by Olivia Ash
“I knew you liked me,” he whispers in my ear, making my magic go wild. The warmth of his breath tingles along my skin, setting my nerves in a flurry.
I force the feeling away enough to narrow my eyes on him. “Are you serious?” My voice is low and deadly.
“In due time, you’ll be mine, love.”
His words and my magic give me the shivers.
Savannah chuckles at my reaction. I can’t help but smile and return my attention to the demonstration.
I also feel like I could belong to this house as well.
A woman’s voice echoes around us as she says, “Behold, Lord Drakon, king of the skies and all dragons. Mighty ruler of air. Bold fighter, yet merciful. This is what it means to belong to the House of Drakon, for it takes a bold, kind heart and swift resolve to conquer the air. Do you have what it takes to conquer the skies?”
Rushed whispers replace the woman’s voice. As they move like the wind around us, I catch bits and pieces of the chant until I finally know what is being said. “Air is in you, and all around you.”
The dragon flaps his wings again and floats in the middle of the room, hovering as his eyes roam over us sitting and observing him. With a loud roar, he blasts the ground with fire that grows brighter by the second. I feel the heat from the flames, and just as soon as it starts… it’s over. Once again, we’re cast in darkness. Another round of applause.
“What did you think of that one?” Savannah asks.
Honestly? I’m at a loss for words. Finally, one comes to me. “Amazing.”
“I can’t wait to see what comes next.” Excitement is clear in her voice.
Once again, Gideon introduces the next house. “The House of Kraken.”
The floor of the area starts to flood. Part of me wants to hold my breath, but I don’t. As soon as the floor is completely covered in water, waves form and rush toward us, and a tentacle reaches out of the dark liquid. More of it is slowly revealed until what looks like a strange octopus emerges, slapping its tentacles along the water. Ocean sprays my face and I’m fascinated at how thorough this demonstration is.
Another voice speaks, this time male. “The mother of the sea, the Kraken, protects the depths and all her sea life. She does what is right, brings healing to those in need, and hope to the stormiest of seas. This is what it means to belong to the House of Kraken. Do you have what it takes to calm the stormy seas?”
Like the rush of ocean waves, whispers careen toward where I sit. “Power of the sea. So mote it be.”
With each crash of the waves against the table, the whispers grow. As do the waves, until the water rushes high above me, forming a wall. The Kraken moves through the wall, illuminated by lightning behind it. The display is raw, awe-inspiring, and makes me wonder if this house would be a good fit.
A bright light flashes. Once the light fades, darkness is all that is left.
Following another round of applause, murmurs echo throughout the room. There seems to be a lot of excitement over this one. I brace myself for what’s to come next.
“The last house demonstration for the evening is,” Gideon says, “House of Winterwolf.”
Crickets chirping replaces the dying murmurs. A light from above appears, silvery blue, like a moon. Growls take over the crickets. The hairs on my arms stand on end as I wonder what massive beast makes a sound like that.
I don’t have to wait long as a silvery white paw steps into the light, followed by the rest of the body of a massive wolf. He’s the size of a house at least. Once he stands completely under the light, he takes a seat and lets out a long, mournful howl. I notice a long black streak that starts at a point in the middle of his head and stretches to the tip of his tail. It looks like it was dipped in paint. In the light, the black glitters. I suck in a breath at the beauty of it all.
“Great Winterwolf,” a woman says, her voice is sharp and commanding. Strong and proud. “Master of Earth, protects us and provides us with sustenance. His cunning is unmatched by any friend or foe. Mighty as the night. Do you have what it takes to run with the pack?”
As the wolf howls once more, chanting as rhythmic as a drum rises above it. Soft at first, but it becomes louder as the wolf sits and settles his moon-like eyes on us. “Run with the pack.”
The drumming chant becomes so loud, I cover my ears. Drum, drum, drum, is all I hear until a final beat. The wolf and light disappear once more.
Thunderous applause takes over the silence, and the lights from earlier appear again, growing from dim to bright enough to illuminate the tables and tapestries, which are all sitting where they were before the demonstrations.
The initiates around me stand with their applause, and I join them. Each member of the houses stand and bow in turn, and some of their bigger fans give out hoots and hollers. The applause slowly dies, and we initiates reclaim our seats.
Gideon stands and says, “Job well done on the demonstrations, Houses. Initiates, as you proceed through your trials, keep in mind which house you would like to belong to. Which mascot called to you the most? Before I release you to your rooms for the night, a reminder: tomorrow morning at sunrise, be prepared to meet your mentor. If you have any questions, ask them of your mentor. They are at your disposal for the length of your trials. Good luck, initiates, and goodnight.”
All the initiates are prompted to stand and leave the room first, to give us time to make it back to our rooms before the halls become congested with students. As we move, I catch Soren’s eye again. He’s so stern and looks at me as though I’ve committed a murder. But he’s so freaking hot. Such a shame.
I pull my gaze away as I follow Jesse out into the hall. Savannah skips to my side and slides her arm through mine.
“You know,” she says, “I heard there is a special ceremony that you do with Lady Alene that places you in the house you fit into once the trials are over.”
