by Leia Stone
The old mage gazed around the room almost as if he was looking for someone. I was about to ask Kaja another question when he approached the podium.
Blood rushed in my ears, my heart hammering so loudly I was sure the entire room could hear it. What or who was he looking for? Did he know I wasn’t supposed to be here until next year? He couldn’t know that … right?
I squirmed, remembering what Dad told me about the abilities of the High Mage Council—they could do just about anything. Mind reading was definitely in their capabilities … to what degree, I didn’t know.
The old high mage held no microphone, and yet his voice amplified so we could all hear. “Welcome to Alpha Island. As is customary, my brethren and I are here to host the elemental affinity ceremony.”
I glanced at the four other high mages, none of whom were looking at the old mage or the alpha heirs. One yawned, and another leaned over to say something to the high mage on his left. All four appeared bored at best. Clearly, we weren’t their favorite yearly obligation.
A woman, who I assumed was an elemental mage teacher, wheeled out a giant crystal cluster with jutting points of various widths, lengths, and colors. The entire room did a collective ahhh, including me, and we leaned forward.
As a wolf, I loved the earth, and something about natural crystals resonated deep within me. I had an entire row of pretty stones I’d collected over the years in Montana, but I’d never seen a crystal quite like this. The tips were clear quartz, but inside of the crystal where it was a single mass, colors swirled within—wisps of red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, and even black. Could such a piece naturally occur?
“The Affinity Stone was gifted to us by the Mother Mage herself. May she rest in peace.”
“May she rest in peace,” we coursed, giving honor to the woman who created our magical races. It was said she held a multitude of DNA strands within her magic, and she borrowed matter from the mortal realm to construct the first of dozens of magical races: mage, shifters of all kinds, and vampires. The Mother Mage, also known as the High Queen, was the “mother” to us all.
The old man’s voice grew reverent. “After the queen created the magical races, she grew weary and rested from her labors. All of her creations left, off to explore the magic lands and seek their fates. All but one. An alpha wolf shifter remained, her most loyal companion. After a century together, he became her mate, and she decided to honor him by bestowing their offspring with elemental magic. And so you were created. A spark of high mage power for those who lead their kindred, a reward for love and loyalty.”
I bowed my head in respect. Out of hundreds of Crescent Clan wolves, only Nolan, myself, and my father and aunt would bear any elemental magic, and it was all due to the Queen Mother’s love for the alpha wolf she spent her life with. It was a grand love story. It was said not even death parted them. The High Mage Council had since banned interracial breeding—like under penalty of death—but the High Queen’s love story showed just how powerful a race could be when combined.
The mage finished his story and cleared his throat. “Her final gift to the alpha heirs was the Affinity stone. Once we know your element, you’ll be matched with your mage master teacher.”
My gaze ran the length of the wall where a half dozen teachers stood. The elemental mage masters could make or break your education here. I didn’t know much, but I knew that. I needed to have a strong affinity and be assigned a powerful mage master. Someday, Nolan could challenge me.
And I’d do all I could to discourage that.
Chapter 5
The high mage at the lectern stepped closer to the Affinity Stone and then continued his address. “When I call your name, you’ll come to me. I’ll prick your palms with the sword of truth, and then you will place both hands on the crystal.”
What—what—what … the hell is the sword of truth? Prick my palms?
No, no, no…
I glanced around the hall again, but no one else seemed disturbed by his announcement. Not even when he held up the biggest dagger I’d ever seen—at least a foot long. Was that silver?
This whole thing was weird.
I ground my teeth, but my decision was already made. I wanted my elemental power. I needed it. That magic not only set me apart from the other wolves in my pack; it would filter to my pack when I became alpha.
I stood straighter.
The Affinity Stone pulsed, splashing rainbows across the room, and my heart raced.
A hush fell over the crowd, and we waited for the first victim—er … student.
“Mallory of Daybreak.”
