By: Robin Rose Graves.

In anticipation of my wand ceremony, I visited the flying book library and called out “wands!” Most of the flapping pages ignored me, but a tome appropriate for my reading level dispatched from the pack and landed in my hands.

What I learned: Wands can’t be made from any old tree. To channel magic, wands need wood from Sylvans. Traditionally, Sylvans were only harvested at the end of their natural lifespan. In modern times, the demand for new wands is much greater…

This knowledge haunted me as I accepted my wand. The knotted end peeled open, an eye meeting mine.

© 2025. Robin Rose Graves

Robin Rose Graves has appeared in 100-Foot Crow, Dark Matter Magazine, and Simultaneous Times Podcast. She is an editor at Android Press and runs the SF Booktube Channel, the Book Wormhole.

Posted May 28, 2025.