The Black Mage: Complete Series

by Rachel E. Carter

The crowd began to chant. “Combat! Combat!” And then shrieks and hollers filled the air as Master Barclae declared the start of the match.

  The trials of Combat had begun.

  I WATCHED HELPLESSLY as my best friend twisted and dodged a giant cyclone of flame.

  Jake held a devious smile as he lodged another and another. This time Ella wasn't quite so fast, and part of her tunic caught fire as she scrambled to get out of the way. She barely managed to put out the flames when Jake sent a fourth fire careening her way.

  Ella threw out a blast so strong it knocked the flames to her left. She sent the fire spiraling back, and without hesitation, she cast out a storm of blades, launching them with all her might.

  Jake only just managed to throw up his shield. A second later and he would have been mauled.

  The two had been exchanging crippling blows for a half-hour. With every second, I was growing more and more anxious. Any anxiety for myself had been displaced in the onslaught of my friend's duel.

  It was exhilarating to see all that Ella had learned in a year. At the mid-year tourney, Ella had not used half the castings she was using now. She was faring well, and even though she was quickly reaching the end of her stamina, she was still putting up a fight that Jake was struggling to put out.

  BOOM! A blast of Ella's magic split open the ground beneath Jake’s feet and he dropped.

  There was a sickening crunch, and then I saw my friend run forward, holding a casted bow and arrow in hand as she circled the hole, ready to shoot should Jake try anything at her approach.

  But he didn't. His leg was broken and his magic gone. Ella had effectively expended the boy's limits and left him with no defense.

  The look Jake shot her as he surrendered was worse than any Priscilla or Darren had ever given me.

  “I yield.”

  The crowd went hysterical. And above the madness of it all, I could hear Alex screaming her name in the stands.

  “Ella! Ella! Ella!”

  My best friend had won.

  NEXT UP WERE Eve and William. The match wasn't even a fair fight. Within twenty minutes, Eve had exhausted her rival's stamina and become the second champion of the day.

  The crowd was even more hysterical than before. Eve's victory had been astoundingly quick.

  As they exited the field, I saw the prince catch Eve's arm and congratulate her on the match. William's eyes flashed dangerously, but Darren didn't seem to care. Then again, he’d always seemed closer to the girl than anyone else.

  “Ryiah.”

  I turned to see Master Narhari waiting for me. Ray was already walking onto the field in anticipation of our match. My stomach sank.

  No going back now.

  I followed my training master, trailing behind Ray until I was in my starting position, two hundred yards apart.

  The sun was bright in the sky, not a cloud to help ease my vision as I squinted at Ray across the way.

  I’d never had any qualms with the boy standing before me. One year my junior, Ray had come into this place like me: an untrained lowborn with a dream and ten months to prove it. He’d never taken part in the hazing and never tried to act as though he was better than me, even though he was a part of the prince’s following. He was just a tall boy with olive skin, dark curls, and serious amber eyes.

  And right now, he was the only person standing between me and an apprenticeship. A shame. I’d rather take a victory from someone who didn’t deserve it.

  “Annnnnnnd begin!”

  All I saw was red.

  Before I even knew I was doing it, I cast out two tunneling trails of flame. I watched as the twin fires bit across the landscape. In seconds, they reached my opponent and cut him off from escape at either side. He was trapped.

  As Ray attempted to quench the fires with an outpouring of sand, I threw all the force I could muster at Ray's feet, willing the earth to crack open just as it had done for Ella.

  The ground moaned loudly and collapsed, but I’d been too slow. Ray was gone.

  Suddenly, I couldn't see anything.

  A thick cloud of smoke appeared out of nowhere, and I was surrounded by thick, gray fog anywhere that I turned.

  Coughing, I tried to summon enough wind to rid me of the heavy vapor, but before I could blow it far enough away, the sharp “zzzzzing” of metal slicing through the air alerted me seconds before Ray's sword came slashing through the haze.

