“Your names?” asked the woman.
“Breanna and Kael Skyborn,” Bree answered before Kael could even think to. The woman was surprisingly young, her face one of harsh lines and raven hair. Her outfit was different from that of the other theotechs they’d seen. While she wore red robes, they were much tighter against her body, and ended just below the knee. Gold buckles wrapped around her waist, and long black boots covered what was visible of her legs. The look was one of much greater mobility, and had an air of military to it. The woman nodded upon hearing their names, then opened the door and vanished inside without a word. Kael stood there with his sister, dumbfounded, and then a moment later the woman stepped back out.
“Have a seat,” she said. “I’ll call your names shortly.”
Kael glanced around, then chose the seat closest to the door. Bree sat beside him, smoothing her pants and letting out a deep breath. She was nervous, he could tell. Soaring freely over open ocean? That his sister could handle. A meeting with the mysterious theotechs that would decide their fates? Apparently that was far worse.
Their chairs were across from the other girl, and as they took their seats she lowered her book. She looked their age, which surprised Kael, given how late he and his sister were in taking their tests. All his other friends had come to Center two years ago, at first eligibility. The girl wore a brilliant white shirt with a black jacket atop it, and her pants were of a similar dark color as her jacket. Compared to the sharpness of her clothing, her face was rather gentle, and friendly.
“You won’t have long,” she said, flipping her long blonde hair back over one shoulder. “At most the others have waited ten minutes.”
“Thanks,” Kael said, and he suddenly felt very awkward. The girl had beautiful eyes, green like grass. That he was noticing this detail only reinforced his sudden feeling of embarrassment. Was that all it took, the presence of a pretty girl, to render him bewildered?
“I’m, uh, Kael,” he said, forcing the words to exit his mouth. “This is my sister, Bree.”
“Hello, Bree,” the girl said, smiling at his sister. Bree gave a curt nod, clearly focused on the tests and not at all caring for conversation. “My name’s Clara. So which island are you from?”
“Weshern,” said Kael.
The girl’s eyes lit up.
“So am I! I hope you do well. It’d be nice to have a familiar face going into training.”
If she lived on Weshern, it certainly wasn’t anywhere near Lowville. Kael had a feeling he’d have noticed a girl so pretty.
“That so?” he said. “Where do you live? I haven’t—”
“Clara,” called the woman at the door, interrupting him.
“Sorry,” Clara said, rising to her feet. She offered a quick curtsy, then vanished deeper into the building. Now it was just the two of them, and Kael leaned forward, holding his chin in his hands.
“There’s no need to be nervous,” his sister told him.
“I’m not the one who’s nervous.”
He glanced her way, winked. She smiled, and he could tell she was hoping he’d help alleviate her nerves.
“You’re not nervous either, are you?” he asked, rambling, the one thing he was definitely good at. “I hope not. I mean, I should be nervous, since I’m terrible at flying. You, though? Come on. You’re going to fly circles around everyone. You’ll be the star pupil, I promise.”
“You better be there with me,” she told him. “What good is it to be the star pupil without my twin brother there to seethe with jealousy at my accomplishments?”
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I know my place. Lots of seething and glowering.”
She took his hand, squeezed it, and let go. Just like that, she was silent again, but something was different now, her demeanor loose and relaxed. If only he actually felt as confident as he pretended to be…
With a startling burst of noise, the door in the corner opened, and Clara stepped out. Her smile was ear to ear.
“Water affinity,” she said. “I knew it, too!”
“That’s great,” Kael said, grinning stupidly as if her accomplishment were the best thing ever. From the corner of his vision he caught his sister rolling her eyes.
Before Clara could leave, the woman at the door called Kael’s name and beckoned him to follow her.
“Already?” he asked as he stood, feeling stupid as he said it. Why in God’s name would he question her?
“Already,” the woman said, curt, annoyed. Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Kael gave one last look to his sister, offered a crooked smile, and then followed.
