by Dyan Chick
After a bow, the girl walked off the field and a red-haired boy in the same purple robes entered. He hovered above the ground briefly and moved some rocks around. I didn’t think he was as impressive as the girl. The only thing he did that stood out to me was that he was able to summon a huge gust of wind that blew the hats off of a few people seated near me.
As one candidate after another entered the space, my mind wandered. There wasn’t much variety to the demonstrations so I started to think about what I would do if I were to take a trial. What is Ashton going to do? So far, none of the candidates had done anything with fire. Master Flanders told me fire was a rare element to identify with. Most of these apprentices would be aligned with earth or air. That explains the rock trick. Would Ashton be doing anything with his fire?
Saffron yawned next to me. It was getting late. I covered a yawn of my own. Some of the people had left the stands already. Movement in the center of the field caused me to glance over. A jolt went through me, it was Ashton. He was in the same purple robes that all of the other apprentices had been wearing. My heart picked up and I scooted to the edge of my seat.
Ashton bowed to the judges and his eyes flickered up to mine. He smiled. My cheeks felt hot. He turned his back on the judges so I couldn’t see his hands. Then a circle of flames surrounded him, rising up until he was completely obscured by them. The crowd let out a gasp. My fingers tightened around the edge of the bench. The fire was being held a lot longer than most of the other spells I had seen performed. Ashton stepped into the flames. He walked right through them while they continued to burn, emerging unscathed. He made a low wave with his hands and the flames disappeared.
Then he cupped his hands in front of him. A small fireball appeared. He pulled his hands apart until the ball was the size of his head. He held it there for a moment. This would be impressive enough based on what the other candidates had done this evening, but he took it a step further. He spread his hands wide, shattering the fireball and causing it to rain down in thousands of little sparks. I reached my fingers to the sky, catching some of the falling embers. He was making all of the other apprentices look bad.
He bent down and placed his hands under a small flower. This looks familiar. The flower grew taller and larger than any flower I had ever seen before. It was quite beautiful. He took several steps away from the flower. With his hands at his side, I noticed only the most minute inclination of his head. The flower burst into flames. I could feel the heat from the fire all the way in the stands. My heartbeat quickened. With the smallest effort, Ashton could cause a lot of damage. I had a feeling I was only seeing a taste of his power as a sorcerer. Yet, his power didn’t worry me. Somehow, I knew that he’d never harm me.
The bell rang, signaling he had time for only one more spell. Many of the candidates had saved the best for last, but everything Ashton had done had already been more impressive than the skills shown by the others. Ashton found me in the crowd again and winked at me. My heart fluttered. A cloud of gray smoke rose around him. When the smoke cleared, he was gone.
I waited, eyes wide, for him to reappear. Then I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned. “Ashton?”
He grinned down at me.
The crowd around us noticed that he had materialized in the audience and they let out gasps and murmurs of surprise. Somebody started to clap and we were soon surrounded by applause.
“Show off.” I smiled at him.
He squeezed my shoulder before walking down the stairs. He stood in front of the judges again, and bowed before walking off of the field. His magic was so different from the other apprentices who had been testing. He made all of them look like beginners. How did he get so good? Max. He learned from Max. I hadn’t yet seen Max perform any magic but his skills must far surpass Ashton’s.
“Saffron?” I whispered.
The next candidate had emerged and was calling bunnies around her. Saffron turned away from the field and raised an eyebrow.
“Have you seen Max’s sorcery?” I asked.
“Not recently, but yes, I have in the past,” she said, returning her gaze to the demonstration.
“How does it differ from Ashton’s?”
She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Actually, I think Ashton’s demonstration was almost identical to Max’s when he had his trials. The audience was just as surprised then as they were today when he showed up in the stands.”
“You were there?”
“Max and I were inseparable when we were younger.” She sounded sad.
My stomach tightened. She has been trying to keep me from going through what she was going through. I thought of Ashton’s smile, his touch, his kiss. There is no way I’m giving him up. I won’t end up like Saffron.
The candidates filed out one at a time to show off their skills but I wasn’t paying attention to them anymore. Focus gone, my gaze went right through them out to the field beyond. The darkness was peaceful and helped me to forget my worries. A light. I tensed and adjusted my gaze, searching. Is it a shooting star? Please be a shooting star. I saw it again. Something is out there. Then again. A brief flash of light appeared in the darkness beyond the testing field. I sat up straighter and fought to see into the darkness. The tingle of magic in my hands intensified. I nudged Saffron with my elbow. “Something’s out there,” I whispered. I didn’t want to stir up fear from the people sitting around me.
She tensed and starred in the direction I indicated. The light flashed again. It was brighter this time. My heartbeat quickened.
She stood. “We need to go.”
I followed her, looking back just in time to see the light flash again, brighter still. We headed down the stairs and Saffron knocked on the door under the stands where the judges were seated.
“It better be an emergency.” A grumpy looking, angular woman said as she opened the door a crack. Her face tensed when she saw Saffron and me staring at her.
“What is it?”
“Something is going on outside the wards.” Saffron told her about the flashing light.
