Little more than a minute later, the black-haired woman returned and beckoned to the next person in line.
I leaned toward the man in front of me. “Where do you think the last guy went?”
He glanced back, his eyes wide with surprise. “Oh, uh. I don’t know. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen anyone come back down.”
My stomach twisted. Was there a reason they weren’t sending people back out the way they came?
The door behind me creaked open, and a half dozen hopefuls streamed inside to join the line. Shonda, the girl who had spoken with Bridger earlier, didn’t bother disguising her irritation when her gaze fell on me.
Four more people took their turns behind the curtain without incident, but while the fifth was on stage, a shout of agony rose up, followed by several indistinct voices. Bridger and his two companions twisted toward the noise, but they didn’t jump up to intervene.
This was the first time Bridger’s attention hadn’t been turned in my direction since he installed me in the line. This was my chance to slip away without him noticing me. I turned to check on the guard at the door. If she was more interested in the stage than the line, I could make a run for it.
The black-haired woman appeared from between the curtains and waved her arm. “The medic, please.”
My jaw dropped as the guard at the back of the room shot to the door to shout for help. “Medic?”
“What do you think that’s all about?” asked the guy ahead of me.
Shonda sucked her teeth. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“That someone needs a medic?” I asked. “Yeah, got that. I think he’s wondering why.”
Shonda sighed the long-suffering sigh of someone who wanted to make sure everyone knew just how much smarter she was than they were. “This isn’t just any old relic we’re dealing with. The Aether Blade has eternal realm thaumaturgy inside it.”
Two angels in navy blue uniforms bustled into the auditorium and jogged up the aisle toward the stage. Whispers swelled among those in line, and I only caught a few words spoken by the black-haired woman to the medics—hand, burns, shock—before the three of them disappeared behind the curtain.
“A relic with that kind of power knows the intentions of the person touching it,” Shonda continued. “My guess is that guy’s intentions were less than pure.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Was she right? If I went up on that stage, would the Blade somehow know the reason I was here had nothing to do with it? Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as the door guard took a few steps forward. She was still well behind me, but as soon as she made it past me, I would bolt.
“Could it be a demon?” the guy asked, his voice a whisper. “Maybe someone’s trying to steal the Blade.”
Behind me, Shonda snorted. “Yeah, right. Like a demon could get in here. Or did you completely miss the guards checking credentials on your way in?”
I smirked at the stab of satisfaction that came from Shonda’s certainty. Yep, no demons here. I couldn't believe angels were really so secure in their superiority. I struggled to avoid rolling my eyes.
“Besides,” she continued, “a demon would be foolish to touch something so powerful.”
“What do you mean?” the man asked.
Shonda snorted. “The Eternity Blades choose their Keepers. What do you think is happening on that stage right now? Each person touches it, and the Aether Blade judges them. It looks into who you are and decides whether you’re worthy of its immense power. Do you really think a demon could touch a relic like that and live?”
My stomach dropped. She couldn’t be serious, could she? I needed to get out of here.
The stage curtains swayed and the door guard froze. I grit my teeth. She was still about a yard behind me. Just a little further…
The curtains parted and the black-haired woman stepped out, an overly bright smile on her face as she beckoned to the next person in line. “We’re ready for the next applicant,” she said, her voice carrying easily to the spot where I stood in the middle of the room.
The door guard released a breath as she turned and strode back to her station. Bridger spun away from the stage, his eyes immediately scanning the line until they rested on me.
I balled my fists, my nails digging into the soft flesh of my palms. My window of opportunity to mount an escape had slammed closed.
My mind spun as more individuals took their turns. But as I drew nearer and nearer to the front of the room, no actionable plans came to me. No one else had bowed out of the line, and leaving when I was so close to the front would send up a red flag. If the guards started asking for my credentials, they’d quickly learn I had none, which would beg the question how I’d gotten in. It wouldn’t take long to connect me to what happened last night on the roof. And if they found out what I’d stolen, they might overlook me not having any marks on my record and put me right into societal rehab—or the pit.
The black-haired woman came out once more and beckoned to the man in front of me. He tossed a nervous smile over his shoulder as he strode toward the stage.
I was next.
Maybe—maybe—I could still get out of this. It was possible that man was destined to be the Blade’s Keeper. Maybe when the black-haired woman returned, it would be to inform us we could all go home.
We always find a way. We always find a way. But no matter where I looked, no ways appeared.
I strained my ears, but I couldn’t hear much beyond the curtain beside the indistinct murmur of voices. I glanced back at Shonda, whose amber eyes were bright and almost hungry. Maybe I could let her go before me…
I dismissed the idea. I was so close to the front now that I could feel Bridger’s gaze on me. I couldn’t do anything that would make me look suspicious.
It would be fine. I would go up on the stage, follow their directions, and leave. And when I got back to the library, I could entertain Marco with my exploits.
“Next?”
The black-haired woman gazed down expectantly. Shonda nudged me, and I tripped forward a step before gaining my balance. This was it. My eyes darted to the left, to the glowing red letters identifying the door beneath them as an exit. I could take my chances and bolt. I had the element of surprise on my side. It was possible I could make it to the door before they caught me.