“Good luck,” Clara called from the exit as the door shut behind him like the sealing of a tomb. Before him was a short hallway that immediately turned right. High windows along the ceiling let in what little light there was. On his left were two doors, and she stopped just before the first.
“You’re expected,” the woman said.
“Thanks,” Kael said, grasping the black iron handle and pulling. Stomach shaking, he stepped inside.
The room was as plain as everything else in the place. A wooden table and two chairs, one on each side, that was all. A thick pane of glass was along one wall, the rest bare and white. An older man sat in one of the chairs, wearing the standard long red robes of the theotechs. He gestured to the other seat, which Kael took, putting his back to the darkened pane of glass. A small box made of old oak and gilded trim lay between them, along with a piece of parchment just in front of the theotech.
“Welcome, Kael,” said the man. “My name is Dioso, and I will be administering the tests with you today.”
Dioso seemed friendly enough, with a long round face and gray beard and mustache. He wore a red cap atop his head, which was largely bald. When he smiled, his teeth were clean, his blue eyes disarming.
“I understand,” Kael said, unsure how much he was supposed to talk but figuring at least that would be safe to say. Dioso nodded, and he tapped the box that rested between them.
“There are two aspects to this test,” he said. “I ask that you give each of them equal care and effort. Remember to stay calm, and keep your mind clear. I also ask that you remain honest with me, and do not try to cheat or purposefully alter the results.”
“I will.”
“Good,” Dioso said. “Then let us begin.”
Carefully he opened the box and then removed a heavy black cloth to reveal the contents within. They were five prisms, each of a different color: red, blue, white, yellow, and green. Dioso spread the black cloth atop the table, then one by one removed the elements and placed them atop it. All the while, he spoke.
“This first challenge is a test of your sensitivity to the elements. The order the elements are currently in may or may not change when I have you close your eyes. In the center of your right palm I will make a small cut, just enough to release some blood. That blood will confirm your affinity, as well as aid you in detecting the elements, given your inexperience. When I tell you, I want you to extend that hand and slowly move it above the elements. If it helps, you may touch them, so long as you do not move them or open your eyes. When you are certain, I want you to leave your hand on the element you feel most strongly attuned with. Do you understand?”
Kael nodded.
“Very well,” said the old man, removing the last item from the box: a finely sharpened silver knife. “Now close your eyes and extend your hand.”
Kael took in a deep breath. Of the five elements, four of the five would suffice in granting him entrance to the Seraphim. Only light was deemed unworthy of combat. Those with strong light affinity were instead rewarded with the position of ferryman. So long as it was one of the other four, Kael had no preference. But should he have no affinity at all…
Trying not to entertain that terrible idea, he closed his eyes and offered his hand. The old man took it, firm yet gentle, the grip of someone who had performed the cut many times before. The knife moved across Kael’s open palm, a quick incision t
hat was finished before Kael could even flinch at the brief but sharp pain. Dioso released him, and Kael felt the tiniest trickle of blood slide down his wrist.
“You may begin.”
Kael reached out his hand, hovering it over where the black cloth had been. Almost immediately he sensed something peculiar, like how heat seemed to lift off the stone walkways in summer, only neither hot nor cold, just… there. Familiar. In his mind he saw a single prism as clearly as if his eyes were open. Thrilled beyond measure, he put his hand atop it and offered a nervous smile.
“Here,” he said.
“Very good. Open your eyes.”
He did, and immediately his smile vanished. In his hand, beneath his fingers, was the light element. At his touch the prism shone bright enough that he had to squint. Upon pulling back his hand, the light faded, the blood upon it rapidly drying and losing color. Kael’s hopes faded as quickly as the light. That was it, he realized. His future was set. Any hope of following Bree into the Seraphim had died a brilliant white death.
