by Bo Savino
* * *
The next day’s competition didn’t beat Team Phoenix up physically, but it did batter them on other levels. There were, however, two redeeming features. One, the Black Knight never made an appearance, and two, the other Teams failed in their performances as miserably as they had.
The reason for the Wilt-covered tree in the competition field had soon become clear. It was the Healing test.
“How could they expect us to heal something they haven’t found a cure for in over two thousand years?” Moira was upset.
They had drawn lots for the third slot. But first, third or last, not one of the Teams had had any success.
“Team Lizard at least got the leaves to perk up.” Storm gave a grudging grunt of admiration.
“No, they didn’t.” Jade rolled her eyes. “That was just an old Earth magic trick. Get the leaves to turn over so the veins are exposed and they can easily soak up the rain for nourishment. But there was no rain—so exposing the veins was actually detrimental because of the direct sunlight. Daisy Landstrider knew that. As if the elders couldn’t tell the Team was just being desperate.”
“The elders aren’t judging us.” Ryssa frowned. “The Lia Fial is.”
“Make no mistake.” Pyro slumped sullenly. “The Lia Fial may make the final decision on which Team is eliminated from the competition this year, but everyone in Faery is judging us. It’s the nature of the Fey.”
“That’s not fair.”
“No,” Jet said. “It’s Fair-ree.”
“That’s Fay-ree, dolt.” Moira punched her brother in the arm.
“It sounded better my way.” Jet waggled his eyebrows. “You were supposed to laugh.”
But no one was laughing. Their thoughts had all turned to one thing—tomorrow’s competition and what it might hold.
“So what do you think they’ll throw at us this time?” Reggie glanced at the tree in the center of the common area.
Gervais blew out a long breath. “Everything.”
“Yes, everything,” Pyro confirmed. “They’re going to put us through the paces on elemental magic.”
“Why aren’t they going to test us on any of the Celestial magic?” Ryssa asked. “It’s the only one that hasn’t been mentioned—and we haven’t really done much with it in training either.”
“Celestial magic isn’t really specific,” Moira said. “The Earth-link, that’s Celestial magic—and the weaving of the magical energies. Celestial magic is more of a foundation for all of the other magics.”
“Oh. I hadn’t gotten that.”
“Some things with Celestial magic are more specific than others,” Jet added. “Like the color transmutation Moira and I did with the phoenix trick. And shapeshifting. But most Celestial magic is either the basic stuff you have to do to perform the other magics—which is demonstrated every time you work with magic at all—or else it’s so high level there’s no way they could test us on it and expect any results.”
“You mean like the Healing the Wilt test?” Reggie raised a sarcastic eyebrow.
“Yeah,” Jet grunted. “So how do we do this tomorrow?”
“I vote we make Ryssa the lookout.” Whisper raised a hand. “She’ll see what’s coming way before the rest of us have a clue.”
“That’s a given.” Jet nodded thoughtfully. “So, what—make her Team Captain and let her call the shots?”
“No way.” Ryssa made a face. “You’re not putting me in the hot seat.”
“You have to be in the hot seat, Ryss,” Reggie said. “Literally. You’re the best channel we have for pulling all the magic together.”
“But you know how to use it better than I do. I’ll just mess it up.”
“Okay.” Jet shrugged. “Co-captains—any problems with that?”
Most of the Team agreed with the idea, but with reservations.
“What if she makes the Black Knight come again?” Gervais said the one thing no one else would, but what everyone was clearly thinking.
“I’m not the—” Ryssa snapped her mouth shut, glaring at Gervais. “I don’t call him, he just comes.”
Jet held up a hand to stop any further argument. “It’s not like he always shows up. After all this is over, we’ll try to figure him out. Until then, we’ll deal. We’ve gotten through it every other time—don’t get spooked now.”
“When this is all over, Reggie and I will be going back home.”
“What?” Pyro looked shocked. “I thought—”
“Nope, ’mate,” Jet nodded. “She’s right. Moira and I—and Hammie, too—will be heading back to the Zombie Zone until next summer.”
“Oh, right. I forgot,” Pyro said. “I guess I understand with Reggie, Ryssa, and Hammie—their parents are dead. But I figured Reggie and Ryssa would at least be staying with Aurelius now. I never understood it with you and Moira, though. Your mother and father are both alive, even if they don’t come to Court.”
“Our mother disowned us.” Jet’s face darkened. “You, of all people, should understand the prejudices of the perfect Seelie Court.”
“Yeah,” Pyro blushed. “I’m sorry, Jet. I didn’t think.”
“No sweat.”
“Reggie and I actually do have a family to get back to,” Ryssa said. The sudden memory of Debra and Terry brought an ache to her heart. She felt guilty that she hadn’t thought of them since the storm.
“Yeah.” Reggie’s voice was thick with emotion and Ryssa could tell the same thing had crossed his mind.
The common area was quiet while the minds of Team Phoenix wandered.
“Hey,” Reggie broke the silence. He looked around the room. “Anybody up for some Faery football?”
