In the mystical land of sorcery, there once lived a young witch named Lillian. Lillian possessed a burning passion for magic, eagerly learning the ancient spells from her wise and experienced mentor, Master Alden. Although she was still considered an apprentice, Lillian's skills were far beyond her peers. She had the power to conjure elements, brew potions, and even communicate with magical creatures. Despite her abilities, Lillian yearned for more knowledge and experiences. She dreamed of exploring uncharted territories, encountering legendary creatures, and mastering the most complex spells that were only whispered in the halls of the ancient magical academies.
The girls earning an upgrade for completing their exam
I have just enough time to pull my warmest hoodie over my long- sleeve T- shirt before the elevator bell rings, the doors open, and Ma nudges me inside. Her eyes are watching the illuminated numbers that show the elevator s ascent, but I take my gardening gloves out of my bag and wave them at her anyway.
She dreamed of exploring uncharted territories, encountering legendary creatures, and mastering the most complex spells that were only whispered in the halls of the ancient magical academies. However, the boundaries of her status as an apprentice confined her to the borders of Master Alden's humble cottage. One fateful day, while Master Alden was away, Lillian stumbled upon a peculiar artifact hidden deep within the stacks of ancient tomes.
The Witch's Apprentice
The Witch's Apprentice is a part of the Dragons in a Bag collection.
The dragons may be out of the bag, but Jaxon is ready to hatch some magic of his own in this third book in the critically acclaimed series—now in paperback.
Ever since the baby dragons were returned to the magical realm, things have been off. The New York summer has been unusually cold. A strange sleeping sickness is spreading across the city. And Jaxon’s friends Kenny and Kavita have begun to change, becoming more like the fairy and dragon they once cared for.
On top of all that, Jax is hiding a secret—Vik entrusted him with a phoenix egg! Jax wants to help his friends and learn how to hatch the phoenix, but so far his lessons as a witch’s apprentice haven’t seemed very useful. Where can he find the strength—and the magic—he needs?
An Excerpt from The Witch's Apprentice
1
I keep having the same dream. Night after night I fall asleep knowing that I’ll wake up sweating, with my heart racing and my hands curled into fists. Even after I’m wide awake, I hear a man whispering in my ear: “I’ve been waiting for you, my son.”
Nobody calls me “son”—not anymore. Sometimes I wake up so upset that I can’t tell what’s sweat and what’s tears. I wash my face in the bathroom and then try to fall back to sleep. Sometimes I can. Sometimes I can’t.
I haven’t told Mama. She’s got enough to worry about, and talking about my father just makes her sad. Plus, she’s a really sound sleeper, and I’m too old to be waking my mom up just because I had a bad dream. It’s not really a nightmare, but I told Ma because I don’t keep secrets from her. She’s a good listener, and, well, she’s a witch! So there’s always a chance she’ll be able to share her special knowledge with me.
Ma isn’t my mother or my grandmother, like I once thought. We’re not related at all, but right now Mama and I are living with Ma while our own apartment is being renovated. Now that school’s out for the summer, I spend a lot more time with Ma. She has a thick Book of Dreams in her library, but Ma won’t let me read it yet. Instead, she made me describe the dream over and over. Then she told me to write down all the details I could remember as soon as I woke up each night.
I don’t see how that will help, but since I’m Ma’s apprentice, I do as I’m told. Some nights the dream does change. Last week I felt the man’s hand on my shoulder as he spoke—like he was standing behind me. But last night the hand was in front of me, reaching out from a fun house mirror that turned the man’s body into a rubbery smear. I couldn’t see his face, and I hate to admit it, but I don’t remember what my dad’s hands looked like. I remember how safe and strong I felt whenever he wrapped his fingers around mine, but that’s it.
I’m busy writing all this in my Apprentice Journal when Ma knocks on the door with her cane.
“Ready?” she asks.
