Page 50 of Faerie Trials

I flashed her a small smile. Sure,wow. She was excited for the show, while I focused on what it meant. The start to the Trials. I was forced to participate. She was not.

“Look!”

The lone voice cut over the hushed coos of the crowd and it didn’t take long for me to see why.

Sparks had somehow gathered and now rained down on a tree near the raised royal dais, alighting the tinder-dry leaves so that the trunk, the limbs,everythingburst into flame. It shouldn’t have happened. Had never happened before, I knew without anyone telling me.

The gasps from the crowd quickly turned into screams as officials and guards surrounding the royal family rushed forward with their hands in the air, sending waves of magic toward the flames.

“Oh shit!” Melia burst out.

“Well,” I said as I turned toward Melia and Bronwen, “thatcan’t be a good omen.”

19

Isat across the library table from Mike and my entire body ached. Deep down. All the way through my cells to my bones. It meant I was still alive, which I might not be able to say in three days. Because why? We’d been given our task for the first Trial, and three days in which to research, practice, and prepare before it would take place on Friday.

All other classes were suspended for the time being. Thank goodness, although I knew a few of the professors were not happy about the pause, my charms teacher in particular. She’d glared around at the class and promised homework the moment we returned.

Mike leaned across the table, silhouetted against the window where the midday sun spilled golden rays over everything. “What do you think?” he asked.

A muscle tensed in his jaw and I knew he was just as nervous as I was. At least I knew that no matter what trouble we got into with this latest test, he would come through with me. He wouldn’t let me go alone.

Unlike normal days, the library was packed with students doing their own research. Our first test?

Justice.

For the first trial, every student had to find a way to access the arcane power of the earth and grow a plant. Not just any plant, but a certain species of tree all but wiped out in Faerie thanks to over-harvesting. And we had to find a way to keep the tree alive without being attached to our own life force. Heaven forbid you ask why no one else was accomplishing the task. The school council hadn’t had anything to say on the matter during our orientation this morning.

In fact, Headmaster Cyrus remained closed-mouthed on anything besides the barest minimum of information. Find the seed, grow the plant, don’t let it die. And don’t let it kill you.

Not an easy task by any means. If we managed to grow the tree without first detaching from it, we could expend our own life energy and waste away to nothing.

What a great first start.

I tapped my fingers against the stack of books in front of me. “I think we’d better get to work or else we are going to be sunk before we even begin.” I pushed aside the massive brain fog making it impossible to focus.

“We’re going to figure out a way to beat this,” Mike said firmly.

“They don’t want us to find a way.” My stomach dropped as I gave voice to my doubt. As though suddenly the whole point of these Trials made sense to me. They made it hard not because they wanted the best of the best to emerge, but because they delighted in our failure. At least I wasn’t alone in it this time.

Mike groaned, but I couldn’t tell if he agreed or not. “Well, at least they’ve given us a little bit of time to figure it out. Although this library might not be our best bet.”

I shrugged. “Do you have a better idea?”

“I have several ideas, one of which has to do with using the royal library to find a way to beat the Trial.”

“Have you ever been involved in the Trials before?” I asked him.

“I’ve seen a few, yeah. I mean, my father officiates the opening ceremony, so I’ve had no choice but to be up there with him. They’re brutal and bloodthirsty and the people demand more every time. This is my first year actually participating, though.”

“You had a hard enough time making it through the cullings,” I teased. “How are you going to do now?”

“Well…” Mike winked. “I have a secret weapon.”

“Another artifact to boost your power?”

“No,you.”

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