"Today begins your education in your greatest inheritance, the jewel of the Ananta legacy and of Agartha as a whole."

  When Lila and Kira arrived at the mansion, Aideen had led them not to the backyard or her room or even the lounge where occasionally Lady Anagharad had received them. Instead, she led them to a room with a purple door where Lady Anagharad was waiting for them.

  This room was dominated by a large dark-wood bookshelf with thick books in jeweled tones, with gilded designs along the spines. There was little else inside. A lamp with several crystals dangled against the far wall, which was painted the same purple as the door, and a circular rug with runic symbols that Lila didn't recognize covered the floorboards.

  The only other object of intrigue was the window on the wall opposite to the lamp, because logic dictated that there was no window in this room, in the heart of the house. Even more curious was the jade moon in the window, and the night sky despite it being the middle of Saturday.

  The window looked into Agartha, Lila had realized.

  Her attention was recaptured by Lady Anagharad's words.

  Aideen's grandmother stood in the center of the rug, with a book hovering over the palm of her hand.

  The book appeared to be part of a set, placed in the center of the bookcase, so the eye would be drawn to it. Then again, the intricate ruby and gold volumes would inherently catch your attention, Lila thought.

  "This book is the first of the Tomes of Fire and Rain." Lady Anagharad turned her head and flexed her fingers underneath the book. The pages sprung to life and glowed as the book opened itself and rapidly flipped through to a section early on. "These are our greatest treasure, and the foundation of all knowledge of magic our kind has."

  "And they're all right here, for us?" Kira's eyes were wide.

  "They're a copy, of course." Lady Anagharad's eyes flashed gold and Lila could have sworn she saw a small puff of smoke exit one nostril. "The originals are safely kept in the Archives of the Jade Palace, of course!"

  "Oh." Kira's pale face turned red as she looked to her dirty black converse.

  "The Progenitors were the ones who created the Inverted City of Agartha, and penned the Tomes of Fire and Rain," Lady Anagharad continued. "They were twelve great dragons who unified our people, gave us a homeland and codified the magic that we study today."

  Twelve was the same number of dragon statues that Lila had seen in the entry chamber of the Jade Palace.

  She looked to the princesses meaningfully. "Your ancestor, Ananta the Pendragon, was one of the twelve, and the mother of Abraxas the Avenger. Seven of the remaining twelve would go on to found the clans of the Council of Crowns and aid the Pendragon in her rule of Agartha."

  "What happened to the other four?" Lila asked.

  Lady Anagharad sighed heavily. "It's not a happy tale. Three died due to in-fighting and the fourth was exiled for his involvement in their deaths."

  "Oh." It was Lila's turn to look down at her shoes.

  Lady Anagharad snapped her fingers, and a wooden book-stand with clawed feet like that of a dragon and six wings carved to hold the book up appeared in front of her. She flexed and moved her fingers further, and the book set itself on the stand, open at the page Lady Anagharad had chosen.

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  "Today we begin your education in spellwork." Lady Anagharad stepped back from the podium. "It's very important that you are accomplished as mages. Not only because of the importance of magic to our founding and continued survival, but because of the situation regarding the Paladins."

  Lila couldn't help but glance at Aideen. But Aideen had schooled her features perfectly, for she stared stoically ahead at her grandmother.

  "First we must tap into our elements." Lady Anagharad rotated her hand, and a flame appeared in midair. She tapped it with her ring-covered finger, and the flame dissipated, like a bubble that had been popped. "We are not witches—we only command the fire and water."

  Lady Anagharad then smiled mischievously—not an expression that Lila had thought the fearsome dragon woman to be capable of. "But we manage just fine with that."

  She then summoned a bubble of water. "Most find the power of water to be the easiest to tap into for the first time. Water is more flexible than fire, when it comes to spell-craft."

  Lady Anagharad surveyed the three of them. "Aideen, I'm sure you could provide a demonstration?"

  "Who, me?" Aideen pointed at herself, eyes wide. But the deep pink of her full cheeks had given her away.

  "I know you've been sneaking in here to practice spells." Lady Anagharad gestured at the podium. "So a little water should be no problem."

  Aideen said nothing, but raised her chin as without even approaching the podium or looking at the book, she breathed turquoise fire and created a perfect, flawless orb of water in midair in front of her.

  "Perfect technique." Lila could even detect a gleam of pride in Lady Anagharad's eyes.

  Aideen smiled, and the water dropped to the floor in a puddle in front of her.

  Lady Anagharad ignored this and her gaze settled on Lila. "You next."

  Lila reluctantly approached the wooden podium. The letters rearranged themselves before her very eyes into English, but she couldn't quite understand. The diagrams, while beautiful, didn't give her much insight either.

  She tried to breathe fire—but she couldn't. Sputter and splutter as she might, not a single spark came from her lips.

  "Nothing to be ashamed of." Lady Anagharad glanced over her shoulder. "You could try adjusting your diaphragm—or perhaps do what feels natural."

  Lila nodded. She felt really stupid thinking, water, water, water, each time more emphatically, as if that would give her a clue.

  "Fire and and water move within you," Lady Anagharad said. "Try a little movement. But don't give up. You are a dragon—among the most magical creatures that ever walked this Earth. The power of Ananta the Pendragon lives in you."

  Lila frowned, and she started to move her arms around. All it resulted in was the same feeling she had at her first middle school dance when she was the only one actually dancing in the gym with the sticky floor.

  "Well, let's give Kira a chance, and we'll try again."

  Kira much more eagerly approached the podium as Lila made her retreat. She read over the directions once, nodded. She then exhaled a bit of fire, and twisted it around her arms, like she was cradling a baby made of lightning. Sparks drifted, extinguished by their own consummation before they could drift onto something flammable.

  Kira frowned deeply in concentration as the fire started to look more and more like transparent water that she was just bending and wrapping around her hands and her fingers. As Kira started to compress the magical fire in her hands, Lila watched as the transparent substance turned a dark gray.

  "Wait—"

  Kira froze before Lady Anagharad could intervene and the magical fire was gone.

  Lady Anagharad blinked. "I—"

  "Did I do something wrong?" Kira took a frightened step back.

  Lady Anagharad narrowed her eyes at the book, then shook her head. "I believe you voided your own spell."

  Lady Anagharad closed the book, her eyes softened. "That's for the better—that was shaping up to be a most dreadful spell—"

  "Could I read up on it more, take it home and study—"

  "No." Lady Anagharad picked up the book, removing it before Kira could take it. "I would prefer all of you keep your spell-practice in this space."

  Something about her eyes was distant, far away.

  "I'm sorry, I must end this early, I'm afraid I have some business in the Inverted City." She looked to Aideen. "Please see your friends out. You may stay as long as you please, but. . ."

  Hesitation lingered over Aideen's face. "Lady Grandmother, is something wrong—"

  "Do as I ask." Lady Anagharad's face went cold, mask-like.

  "Yes, Lady Grandmother." Aideen bowed her head, and Lila and Kira were quick to follow her outside.