A Trial of Sorcerers: Book One

by Kova, Elise

  Eira gripped the armrests of her chair tighter. But her magic stayed under her control. Not one speck of frost stuck to the velvet upholstery.

  She had a million quips she wanted to say and a thousand objections. She’d had a lot of time to try and figure out what was best for her and her family. But the one thing she kept coming back to was that she couldn’t face her parents. Not yet. Not with her brother’s blood on her hands and his killer out there.

  And especially not after they had abandoned her.

  “I’m sorry, but I have to.” Eira stood. “My mind is made up; I will go to Meru.” The Court of Shadows is waiting for me.

  29

  Eira didn’t go to instruction, workshops, or the clinic for the next three days. As long as the pin was on her breast, she was still a candidate and that meant she didn’t have any obligations. It didn’t matter that the fifth trial was canceled and she was the only Waterrunner left. She wasn’t going to anything she didn’t want to and no one dared to tell her otherwise.

  She spent most of her time with Alyss in the back corner of the library. Alyss alternated between reading her romance novels or sculpting, oftentimes both. Eira always knew when Alyss was scared or nervous. She busied her hands and buried herself in other worlds and other people who existed neatly in a few hundred bound pages.

  Eira retreated in a different way. She might have spent time reading before. But now, when she sat at the window seat of the library, she practiced listening. She stretched out her magic silently, invisibly, and targeted various objects around her.

  Whispers heeded her command now. But Eira silently trained anyway. There would be a day Deneya would come—here in Solaris, on Meru, or wherever else destiny took Eira. The Court of Shadows seemed like something that didn’t understand or respect borders. It was a living, breathing entity in Eira’s mind, one from which she didn’t want to escape. She wanted to be a part of it.

  Whenever the court came to call on her, tonight, tomorrow, a year from now, she would be ready. She would help bring Ferro and anyone else who stood with him to justice.

  She and Alyss were left mostly alone, the other apprentices in the Tower avoiding them in wide arcs. Rumors had continued to spread that Eira had somehow had a hand—despite what the Imperial investigation had turned up—in the deaths of her fellow competitors.

  This cocoon of solitude made it all the more jarring when Cullen and Noelle approached them. Wordlessly, Cullen handed Alyss a letter and then gave one to Eira. He held out his hand, waiting, as she looked from the letter to the man she hadn’t laid eyes on in a week.

  A treacherous corner of her heart wanted to feel something toward him. She wanted to reach up and wrap her arms around his neck and clutch him to her. She wanted to mourn once more with him, held safely in the security he seemed to provide. She wanted him to brush her hair from her face and tell her everything would be all right.

  But she couldn’t. She wouldn’t let herself.

  “I know what this letter says. It’s not a trap this time,” he said softly, misreading her hesitation.

  “I suppose it is like that night, isn’t it?” Eira murmured. She reached out and took the letter from Cullen. The last letter she’d taken from him had been the night of Adam’s cruelty and the start of a wedge between them. But Eira already expected the missive she held now was the beginning of them being bound together, like it or not.

  Eira unfolded the parchment, recognizing her uncle’s script.

  “‘Congratulations,’” she read, skimming the few lines of text he’d written.

  “Doesn’t seem like much of a congratulations after all that’s happened, does it?” Alyss muttered, looking to Eira with somewhat haunted eyes. “The other Groundbreakers wouldn’t back down. Since there wasn’t a fifth trial, the minister and royals chose me based on my past scores.”

  “Welcome to the team,” Noelle said, “fellow competitors.”

  Eira looked between the three people around her and then back to her letter. “I suppose we should start packing.”

  * * *

  The next morning, Eira was up well before the sun. She moved through the silent halls of the Tower, ending up in the hidden room she’d spent so many hours in. Eira watched the dawn break through the small window and wondered how many times Adela had stood in the same spot she was now.

  This room had been Adela’s, Eira had long come to terms with. That meant the journals she had studied from could be the writings of her birth mother. Or, Eira was wrong, and her birth mother was lost to time. Nevertheless, Eira slowly collected those journals, stacking them in the bag she’d brought.

  When she was finished, she spared a moment to bid the room farewell, leaving it behind for the next apprentice to uncover.

  Eira left her bag in her room alongside one other and a large trunk. She then descended through the halls, down a secret passage, and was the first to arrive in a waiting room designated by a second letter that had arrived late last night.

  Cullen was the second to arrive.

  The moment he entered, his eyes met hers and he came to a halt. They spent a long minute staring at each other. A thick and heavy tension immediately occupied the space between them, much like it had the day before. Eira sincerely hoped this wasn’t a new sensation that she’d feel every time she was around him.