I nod and close my notebook, but Ma isn’t there to see it. I hear her shuffling down the long hallway that leads to the front door. Today Ma is wearing a bright orange bubble coat that’s so puffy, it rubs against the wallpapered walls as she walks. She’s got her purse slung over one shoulder and her folding stool tucked under her other arm. When Ma’s got a job to do, she’s totally focused and ready to get started with or without me. That’s Rule #1: Always be ready.
I shove my notebook inside my knapsack before hustling down the hall after Ma. She’s already outside the apartment waiting for the elevator, so I grab my sweatshirt and holler, “Bye, Mama!” over my shoulder as I slip out the front door.
“Got your gloves?” Ma asks. Her eyes are watching the illuminated numbers that show the elevator’s ascent, but I take my gardening gloves out of my bag and wave them at her anyway. I have just enough time to pull my warmest hoodie over my long-sleeve T-shirt before the elevator bell rings, the doors open, and Ma nudges me inside. She passes her stool to me, and I hold it close to my chest. It’s a tight squeeze with Ma’s puffy orange coat taking up most of the space in the elevator, but soon we reach the ground floor and head over to the park.
My recurring dream isn’t the only strange thing that’s happening around here. There’s also something wrong with the weather. Summer in Brooklyn is usually sweltering, with lots of humidity and heat rising in waves off the concrete. But when Ma and I reach the park, nobody’s wearing shorts or tank tops. It’s too cold! Even the joggers are wearing tights, and one guy races by with earmuffs on! I don’t blame him—it’s the middle of July, but it feels more like the end of November.
Ambrose would be warm enough with his many layers of clothing, but he hasn’t been stationed at the park entrance since last spring. Bro’s gone, the guardhouses he protected no longer travel between realms, and Ma’s turning me into a botanist instead of a witch. Almost every day we come to the park to forage. Fortunately, the cold weather has scared off all the bugs, but it’s still no fun crawling all over the park while Ma stands over me pointing to different plants with her cane.
The first plant she taught me to spot was poison ivy. But turns out that’s not the only plant that can make your skin itch. So I started wearing Mama’s gardening gloves, and that helps, but foraging still isn’t my favorite activity. Ma says being a witch is mostly about helping and healing. And making medicine from plants is one way to help folks heal. I get that—I really do. But when I decided to become Ma’s apprentice, I thought I’d be doing something more . . . exciting.
I mean, Ma and I went back in time and saw dinosaurs! We found a special crystal, and I delivered baby dragons to the realm of magic. I know no job can be that exciting all the time, but . . . well, pulling up plants day after day is just boring! Ma won’t even let me study the different plants listed in her books. All of a sudden, her entire library is off-limits.
I snuck into the living room last week and pulled one book off the shelf—Shape & Substance: A Beginner’s Guide to Transmogrification Spells. I managed to smuggle the heavy tome into my bedroom without anyone noticing, but when I locked the door and opened the book, all the pages were blank! And I could hear Ma cackling with delight in the room next to mine. She outsmarts me every time.
Ma says I’m not ready to learn about the spells contained in those books. She insists that I need “hands-on training,” but I’m the only one who’s crawling around on their hands and knees. Ma supervises me while sitting comfortably on her collapsible stool that I carry to and from the park. I doubt her back aches as much as mine, but what bothers me most is, I don’t feel like I’m learning anything important.
“What’s that over there?” Ma asks after her long, loud yawn finally ends.
Since she’s sitting a couple of feet behind me, I follow the general direction her cane’s pointing and reach for a plant that has round, glossy leaves and tiny yellow flowers. “This one?” I ask.
“No!” she barks. “That other one.”
I move my hand to the left and point at another plant. “This one?”
Ma sighs with impatience. “No! Look where I’m pointing, Jax.”
I press my lips together so I won’t say anything that might sound like sass. Mama taught me to respect my elders, and at her age, it’s not like Ma can get down here in the dirt with me. So I just point my index finger and slowly move my arm from left to right. Ma grunts and sighs some more until I point at a strange purple plant with triangular leaves. It’s nowhere near where she was pointing her cane, but Ma finally seems satisfied.
“That’s the one,” she says. “Pull it up gently, Jax, so you don’t break off any of its roots. That’s the part we need.”