The high mage said her name as though reading it from a list, but there was no list. Just a creepy old high mage waiting to impale us with a silver weapon.
I swallowed hard, rising up onto my tiptoes so I could see. A tall willowy young girl with long blond hair stepped forward boldly; she kept her chin cocked up, giving an air of superiority. She reminded me of the Barbie doll my father had given me when I was seven.
Holding out his gnarled hand, the old man dropped his voice so the rest of us couldn’t hear. He said something to Mallory, who had placed her palms out in front of him. She nodded, and he grabbed her wrist, driving the tip of the blade into her left palm and then again to her right.
My stomach plummeted. Holy mage. I’d rather join the undead than be stabbed in the palms in front of all my classmates.
So much blood.
“Now, place your hands on the crystal,” he said in a soft tone that nevertheless carried to everyone.
Mallory rested her hands over the crystal’s tips, and her blood dripped onto the cluster.
Wow!
In an instant, red, orange, and yellow lit the room. The magical live flames climbed up her arms until her entire body was covered by the beautiful iridescent glow. She withdrew her hands, and the magic around her disappeared as she turned, facing us. With a smile of triumph, she held her hands aloft, her palms healed even though the magical fire continued to dance there.
“Ah, how exciting,” the high mage exclaimed in a tone that indicated the opposite. “A fire elemental. Thank you, child. You may take your place next to the mage masters and older students of fire.”
He called Kaja up next, and when she looked at me hesitantly, I gave her a thumbs-up. Her blood dripped on the crystal. Within seconds, she held glowing gold rocks, indicating she was an earth elemental, and was placed with a mage master of that ability.
There was no predisposition based on pack or lineage, or so it seemed. I now wondered if I would have fire like my father or something else entirely. I looked beside me to see that I was now alone. Everyone else in the room hugged the walls, indicating they were older years, which meant…
“Naima of Crescent Clan,” the old high mage said, yanking me from my stupor. My stomach clenched, and my palms slicked with sweat.
Pull it together, Nai!
I met his gaze, and the universes swirled beneath the cloudy depths of his eyes.
Queen Mother, have mercy. I didn’t expect to be this terrified. I shouldn’t be.
What if I didn’t have an elemental affinity? If I had no magic, they’d throw me out. There would be no need to even be taught here—I would go home a failure, leaving Nolan to take my place as heir in the first position. It happened every century or so; they said it was a curse, and if any clan were to be cursed … it would be mine. Then I really would bring shame to my clan.
Please, don’t let me be a dud.
The high mage’s lips tipped up in what I hoped was a smile. “Please join me.”
A few of the alpha heirs snickered, and I heard one of them groan—probably Justice. Or Rage. Someone needed to pull the sticks out of their backsides. How was it that they were brothers with Noble and Honor? Why were they here anyway? They already knew their affinity.
I scooted past the crowd at the edges of the room to the aisle, keeping my head held high. Never let your foe see your fear, my father would say.
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As I strode toward the raised dais, I started to wipe my sweaty palms on my skirt before remembering it wasn’t my dress—not to mention everyone was staring.
I stepped onto the dais and felt the heat of one of the high mages’ gaze—blue cloak, the same one from earlier. I was no genius, but for some reason, that dude had it out for me. I could feel his magic wash over me as if … scanning me.
Mother Mage, protect me.
I wished he’d stop staring.
Something fizzled in the air, and then it was just me and the older high mage. I blinked and then frowned because the tall high mage standing in front of me was no longer wearing long silver robes with his milky galaxy eyes. He was … smiling at me kindly, and we were both dressed in shorts and tank-tops, standing outside on a sandy beach.
What the mage was going on? I spun, looking for the crowd in the room but saw only miles and miles of endless shoreline.
“Isn’t this your favorite place?” he asked.
My jaw hit the sand, and I shook my head. “I’ve … never been here.”
