A Trial of Sorcerers: Book One

by Kova, Elise

  Eira chuckled softly. “Usually I’m the cold one.”

  Ferro hummed and reached for her hand. Eira didn’t stop him as his fingers closed around hers. Once more, he brought her knuckles to his lips, holding them there for several long seconds more than normal. Then, he shook his head.

  “Warm, just like last time. I could never think of you as cold.” He certainly made her feel hot all over.

  “How do you think of me?” Her voice was a whisper.

  “As my light in this dark land of Solaris.”

  Eira swallowed, her throat tight. “I hope—” she cleared her throat “—I hope that you will be able to return home soon, so it’s not so lonely for you. Good night, Ferro.” She forced herself to move, walking through the door, head down. Playing pretend was fine as long as she guarded her heart and didn’t get in too deep.

  “I hope when I go home, you will come with me.”

  The words brought her to a halt. Eira turned, looking back for one last glimpse of his stunning eyes. But Ferro had already slipped between the shadows.

  Yet, the thought of him lingered with her all the way back to the Tower like the remnants of a delicious dream.

  Eira was too awake to even think about going to sleep. His words were in her head, emboldening her. She was a competitor and she had people in high places looking out for her—just like Marcus and Cullen. They might have the empress and Minister of Sorcery. But she had the ambassador from Meru, Instructor Levit, and a series of notebooks that might help her survive the next day.

  She didn’t quite recall leaving her bed, but she must’ve. Because Eira now stood at the entrance to the secret room and debated with herself. She had promised Alyss she wouldn’t “go back alone.” Alyss had just meant the tunnels, right? Certainly not the room. She had been here enough times that it was markedly safe. Yet something about standing there felt like she was breaking a promise and making a new secret.

  Alyss didn’t know about the day at court, either. Well, she knew Eira had gone with Cullen. But Eira had dodged all the follow-up questions this past week until Alyss grew bored of the topic.

  She was already keeping secrets from her friend, what was one more? She’d already crossed more lines than she could count. Eira pushed ahead.

  In the dim room, Eira scavenged the bookshelf, skimming the journals. There were techniques in here that might help her with the trial—now that she knew what she was looking for. Eira spent the rest of the night reading, pulling herself from the text only at the last moment.

  By the time Eira emerged, she had to rush through bathing and dressing for the day. Instead of wearing her hair loose, as usual, she plaited it down her back and then coiled the braid into a disk on the back of her head. She wouldn’t have it catching or snagging on any part of the course. She’d just finished when Marcus knocked on her door—four fast knocks, pause, two slow knocks.

  “You ready?” Marcus asked, hovering in the hall.

  “I think so.” Eira stood, adjusting her apprentice jacket over a sleeveless shirt underneath. She wore leggings today and her sturdy boots. “What?” she asked, catching Marcus tilting his head this way and that.

  “You look like you could actually be a real competitor.”

  “Of course I do.” Eira breezed past him. “Let’s get Alyss.”

  “Good call. It’ll be more realistic for you to look like you’re making an effort before you throw your attempt.”

  Eira just hummed, ignoring the remainder of his nervous chatter.

  They went with the rest of the candidates to a holding room not far from the training grounds. There, all thirty-two Waterrunners, Groundbreakers, and Firebearers spent the day sequestered so they couldn’t watch each other’s runs before completing their own. The atmosphere was thick and charged, like before a summer’s lightning storm. Eira perched herself in one of the seats by the windows with Alyss and they passed the hours reading two books they discovered forgotten on a bookcase in the study.

  Around lunchtime, they were brought food. But the majority of the candidates just picked at the spread. No one’s stomach was up for eating.

  It was around two when the first Groundbreaker was taken away. Gwen arrived in her formal palace guard armor, called a name, and then escorted the individual without a word. The room became quieter after that. In part, because the trial had become real. But also because their numbers quickly dwindled.