The woman’s face took on a greenish tint. She turned away from us. “Don’t let the next candidate test. We’re done for the night. Send everyone back to their tents.”
She turned to us. “Saffron, head to the main tent and tell Mildred Sfumato. She’ll get your weapons for you.”
Saffron nodded.
“You,” she said, staring at me. “Find Ashton. He should be at the candidate’s tent. If they find a way to break the wards, we’ll need his fire.”
“Where is that?” I asked.
She pointed to a tent behind the stands then shut the door. I heard movement above us as people were preparing to leave. They must have finished the last candidate.
“I’ll meet you at our tent,” Saffron said as she headed away.
I rushed to the candidate’s tent and hesitated in front of it. You can’t really knock on canvas. I pulled the flap back just enough to peek inside. The tent was full of apprentices who were sitting, pacing, or standing and talking with other people. They had no idea anything was going on.
An eye peeked back at me and I jumped.
The tent flap opened wide and a girl with wild, brown curly hair and bright green eyes stared at me. “What do you want?” she asked. “This tent is for candidates only. You won’t get any clues about future trials from us.”
I pulled my shoulders back and lifted my chin. “I’m here to get Ashton. It’s important.”
“Girlfriends can wait,” she said.
“I’m not his -”
“What’s going on out there? I heard my name,” Ashton called from somewhere within the tent.
“Your girlfriend is trying to sneak you out,” the girl said.
“You’re an idiot.” Ashton walked up to the girl. “Don’t you know who that is?”
The girl’s mouth went slack then she spoke again. “Um, some girl who isn’t old enough to take the trials yet?”
Ashton laughed. “You might want t
o be a bit nicer to Max’s sister.”
Her jaw dropped and the color drained from her face. “I’m sorry I was rude. I - I didn’t realize who you were.” She lowered her head, then pulled back the curtain the rest of the way so Ashton could leave. “I’ll see you later, Ashton.”
“What was all that about?” I asked him.
“Let’s just say, your brother has a reputation,” he said. “Now, what’s the big emergency - I’m guessing it isn’t that you were dying to see me.”
I touched his elbow. “This way. We’re meeting Saffron in our tent.” While we walked, I told him about the lights. When I was finished, I looked up at him. He was wearing a scowl.
His look said everything I needed to know. “So somebody is trying to get in,” I said.
He nodded. “It’s never been done before, but it’s always a possibility. The trials aren’t exactly a secret even though we keep the location a secret. But there would be ways to find out where they were. Without a direct invitation by the Head of the Trials, you can’t enter. There are too many protective spells and wards around the trials for easy access. It would take magic to get in. A lot of it.”
“Like the kind of magic the king has?” I asked.
“Or his sorcerers,” Ashton said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“The king has a following of at least eight sorcerers. We know the king himself can’t get to you but since his Reapers keep failing, he must be trying something new.” Ashton closed his hand around mine. “Don’t worry. The council is made up of the most powerful sorcerers in the world. They’ll be able to fight them off.”
Cold ran through my body, filling my veins with ice. I was a fool to think I’d be safe here. I squeezed Ashton’s hand. “I’m going to help them fight. I can’t keep having others fight my battles for me.”
23
As we walked through the camp I noticed that the color of the tents around me was changing. The camp had once been dotted with all shades, colors, and patterns. Now, the tents were all turning an alarming shade of red one by one.
“Emergency signal.” Ashton pointed to a tent that turned red. “Lets everybody know that they need to pack up and head to emergency exit portals. I’ve never seen them use it before.”
Saffron was halfway through lacing up her leather armor when we entered the tent. Her sword and my quiver of arrows were sitting on the bed, along with a collection of daggers. I had a feeling there wasn’t going to be much we could do with weapons like these if we were fighting against sorcerers. Ashton stepped behind the screen to change out of his purple robes. I looked around the room for a moment, feeling like I should be doing something but was unsure of where to start.
“You might want to change out of the dress,” Saffron suggested. “Trousers are much easier to run in.”
I quickly did as she suggested, attaching a dagger to my leg and tied on my leather wrist guard. Eyes closed, I silently went through all of the spells I had learned, trying to figure out if any of them would help me in this situation.
Saffron slid her sword into its sheath. “We’re to meet back in the main tent. You two ready?”
I took a deep breath and let out a sigh. “It’s been a few days since somebody threatened my life. I guess it’s time again.”
Saffron smiled at me. “You’ve come a long way from the sacred little village girl I rescued. You can do this.”
If Saffron thought I could do this, I must be ready. I have come a long way. My grandmother would be proud of me. I tied the quiver of arrows at my waist and picked up my bow. “I can do this.”
Ashton stepped out from behind the screen. He had shed the purple apprentice robes in favor of his usual tunic and trousers. Though he didn’t look like a sorcerer, I now knew just how much power he could wield.
Saffron walked to the door. “I’ll meet you two there.”
She was giving us a moment and we didn’t hesitate. I pressed myself against Ashton and buried my head in his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.
“I don’t know if you should go out there and fight,” he said.
I pulled back and looked up at him. “I can make it rain.”