I’d always wanted to go to the beach, but since the alpha king banished us to our small lands in Montana, I’d never been able to go. This was absolute confirmation that he could read minds. Right? And teleport people to beaches…
He cocked his head and inhaled deeply through his nose. “You are more powerful than I thought—”
“What? I’m confused…” My heart, which had been lulled into a slower beat because of the crashing waves, picked up its pace again. Nothing about this made any sense. And if no one else was here…
“Where are we?”
He shrugged noncommittally. “That’s a conversation for another day. I’m going to need your hands now.”
Apparently, we were going forward with the ceremony … on a beach. Had the other students seen this? Did he take each student to their favorite inner-mental landscape? Maybe it’d be best to get this over with and return my body to the school. I held my palms out, my confusion by this time far greater than my fear of the silver dagger.
Even so, I forced a swallow and then asked, “Will it hurt?”
The high mage chuckled, a legit laugh—which sounded like wind chimes. I was 84.8% sure he didn’t laugh with the other students. He wasn’t even friendly with them.
“Definitely not,” he responded. His expression turned somber then. “But I need you to listen. Before you drip your blood on the crystal, you need to pick an affinity and tell me what it is.”
What? I shook my head, trying to dislodge the heaping piles of WTH.
“We get to pick?” I asked, frowning. “Is this what you were discussing with everyone else?” Maybe that’s what he whispered to everyone. You want fire? Okay, done.
He shook his head. “I need you to pick one. We’re running out of time. I cannot hold us in this place much longer without the others knowing—”
What the what?
“Oh-kay. Fire,” I said, thinking of my father and the ability to make one’s blood boil in their skin. Seemed like a decent affinity.
The high mage grinned, and it was all feral excitement. “Then, think orange—the color of a deep sunset.”
Orange. Orange. Orange, I chanted in my head for good measure.
“Close your eyes,” the mage whispered.
This dude had me so confused, but I wasn’t about to question a high mage during a special ceremony. Closing my eyes, I breathed in and tried to think of the color orange. Why? I had no idea. Maybe it helped my element come to the surface?
I felt an icy kiss on my palm like a snowflake brushing warm skin after pulling off my gloves. For some reason, Rage popped into my mind then. I thought of how his gaze dipped to my lips when he was lying on top of me in the car. I wondered what his affinity was. Water? Air?—Ugh, he was such an ass. My lip curled in disgust.
Think Orange, Nai!
Crap!
Orange sunset, illuminating red-rocked mountains…
Cold icy magic bludgeoned me in the solar plexus, and I gasped, clenching my eyes shut. The biting cold seared my skin like an icicle slicing into me, and I hunched over with a cry.
He said it wouldn’t hurt!
“Oww,” I muttered between my teeth.
“Holy fecking mage!” one of the students shouted.
My eyes popped open, and my jaw dropped. Gone was the sandy beach. I was back in the atrium of Alpha Island, my hands hovering over the crystal and dripping blood. Colors danced and swirled above us. Gradually, the blues, yellows, and greens faded, and then, there in my palms, a vibrant teal light swirled and twisted, mixed with a deep, beautiful orangey-red. The vermilion became flames, licking my palm as if it were dry wood, and the teal transmuted to a light blue and then swirled in my hand like a mini water tornado. Yikes. This didn’t look like fire element.
My stomach dropped.
“How many affinities does she have?” someone cried from behind me.
I grimaced. My attention jumped from my hands to the high mage who still held them. He muttered a chant under his breath and opened his eyes, fixing them on me. There was disappointment there and … fear, but then it was gone.
“Sorry,” I whispered, guilt wiggling in my gut. Perhaps that was residual discomfort from whatever that pain was. “I tried to pick one.” My voice was barely a whisper, meant only for him.
He shook his head. “No matter, Nai. You did fine.”
Pride swelled within my chest, and a warm trickle of energy flowed up my arm. The ache over my abdomen waned like putting aloe vera on a sunburn. “Thanks.”
