Page 54 of Faerie Trials

“So, uh, about the brain boost powder… You mentioned side effects. Can you elaborate?” I said with as much casual ease as I could manage.

Which wasn’t much, considering the way she turned to me with an eagle-sharp gaze. “Why do you ask?” Seeing right through whatever charade I’d tried to put in place. She reminded me of my old friend Nurse Julie in that respect.

I shrugged with forced nonchalance. Kneading the bread dough with practiced movements, I said, “Just curious. I’ve been using it to help me get through the Trials, and with the first one coming up this Friday, I realized I might need to know more about those side effects you mentioned. I don’t want the Abrichxao powder to, you know, interact negatively with any spell work I do. I’m trying to give myself the best chance possible at passing.”

It sounded reasonable enough.

Raelynn studied me for a moment and then went back to dressing the tender cut of beef in front of her. Another one of the king’s big dinner parties with the courtiers, she’d told me the moment I walked through the door and grabbed an apron. Everything had to be spot on tonight. Lots of prep, lots of courses. No time to dally.

“Well, the big one is losing time,” she said with a sigh. Glaring at the beef as though it were somehow responsible for the side effect. “That’s the one they warn you about first. It can get severe, large chunks of time just gone. Likepoof!”

Raelynn chuckled at her own joke and the rest of the girls in the kitchen laughed along with her.

She gave me a warning look. “Too much of the powder will literally shut down your brain, Tavi girl, and you’ll lose memories from that time. Let me think what else… Oh, there’s the dry mouth, but it isn’t so terrible. Stomach ache, sore throat—”

I stopped listening after her first sentence. Memory loss.Literally shut down your brain. Was that what happened to me?

“Are you listening?”

Snapping to attention, flour flying everywhere, I glanced over at her and nodded. “Of course I’m listening.”

“Have you been taking more than two teaspoons a week?” Raelynn was stern. Her eyebrows drew together and somehow I knew she could see down to my soul.

“No way,” I told her, lying easily. And feeling terrible about it.

“Good,” Raelyn said emphatically. “I’d hate to think you’ve been overindulging. I refuse to be responsible for any more holes in your sieve-like memory.” She rapped me on the side of the head with her knuckles before taking the bread loaf to the oven. “Bad enough you can’t remember simple recipes. Have to remind you every bloody week how to make an asparagus casserole.”

The girls laughed at her humor a second time. They all understood the pain of having to repeat information to me again and again.

With Raelynn distracted at the oven, I thought back over the past few weeks. There were definitely a few things I couldn’t seem to remember. Even a few bits and pieces of my tutoring with Juno—and the whole purpose of taking the powder in the first place was so I could do better with my studies.

I excused myself as early as possible and raced back to my room, grabbing a notebook and a pen, charting out my tutoring sessions over the last week since the attack. Detailing what I’d learned those days and what Juno had me work on. And found I could only remember about half of the days.

My pen dropped with a clatter.

I’d been using the brain boost to help. But what if I’d lost tons of time and memories of tutoring? What if I’d actually gone the opposite way and did more harm than good? Some of the things I’d learned but now forgotten might have been imperative to getting me through the Trials.

What if I’d screwed it all up?

21

Friday was the day of the first Trial.

As the group of students from Elite were ushered into the woods surrounding the town, I stood close to Mike, watching excitement flash across other familiar faces. Coral, of course, spoke to anyone who would listen about her plan for the Trial and how she and her family fully expected her to come in first.

Except the staff didn’t want us working together. If we were together then we might be able to help each other with the magic, or share a life force to minimize the effects of the power necessary to work the spell. Whatever spell we chose to use.

I bit my nails down to below the quick and had an upset stomach to show for it.

In the mortal world, normal people looked forward to Fridays. They were the start of the weekend and a time to relax, knowing you’d have two days off to do whatever you wanted, without worrying about work, without thinking of dreaded Monday.

This Friday was worse than all past Mondays added together.

Headmaster Cyrus clapped for attention, his milky eyes sweeping over the crowd. He had little more to say today than he had three days past in terms of what to expect.

Arlyss’s eyes blazed. “This is going to be a piece of cake. Lane and I did our research. Do you actually think you can make it through, halfling?”

“Oh, are you talking to me? Sorry, I don’t speak idiot,” I replied.

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