  “Are you ready?” he asked softly.

  “I am.” Eira looked to the window. Meeting his eyes now felt oddly vulnerable. “This wasn’t how I wanted everything to happen. But I’m here now.”

  “Marcus would be proud of you.”

  Eira tensed at the mention of her brother’s name. “Let’s go and win, for him.”

  “We will,” Cullen vowed.

  Eira didn’t clarify that she wasn’t merely talking about the tournament. There was another game at play. One she was willing to risk everything in.

  “Eira.” He whispered her name, close enough that it forced her to look away from the window and realize he was standing before her. “I know…you and I…we…”

  “We what?” Eira looked up at him, guarding every tender edge of her still-bleeding heart.

  “We had a rough start.”

  She snorted softly. “That’s one way to phrase it.”

  He cracked a smile. “But I’m glad to be here with you now.”

  “You would’ve preferred Marcus.”

  “I would’ve preferred he be here to see you take this spot,” Cullen said firmly. “I’m glad you’re here…with me.”

  His hand rested lightly on hers. Eira stared at the unexpectedly tender touch. She followed it up his arm to his face. She didn’t know what expression she was wearing, but whatever it was made Cullen pull away.

  I can’t, she wanted to say. I can’t risk giving you my heart. People die when I fall in love.

  “I think we’ll make good teammates,” Cullen said stiffly. It was his turn to ignore her and look out the window.

  Despite her heart being walled in ice, it persisted to ache. She wanted touch. She wanted comfort. His comfort.

  All things she couldn’t let herself have. Cullen had his secrets. She had hers. And Eira couldn’t risk bringing him into the world of shadows she was headed to.

  The door opened again to reveal Alyss and Noelle. Alyss promptly crossed to Eira and Noelle hovered in the far corner of the room. Cullen went over to make small talk with her.

  After about thirty minutes, Gwen arrived in her formal regalia. “Hello, competitors of Solaris,” she said warmly. “Are you ready for your debut?”

  They all nodded and followed behind her.

  Gwen led them through quiet back passages, up to a hall that was familiar. The last time Eira had walked this path it was night, and she was chasing behind Ferro. She hoped the muzzle they had on the ambassador-turned-assassin was good and tight.

  They came to a stop behind the large doors that opened to the Sunlit Stage. There were muffled cheers following unintelligible proclamations on the other
side. All at once, the doors opened, and the four of them stepped into the sunlight.

  Ferro and Deneya were expectedly absent. Eira had heard some excuse made about them having gone back early to Meru to help with further preparations. Eira had no doubt they would be traveling alongside them in secret. The emperor and empress stood on one side of the stage, Fritz on the other. Eira kept her eyes forward as she strode toward the stage’s edge with her fellow competitors.

  The four sorcerers lined up, sunlight glinting off their pins—the last four pins in all of Solaris. The pins that now marked them as competitors.

  “Men and women of Solaris,” the emperor boomed. “I present to you our competitors. The Windwalker, Lord Cullen Drowel—”

  Cullen stepped forward at his name to thunderous applause.

  “—the Firebearer, Noelle Gravson—”

  Noelle took a wide step, flicked her hair, and raised both her hands in a wave.

  “—the Groundbreaker, Alyss Ivree—”

  Alyss braced herself before stepping forward. Eira could see her chest heaving with nerves but she managed to plaster on a bold smile. The effort was rewarded by more cheers.

  “—and the Waterrunner, Eira Landan!”

  At her name, the applause fizzled like an ember doused in water. Eira scanned the ramparts, watching the people as they clapped politely and uncertainly for her. They had no doubt been fed the same rumors of her killing for this spot. Even if her name was officially cleared, they were still skeptical of her involvement.

  Eira forced a smile and a wave.

  Let them think what they wanted, because by nightfall she would be in a carriage headed for Norin. Within two weeks she would board a ship of the Imperial Armada. Within the month, she would step foot on Meru. And within the year, Eira would bring Solaris victory, and her brother vengeance.

  * * *

  Eira’s story continues…

  The next book in the Trial of Sorcerers series is A HUNT OF SHADOWS (A Trial of Sorcerers, #2). Learn more and grab your copy at:

  https://elisekova.com/a-hunt-of-shadows/

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  Discover more from Elise Kova

  A Hunt of Shadows

  Continue Eira’s story as she ventures to Meru in the next book of the A Trial of Sorcerers Series.

  Pre-order and learn more at: https://elisekova.com/a-hunt-of-shadows/

  * * *

  AIR AWAKENS

  Read Vhalla’s story of how she went from a common born, non-magical, library apprentice to the first Windwalker and Empress of Solaris.