I do as I’m told and shake off the loose soil before handing the plant back to Ma. She sniffs the roots and even takes a small bite before placing it in a mesh bag.
“Good. Now keep your eyes peeled. We need a whole lot more of these.”
“How many more?” I ask.
Ma shrugs and pulls her pipe out of her coat pocket. She taps a bit of ash out of the bowl and says, “A couple hundred should be enough.”
On top of all that, Jax is hiding a secret—Vik entrusted him with a phoenix egg! Jax wants to help his friends and learn how to hatch the phoenix, but so far his lessons as a witch’s apprentice haven’t seemed very useful. Where can he find the strength—and the magic—he needs?
It was an enchanted book that radiated with an otherworldly aura. Lillian could sense that it carried the potential to unleash unimaginable power and secrets. Unable to resist the temptation, Lillian opened the book and found herself instantly transported to a ghastly realm known as the Shadowlands. Dark and foreboding, the Shadowlands were filled with dangerous monsters, treacherous traps, and powerful enchantments. Lost and frightened, Lillian knew that she had only one choice – to navigate this treacherous realm and find her way back home. As Lillian trekked through the Shadowlands, she encountered various challenges that tested her magical prowess. She utilized her wits, spells, and potions to overcome obstacles, battling fearsome creatures and solving intricate riddles. With each victory, Lillian grew more confident in her abilities, realizing that she was no longer just an apprentice - she was becoming a formidable witch. Along her perilous journey, Lillian discovered that the enchanted book was imbued with the wisdom and knowledge of countless ancient sorcerers. It revealed secrets of advanced spells, intricate rituals, and forbidden arts. Lillian's hunger for knowledge intensified, and she began mastering spells that few had even attempted. She could now bend reality to her will, summon celestial guardians, and reshape matter with her mind. After what felt like both an eternity and an instant, Lillian finally found her way back to the safety of Master Alden's cottage. She was no longer the same apprentice who had innocently opened the enchanted book. Lillian had evolved into a powerful witch, brimming with wisdom, skill, and confidence. With newfound gratitude and respect, Lillian reunited with Master Alden, recounting her harrowing adventure. Instead of scolding her for her curiosity, Master Alden commended Lillian for her bravery and growth. He acknowledged that she had surpassed his expectations and that it was time for her to embark on her own magical journey. And so, Lillian bid farewell to her mentor, setting off to explore the vast magical realms beyond her cottage. Armed with her newfound knowledge, experience, and unwavering determination, Lillian's path was destined to be filled with even greater adventures, discoveries, and the continuous transformation into the witch she had always aspired to become..
Reviews for "The Power of Intuition: Cultivating Psychic Abilities as an Apprentice"
1. John - 2/5 - I found "The Witch Apprentice" to be a disappointing read. The plot was predictable and lacked depth. The characters were one-dimensional and their actions felt forced. Additionally, the writing style was lackluster and failed to engage me as a reader. Overall, I was left unimpressed and wouldn't recommend this book to others.
2. Sarah - 2/5 - I had high hopes for "The Witch Apprentice," but it fell short of my expectations. The story started off promising, but quickly became repetitive and monotonous. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with the characters. The pacing was also a major issue, dragging on unnecessarily and making the book feel much longer than it needed to be. Overall, I was disappointed by this book and wouldn't read it again.
3. Robert - 1/5 - "The Witch Apprentice" was a complete waste of time. The plot was nonsensical and poorly developed. The characters were unlikable and lacked any sort of depth or growth throughout the story. The world-building was also lacking, leaving me confused and uninterested in the setting. I struggled to find any redeeming qualities in this book and would not recommend it to anyone.
4. Emily - 1/5 - I found "The Witch Apprentice" to be incredibly boring and poorly written. The plot was predictable and unoriginal, and the characters were bland and forgettable. The writing style was dull and lacked any sort of creativity or imagination. Overall, I was extremely disappointed with this book and regretted wasting my time on it. I would advise others to steer clear of "The Witch Apprentice."