“Such strong affinity,” Dioso said, and he scribbled something onto the piece of parchment on the table before him. “You’ll make a fine ferryman, my lad, a very fine one indeed. Now let us finish up this next test.”
Dioso took the white prism and put it back into the box, then gestured to the other four.
“This second test is mostly perfunctory,” he said. “We shall confirm the accuracy of your sensitivity by comparing the affinity of your chosen element to your affinity, if any, to the other four. Please, place your hand on each one, and ensure some of your blood makes contact so I may see and judge any reactions.”
The first was the green one, which at his touch showed not the slightest reaction. Next came the red, and again nothing. As Dioso put those two away, Kael touched the blue prism, and at this one he felt a cold sensation. Frost seemed to grow from nothing around the edges of the prism, creating a thin sheet of ice across it. Kael felt his hope rekindle. Had his first guess been wrong? Might he still be a member of the Seraphim if he bore water affinity?
“Interesting,” Dioso muttered as he wrote something on his sheet of paper. “It’s rare to see someone with both major and minor affinities.”
“Does that mean I may still join the Seraphim?” Kael asked.
“Your major affinity is light, not water,” Dioso said, as if that settled everything. “Continue on.”
Kael swallowed down his cruel disappointment. Last was yellow, which again did nothing. With that, the test was over, and Dioso put the final prism into the box.
“I pray you are not disappointed,” Dioso said, rising from his seat. “Ferrymen are vital to our survival, and Center greatly rewards their gifts. In time, you’ll…”
He paused as the door to the room opened, and the woman from before stepped inside.
“Dioso, a moment, if you please,” she said.
“Of course,” the old man said. “Excuse me,” he said to Kael, then left.
Kael glared at the box, trying to decide how he’d break the news to Bree. Maybe she’d change her mind, but he doubted it. She’d not forfeit her chance to become a Seraph only to work the fields instead until he came home at nightfall when the ferrymen rested. More importantly, he’d not dare let her. He’d have to say good-bye is all. A grim smile spread on his face. Well… at least Aunt Bethy would be happy. She’d much prefer him taking the safer work of a ferryman. And Dioso hadn’t been lying. Ferrymen were paid well for their long, tedious hours of work.
The door opened, and in stepped Dioso. He said nothing, only returned to the box and pulled out the blue crystal prism, setting it atop the black cloth.
“Let me see one more time,” he said.
Frowning, Kael reached out and touched the blue prism. Once more it frosted over, the very center of it seeming to glow with a distant light.
“Major affinity,” the old man said. “Congratulations, Kael Skyborn, you are worthy of becoming a Seraph of Weshern. A representative of your ruling family will visit your home to further discuss the details of training and relocation.”
Kael stood frozen, refusing to believe his ears.
“I passed?” he said. “But my light affinity—”
“Was not as great as your water,” said Dioso, cutting him off. “Or would you like to argue your eyes are better than mine?”
Kael shook his head. Whatever that woman had said to him was clearly influencing his results, but why should he argue? He was being given everything he wanted, and all he had to do was keep his mouth shut.
“Forgive me, sir,” Kael said. “Thank you.”
Dioso gave him a smile, and the amount of sadness it seemed to hide was troubling.
“Safe travels, young Skyborn. May God watch over your journey.”
And with that, the door opened. The woman with the raven hair beckoned him out, and he left for the lobby, and his sister.
Bree sat with the five elemental prisms laid out before her. Dioso sat in the chair opposite her, watching closely.
“Remember,” he said, “even if you feel an attraction toward multiple prisms, you must choose the one that is the strongest. Are you ready?”
She nodded.
“Very well. Close your eyes and give me your hand.”
Bree did, and she waited for the old man to shuffle the order of the various colors so she could not cheat. In her chest, she felt her heart thumping despite her attempts to remain calm. This was it. Every hope of her becoming one of the Seraphim rested on her choosing correctly. Dioso took her hand, she felt a sharp pain, and then blood flowed across her palm and down her wrist.
