well.”

“So, not to roast marshmallows then?” I said.

Oh boy. I’ve seen that look before. That is not a good look.

“Kidding. I was only kidding,” I said as I slid the sword back into its scabbard.

“Well, I think we’ve kept them waiting long enough,” he said. “Zane, we’ll see you at home. Kora, Jason, a pleasure as always.”

“Good night,” said Jason.

“And good luck with those brooms,” said Kora with a grin.

My mother leaned forward and kissed my forehead. Then she turned to my father, and with a flick of her wrist, they were gone.

“Now if you boys will excuse me, I think I’ll try to get another workout in before tomorrow,” said Kora, stretching her arms out over her head. “If you’re lucky, one of you might get to spar with me.”

“Pass,” said Jason. “If I want to get hurt that badly I’ll start off with something easier. Like defusing a bomb.”

“Or there’s always alligator wrestling,” I said.

“Ha. Ha. Ha,” said Kora.

Kora started jogging up the beach to the boardwalk, crossed the street, and disappeared into the crowd.

I propped my new sword against my shoulder and jerked my head down the beach. “Come on, Jason. Let’s go home.”

By the time we got close enough to see our houses the sun had almost completely set, and the first stars were just beginning to show. A cool breeze blew out to sea, carrying the buzz of insects from the far side of the dunes. I watched Dante splash in the waves as we walked, laughing as he snapped playfully at any fish that swam too close.

As we got closer, I could see lights in the windows of Jason’s house. Just past it, the windows of my own house were all dark. I guess undoing that cleaning spell was taking longer than they thought it would.

“Hey, Jason?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for making the cake.”

“What?!” he yelped, his canine ears twitching in surprise. “Wh-what…what makes you think I made it?”

“I saw you wiping your hands when I got to Dragon’s Roost. That rag was covered in blue smears. It was the same color as the frosting on my cake.”

Jason stared at me with this terrified, deer-in-the-headlights look, like the kid who’d just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

I couldn’t help myself. I tried to fight it, but the look on his face was too perfect. I started laughing. And I don’t mean ha-ha laughing, I mean hold-your-sides-cause-it-hurts kind of laughing.

Jason just gave me this exasperated look, but I could see him starting to relax as I wheezed for breath.

“Relax, man. The cake was amazing. You did good.”

“Thanks,” he said. He turned and looked towards his house. “I should probably head inside. Big day tomorrow.”

“Yeah, big day,” I said.

After Jason left, I stayed out on the beach a few minutes more. I looked out over the ocean, while a million thoughts were bouncing around in my head. It was a long road to get here, and it had been bitter work, but I’d finally done it. I was a Mage. Finally, I was going to get the chance to show everyone what I could do. I just hoped it would come soon.

If I had known what was about to happen, I would have been a lot more careful what I wished for.