Masters of the Veil by Daniel A. Cohen

meant for this path, yet you have a choice of how to travel down it. In the near future, you will be tempted to take the easy route, but the Veil is not about ‘easy.’ She is about tenacity, courage, and spirit. You can steal a gift, but remember, you will not have earned it.”
    Sam couldn’t help but smile. “Whatever, be as cryptic as you want. As long as you make things right back home, I couldn’t care less.”
    “Then it is decided. Now, not another word about it. We have training to do.”
    “How long will it take?”
    Bariv thought for a moment, and then crouched to put his hands flat against the stone floor. Sam heard a small rumble coming from below them. It got louder and louder until it ended in the scraping sound of rock on rock. After a moment, a crack appeared in the stone, and a charred-looking chunk of rock popped out. Bariv was left holding a large lump of coal.
    Once standing, Bariv put his hands on either side of the coal and squeezed. A blinding red light filled the cave, and Bariv’s hands clapped together. When he opened them, he was holding a diamond about the size of an acorn.
    “It takes power to create a diamond—sheer force. It takes control to change it back into coal.” Bariv handed it to Sam. “Once you can do that, you are free to go.”
    Sam wondered how much a diamond like that would sell for back home.
    “Don’t lose it,” Bariv warned.
    Sam wrapped his hand around it. “So, once I can make this coal again, you’ll fix everything?”
    Bariv nodded.
    Sam placed it in the pocket that held one of his thigh pads, the stone pressing into his leg beneath the pad. “Let’s get to work.”
    He felt odd shaking hands with someone so short.
    Sam’s heart raced in his chest; he couldn’t believe that he could get a second chance. He was going to work himself to the bone if it got him home faster. From here on, he was going to take his training seriously.
    Who knows? Maybe this stuff could actually come in handy, once I learn how to use it.
    Bariv leapt back onto his podium. “Let’s try something else for a moment. Maybe I went about this the wrong way. Please, why don’t you have a seat in front of me?”
    Sam made his way back to the front of the stone stage where Bariv sat.
    “Traditionally,” Bariv said in a cool, dry voice, “I have taught all outsiders in a certain way. Most have responded beautifully to my methods, and have now integrated themselves as positive members of our society.”
    Sam sat down and relaxed.
    “However,” Bariv swayed back and forth, “I have forgotten that you are not like
    everyone else, and I must not treat you as such. As I’m sure May has told you, I am the one who is responsible for feeling the small ripples in the Veil when young sorcerers have their first grips. It does not happen very often in the world you come from, yet I have become acutely aware and increasingly accurate at finding those young entities when it does. You, my young entity, created a tidal wave.”
    “Then why can’t I do any of this?” Sam twisted his head back toward the glowing podium. “I can’t even grip onto the Veil. Every time I do that focusing thing you taught me, nothing happens.”
    Bariv rubbed one of his swirled cheeks and a strong wind passed Sam’s face. “I guess for you, more contemporary methods must be pursued. Normally, one must learn to crawl before he can walk.” He paused. “I think I must teach you how to run.”
    With that, Bariv stood up like a lightning bolt. The boy waved his hand and the skull-wolf glove pulled itself over Sam’s fingers. Sam felt himself wrenched to his feet.
    All at once, a loud boom thundered around him and a blast of red came toward his face. As a reflex, he held up his arm to stop the oncoming flash. Instead of pain, he felt a rush of energy across his palm, and then something warm and comforting, like a blanket left sitting in a sunbeam. The feeling caressed his forearm, made its way down to his elbow,