“Really?” I ask. “I wonder how that works?”
She shrugs. “I’m not sure, but word is, the students all represent the traits the houses represent.”
“Huh, what would I do without you?” I ask. That little tidbit of information is interesting, but I have no idea where I would fit.
“Be totally lost,” she bats her eye lashes and brushes off her shoulder. “Where do you think you fit, right now?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug. Truly, I don’t.
“What about you, Jesse?” she asks and waits for him to respond.
He walks with his hands in his pockets as he chews on his bottom lip, looking up to the ceiling as if he’s willing the answer to come to him. He pulls a hand from a pocket and snaps his fingers. “Winterwolf.”
“I think I’m fitting into Kraken,” she says. “Healing is my thing. It’s part of what I can do.”
I nod. “I haven’t figured that stuff out yet, honestly. My main focus is just getting through the trials first.” Without using magic sans conduit.
We walk the rest of the way to our rooms, which are on the same floor, talking about our favorite parts of the demonstrations while Jesse pretends to be a wolf.
Chapter Twelve
I’m having such a good time that I almost didn’t catch my name. It takes another time of hearing it before I realize I’m definitely being called. Turning around, I find Professor Lawrence leaning against the wall, waiting for me.
He waves me over. I hold up a finger and say to Savannah and Jesse, “I’ll see you guys later.”
Jesse tries to beg me to stay by dramatically falling to his knees and crawling after me, hamming it up really good, but I laugh and shake my head and continue to the man who gave me his only invitation to attend the trials.
Once I’m between Jesse and the professor, I use my senses to check in with my magic. There’s nothing there. No reaction. Just like before. But then, I wasn’t looking for one until it happened once I arrived here and met Jesse. Maybe that is something to note?
“What can I do for you, Professor Lawrence?” I ask as I s
top in front of him. Still, no magical reaction to him. It definitely seems like Jesse, Soren, and Gideon are the lucky ones.
Interesting.
He walks into an empty classroom and holds the door open for me. “You need a new conduit. I brought several for you to choose from. It will come in handy during the trials.”
I follow him to a desk with the top covered in different pieces ranging from rings, to things more extravagant like a diamond encrusted belt. Even a couple of wands lay on the top.
“Which would you like to try out first?” the professor asks.
I stare at the wands for a moment. One is made of black wood with silver vines wrapping around the length. Rubies are inlaid sporadically throughout, and it emanates a beautiful peace that calls to me, but the urgency in the call isn’t for me.
It’s too much, too needy, and the energy within the conduit makes me worry.
My father once told me that a conduit is a choice not to be made lightly. “Choose wisely, for it will become an extension of you. You want it to flow with you, not through you or drag you down. If it feels just right, then that is the one for you.”
I smile to myself. His voice sounds clear as day in my mind, and I realize just how much I truly miss him. And my mother.
I pass on that wand and move to the next. This one is made of blonde wood, and has leather wrapping around the handle, which holds an intricate silver medallion outlined in filigree. In the center is a dark blue stone. The blue is so deep it almost seems black within the facets that don’t reflect the light.
But I don’t feel much of a call to this one. If there is any at all, it’s too soft. Too bad. This one is beautiful. However pretty, my father’s words stay at the forefront of my mind. I frown.
“Take your time, Wren,” the professor says. “It’s a very delicate process. And don’t worry if you can’t find one tonight. If that happens, I’ll simply bring some more for you to choose from. I take it the wands aren’t to your liking?”
“No, they are quite beautiful. Just not… right.” I chew on the corner of my lower lip, hoping that came across in the way I meant it to. Hearing the words out loud made it much more complicated than I meant it to be.
But if he had any issues with what I said, Professor Lawrence didn’t so much as bat an eye.
So, I move on.
The next three are different rings. Not much to them. But pretty to look at.
The first is made of purple and silver stone—lepidolite, I think. The stone ring fits on my right middle finger, and it looks nice. However, I yawn. I feel a little dizzy. And the energy makes me more lethargic and sluggish. Not what I’m looking for. I slip it off and set it back in its place.
The next ring is made of stainless steel and holds a rectangular pink rhodonite stone. It too fits on my right middle finger, but its energy is too much, too fast, and I feel jittery and anxious. Magic sparks at my fingertips. This one is a definite no. I need to be in control of the conduit, not the other way around. I quickly slip that one off and set it back where I picked it up from.
The third ring is silver. Instead of trying it on, which didn’t go so well the last two times, I just hover my hand over it and feel what it has to offer. The moonstone in the center, inlaid with ivy leaves in place of prongs, makes it a very beautiful ring. Just hovering my hand over the item gives me a sensation of being enclosed in an airtight case. I can’t breathe and it feels like the walls around me are closing in. This one is most certainly a no. I remove my hand and after a few moments of getting my breathing back to normal, I move on to the final two pieces left to choose from.
I frown again. I don’t like how it’s much more difficult to pick a conduit than it is to make one, but I don’t exactly have the means or the time necessary to do so. The trials could very well start tomorrow and I’m not about to perform magic without a conduit. Breaking rules and outing myself before I’m accepted into the university would make this whole thing seem like a waste of time.