  Eira bid Alyss farewell with a fierce hug and a whisper of vague advice. She was the fifth Groundbreaker to leave out of six. After, the eleven Firebearers were escorted away one by one. Soon, there were only the fifteen Waterrunners. By then, Marcus had made his way over to her.

  “Are you nervous?” Eira dared to make small talk.

  “A little.” He chuckled. “But I’m reminding myself that I just have to be better than five people. Four, really, since you don’t count.” Eira looked out the window, avoiding his quickly probing stare. “You are throwing it, right?”

  She said nothing.

  “Eira, tell me you’re going to throw your run,” he demanded.

  She pressed her lips into a line. She should just tell him. He would accept it, surely? Eira brought her eyes back to him just as the door opened once more.

  “Marcus Landan.” Their aunt’s voice cut through the tension.

  “Good luck.” She grabbed for and squeezed both his hands. “I know you’ll do great.”

  Marcus gave her a wary look and pulled his fingers from hers. “I look forward to seeing how your run goes. Mom and Dad will be watching, too.”

  She stewed on his words as the rest of the Waterrunners were escorted away. Eira was the last one called. She was waiting when Gwen opened the door.

  “Are you ready?” Gwen asked.

  Eira nodded. “How did Marcus do?”

  “He’s in third place. He’ll be progressing,” Gwen said with a smile that quickly fell. “But he didn’t seem too pleased…”

  He was worried about what she would do. Eira nibbled on her lower lip.

  Gwen slipped her hand into Eira’s, giving it a tight squeeze. “Don’t worry about him.”

  “But—”

  “This is your run, your chance. Don’t throw it away. Do it for yourself and no one else. Whatever it is you’re called to do.”

  Eira gave a small nod and Gwen released her. There wasn’t time for any more words of assurance as they emerged from the long, dark hallway and Eira stepped into the blinding sunlight that illuminated her next trial.

  13

  The training grounds were even more transformed than she’d last seen them. The obstacle course ran the length in four columns, three switchbacks between them. She stood on a raised platform at the starting point.

  Opposite her, on an even higher platform, sat the Imperial family plus the Ministers of Tome and Sorcery, the head of the palace guard, and Ferro. Underneath their balcony was a stone tablet, much like they’d used for the first trial. On it were fourteen names with a line drawn above the lower third—the cut-off line. Four names at the bottom had dashes instead of times. Four people hadn’t even finished. Eira swallowed and gathered her courage. All she had to do was be better than the one person beneath the cut-off line with a time and she’d make the cut.

  Eira skimmed the crowd made up of her peers from the Tower, courtiers, and strangers alike. Men and women were packed into the ramparts that surrounded the training ground. But, even among the masses, fate played a cruel trick on her.

  Somehow, out of everyone, she found her parents.

  The sun picked up the honeyed tones of her mother’s hair, cut short around her ears. Her father had a closely cropped beard, a darker shade that was almost brown—the only indication of what his hair color had once been, as he kept his head completely shaved. Her mother gave an eager wave and her father clapped his hands.

  For a moment, Eira pretended they were here to cheer her on. They were here supporting her. They weren’t here as overseers to make sure s
he threw her run at their request. The thought was like a blow to her stomach, stealing the wind from her; Eira brought her eyes back to Fritz as he began to speak.

  “Eira Landan,” Fritz projected over the field. “Today you will partake in your next trial as a candidate for competitor in the Tournament of Five Kingdoms. Your goal is to cross the course in the fastest time possible. To progress, you must do so while always stepping on, grabbing, or using elements of the course that are marked in white.”

  Underneath her feet, a thick, chalky paint had been slathered over the platform. That paint topped various pillars, grips, and walkways.

  “Should you, at any point, no longer be in contact with the white parts of the course, you will be disqualified.”

  Her heart sank. She’d been planning on crossing the moat near the end with ice. Eira glanced toward the sixth obstacle out of seven and then quickly brought her eyes to Fritz. She’d worry about that when she had to. There were five obstacles she had to tackle first.

