Sourcewell Academy

by S T G Hill

  She caught sight of Sybil, who sat a couple rows up. Sybil waved at her. Ellie lifted her hand at her side a little to wave back, but didn't dare anymore. Master Shaffir had told them to hold still for this ceremony.

  Ellie pulled at the bottom of her shirt. All six of them were dressed the same: white athletic shirts over gray sweatpants, white running shoes. Apparently in times past, the contestants were supposed to wear the robes of their primary school of magic. But Arabella had made a case for outfits more appropriate to the situation.

  Ellie's shirt clung to the sweat on her back. And a tickle started on the tip of her nose, which she strove to ignore.

  "It's okay," Thorn said, noticing her nervous energy, "Just stay calm. We'll get through this."

  "Right, sure," Ellie replied.

  “Look, no matter what happens, don’t reveal your powers. It’s better for everyone if they just go on thinking that you’re an ab. Got it?”

  “What if I need to use them?” Ellie said. She wriggled her nose, but it didn’t help.

  “You won’t.”

  Farazon Shaffir frowned back over his shoulder at them. They'd been instructed to not speak during the commencement ceremony.

  She still thought it was a stupid idea of him to volunteer, especially since he still wasn't fully recovered from his battle with the Errant. Still, she found some comfort in his company. Not that she would tell him this.

  Belt reached center stage and the Primes. He looked at each of them. As his eyes slipped past Shaffir, Ellie caught them. She didn't mean to. Instantly, her throat locked up.

  Whispers started in her head. Indistinct, quiet noises like the rustling of a mouse in the attic.

  His eyes swept on past her and her shoulders sagged. She took a breath.

  "Do we really have to do this?" she whispered to Thorn.

  "If we want to win," he replied.

  "Shut up,ab!" Matilda said.

  Belt turned towards the crowd and raised his arms, "Students of Sourcewell Academy," his voice boomed, "These six Chosen will enter the Trial. The first to emerge will be victorious, and will receive the promised prize!" Here, Belt whirled around so that he faced his Chosen, "I wish you all the best of luck. Remember: the labyrinth may be a thing of magic, but it is all too real for those foolish enough to lower their guard. Remember as well, there is but one victor."

  His eyes fixed on Thorn and Ellie.

  Once more, the whole amphitheater held its breath.

  "Magister, your aid," Belt said.

  Cassiodorian turned to face Belt. Then he planted the base of the staff between them. Belt grabbed the staff as well, their hands alternating.

  "What's supposed to happen?" Ellie said. She risked a scratch at her nose.

  "Shh," Thorn said. He looked so intense. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his knuckles cracking.

  Here in the sun, Ellie could see how he still looked a little pale. How it took him so much effort just to stand.

  But there was no more time for doubt anymore. The fine hairs on her arm rose. The air crackled with magic. The wind picked up. Except it wasn't a real wind, but a magical one. It didn't ruffle the grass or the leaves, but Ellie felt it all the same, as did everyone else.

  The young boy, Casey, who stood on Matilda's other side, sucked in a sharp breath. He turned and hugged tightly to Matilda, who squawked and tried to push him away.

  Then a massive marble doorway reared out of the slab that made up the stage, taking shape as it grew. Two columns flanked the entrance, which remained inky black. Until it didn't. Deep within wherever that passage led, fires crackled to life in sconces along walls made of light brown sandstone.

  The hallway revealed stretched well beyond the point where it would intersect with the amphitheater seating, but when Ellie leaned to the side to see its true extent she saw that the doorway, on the stage at least, was only a few feet long.

  "It is done," Belt said, releasing the staff.

  Cassiodorian staggered back a step until Belt caught his elbow. Genuine concern creased Belt's sharp-featured face, and he said something but Ellie couldn't make it out over the gasp of the crowd.

  "I'm going to end this," Ellie said, stepping out of line.

  They couldn't escape the campus because of Belt's spell. Thorn thought the only way out was through. Which was true, Ellie thought, but not in the way that Thorn did.