  I had the barest instant to throw up a shield to block the overhead blow, and then Ray's sword slammed my defense. My arms buckled and quaked—but I held on.

  As soon as Ray withdrew his blade to try a different cut, I slammed my shield into his chest and charged. I threw myself into the blow, effectively knocking the wind out of my opponent as the impact threw the both of us backward and out of the blinding smoke.

  We both fell.

  I tucked in my chin and knees, letting the impact hit my bottom as I held my arms out at each side and rolled. Then I pulled myself up at the same time as Ray.

  We faced each other warily.

  I braced myself, keeping my stance limber as I awaited Ray's next attack. I’d used up a lot of my magic in that first—and now useless—attempt to entrap him. I’d have to be careful to conserve the rest for my defense.

  Ray had always done well in our class, but I had never paid much attention to his training. I'd been so consumed with watching Darren and Eve, I’d never stopped to think about the others in their group. Now I wished I had.

  A minute passed, and then I saw it in the way Ray was holding his arms. I threw up my shield, widening my stance and angling my guard arm so that I wouldn’t receive the full impact of his casting.

  His magic hit me much harder than Ella or Clayton's had ever in practice. I had to dig in my heels to keep the magic from taking over my defense.

  There was a shattering vibration, and then Ray’s magic rebounded. Magic shot off the shield and into the woods behind me. A moment later, there was a loud crack as a pine split in two.

  I swallowed, realizing how close I had come to losing the match. That shield trick had just saved me from an instant defeat.

  Ray’s mouth fell open in shock.

  He recovered quickly, but it was just enough for me to realize that, while I hadn’t noticed him in practice, he’d clearly paid attention to my duel with Priscilla. That attack had been no accident. He’d been planning to capitalize on my weakness.

  Thankfully, it was a weakness I no longer had. The prince’s advice had just saved my neck.

  Ray narrowed his eyes, and I readied myself for another casting. When nothing happened immediately, I squinted, trying to see what could possibly be delaying his attack. A second later, I noticed the glint of steel and the strange curve of metal in my opponent's hand. It was similar to the battleaxes we’d practiced with in class, only smaller.

  Why did he pick such a small weapon?

  The answer came moments later when Ray hurled the object at me with staggering force. I threw up a shield and took off at a run, sprinting as fast as my legs could carry me.

  If Ray had been a knight, I would have been able to dodge the axe easily. But we were mages, and Ray was using his magic to steer the weapon. It crashed down on the shield on my back.

  The blade was heavier than I expected. The impact sent me staggering to my knees as the shield splintered in two. The axe's thick iron-tipped edge dug into my right shoulder before falling away. It cut a deep gash that was felt all the way down my arm.

  I bit my lip hard, and forced myself to stand. Blood was pouring from the wound, and it was costing me everything not to cry out in pain. I glanced to Ray and saw another throwing axe appear in his hand. My heart stopped.

  If he kept throwing those axes, he would be able to wear out my stamina much sooner than he did his own. Normal long-range weapons couldn't break a shield. An axe could, but up until now, I had foolishly assumed that it wouldn’t be a problem in distance encounters.

  The second axe came hur
tling toward me. I made a swift decision to change tactics. Instead of running away, I ran toward the axe. I threw my shield as hard as I could, causing his axe and my shield to totter off harmlessly to the left of the field.

  I hadn't wanted to engage Ray directly. He was tall and stocky, and I knew he would be able to outlast me in any weighted exchange. Especially with an open wound. But as long as he kept throwing those axes at me, I had no choice… unless I used my magic for something big, and I wasn't sure I wanted to do that again, seeing as how my last two attacks had done little else than drain my stamina.

  Summoning two blades, a hefty broadsword for myself, and a spectral blade for an additional attack, I lunged at Ray with everything I had.

  It was a mistake. As soon as I engaged him, I realized how reckless the decision was. Ray only needed to wait for me to bleed out and make a mistake. I shouldn’t have rushed him.