  “You may use any magic you want, so long as you observe the aforementioned rules and wear your pin the entire time. If, at any point, you wish to stop, you may do so either by stepping off the course or by removing your pin. At that time, your run will be considered forfeit. Do you have any questions?”

  Eira shook her head and then, realizing he may not be able to see her clearly from the distance, shouted, “I do not.”

  “Do you still wish to partake in this trial as a candidate?”

  Her eyes darted to her parents. Her mother slowly shook her head. Her father stared on with a severe expression. Even Fritz, from what Eira could tell at her distance, seemed to be holding his breath.

  They all wanted her to say no. They wanted her to back down like a coward—to do whatever they told her without question. She couldn’t back down now… If she did, she’d accomplish nothing. They’d see her as retreating at the last second and as incapable of standing up to them. She’d go on being someone to manage and oversee.

  “I do!” Eira shouted, her voice echoing in the vacuum of the hush that the eager spectators had created.

  “Then, on the emperor’s mark.” Fritz frowned but stepped to the side as the emperor stepped forward.

  Aldrik cradled something in his hand connected by a chain to his coat—a pocket watch, likely. She sank into her legs, staring down the obstacles before her. Eira knew she wasn’t the strongest, or the fastest. She had never spent copious time on the training grounds, like other apprentices would. A few days of jogging with Alyss when the trials were announced wasn’t going to make up for years of books over push-ups.

  But she was light on her feet. She was clever. And she’d prepared for this in a way no one else had. A way that was far more valuable than running laps around the palace. She’d had Ferro. Plus, she only had to beat one person’s time. There was no way she was going to lose. Eira repeated these things over and over, convincing herself of them. She’d show them all here and now just what she was capable of.

  “Begin!” the emperor boomed. Eira launched forward and the crowd erupted with cheers. Were they cheering for her? Or against her? Eira couldn’t tell and she allowed her racing heart to drown them out.

  The first obstacle was a wall that was just slightly taller than her. White was painted up the side and over the top. A simple test of strength. She could imagine her brother getting a running start and vaulting over the wall with ease. But the benefit of being last was knowing that four people hadn’t even finished the course. She just had to beat that one person, and their time was abysmal. She could move slowly and deliberately.

  Eira placed her foot on the smooth paint of the wall. Ice grew underneath the toe of her shoe, extending back to her heel, and creating a ledge for her to support herself on. She shifted her weight and brought her other foot higher. The entire time, she kept her grip on the top of the wall.

  At all times she had to keep her hands or feet on the white.

  After three steps, she was high enough to double over the wall and hoist herself over. Eira fell hard on the other side and stood with a groan. Immediately as she found her feet, a burst of flame had her pressing her back against the wall.

  Before her was the deep ditch she’d seen during her day at court. Columns of rock rose up from the deep crevice; their tops were white, making stepping stones across. However today the moat was not empty. Curling flames swirled around the columns like an angry tide. A river of fire separated her and the first switchback; the only way across was jumping between the columns.

  Eira pushed off the wall, creeping toward the edge of the platform she was on. Sure enough, the moment she neared the first gap, a column of fire shot upward. Eira jumped back, watching and waiting.

  “Go. Go!” the masses watching her chanted. She wasn’t making for good entertainment taking her time. Eira didn’t care.

  She watched every geyser of fire erupt, counting the time between each of them. Sure enough, there was a pattern. Eira took a deep breath, holding it until the flames rose right before her.

  She ran.

  As Eira leapt, she twisted her wrist. Steam surrounded her, smothering her as ice met fire. Eira wavered, dizzy. She’d gone from a brisk spring day to a sauna. She had to cool herself or she’d faint.

  More ice.

  More steam.

  Eira pushed her power down the column she was now on—as much as it took to completely snuff the flames. She could feel the Firebearer manipulating the bursts of fire fighting against her. Eira closed her eyes and continued pushing against that raging power. Firebearers always teetered at the edge of control. She’d slip her magic underneath their tethers, severing the source of their flames. If it were possible, she would’ve cut off their magic.