“You may begin.”
Bree reached out her hand, and she waited for the slightest twitch or sensation. She’d read it was often like a comfortable aura, an awareness of the element and its potential strength. Back and forth she moved her hand, and after a moment, she dipped her fingers lower, letting the tips brush against all five. With each pass, she felt her heartbeat increase.
Nothing. She sensed no aura. She felt no awareness. No cold, no hot, no radiating familiarity. Everything she’d read, everything a sensitivity to the elements should be, she did not feel. Fighting off panic, she tried another pass, doing everything she could to calm herself. Perhaps her mind was cluttered. Perhaps she didn’t know how to listen or feel for it in the proper way.
“You must choose soon,” Dioso said, causing Bree’s jaw to clench.
It didn’t matter. Another pass, and another, and still nothing. Feeling defeat clawing her chest, she finally chose the element in the perfect center.
“Here,” she said, and her voice was disturbingly cracked to her ears. “This is the one.”
“Open your eyes, child.”
She did. Her hand rested atop the blue prism, her blood trickling upon it, and it showed not the slightest change. Bree stared at it, betrayed. That was it, then. She had no sensitivity to the elements, not the tiniest bit.
“Affinity to the elements is uncommon,” Dioso said, as if he could sense her frustration. It sounded practiced, a line he’d used a thousand times before, and it robbed all comfort from it. “Do not be upset, Breanna, for there are still many ways to serve your island and your God. Not all are meant to take to the skies.”
“I was,” Bree said, and she swallowed down a growing lump in her throat.
“Next we test the accuracy of your sensitivity,” Dioso said, and he put the blue prism away. “Please, place your hand on each one so I may see its reaction.”
The first was the white prism, which contained the element of light. Gently she put a fingertip atop it.
“Not just a finger,” Dioso said. “Make sure the blood makes contact.”
Bree nodded but remained silent, too upset for words. She placed her palm flat on the prism, smearing it with her blood. Still nothing. Next came the green prism, and as much as she hated it, she dared hope there’d be a change. There wasn’t. The disappointment was starting to crash in on her, a
nd she felt tears growing in her eyes. Tilting her head to the side, ashamed of such weakness, she touched the yellow prism, which held the power of lightning. Eyes closed, she did not see the lack of reaction. She didn’t need to. After a moment she lifted her hand, then placed it atop the final one.
Immediately she heard Dioso gasp.
“My God…”
When she opened her eyes, her entire hand was aflame. It burst from the red prism, curling about her fingers and crawling up her palm. She felt the heat of it, a distant sensation, more like a rash than the burn she knew she should be feeling. Over two feet into the air the fire leapt, and dark smoke lifted higher to the ceiling. Jaw slack, she stared, baffled, frightened. As the fire continued to grow, the pain heightened until she could stand no more.
With a cry, she let go of the prism. The fire shrank, burning blue a few moments more as her blood upon the prism cracked and flaked away. Tears streaming down her cheeks, Bree held her quivering hand to her chest. Blisters formed from fingertips to wrist, much of her pale skin turning an angry red as if sunburned. From the other side of the table, Dioso slowly pushed back his chair and rose to his feet. Before him was the parchment he’d been scribbling on, and he grabbed the quill and made a single mark in its center.
“God be praised,” he said, eyes never leaving hers. “I have never seen a woman so blessed. The Weshern Seraphim have themselves a rare gift.”
Despite the pain, despite the tears, Bree smiled. Dioso had said the words that mattered, her burns nothing but a cost she would gladly pay.
The Seraphim… the lords of the sky, the masters of flight and battle, warriors just like her mother and father.
And now she would be one of them.
CHAPTER 4
Nickolas came with them to break the news to Aunt Bethy, something Bree was very thankful for. They arrived at Lowville as the sun was beginning its descent, though they could have been there earlier if not for Nickolas, who had taken them to one of Center’s markets to buy them a treat.
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