“She has two affinities!” the old man told the crowd, which now pushed closer, including the teachers. My gaze scanned the crowd before landing on Rage. He’d pushed off the wall and now stared at me through a slitted, sharp gaze.
“What in the name of the high mage?” a man shouted, his voice raspy and harsh.
I spun on my heel and faced the High Mage Council. The one dressed in royal blue glared at me. “It’s been nearly a century since we had a student with two affinities—and that alpha almost destroyed her clan.”
I gulped as silence descended over the crowd.
He took one more step toward me, and my entire body stiffened. “We’ll be watching you, wolf.”
Shock ripped through me, and shame burned my cheeks.
My eyes flicked to Kaja, who looked down at her feet. Rumor was that a century ago, a Harvest Clan alpha had two affinities and went mad from it. She had to be put down…
Before I could retort, the high mage at my back cleared his throat. “Calm yourself, Kian. I’ll keep an eye on her myself. Now, back down so we can finish.” His tone was clear. That was an order, and this badass was clearly in charge of the others. The old man’s shield, Kaja’s sister, stepped closer to him as if threatening Kian to refuse.
Kian scowled but said nothing more.
Ha! Take that, a-hole.
“Fire is her stronger affinity,” the old high mage declared, ignoring me except to hold up my hand as all traces of my affinity test vanished but for a small glowing of my palms. “Water affinity is also present. She’ll need to be trained by both the fire and water elemental mages. See to it that she has all things needed for training.” He nodded at me and pointed to a mage master teacher dressed in black with purple and gold trimming on his cloak. “Start with Mage Carn, Fire Master.”
Whoa. None of the other students got assigned a mage teacher by the High Mage Council.
I nodded, careful not to seem too excited. Especially with Kian still glaring at me.
After closing my palms, I expected the colors to go away, but they didn’t. I could still see threads of energy looping and twisting around my finger.
Knock it off. I shook my palms to try and clear them as I stepped down from the stage and walked toward the mage teachers.
A few minutes later, the high mage told a mage teacher to take the crystal back to the safe, and then all of the high mages and their shields left
. Gone. No long-winded speeches about how we should live up to our affinity or how those with power should use it for good—none of that. Kudos to the high mage for doing it right. I was getting sick of the stares—two affinity freak over here. Just my luck. I couldn’t even take this test right.
A beautiful older woman, with long dark hair and piercing green eyes, strode over to the podium and rapped on it with a gavel. She looked familiar, but I couldn’t place her. “Hello, new students, I’m Elaine, the headmistress of Alpha Academy. I’m sorry the alpha king could not be here tonight to welcome you. He had a pressing matter.”
Did her gaze just flick to me?
Oops.
“I’m not one for speeches, but as alpha heirs, you’ve been entrusted with great power, and all of us here at Alpha Academy expect you to honor the gifts you’ve been endowed with—and use them wisely.”
Well, at least she admitted she wasn’t one for speeches. Was there a handbook for bad speeches passed around by people in authority?
“And now, we’ll leave you to your festivities. Enjoy tonight…” She scanned over the crowd, her features hardening as she looked at the new heirs. “For tomorrow, the hard work begins.”
The bright lights dimmed, and a cacophony erupted.
Chapter 6
“Ohmymage! Did you see the look on Prince Courage’s face?” Kaja said, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me toward the door. “I mean, I’m sure you didn’t, but he completely freaked out when your affinities showed up. Two!”
I shook my head. “I highly doubt he ‘freaked out.’” I used air quotes for good measure.
She stopped and faced me. “Girl, he was two seconds from storming that stage.”
Heat crept up my cheeks. There were a couple of ways that could be interpreted. One: he was going to protect me from the creepy high mage in the blue robes who complained. Or two: he was going to kill me. Based on our past, I was 85.3% sure it was the latter.
I tugged at my borrowed dress. “I can’t wait to change out of this thing. No offense.”