But what if there were guards standing outside? They’d have me before I made it three steps.
My heart pounded in my chest. Neither option before me was a good one.
“Miss?” The black-haired woman tipped her head to the side, but there was a sharpness to her eyes as if she could sense the tumult within me.
I gulped. The time to run had come and gone. I had no place to go now but forward.
Chapter Ten
Drawing back my shoulders, I strode toward the stage. As I ascended the steps, I tried to even my breathing. Could the black-haired woman hear my heart banging against my ribs? The tension in her smile drained as I drew near, as if it relieved her that I wasn’t going to make some kind of scene.
Little did she know I still might.
No. I couldn’t think like that. Shonda said a demon couldn’t survive touching an eternal-realm-forged relic, but what did she know? How many times had she seen a demon touch one? Most likely, she was simply trying to sound like an authority—the same way she seemed convinced this Blade was destined to be hers.
The black-haired woman held open the heavy stage curtain, allowing me to pass into the open space beyond. Three individuals—older adults, at first glance—sat along the black back curtain in leather desk chairs. A small table stood halfway between us, just to the left of center stage. On it lay a sword, balanced across two silvery arms of a stand.
Lay was not the best description. The weapon seemed to hover slightly above its stand. Or maybe it was a trick of the light, which played against the metal of the blade, making it shimmer. My palm tingled. Although Shonda’s assertion about the consequence of a demon touching such a reli
c still echoed in my head, it paled compared to my sudden desire to feel the smooth metal against my skin. While I’d always had enough of what I’d needed to get by, there were many things I’d wanted over the years. But all of those fleeting desires were nothing next to the ache that overtook me now.
I stepped forward, but movement beyond the sword drew my eye. One adult stood, his movements elegant and stately. This was clearly a man accustomed to having attention fixed on him. And when I tore my gaze from the relic between us, I understood why. Every ethereal living in the kis knew the face of the man standing before me.
Chancellor Isaiah Kingston smiled in a way that should have been benign, but the expression didn’t extend to his eyes. Instead, the curve of his lips came across as detached. Cold.
“Welcome,” he said, his deep voice easily filling the enclosed space. “The test is simple. You are to pick up the Aether Blade and use it to strike the cadet.” He held his hand out to his left, but I found no one standing in the space he indicated. The chancellor straightened his back. “Cadet Kouri? Return to position immediately.”
My stomach dropped even before the black-uniformed cadet made his way out of the wings. Kouri? It couldn’t be the same guy who intervened with the mugger yesterday, could it?
But as soon as he made his way into view, I recognized him. I would know the lines of his jaw and the curl of black hair at the back of his neck anywhere.
His eyes were on the chancellor. “Apologies, sir. I needed some water. But I’m here now…” He trailed off as his attention turned to me. The corner of his mouth twisted, but he didn’t exactly smile. He looked more amused than anything at my appearance on the stage.
The chancellor cleared his throat before holding his hand out toward the sword. “You may begin.”
I didn’t move. Despite my yearning to touch the weapon, I struggled with the instructions. “You want me to pick it up and attack him?” I gestured toward Kouri. “He’s unarmed.”
The two adults seated beside the chancellor—a man and a woman—chuckled quietly.
Kingston didn’t share in their mirth. “I assure you, he’ll be fine.”
I remained rooted to the spot. What kind of sick joke was this? Were the instructions themselves some kind of test? If I went for the Blade, would they automatically send me out for following such insane directions? Maybe it was the opposite. Perhaps they were looking for the kind of person who would follow orders no matter what.
The black-haired woman took a step closer. “Please begin. We have many others waiting.”
I should refuse to play their twisted game. Besides Kouri, there didn’t appear to be any other guards on the stage. If I decided to leave now, who would stop me?
Except I couldn’t go. Even as I noted the door to my left that most likely led outside, my feet began closing the distance between me and the sword. I had to touch it. If I left here now without experiencing the sensation of the metal against my skin, I would never forgive myself.
I rubbed my right palm against the thigh of my pants as I stopped in front of the pedestal. As I reached for the grip, I glanced out of the corner of my eye toward Kouri. Kingston said my test involved striking the cadet with the sword. I had no great love for angels in general, but I still wasn’t sure I could attack an unarmed one. Then again, Kouri didn’t seem concerned about the impending danger. Scratching his jaw with his pointer finger, he appeared more bored than anything.
If he wasn’t concerned, I wouldn’t be either.
My fingers trembled as they neared the weapon. Although I doubted Shonda knew as much as she claimed, I quieted my mind, fighting to focus on one clear intention. If there was a chance the Blade would lash out against me, I wanted to mitigate that risk. I just want to get out of here without anyone figuring out who I am. I repeated the phrase like a mantra as I closed my hand around the grip.
Even as my muscles tensed in preparation of lifting the Blade off its stand, my body froze. An electric current zipped through my arm, exciting every nerve it came in contact with. The energy coursed through me, filling my body with a resonant hum that simultaneously thrilled and calmed me. The Blade glowed a rich ruby red before mellowing to a pearlescent shimmer that made the metal seem to undulate beneath the stage lights.