  It wasn't through this stupid competition. No, it was through Belt himself.

  The power crackled inside of her, a ball of electricity in the center of his chest that prickled just beneath the skin, waiting to be released. She could release it all on Belt, right then and there.

  Then Thorn grabbed her by the shoulder, "Ellie, don't. You won't win," he whispered.

  "Hey, what are you doing?" Matilda said, Casey still latched to her.

  The other two Chosen, a tall, dark-skinned guy named Miles Dawson, and the third girl, Jackie Willis with her jealousy-inducing wavy blonde hair, looked at them curiously.

  Below all that, though, was the fear. No one wanted to go through that door and down that smoky hallway.

  Thorn glared at them then turned back to Ellie, "You may be the Omenborn, but you still can't control yourself! Belt will win, and who knows what he'll do to everyone else here if we don't play his game?"

  Anger boiled in Ellie's stomach, her body seething with it every time she looked at Belt. The power within roared to be unleashed. It promised terrible things to her, if only she let it out. And Ellie wanted to.

  But some small voice asked her what if Thorn was right? What if even all this power wasn't enough to stop him? What would he do to her? What would he do to everyone else?

  Thorn's fingers tightened on her shoulder. He could see the battle playing itself out within her on her face, and knew not to say anything.

  Ellie relented. The energy within her howled as it diminished. Ellie shook with it.

  "Enter the doorway, Chosen," Belt said.

  The six all glanced at each other, no one wanted to go first. Who knew what waited within?

  "I say that the ab goes first," Matilda said, "She's the most useless. If there's booby traps or anything, let her set them off first. No great loss. And hey, when I win, I'll have my room back all to myself!"

  "Matilda..." Thorn started. He was easily the tallest in the group, and the most senior student.

  But much like a shark, Matilda could smell blood in the water. Could smell weakness. And Thorn was nowhere near his full strength.

  "Does your boyfriend do all your talking for you now?" Matilda said.

  Objectively, Ellie knew what was happening. They were all scared. Of the unknown, of what waited beyond that doorway. They wanted control.

  Ellie thought of bringing up that moment two nights prior when she found Matilda crying. It was petty, but Ellie felt petty.

  She shrugged Thorn's hand from her shoulder, thrust out her jaw, and took one step towards her awful roommate.

  "Stop it! Stop arguing!" Casey said, detaching himself from Matilda's wait. He blinked at wet eyes, and rosy spots appeared in his cheeks. "No one's going to make it if we keep arguing! I'll go first, all right?"

  "No!" Ellie said, reaching out too late.

  Casey took a deep breath, his narrow shoulders rising, then walked into the marble doorway and whatever waited for them beyond.

  "Good job," Ellie said to Matilda.

  "What? I'm not his babysitter!" she shot back.

  "Come on, let's go before he gets too far in," Thorn said. He went through next.

  Ellie steeled herself, heart pumping hard, and followed him. Miles and Jackie came last. As soon as they crossed the threshold the air changed. It became dry and cool. Dust covered the floor, kicked up by their steps. The place smelled of smoky torches.

  The hallway in front of them seemed to stretch out forever, inky darkness waiting for them between the ruddy orange light offered by the torches.

  "What now?" Ellie said, stopp
ing.

  Thorn had reached Casey, stopping the kid's forward progress. Casey turned back towards the rest of the group. His eyes went wide, the torchlight glinting off them. He pointed. "The door!"

  Everyone turned back.

  The door was gone. Where only moments before stood a rectangle of light that they could see the rolling fields of the campus was now only more of the sandstone hallway.

  The realization settled on Ellie's shoulders like a ton of those sandstone blocks. They were stuck here. No way out.

  No way out but through.

  That was when Jackie reached up into her hair and screamed.

  Chapter 27

  "What's wrong with her?" Miles said, stepping back with his hands raised defensively.

  "I need to get out! Let me out!" Jackie said, sinking down against the wall. One of those torches sputtered and smoked nearby.

