The High Priestess once told me I looked like an angel when I used my magic. Her words were one of the few kind things she’d ever said, and looking back, I wonder if they had fallen from her lips without thought. The magic always felt good, like using it was a blessing from the goddess herself.

A gentle wind blew inside the training area, lifting my hair from my neck and swirling it around my face. It turned crisp and cool, reminding me of the breeze of an autumn day. Golden magic ...