  It was too late though, and I tried my best to ameliorate the situation. As predicted, Ray made no attempt to expend himself. I felt like a fool as we continued to exchange blows. Piers had spent months lecturing us about the realities of blood loss in battle, and here I was a self-fulfilling prophecy: “Nine times out of ten a knight dies not because of a direct wound, but minor ones that amass over time. The smart enemies don't strike to kill. They just wait for you to do the work for them.”

  This can't be how it ends.

  I continued to lead the assault. Ignoring the throbbing of my right arm, I clutched the sword in both hands and delivered blow after blow. I tried to will my second casting to do the same, but Ray was prepared with a spectral blade of his own.

  Our match transformed into a flurry of swordplay.

  I knew I would lose if I kept the contest going, but I was out of ideas. We were thirty minutes into our match, and Ray still looked as composed as when we’d started. Meanwhile, sweat was stinging my eyes, my limbs were aching all over, and my shoulder smarted terribly whenever I shifted weight.

  My spectral blade faltered. Just as it deflected Ray's oncoming blow, I felt the casting shudder. I slammed the broadsword I was holding as hard as I could into Ray's left side. He blocked easily, as I had known he would, but the impact gave me just enough time to jump back before my second casting vanished completely.

  I began to run toward the armory.

  All I had left was the sword in my hand. My magic hadn't been able to hold onto both. I’d exhausted most of my magic trying to float the spectral blade and wield it on its own. I was beginning to feel lightheaded, and the searing pain in my forehead had begun. It was only a matter of minutes before my magic expired completely, and then I'd be defenseless.

  I had to get my hands on a real weapon.

  Midsprint, I released the broadsword casting and used the last bit of magic I had to summon a shield at my back. I was too open to attack, racing across the grassy field.

  Not even a second later, there was the sharp whistle of arrows and then the repetitive thuds as they lodged themselves harmlessly against my shield.

  The ground beneath my feet began to tremble, and I dove to my right.

  Glancing back, I saw a fissure where I’d been headed just moments before.

  I was close to the armory door now. Just another minute and I would be safely inside. I suspected it was off limits, but I didn't have a choice. I couldn't just let Ray win.

  I had to put up a fight any way I could.

  We were supposed to rely on our own magic, our own prowess. Well, I had, but now there was a resource I couldn't ignore, a room full of weapons. It was either forfeit now or bend the rules and hope the judges overlooked my decision.

  I chose the latter.

  I grabbed the wrought iron handle, ready to throw open the door—

  Ray's hand shot out after me, snatching my injured shoulder and jerking me back, sending me sprawling into the grass instead. This time when I fell, I didn't land the right way.

  There was a sickening snap and then agony. A piercing, blinding pain jutted up my arm while I blinked away tears.

  I didn't need to understand Restoration to recognize that my left wrist was broken.

  I pushed up on my knees.

  “You know you're not supposed to enter the armory.” Ray shook as he panted. The last couple of castings had cost him dearly. I wasn't the only one running out of magic.

  “Surrender, Ryiah.” His eyes held pity as a sword hovered seconds away. “Don't make this any worse than it already is.”

  He was giving me a chance, I realized. Ray didn't want to hurt me any more than he had to, but he would should I continue to stand between him and an apprenticeship.

  Using my right arm to push myself off the ground, I gritted my teeth and stood. The shoulder pain was excruciating, and my surroundings were hazy at best.

  Ray let me stand, but after a couple seconds of silence, he became impatient. “Surrender now, Ryiah, or I'll have no choice but to make you.” His blade pressed just above my collarbone, into the deep wound on my shoulder.

  The pressure of metal against swollen flesh and bone was so overpowering that my stomach roared, and I was seconds away from a scream.

  I tried furiously to conjure a sword, a shield, any sort of defense to put between myself and the blade at my shoulder, but I came up empty-handed.

  Ray pushed down with his blade.

  The agony in my head was so terrible that I could no longer discern anything except the pain and the heavy breathing of my opponent.

  This was it. This was how I would be remembered: just another first-year who had tried. I'd done well, but not well enough.