  "She's just having a freak out," Matilda crossed her arms.

  "We don't have time for this," Thorn said, running one hand through his hair.

  Jackie's pretty hair hung likes curtains at the sides of her face while she grabbed her knees and pulled them against her chest. "I want to go home!"

  "Just get up!" Matilda said, "Stop being such a baby!"

  Ellie went over and sat beside Jackie, ignoring the daggers the others stared at her. The truth was, she wanted to get out of this place too. But she also knew that giving up wasn't the way, even though just sitting down and hugging herself sounded like a great idea.

  "Jackie?" Ellie put a hand on the other girl’s shoulder, "You're not alone, you know. We're all here too. And we need you to help us get through this."

  "No you don't!" she said through sobs, her pretty face all flushed red and her cheeks wet. "Just leave me here. Only one person is winning anyway!"

  "But the faster someone wins, the faster we all get out of here," Ellie said.

  Then little tendrils of doubt wriggled around in her stomach. The details of the Trial had been kept to an absolute minimum. They knew the place was magic. They knew the magic could hurt them. They knew that only one person could win.

  But what happened after someone won? Did everyone else get out of this place, too?

  Or would they stay in this place forever.

  Cassiodorian and Arabella wouldn't have allowed it if that was the case, she told herself. But who knew for certain?

  Ellie pushed that doubt out of her head. It wouldn't help them.

  "Jackie, what's your strongest school?" Ellie said.

  Jackie wiped at her eyes and swallowed noisily. "Prognostication."

  "Then we do need you," she said, nodding.

  "How?"

  "You can show us the way out of here. The faster you do that, the faster we can leave. The faster we can all leave," Ellie indicated the rest of their group with a backwards glance.

  She could feel Thorn watching her, and when she looked back she could see him standing with his arms crossed, watching. Casey stood close to him. Miles had backed against the opposite wall.

  "We have to stick together," Ellie said.

  Then she stood up and offered Jackie her hand. Jackie swallowed some more and wiped at her eyes again, which had gotten all puffy. "Okay."

  She accepted Ellie's hand and stood up.

  Chapter 28

  They walked. And they walked. They walked until Ellie’s feet ached and her stomach grumbled.

  Other stomachs grumbled, too. Twice they stopped for a rest.

  The first time, Matilda sank down to her knees and held her hands out over the ground. Her eyes closed, and her lips moved in some incomprehensible whisper.

  Nothing happened. “I can’t believe it!” she said.

  “What?” Ellie said.

  “I can’t conjure up any food. Not even a single peanut,” Matilda said, hunger apparently putting her teasing and tormenting on pause.

  “I’m hungry…” Casey said. At some point, he had started holding Thorn’s hand. Ellie had noticed, and thought that Thorn would immediately let go and tell him to keep it together.

  But to her surprise, he didn’t let go.

  “I’ll try,” Thorn said, removing his hand from Casey’s with care.

  He crouched down and held his hands above the blank tan sandstone of the floor. Everyone watched him try and conjure something, anything. His face twisted up with concentration. His hands trembled.

  Ellie thought she felt the barest prickle of energy in the air, but it went away. Like some sponge pulled it all out of the air.

  “I’ll try…” Miles said, also crouching down.

  “Don’t bother,” Thorn replied, pushing himself to his feet, “Belt’s preventing the spell.”

  “What? Why?” Jackie said, hugging herself. Her eyes were still a little puffy.

  “And how?” Matilda put in.

  Thorn shrugged, “He and the Magister made this place. It’s all magic. They can decide what can and can’t be done in here. And apparently one thing they don’t want is for us to be able to create our own food and water.”

  “That’s ridiculous!” Matilda said.

  While everyone focused on Thorn, Ellie turned away from them and closed her eyes, holding one hand out in front of her, palm up.

  In her mind, she pictured a single grape. The green kind, without a pit. Its skin smooth and tight and shiny. Its juice sweet. She concentrated harder, really scrunching her eyes.

