Page 86 of The Devil's Trials

I cross my arms, exhaling a harsh breath. “Okay. So—”

“Let’s go,” he interrupts. “I’ll explain how it works on the way.”

Without waiting for me to respond, he stands and walks out of my apartment. I tug on my shoes, then grab my bag and jacket on the way out, cursing Noah under my breath as I hurry to catch up before he gets on the elevator.

He doesn’t say anything until we’re in the car driving toward Ballard. “Your test will be administered by my supervisor.”

My brows inch closer. “Why aren’t you doing it?”

“Mentors don’t score their mentees. It’s an organization-wide policy to ensure fair testing.”

I nod. “I guess that makes sense.”

Noah turns the heat down a little as we speed up to merge onto the interstate. “The test is a combination of mental and physical exercises that are meant to evaluate how you respond under pressure.”

“Will I be running through drills like we do in training?”

“Not quite. You’ll be expected to use what you’ve learned in those drills, but the test is a simulation of a demon attack.”

My next breath gets caught in my throat and pressure clamps down on my chest as I stare at Noah, while he keeps his attention on the road. “So I’m fighting a fake demon?”

“Trust me, you won’t be able to tell that it isn’t real. The government invested an obscene amount of money in the technology to create a lifelike rendition.”

I swallow past the dryness in my throat, wringing my hands in my lap. “You watched me successfully kill arealdemon less than a week ago. Can’t that be used to evaluate my progress instead of this test?”

All through high school and college so far, exams have been a major trigger for my anxiety. Having to face them now in an environment I already feel profoundly uncomfortable in has my heart rate steadily increasing as we get closer to Ballard.

“No, for the same reason I can’t evaluate your test.”

I exhale slowly, nodding. “Do I get to bring a dagger in?”

“Anything you’re allowed will be provided. I’ll be watching from the observation room above the testing center.”

I’m not sure if that’s meant to make me feel better, but my skin still feels too hot, my upper lip dotted with sweat. I reach over and open my window a crack to get some air, closing my eyes to concentrate on controlling my breathing. I need to keep the anxiety at bay so I can focus on recalling what I’ve learned in training.

Too soon, we’re walking into Ballard’s main building. Instead of heading for the usual training room, Noah leads me to what appears to be a clinic waiting room on the opposite side of the facility. The space is lined with white plastic chairs and a registration desk. Half of the chairs are taken by other trainees, some of which I recognize from class, and others who are strangers.

Wyatt sits across the room and offers me a smile and wave, which I return before turning to Noah.

“Take a seat while I sign you in,” he instructs. “And I’ll see you after.”

I nod then walk over and sit next to Wyatt, who’s dressed in black joggers, sneakers, and a muscle shirt, his hair gelled back. “Did you know about the test before this morning?”

He shakes his head. “I found out when I showed up. They test us all on different schedules so no one really knows when they’ll get called.”

“Oh,” I mumble, wiping my hands on my thighs. “Are you as freaked as I am?”

He chuckles. “Ehh, yeah, probably not, but this isn’t my first test. I imagine it’s yours?”

“Uh-huh,” I admit, “I didn’t get this far when I was in training years ago, so it’s all new to me.”

Offering a wide grin, he says, “Don’t sweat it. You’ll do great, especially after training with Noah since you got here.”

I blow out a breath and force a smile. “Thanks. I hope so.” I catch Noah’s gaze across the room when he steps away from the registration desk. He sends me a nod before leaving the room, the door clicking shut behind him.

“Camille Morgan, proceed to the testing center,” the woman behind the desk calls out, and my pulse races as I grip the armrests tightly.

“Hey,” Wyatt says to snag my attention, then assures, “You’ve got this.”

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