With three heavy handed knocks Valentina reined her closed fist down on Sophie's door, shaking the door frame in the process. She waited patiently for all of one second before cupping her hands around the handle and moved in a wispy semi circular motion channeling her magic slowly and with fierce concentration to her hands, letting out a low humming tone as she brewed the chain of words for a impromptu spell in her mind.
"Incantare, reserare, remove the barrier before me." The tumbler in the lock clicked lightly before the door swung open a bit more forcefully than intended causing it to collide with wall with a heavy thud.
"Shit, sorry Soph I've got to work on that. But, in more pressing news I think you have a practical joke you need to let me in on immediately. Your Dad sent a letter through the portal on official Wiztech letter head talking about a wizard competition and some kind of preliminary exam? What in the hell is going on?" Val rambled on with her arms crossed firmly around her chest as she stood barely a few paces into the room, neglecting to close the door behind her.
"This isn't like, set in stone is it? Your Dad is fighting this right?" Val could feel the panic rise with each revolution around the idea that she made, what was so scary to her about going head to head for the title of family wizard, the competitiveness in her in any other situation would have excitement practically coursing through her veins but now that she looked her cousin, 2 years her minor she knew it was because she actually felt challenged, and extremely so if she was to be completely honest. Arguably Justin was the most scholastic and gifted wizard in the Russo family, and definitely one of the greatest of all time. Training under him was a privilege most young wizards would literally give an arm for it asked of them, and Sophie had him wrapped around her finger and at her disposal. Despite this Val knew that her Mother was also the mentor of a lifetime, just let her daughter she casted with heart making every spell all the more volatile and potentially more successful and potent than otherwise thought possible. You couldn't learn to cast that way, you either had it or you didn't and Val most definitely had that trait on lock. The whole scenario made her uneasy and unsure of herself, but she resolved to know one thing for absolute truth she would most definitely prove herself in the preliminary exams to Sophie and to everyone. She was determined to win.