Chapter One: Unbearable

Aidan swept the floors of the library while Beca and Bryn dusted the shelves. They were forbidden to use magic to help them complete their detention chores, the consequence of a prank in which they created an exploding potion that filled a rival dormitory house with a viscous slime that looked like snot.

Aidan would do almost anything to address his unbearable boredom as an apprentice in the Magician’s Guild. The son of a thief who grew up stealing, he was caught at age seven using an invisibility spell to steal from a Llanfyllin magician. Instead of throwing him in the dungeon, the wizard brought him into the guild.

He met Beca and Bryn during his first week. Twin daughters of a wealthy merchant in Gwenedd, they were a year younger than Aidan. Their parents wanted to marry them off, but their magic had grown destructive in their estate, and they had no recourse but to turn them over to the Guild.

The return of the elves to Europe and their magical advances had spurred the Guild to recruit as many new practitioners as they could find, and as young as possible as well. Most were willing apprentices, but these three were a constant source of mischief and unsanctioned adventure.

Aidan swept at the back of the library when he saw a title in the restricted section inscribed “Incantamenta Invisibilia.” No one but the Guild Masters and the librarian were allowed in this section. Aidan knew what to do next.