“What are you talking about?” He brushed the hair away from my eyes.
“The thunderstorm yesterday. That was me.”
He stared at me, unblinking. “You made that thunderstorm?”
I nodded. I couldn’t read his reaction.
“Water and lightning,” he whispered. He shook his head. “Who knew the most powerful sorcerer I’ve ever met would also be the most beautiful?” He kissed my forehead.
I grinned. “Master Flanders was sure surprised.”
“It’s not easy to surprise the Head of the Trials.” He lifted an eyebrow. “I suppose I can’t just keep you for myself. I can’t wait to see what else you can do. You’re going to surprise a lot of people.”
I tensed. “You can’t tell my brother. I don’t know why, but Master Flanders wants me to keep it a secret.”
“You’re not doing a very good job,” he teased.
I gave him a pleading look.
“Okay, okay,” he said. He gave me a hard kiss on the mouth, then pulled away too quickly. “We better go.”
Hand in hand, we left the tent. Ashton tried to pull his hand away, but I hung on. We were heading to battle and I didn’t really care who knew about us.
The main tent was a buzz of activity when we arrived. Master Flanders was in the center of the tent assigning jobs to people. He glanced at our clasped hands when we walked up to him, but didn’t say anything.
“Ashton, I need you at the emergency exit portal. It won’t be activated until the camp is secured. People are already waiting to leave. Keep them calm and as soon as it opens, you send as many people out as you can. Don’t hesitate to use your fire if you have to. Keep those people safe. If something comes in that isn’t supposed to,” he tossed a silver coin to Ashton, “this will close up the portal.”
Ashton nodded. He started to head out of the tent. I pulled him back and gave him a quick kiss before letting go of his hand.
“Promise me you won’t be too brave,” Ashton said.
“You, too,” I said. Ashton gave me one last glance as he left the tent. The back of my throat hurt and my mouth felt dry. Please don’t let anything bad happen to him. I knew right then that I made the right decision to stay with him, no matter the cost. There was no way I could be without him.
Master Flanders approached with a tall, dark skinned man in black leather armor. It reminded me of the King’s Guard. A chill ran through me. “James, this is Wilona. I need you to keep her safe, away from the fighting,” he paused and lowered his voice, “James, on your life, keep her safe. You understand?”
James nodded then grasped my upper arm and started to drag me toward the door.
Using all of my weight, I pulled in the opposite direction. “You can’t just hide me away.” Yanking my arm out of his grasp, I turned to Master Flanders. “You know I can help. Let me fight.”
Saffron shook her head. “You know we can’t risk anything happening to you.”
My nostrils flared. “I am not going to hide somewhere while the king’s sorcerers kill everybody. If they get in, I’m dead anyway. You might as well let me help.”
Master Flanders’ mouth twisted and he narrowed his eyes at me. “You sure you’re ready for this? These are fully trained sorcerers.”
“Are you crazy?” Saffron’s voice cut through Master Flanders’. “She’s not ready.”
“I am ready. And I’m doing this.” My knuckles were white from squeezing my bow so tight. “You can’t stop me.” Swallowing hard, I played the one card I had. “If Max isn’t here, I’m second in command by birth. You have no choice.”
“You have too much of your brother inside you.” Saffron ran her fingers through her hair. “You do realize he’ll kill me if I let you die.”
“Then you better come wi
th me and help me,” I said.
Master Flanders wore the hint of a smile on his face. “James, take these ladies with you to the barrier. You’ll all fight.”
James nodded and led us away from the tent out toward the blackness where the wards ended. As we walked, the flashes of light were becoming brighter and more frequent than when I had first seen them.
A small band of older sorcerers, many in robes like Master Flanders, were already lined up in the middle of a field. Saffron and I stood behind them.
James had two swords strapped to his sides. Was he a sorcerer or a bodyguard? Whatever he was, he was apparently in charge.
“We have a few minutes before they break the wards. We are guessing it’s about six sorcerers out there. Do not underestimate them. They have all been training alongside the king in dark magic and will be using ancient spells we’re not familiar with. They are also trained as necromancers. If any of us fall, burn the body.”
I swallowed. Necromancers. Forcing myself to breathe normally, I waited for more instructions. You can do this. Nobody is going to have to burn your body.
The tingle of magic spread up my arms and was tickling at my neck. They were almost here. I pulled an arrow from my quiver and held it against my bow.
James pointed to a small woman in a flowing gray dress. “Britta, stand next to Wilona. Give her arrows an extra punch.”
Britta nodded, then moved to stand next to me. Suddenly, my arrow felt like it was humming with energy. The tingle from the magic moved into my chest and was nearly running through my whole body.
“The wards are about to fall,” I called out. Nobody questioned how I knew. They moved into their ready stances and Saffron lifted her sword. James unsheathed both of his swords and locked his gaze directly in front of him. I drew my arrow and waited.
A blinding light punctuated the darkness then vanished, leaving me momentary blinded. The wards are down. Blinking away the spots that danced in front of me, I focused on keeping my bow at the ready. It was too quiet. I could hear steady, quick breaths leaving my mouth. Squinting into the blackness, I waited.