“Just two more pieces…” the professor’s voice sounds patient, smooth. I look to him as he smiles. “Something tells me one of these is just right for you. The rings weren’t suitable, right?”
I shake my head.
“Perhaps, one of the last two then?”
I hope so.
The last two pieces are an amulet and a wrist cuff.
The amulet is simple. With just a wrap of silver at the top for the hook on a leather rope. The color is earthy in the sense that it has reds, silver, brown, and a bit of orange. I don’t recall what type of stone this one is, but when I hover a hand over it, it’s almost as if the stone is repelling me.
Nope.
I sigh.
“Deep breath, Wren,” the professor says. “Clear your mind and focus. Remember, I can show you more in the morning.”
I nod and follow his simple instructions.
The wrist cuff seems simple enough. It’s silver, and it has a line of small stones embedded into the surface. All of them are sunstones. Pretty in the false light of the room, but they will burn like tiny fires in the sunlight.
After I take another deep breath and refocus, I hover my hand over the final piece. Its energy is warm, soothing, inviting, and it seems to be at ease with me. Like it’s cool for whatever. Completely relaxed.
This is it. This is what I need.
I pick up the cuff and slide it over my right wrist. Holding it up, I analyze it with my skin and how the light refracts from the stones. They glow a little and my magic feels… happy.
I smile.
“I think we have a winner.” Professor Lawrence claps his hands, smiling, and goes to pick up the other items and slip them into a small black leather bag.
“I think so too,” I say. “Thank you. I owe you big.”
He shrugs it off and tells me, “If you insist on wanting to pay me back, pass the trials. That will be payment enough. I only want to see you enjoy your time here and know that you are safe and wanted.”
I smile and nod. “Deal. And I love this place more than anywhere else I’ve ever been. It’s an amazing opportunity that I don’t want to waste.”
“Off you go,” he says as he seals the bag and stands straight. “Lights out in ten minutes.”
I quickly turn and start to head for the door when he stops me.
“Wren?”
I turn and face him. “Yes, Professor Lawrence?”
“Make sure you get good sleep. The trials are brutal. I know you will make it through, but sleeping well is a necessary component of that.”
I nod and head out the door for my room.
By the time I’m in my pajamas, I’m exhausted.
I crawl into my bed and shiver a little.
Jesse says, “If you’re cold, we could always warm ourselves with body heat. Naked is the preferred method.”
I toss one of my pillows at him. “You wish,” I finally push out between gasps of laughter.
“Can’t blame me for trying, but thanks for the pillow. Smells like you.” He snuggles up to it and sighs. “I shall sleep well tonight.”
“You do that,” I say and turn off the light next to my bed.
As I drift off to sleep, images of fiery phoenixes and gigantic winterwolves haunt my mind, almost as if calling to me. I wonder which house I will belong to in the end. They all seem magnetic in their own right and just as strong and powerful as the others. Soon, the trials will be over, and I’ll be sorted into a house.
I just hope I can make it through the trials without my magic getting out of hand.
Chapter Thirteen
The morning is cold.
There is a chill in the air I can’t shake. I wrap my arms around me to try to keep warm, but it’s no use until the sun rises fully above the island. I wish for a jacket, but that does little good for me at the moment as we all stand in the courtyard, surrounded by stone walls that keep us from a steep drop to the ocean. We stand facing the body of the castle in its massive height, blocking out th
e sun, and thus, the warmth as we’re all eclipsed in its shadow.
It doesn’t help that my magic runs cool through my blood because I’m standing next to Jesse.
I shiver.
“It’s not too late to let me keep you warm,” Jesse says.
I shoot him a look. But it doesn’t do any good. He shrugs it off and says, “You’ll come around eventually.”
“Dream on, Romeo,” I say and force back the giggle that wants to bubble out of me. Right now, I need to focus, not get lost in flirting with Jesse. He’s adorably hot, not to mention the muscles that curve and bulge along his body through the shirt he is wearing makes my imagination run wild, but I can’t get caught up in that. My focus needs to be on the mentor, training, and then the trials.
Jesse sighs. “And what wonderful dreams they are.” He looks to the sky and cocks his head slightly to the side as if he is pondering something. “Wonder if the real thing will measure up.”
His gaze meets mine, and it’s dark, brooding… smoldering sexy. I gulp and try not to think about what he was implying as that would take my mind to places too inappropriate for the company I’m currently in.
I clear my throat and tear my gaze away from his and say, “Guess you’ll never know.”
“That’s what you think.” He smiles.
“Relationship ban,” I say and shake my head. He just never takes the hint. Instead he finds a way to somehow keep the option open for him regardless.
“I have my workarounds. I’ll give you a demonstration later.” With that, he winks and becomes serious and focuses ahead.
That’s fine by me. I don’t really have a witty comeback. Just curiosity as to what workaround he thinks he has.
Speaking of workarounds, I need to figure out my magic. Sure, I have a conduit, but I know what I can do now, and no one can ever know of the true extent of my abilities. I have to research this more. Figure out a way around it, because if it’s one thing I’m good at, it’s figuring stuff out and adapting to situations.
