First Year

by Rachel E. Carter

  “How are you, Clayton?” I quickly busied myself with one of the charms on the counter.

  “Better now.”

  I cringed and fiddled with the locket until his big hand closed softly around my own. I looked up to meet Clayton’s gaze., An uncomfortable silence passed between us.

  “Ryiah, I like you.”

  “Well, isn’t that just precious,” a sneering female voice drawled behind us.

  Jumping, I saw Darren and Priscilla standing in the doorway. My pulse stopped.

  “Oh, please don’t stop on our account,” the venomous girl continued, one arm wrapped tightly around the prince’s waist. “This will be our last chance to see two lowborns before we go on to our apprenticeship. Darren and I need a good laugh, don’t we, my sweet?”

  Darren’s eyes fell to Clayton’s and my interlocked hands. They were unfathomable. “Yes, I believe we do.”

  My throat became unbearably dry.

  “Just because you don’t know happiness is no reason to spoil ours!” Clayton told Priscilla irritably.

  She laughed loudly. “Come, Darren. We’ve got to return to the castle in time for me to dress.” She her hand lightly to his chest and whispered loudly: “I have something special to wear. I had it especially picked out for tonight’s occasion.” Her eyes fell to me, and she smiled, saying the next words carefully: “It will be the perfect opportunity to announce our betrothal.”

  My eyes flew to Darren. He was a stone, not one emotion flickering across his face as the world came crashing down before mine.

  The prince and Priscilla left the store. I stared after the spot they had stood long after they had disappeared.

  “Ryiah, is something wrong?”

  I felt as if someone had ripped my lungs right out of my chest. I was sad, angry, confused… and I had no right to be.

  “I am sorry, Clay.” I swallowed. ” I can’t return your favor.”

  Clayton’s face burned red. He dropped my hand with a sneer. “You are a fool if you think Darren will ever notice you!”

  The boy didn’t wait for a response. He stalked out of the shop indignantly.

  Alex and Ella observed the boy’s dramatic exit from the street and then came running to find out what had happened.

  “What did you say to him?” Alex stared after his friend, confused.

  “You finally told Clay you didn’t return his sentiment,” Ella said. It wasn’t a question.

  Derrick returned from the back of the shop, grinning. “Ryiah said it right after that mean girl told her she was engaged to the prince.”

  “What does that halfwit’s engagement have to do with anything?” Alex demanded.

  Ella’s eyes shot to my own, and I looked away, unwilling to acknowledge her unspoken question. I’d told her about my tower encounter days before, and while she was not yet convinced Darren’s magic had saved her years ago, she had acknowledged the possibility that the prince was not as horrible as we had initially assumed. While Darren claimed to have helped me in friendship, she knew I had hoped there was more to it.

  Clearly there wasn’t.

  Much later that evening, Ella and I were standing before our reflection in the looking glass of our barrack’s quarters. She had lent me one of her many dresses for the occasion, a deep blue gown that would “capture the gray-blue of my eyes.” It was even more spectacular than her dress at solstice. I tried to tell her that it didn’t matter what I wore, but she was of a different opinion.

  “This is a night to be proud,” Ella declared brazenly, as she helped brush out my scarlet red locks. “Whether our names are called or not, we completed a year where others have failed. That is not something anyone can take away from us.”

  We finished dressing, and I linked my arm in Ella’s as we exited the barracks. Outside Alex was waiting for us, looking handsome in the same clothes he had worn for the solstice.

  “Ready?” His eyes shown unusually bright as he took my friend’s arm.

  “There’s no going back now.”

  The three of us began our slow march down the path to the Academy. We greeted our families at the door, and continued ahead of them as we made our way to the grand atrium. The place was packed from the hundreds of faces standing all around, and as one of the last groups to arrive, we were forced to wait at the back of the room.

  At every pillar of the atrium, giant torches of crystalline blue flame flickered magnificently. At the center loomed the enormous stairwell and its many-paned window with the stunning view of the Sjeka sea. Standing right before it were Master Barclae, the Three, Sir Piers, Masters Eloise, Isaac, Cedric, Ascillia and Narhari.

  At the base of the stairs, King Lucius and his two sons stood expectantly, all dressed in their choice colors and fitted cloaks. Priscilla stood close beside them, looking resplendent in a red and gold dress fitted in rubies that flared dramatically at its base. She and Darren’s arms were linked, much like mine had been moments before with Ella and Alex.

  I swallowed at the sour taste in my mouth and forced my gaze to remain at the top of the stair.

  Minutes later, Constable Barrius squeezed his way through the crowd and up the well to stoop beside the Master of the Academy. He whispered something, and the man cleared his throat expectantly.

  A hushed silence fell over the room.

  “I have waited a very long time for this moment,” Master Barclae announced. “Ten months ago, one hundred and twenty-two naive, young faces stood in this very room. I told them that half would not make it past the first few months. I told them that they would make no friends. I told them that they were wasting my time.”

  He scanned the audience, letting the effect of his words sink in. “I did everything I could to encourage them to pack their bags and leave the very next day. When that did not work, I had Sir Piers and Master Cedric take them out to the mountains with the sole purpose that they were not to return until we had lost the first five. I celebrated with a ball when we half the class resigned. And I have continued to parade their loss until we were left with the forty-three standing in front of us now.

  “The forty-three first-years in this room are the culmination of everything a true mage should be. While they may not have the potential necessary to continue their studies, these young men and women represent the effort and dedication I strive to maintain during my reign at this Academy. With that, I’d like to call forward the fifteen who will be continuing on to the exalted apprenticeships that the Council and Crown are so proud to bestow..