  No!

  The thought came raging through me as Ray increased the pressure of his cut. There was nothing I could do about the pain. He had me there. He had me trapped, defenseless… the perfect ending to a perfect victory.

  But there was one thing Ray couldn’t plan for, one glimpse at hope he might not have suspected in his careful approach. It was dangerous, and until today, I had never bothered to consider it… but now… I had nothing left to lose.

  I threw myself onto Ray's sword, letting its metal pierce my wound as the blade severed and cut, piercing straight through flesh.

  My vision went black, and I fell forward, shrieking and dragging Ray down with me as my pain casting lashed out in earnest.

  Somewhere in the midst of our screams, thunder rolled.

  There was a bone-shattering blast, and then something heavy collided with my skull.

  I lost all consciousness after that.

  “DO you think she'll wake soon?”

  “I don't know. She's been through a lot.”

  “I can't believe she did that—”

  “Mad! That’s what it was. If I—”

  “She could have killed them both!”

  Slowly, I became aware of the voices surrounding me; they weren’t happy.

  I opened my eyes to find Ella, Alex, and the rest of my family standing next to my bedside in what could only be the infirmary. Two mages in the red robes of Restoration were scowling.

  I was immediately filled with a hundred questions.

  I tried to sit up, only to gasp and clutch my ribs as the immediate pain sent me doubling over in agony.

  “She's awake!”

  I tried to shift more comfortably and groaned. There was an almost unbearable ache in my shoulder. Every muscle burned. My left arm throbbed as if someone had hammered it repeatedly with a mallet.

  “W-what happened?” My mouth was gritty and dry like sand.

  My mother handed me a glass brimming with water and motioned for me to drink. She couldn’t speak; she just kept shaking her head, lips pursed.

  “You destroyed the armory.” Derrick’s eyes were dancing as he leaned forward. “You should have seen it, Ry!”

  “The whole structure fell, toppling on both of you,” Ella told me seriously.

  “You almost killed yourself!” My father was furious. “All so that you could take down an opponent!”
r />   “Master Barclae is beside himself,” Alex added. His lips were a hard line like our father’s. “What were you thinking, Ry, pain casting like that?”

  “I was going to lose.” My whole face burned with shame. “I had no stamina left… I… I knew it wasn’t s-stable, but I thought maybe it’d be enough to d-disarm Ray and g-give me the lead.” I hadn’t realized I'd be collapsing an entire armory or almost burying us beneath it. “At least I won,” I rasped. “Right?”

  Silence.

  And then: “Ryiah, honey, you lost.” My mother brushed a strand of hair from my face. “I’m sorry.”

  My heart stopped. I lost? But that meant—

  Alex took over for my parents. “Ray cast a defensive sphere that saved the two of you when the building came down. If it weren’t for him, Ry…. Even Restoration has its limits.”

  So Ray had the final casting after all.

  And that was it. He’d won.

  Not only had I broken the tourney rules and destroyed a valuable building in the process, I’d risked both of our lives. My opponent, my noble opponent, had saved us.

  I couldn’t even hate him. I had only myself to blame.

  The air was suddenly stifling, and it was all I could do to fill my lungs with air.

  I was the reckless girl who lost control of her magic and almost killed herself and her opponent on the battlefield. I should have lost gracefully, but I’d wanted more. I’d taken a risk.

  Why couldn't I have just lost with dignity?

  Ray had given me an out. I should have taken it.

  While a lost match wasn't ground for disqualification, the last first-year to secure an apprenticeship with one had attended the school more than a decade ago. And in my case, with the stunts that I had pulled, it was pretty clear what my outcome would be.

  Why bother with a second trial? I’d already failed the first.

  “I WOULD HAVE DONE it too, Ry.” Ella faced me long after my family had left the infirmary. They’d stayed on a bit to make sure the healers were giving me the best treatment they could, but after that, their disappointment had been too much to take. Now only my best friend remained.

  “I almost cost us our lives.”