A murmur rose among the seated adults, but I couldn’t make out their words through the rushing in my ears. I lifted the sword from its holder, its weight awkward in my hand. But if these angels wanted to see me strike their cadet, I wasn’t opposed to complying if it would get me out of here.
I dashed toward Kouri, lifting the weapon over my head as I went. His dark brown eyes widened, but he didn’t leap out of the way. Squeezing my eyes shut, I swung the sword down toward the cadet’s head.
A shock reverberated through my muscles as metal clashed against metal. I opened my eyes to see the Aether Blade stopped by the sword that had somehow materialized in Kouri’s hand. I hadn’t injured him, but based on the position of the weapons, he’d stopped my swing just in time.
Kouri let out a shaky breath. “Wow.”
I studied his face, trying to figure out if he was joking. “Haven’t you been doing this all morning?”
Before he could answer, a series of sharp claps reverberated through the air. Lowering the blade, I turned to see the black-haired woman and the two adults who had been sitting by the chancellor applauding.
Chancellor Kingston offered another of his detached smiles. “Well done, miss…”
“Uh.” I glanced at the adults who were still clapping. Their eyes glittered with excitement. Kingston stared steadily at me, clearly waiting for me to provide a name. Everdell was at the tip of my tongue, but I new better than to speak it in front of a bunch of angels. My surname—which I shared with my aunt—was still invoked when people spoke of the Dark Decade. Luckily, Liza had drilled the procedure for this question into my mind since I came to live with her. Tell the truth—but not all of it. “Jensen,” I said, my voice firm and confident. “Eden Jensen.”
“Miss Jensen,” he intoned, his gaze now appraising. “You can set the Aether Blade down now.”
I looked down at the sword still gripped in my hand, and my first inclination was to tell him no. Now that I was holding it, the last thing I wanted to do was let it go. Power pulsed through the grip and into my hand. No wonder hundreds of angels had lined up for a chance to touch this relic. I doubted I would ever feel pure energy like this again.
But what was I going to do, run off with it? I doubted I’d get far before one of the countless guards in—and likely around—the building stopped me. Touching the sword hadn’t injured or killed me. I was close to getting out of here without anyone figuring out what had brought me into the building in the first place.
The black-haired woman smiled and crossed the stage. She held her hand out toward the sword. “Allow me.”
Gulping, I held it out toward her. She reached for the grip and curled her fingers around it. With effort, I released my hold. In the space of a breath, the Blade flickered before blinking out of sight. Almost instantly, it reappeared back on its stand.
I blinked, positive I was seeing things. “What…?”
Kingston stepped toward the black-haired woman. “Danielle, you know what to do.”
She nodded once before striding toward the velvet curtains.
My stomach dropped as she slipped between them to the other side. I wasn’t dead, but had they figured out what I was? That path might lead to a fate worse than death. “What’s she doing?”
The chancellor’s eyebrows cinched. “There’s a protocol in place. We’ll hold the line for the next thirty minutes or so before dismissing.”
I shook my head, trying to determine what was happening. Had this whole thing been some elaborate ruse to find whoever had broken into the building last night? And now that they’d somehow figured out who I was they were going to send everyone home? No, that didn’t make any sense. “Why?”
Kouri strode to my side, n
o longer carrying his sword. His nose wrinkled in a bemused way. “Because we don’t need to hold any more trials. We found the Aether Blade’s Keeper. It’s you, Eden.”
Chapter Eleven
The next several minutes unfolded in a blur.
After returning from announcing the trial was over, the black-haired woman—who introduced herself as Danielle Kemp—led me into a small room behind the stage. The space was about half as large as the stage itself, but crammed with items—tables folded up and leaned against the walls, more rolling chairs like the one the chancellor and his companions had been sitting in, two wooden podiums. She said something about returning soon, but I barely registered her words.
I was the fifth Blade Keeper? Me? There had to be a mistake. They must have never seen a demon touch one of their artifacts before, and now they were convinced I was something I could never be.
It was insane. How could a Blade forged in the eternal realm have selected me to wield it? I didn’t know much about angelic artifacts, but based on what Derek had explained about these Blades last night, they were particularly choosy about who they allowed to use them.
The chancellor and his cronies would figure out their mistake soon enough. And then…
I needed to get out of here.
There were no windows in the room, and only two doors. One, I knew, led back out onto the stage. Although I couldn’t hear the auditorium beyond, the chancellor had mentioned holding the line, so there must still be people in there.
The second exit was a mystery. I stood as close as I dared and pressed my ear to the seam between the double doors, but I heard nothing. It could mean the space beyond was empty—or that whoever was on the other side had no reason to speak.
I needed eyes on the outside. I needed help. But Derek was already long gone, and I was alone.
Except that wasn’t entirely true.
Traces of Sulfur: A Young Adult Urban Fantasy Academy Series (Blade Keeper Academy Book 1) Page 7