  Master Barclae pulled a tightly rolled scroll from his robes, and Barrius held his torch close so that the formidable man could read from his list.

  “For Alchemy, I call forward Piper, Julian, Thomas, Ruth, and Damien.”

  The five first-years rushed forward. I barely caught a glimpse of my spritely friend as she raced up the stairwell and shook the hand of Barclae and the masters, one by one. When the commotion had finished and the clapping had ceased, Master Barclae had the five new apprentices of Alchemy stand across the right rail of the ascending staircase.

  “In the faction of Restoration, I would like to invite Ronan, Alexander—”

  My twin turned ghastly white. If Ella hadn’t been there to steady him, I am sure he would have fainted. When she finally released him he was looking up at the stairs with the biggest eyes I had ever seen. Ella had to gently nudge him forward before he actually began to move.

  “—Kiera, Muriel, and Kaylein to the stand.” Barclae watched as the five fumbling first-years found their way up the steps to shake hands and then stand at the left spiral of the stairs.

  “And finally, for the faction of Combat, among the twenty-two young men and women that beat out all odds. I welcome Prince Darren.”

  The young man with eyes as dark as night itself stepped forward.

  “Eve.”

  The small girl pushed her way through the crowd to join the nonheir at the top of the steps.

  “Ella.”

  My friend
screamed and ran forward. There were a couple of laughs among the audience.

  “Ray.”

  My opponent from the first trial nodded solemnly and found his way to the center of the dais.

  “And finally, for the last apprenticeship of the evening.”

  My heart stopped.

  I knew it was foolish to hope, especially when Master Barclae still hadn’t called her name, but I still held on. More than anything, I wanted the Master of the Academy to say mine.

  “Lady Priscilla of Langli.”

  I watched as she ascended the steps. I watched as her dress glistened along the dais. I even watched as she accepted Master Barclae’s outstretched hand.

  The girl smiled prettily, shaking the hands of the masters to her right, and that was when the piercing jealousy tore its way across my chest. It continued to bury itself as Priscilla took her place beside the prince.

  I could feel hot tears starting to pour down my face, but I was powerless to stop them.

  The final five apprentices stood just below Master Barclae, facing their audience on the center stair.

  A slow clapping started. It continued, on and on until the room was a thundering storm of applause.

  A hand slid in to grip my own and I looked down to see my younger brother. Derrick said nothing. He just held my hand tightly, letting me grieve amongst the clamor of excited voices.

  I would be happy for my friends, for my twin, but this moment was too soon. Alex, Ruth, and Ella were somewhere up there with the other twelve apprentices, living out their wildest dreams.

  I was not.

  And it hurt more than words could tell.

  Master Barclae motioned for everyone to settle down so that he could start a speech. “Let us all congratulate our newest order of apprentices—”

  I could not stay any longer. It was too much. I turned to leave, letting go of Derrick’s hand to exit the crowd.

  “Master Barclae.” The voice of the Black Mage was urgent.

  The Master of the Academy sounded irate. “Yes, what is it Marius?”

  “My colleagues and I would like to invite one more to take the stand.”

  I froze, slowly turning to see the Master of the Academy give the Black Mage a strange look.

  “We already have our fifteen.”

  “Yes,” the man agreed, “but I am enacting my right as a member of the Council to include one apprentice in today’s ceremony.”

  “But it has always been fifteen!”

  “In the beginning it was more.” The Black Mage stepped forward to face the crowd and address his startled audience. “But it was too many. Too little magic. We lost more lives than we gained… Yet, it has always been acknowledged that the number could change, should others arise with the potential we require.” He pulled back his hood so that everyone could hear his next words clearly: “And I believe today to be that day.”

  I couldn’t breathe. It was too much to hope. I’d never considered the possibility…

  “My dearest Ryiah.” The Black Mage found me in the audience with a grin. “Will you please join me, as the final apprentice of Combat?”

  My heartbeat fell to the floor. I stood motionless, afraid that if I moved for even a second the dream would end.

  “Ryiah.” Derrick was tugging on my arm. “Ryiah, you’ve got to get up there.”

  This is real.

  The audience fell silent as I walked forward, and the sea of people slowly parted to let me approach the steps. As I drew forward I caught sight of Alex’s grin. Ella was beaming.

  I could also see the loathing in Priscilla’s eyes.

  As I passed the prince, Darren gave the slightest nod, the barest semblance of a smile on his lips. His eyes danced as they met mine, and I realized suddenly that the answer to his earlier question was yes. Yes, the non-heir was a friend. It didn’t matter that he was betrothed. My feelings didn’t matter one bit. Because there had been no shock in his eyes when I had climbed the stair just now—Darren, Prince Darren, the sometimes-bane-of-my-existence, had put faith in a future that even I had never bothered to foresee.

  Trembling, I took the hand of the Black Mage and then continued across the line. Eventually, I finished shaking the masters’ hands and returned to my spot at the end of the row, right beside Ella.

  Master Barclae strode forward to address the audience, again: “Ladies and gentleman, I give you the fif—the sixteen apprentices of our Academy. Please give them the applause they deserve.”

  This time when the clapping and shouting started, it never stopped.

  About the Author

  Rachel Carter lives in Placerville, California with her boyfriend and their two spoiled pets -a feisty feline named Charlie and Zoey, the Australian Shepherd who gets jealous of anything that moves. She loves to organize -and when she is not color-coding her closet she is always looking for the next good book. She grew up reading about magic, hot bad boys, and lady knights. The Black Mage: First-Year, her debut novel, is a tribute to all the things she never stopped loving.