  The power within her thrummed, her chest getting hot with it.

  Come on, just one lousy grape, she thought.

  Little shocks ran up and down her forearm, and for just a second there she thought that she’d done it.

  She opened her eyes. Then her shoulders slumped. No grape waited on her palm. A few wisps of steam rose from her outstretched hand, but nothing else.

  She turned back around to face the group and Thorn caught her eye. She shook her head and he sighed.

  “What?” Matilda frowned when she noticed the exchange, “Thought you could do it when we couldn’t?”

  “We don’t know the rules of this place yet,” Thorn broke in, “It was worth a try.”

  “I still say we just leave her here,” Matilda said.

  “Shut up, Matilda,” Jackie looked up from the spot by the wall where she sat.

  For once, she did.

  Disappointment stopped any further conversation. Wordlessly, they all started down the hallway again. On the second stop, no one tried to conjure any food. Just a breather.

  “It feels like we’ve been here forever!” Matilda said.

  Thorn ignored her, “Jackie? Gotten any insights?”

  Jackie paused and they all stopped. She reached up and rubbed against her temples, her eyes closed and her pretty face locked in a frown. Then she shook her head and looked at them, “Not much. It’s all darkness. All I have is this feeling that we need to keep going forward. That there’s something waiting for us somewhere ahead.”

  Ellie closed her eyes. Prognostication seemed like her weakest skill, from what she could tell. And maddeningly inaccurate and unclear when something did happen.

  She tried to focus her will on the future. On what was meant to be.

  She got that same feeling as Jackie. That they needed to keep going. And something else. An image of a fork appeared in her mind. Just a plain old metal dinner fork, except it had only two tines.

  What does that even mean?

  They continued on.

  “Hey! I think I see something… Yeah! I see something, up ahead!” Casey pointed, looking back at the others to see if they saw, too.

  Nervous energy rushed through Ellie’s arms and legs. Their pace quickened.

  “It’s a fork in the path,” Miles said.

  Ellie shook her head. A fork in the path. A fork. Duh.

  The single hallway split into two, the intersection making a Y with their two possible paths branching off at an angle. And that wasn’t all.

  There was a smooth bit of wall between the two paths,
and in front of that bit of wall stood a sandstone pedestal.

  On the pedestal sat what looked to Ellie like an enormous pearl, its surface a swirl of whites, clutched in three stone fingers.

  When she came closer she saw that the whiteness inside moved and shifted. It also cast a dim, clean light that was a welcome change after the ruddy orange-ness of the wall sconces.

  And it called to Ellie.

  Come and see… Come and see… it said, its voice quiet but insistent.

  “What is it?” Casey said. He started forward, reaching out for the curious orb.

  Thorn pulled him back a little rougher than he should have. “Don’t touch it. It could be a trap.”

  Casey looked upset, staring up at Thorn with a Why would you do that? expression that Thorn didn’t notice, being too intent on the strange pearl.

  “Then make Ellie touch it,” Matilda said.

  Everyone turned to Ellie. Emboldened, Matilda continued, “If it’s a trap and she triggers it, then it won’t be a big deal if it takes her out.”

  “Gee, thanks,” Ellie said with a roll of her eyes. The pearl called to her, and she wanted to touch it. And besides, even if prognostication was her weakest skill she was probably far stronger in it than any of them. She should be the one to touch it. “But fine, sure.”

  Ellie started forward, heartbeat picking up. What did the pearl want her to see?

  Thorn stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, “It’s a bad idea. Especially for an ab,” he said. “I’ll do it.”

  Before anyone could protest, Thorn put his palm on top of the whitish globe. His eyes closed and he frowned. “It’s trying to tell me something, but I can’t make it out.”

  Then Ellie heard a strange noise. A dragging sound, so faint she could barely detect it, came from the darkness of the hall behind them.

  It reminded her of a lazy guy who dragged both feet while walking.

  The hair at the back of her neck pricked up. A moment later, Jackie detected it as well. “Guys, I think there’s something coming.”