Read The Wizard of Time (Book 1) for Free Online

spoke, the fireball broke into six small balls of flame and assumed the shape of a hexagon floating in front of her. “First there’s Fire Magic, which as you probably guessed, is my specialty. Each mage can only work with one kind of magic.”
    “Unless they are a True Mage,” Ling interjected. “Then they can use all six forms of magic.”
    “But there are only six of them,” Teresa said, “so that doesn’t really apply to mages like you and me. As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, there are six kinds of magic. Fire Magic, which is the best kind of magic if you ask me, although I doubt you will, because no one ever asks me what I think, controls energy. Any form of energy. Fire. Lightning. You name it. If there is energy to be magicked, I’m your gal. Then you have Wind Mages, like Ling, and they control the elemental forces of the universe. Such as…Such as. Hey, what are the forces of the universe, anyway?  They sound really boring.”
    “You know very well what the forces of the universe are,” Ling said, glaring slightly at Teresa’s teasing. “They are the forces that allow the universe to function. Like magnetism and gravity.” As Ling said the word ‘gravity,’ Teresa rose into the air and hovered there a foot and a half above the ground. Gabriel’s jaw dropped open. He snapped it shut. He might be shocked and amazed, but there was no need to look like a bewildered bumpkin. Teresa smiled down at Ling.
    “You’re so easy to manipulate,” Teresa said. “I wanted to be floating.”  Ling raised an eyebrow in skepticism and Teresa slowly rotated until she hung upside down, her ponytail pointing toward the grass, fireballs still suspended in the air before her hands. “And you cannot believe how much I love being upside-down.”
    “Ling,” Sema said, a hint of disapproval in her voice. “What if she scorches the grass?” Gabriel looked over to see Ohin shaking his head. It seemed this sort of thing went on quite a bit.
    “You know I never lose control of fire,” Teresa said. At that, Ohin coughed and looked at her. “Well, except for that one time. How was I supposed to know the room was filled with explosives?  No one told me. No one ever tells me anything. Besides, if something happens to the precious grass, Marcus can fix it.”
    “Marcus is one of the other team members,” Ling said as she watched Teresa slowly spin back to the upright position and gently land on the lawn. “He is a Heart-Tree Mage, which means he has power over living things, like plants, animals, and humans. Heart-Tree Magic can heal and change living matter.”
    “And he can grow things,” Teresa added, letting the fireballs fade away. “Like bodies that look exactly like ours, but aren’t really alive. Very handy when you’re plucking people out of time at the moment they die. Police like to have a body.” Sema glared at Teresa in a way that suggested she was being rude or insensitive or both. Teresa ignored her.
    “And inanimate matter,” Ling said, pretending she hadn’t been interrupted, “like rocks and metal, are controlled by Stone Magic,”
     “Rajan is our Stone Mage,” Teresa said. “I’m sure you’ll meet him later. It’ll be a pleasure. He’ll tell you so himself.”
    “So you have Stone Magic for matter,” Ling continued, “Heart-Tree Magic for life, Soul Magic for the mind, Fire Magic for energy, Wind Magic for the forces of the universe, and Time Magic for space and time. So, there you are. Magic in a clam shell.”
    “Nutshell,” Teresa said with a giggle.
    “Whatever,” Ling said.
    “But how does it work?” Gabriel said, looking from one face to another.
     “How it works,” Teresa sighed. “Boys love to know how it works. Never why.”
    “Magic works,” Sema said, ignoring Teresa, “by focusing the mind on the fundamental nature of the universe and using the power of a talisman to concentrate and multiply that mental energy to alter the universe