  There wasn’t one, but three Firebearers. Fine, no matter, one, three, ten, it didn’t make a difference. Her ice crackled against the flames, finally gaining traction. She pushed until the entire moat was filled with a shimmering blue and a blast of cold hit her face.

  She stood, head spinning. Eira wasn’t sure if it was because of using so much power, or because of the deafening roars that erupted from the crowd. The way they carried on, one would think that no other Waterrunner had tried to extinguish the flames.

  Wrap your magic around your fingers, one of the journals in that secret room had read. Hold it in place with an unrelenting grip. Eira did as instructed, as she’d been practicing for weeks. The ice stayed in place as she jumped to the second column, and then to the third. By the time she was at the fourth, her hold on the ice was beginning to weaken. The Firebearers hadn’t relented their assault. The edges of the frost were steaming.

  But Eira made it across to the next platform that served as the switchback. She released the magic and the ice evaporated as she scanned the crowd. Her father looked down on her with shadowed eyes. She couldn’t bear the sight of her mother, hands clutched with worry.

  The better she did, the unhappier they looked. Eira focused back on the course rather than spending too much time distracting herself with them.

  She now stood at another ledge. A giant gap separated her and the next platform. There was nothing between the two, just a sheer drop. They hadn’t even hung a safety net.

  Ferro had told her during their discussions that safety precautions were taken behind the scenes. The illusion of danger was part of the test. They were challenging the candidates’ bravery and steel will—not trying to kill them.

  This obstacle was the embodiment of that. There was white on her platform, and on the steep incline she was expected to land on and then scramble over. She couldn’t use any magic between the two as that would put her in contact with something other than the white paint. Somehow, free fall didn’t break those rules.

  Eira backed up as far as she could. The shadow of the balcony where the royals sat was overhead—where Ferro was. He’s watching, Eira reminded herself. Her parents sapped her will. But Ferro restored it, giving her the courage she needed.

&nb
sp; Before she could think better, before she could hesitate, Eira sprinted forward. She charged to the ledge and put all the power she could into her long legs as she leapt. For a moment, her heart stopped, her stomach sucked into her ribcage on her inhale of terror. She was weightless, vulnerable. It was terrifying.

  It was thrilling.

  Time crashed around her, pulling her down with gravity. Eira kicked her legs, as if she could move the air like a Windwalker. As though she could place herself closer to the distant platform. She tipped forward, stretching out her arms.

  She fell hard. Her chin snapped against the wood of the incline and her teeth sang. A woman—her mother, likely—let out a yelp. The taste of blood exploded in her mouth and Eira ran her tongue along the backs of her teeth to make sure she hadn’t bitten it clean off.

  But gravity wasn’t done with her. She was sliding down the incline. Eira scrambled, digging her nails into the wood at the top of the triangle-shaped platform. Panic had her scratching, splinters embedding into her skin.

  She couldn’t find purchase. She was going to slide off into the jagged rocks below. Eira scrambled, her arms screaming with agony as she struggled to use them to support herself.

  Stop panicking and think! A lone voice shouted from the back of her mind—her better sense. Use your magic!

  Eira gave one final, mighty hoist and brought up a foot. She slammed her toe onto the wood, gaining as much grip as possible. Ice exploded under it. Eira shifted her weight, quickly doing the same with her other foot. Repeating the process from the first obstacle, she tipped over the third and rolled down the other side of the triangle ramp.

  An arrow whizzed past her face.

  Eira jumped back on instinct. The arrow bounced harmlessly off one of the rocks between the rows of obstacles. It had a blunted tip, coated in a harmless, tacky substance.

  The illusion of danger, that’s all it is, she reminded herself. This was the one obstacle that Ferro had warned her of specifically last night. Beams alternated on the path ahead with low walls. She would have to vault over the walls and duck under the beams. All the while, archers would pelt her with arrows, trying to knock her off course, or strike off her pin. And she knew they had the best marksmen in Solaris hiding up in the roosts.