  Get your copy: https://elisekova.com/air-awakens-book-one/

  A library apprentice, a sorcerer prince, and an unbreakable magic bond…

  The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.

  Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all–the Crown Prince Aldrik–she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she’s known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she’s always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla’s indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined.

  * * *

  Vortex Visions

  How did the Crown Princess Vi Solaris open up Meru? How did she fall in love and win the hand of the Voice of Yargen? Find out by reading her story today.

  Get your copy: https://elisekova.com/vortex-visions-air-awakens-vortex-chronicles-1/

  A sweeping magical adventure, filled with family, royals, romance, and sacrifice. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black!

  Vi Solaris is expected to rule an Empire she’s barely seen… but her biggest problem is the dangerous magic that’s awakening within her.

  Now, alongside her royal studies, she’s training in secret with a sorcerer from another land. From his pointed ears to foreign tongue, he’s nothing like anyone she’s ever met before. But he just may be the only one who knows what’s happening to her.

  As Vi fights to get her magic under control, the Empire falters from political infighting and a deadly plague. The Empire needs a ruler, and all eyes are on her as Vi must make the hardest choice of her life: Play by the rules and claim her throne. Or, break them and save the world.

  This coming of age, epic fantasy is a story of family, sacrifice, sorcerers, slow-burn romance, and magical adventure that will ultimately take readers to places they never imagined. Once you step into the magical world of Solaris in VORTEX VISIONS you may never want to leave again!

  * * *

  A Deal with the Elf King

  Looking for a fantasy romance with a happy ever after? Read the story of Luella and how she falls in love with the magical king of the elves.

  Get your copy: https://elisekova.com/a-deal-with-the-elf-king/

  Perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and Uprooted, this stand-alone, fantasy romance about a human girl and her marriage to the Elf King is impossible to put down!

  The elves come for two things: war and wives. In both cases, they come for death.

  Three-thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young woman from Luella’s village to be their Human Queen.

  To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the townsfolk. A mark nineteen-year-old Luella is grateful to have escaped as a girl. Instead, she’s dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town’s only healer.

  That is, until the Elf King unexpectedly arrives… for her.

  Everything Luella had thought she’d known about her life, and herself, was a lie. Taken to a land filled with wild magic, Luella is forced to be the new queen to a cold yet blisteringly handsome Elf King. Once there, she learns about a dying world that only she can save.

  The magical land of Midscape pulls on one corner of her heart, her home and people tug on another… but what will truly break her is a passion she never wanted.

  A Deal with the Elf King is a complete, stand-alone novel, inspired by the tales of Hades and Persephone, as well as Beauty and the Beast, with a “happily ever after” ending. It’s perfect for fantasy romance fans looking for just the right amount of steam and their next slow-burn and swoon-worthy couple.

  * * *

  See all of Elise Kova’s published and forthcoming works at:

  https://elisekova.com/books

  Acknowledgments

  My Tower Guard—this book is for all of you. You lift me up when I am down. You’re there when I need feedback. Whenever I have a problem there is always someone among you who jumps up, ready to help. When I need something shared, you’re there. Each and every one of you give so much to me, and it is my fervent hope that I can continue to give back to you with every book I write. Thank you for believing in not just the world of Air Awakens, but all of the worlds I write.

  The Man—thank you for all you did to help bring this novel into the world. Every time you listened as I storyboarded ideas, every night you made dinner, or cleaned the house, or took care of “life” so I could focus on fictional worlds was essential in my making Eira’s story a reality.

  Mom—thanks for being one of my most excited ARC readers and biggest cheerleaders. I appreciate all you have done and continue to do for me. Oh, please give dad a hug for me, too.

  Melissa Wright—without you I wouldn’t have finished nearly as fast and the story wouldn’t have been half as good. Thank you for your feedback and hilarious comments. I couldn’t have hop
ed or wished for a better crit partner.

  Danielle Jensen—I’m pretty sure I owe you a glass of wine. For what? Shh, I don’t know. It’s just an excuse to try and see you. Thanks for everything, friend.

  Mary—my friend, thank you for consistently putting my body back together after I’ve destroyed it with bad posture and way more words than any person should write in a single day.

  Lux Karpov-Kinrade—thank you for being the best sprint partner anyone could dream of. You’re an incredible friend and author and I’m so excited to write more alongside you and all your projects.

  The turtles—you all are amazing and I love that I have truly found my community among you.

  Michelle Madow—I love all our brainstorming sessions, happy hours, and hang outs. Thank you for being a part of my author journey.

  Turtles—you all are incredible and I couldn’t have dreamed of a better author community to count myself a part of.