Lux [h.s]

twenty-nine

"Try again."

Cora sighed and hid her face in her hands. "I don't think I can."

"You can." Harry was sitting on his mattress next to her, his legs crossed, a thin cream linen shirt resting on his shoulders. He was holding a glass of water, that was glinting in the candlelight coming from the small table.

She let her gaze drift to the window. It was dark outside, and she didn't need a clock to know it had to be sometime past three in the morning. Nobody was around; even the usual evening fire had been put out. There was no denying they were the last ones awake.

"I don't even know what I'm supposed to do," she mumbled, massaging her temples with the tips of her fingers. She was so tired she felt like the sound that had just left her mouth didn't belong to her.

They'd been at it for hours, and she was starting to grow impatient. They'd reunited with the Fair deep into the night, and after a quick dinner Harry had brought her back to the blue-doored wagon. Cora knew he'd interpreted what she'd done with the guard as a step forward, but she didn't feel like it was one at all. After all, she hadn't been able to move the water in the cup for the past hour.

"Try to concentrate."

"You say it as if it's easy." She raised her head and looked at him. "What do you do exactly?"

"What I do might not work for you." He blinked slowly up at the ceiling. "I told you to feel the energy of the water and try to manipulate it."

"Is that what you do?"

"It isn't. It's what every fay does."

"What about you, though?" Cora insisted, shifting closer to him. "If you explain it well enough, I might—"

"I look for my power inside of myself and project it on the outside."

Cora let out an exasperated sigh. "That seems even more impossible."

Harry smiled gently and set down the cup between his legs. "Why don't we try with some theory?" he mused, leaning his chin on his hand.

"Please don't tell me you're going to make me study the theory of magic in the middle of the night, I've had enough of school to last me a lifetime."

He chuckled. "I won't, but listen to me." He covered his mouth with his hand, and Cora couldn't keep herself from smiling when she realised he was yawning. The late hour was starting to get to him as well. "As you know, magic is the manipulation of energy. Everything has energy, but energy is also interchangeable. Just like currency."

Cora frowned. "Like currency?"

"You know, just like you could exchange fifteen daers for twenty-two hains."

"What's a hain?"

"It's another currency—" He let out a sigh, leaning his head back. "I forgot you've never traveled before."

"The names of money change?"

Harry nodded. "Many places have different currencies. Here in the continent your currency is the most used, you only have a different one in the south. Overseas, past the Isle of Dar, there are even more. But here's my point. The names and quantities are different, so fifteen daers and fifteen hains aren't the same."

Cora frowned. "I don't think I get your point."

"What can you buy with fifteen daers?"

Cora shrugged. "A ticket to the Pavilion."

Harry nodded. "That same ticket would cost twenty-two hains."

"Why are you charging more there?"

He covered his face with his hand, but then seemed to get a hold of himself. "That's the point, I'm charging the same because the two currencies have different worths. I could buy more things with fifteen daers than with fifteen hains."