A Trial of Sorcerers: Book One by Kova, Elise (universal ebook reader .txt) 📕

“If there is nothing further, Waterrunners, you may begin.” Mister Levit flipped a large hourglass and Eira flipped her pages.

There were seventy-five questions in total. Each question had a blank for the answer; some were just a word, some demanded a few sentences. Eira skimmed them, turning the pages over.

That’s it? She blinked. She’d been expecting more. She’d been hoping for an actual challenge.

Eira dove in.

Capital of Meru? Risen. Primary religious organization? Faithful of Yargen. Other kingdoms once a part of Meru? The Twilight Kingdom and Kingdom of the Draconi. Average lifespan of the elfin? About 175 years. Magic? Oh, they didn’t give her nearly enough space to write about Lightspinning.

Her quill flew across the page, nearly scratching holes with her ferocity. Before Eira knew it, she’d answered every question. Nearly breathless from the cocktail of nerves and excitement, she looked up, expecting the time to be expired and most others to have turned in their papers.

Only about ten minutes had passed.

Eira looked back down at her work and inhaled deeply. She should check her answers. But Eira had a strict policy when it came to her studies—never second-guess herself. Whenever she doubted her gut, it usually resulted in her changing from the correct answers. The first choice was usually the right one.

Setting down her quill, Eira stood and gathered her examination.

She could feel the eyes of her fellow apprentices and those assembled. Marcus was right—she hated the feeling. The papers crumpled slightly in her fingers as her grip tightened under the weight of her nerves.

Eira was nearly at the stage when the ambassadors and their guards emerged from the palace doors. She faltered, staring at them. They were early today. They usually didn’t come until about halfway through.

Mister Levit held out his hand expectantly. It prompted Eira to gather every last scrap of her courage and ascend to the top of the stage. She handed the papers to her teacher.

“You’re sure?” he whispered, hardly moving his lips. Eira gave a small nod and he picked up his quill, scoring it right before her.

The elfin approaching were a welcome distraction. Today they were fitted with clothes that matched the tailored styles of the Solaris Empire instead of the swooping necks and dropped sleeves of Meru. Ambassador Ferro had lightly teased his dark green hair back, placing his ears even more on display. Between the clothes and hair—or perhaps just up close—he looked younger than Eira expected. He looked even younger than Mister Levit. Only a few years older than her, if she had to guess.

But he was elfin, a people graced with unnatural youthfulness. He could be fifty for all Eira knew. The weight of a second set of eyes drew her attention to Ferro’s right. The same guard he’d had yesterday was there, peering a hole into Eira. She quickly brought her eyes back to Mister Levit.

“Someone’s already finished?” Cordon appraised as he drew near. “Didn’t the examination only begin ten minutes ago?”

“It did. But Eira is one of my best students,” Mister Levit said proudly. He was on the last page. Eira had completely missed how the first two pages scored.

Ambassador Ferro stepped to the side, folding his arms behind his back and looking over Mister Levit’s shoulder. His face was passive and betrayed no emotion. His violet eyes flicked up to her.

“Eira, was it?” he asked with the smooth accent of Meru.

She nearly melted in place. “Y-yes?”

He just nodded, mostly to himself, and strode off to the far side of the stage to look out over the apprentices still testing. His guard followed and the two engaged in a whispered conversation.

“All right, then.” Mister Levit stood, papers in hand. He showed them to Cordon, who let out a low whistle and then gave her an assessing look.

Eira folded her arms before her, afflicted with a sudden wave of discomfort.

Mister Levit handed the paper to the Groundbreakers by the board. They exchanged a few words. She held her breath as her name magically appeared, embossed in stone, at the top of the board.

Eira Landan - 75

A perfect score. She’d passed the first trial.

9

“Well done,” Mister Levit whispered as he sat.

Eira turned, descending to the back wall underneath the risers that circled the Sunlit Stage. She tried to ignore the glares her fellow apprentices were shooting her. If looks could kill, she’d be skewered several times over.

Out of the sunlight, Eira could breathe a little easier. The shade was a familiar place for her to be in. Relative darkness was a cool and welcoming embrace. Eira tucked her hair behind her ears several times and waited, watching, as the rest of them finished.

One by one, other apprentices went up. They turned in their papers and Eira watched their names shuffle on the board like cards. But one name didn’t move—hers.

Her fellow Waterrunners formed packs along the back walls. They murmured with hushed breaths, glancing her way. But none of them crossed the gap to her. Eira thought of globe-trinkets she’d seen at the Festival of the Sun last year, filled with water and fake snow. She had an invisible sphere like that around her always. A barrier that kept others away…even Marcus.

When he finished, he went to a group of friends, met with pats on the shoulder and praise. He ended up ranking fourth, all told. The closest person to Eira scored sixty-four out of seventy-five correct.

“That concludes today’s examination,” Mister Levit announced when the last name appeared on the board. “Congratulations to the competitors who are moving on. There will be a special dinner held in the Tower tonight just for you all, where you’ll learn about the details of the second trial.”

The clapping of those assembled, cheers and reassurances, faded away. Eira’s eyes had drifted to the stage, where Ambassador Ferro still stood, leaning against a column, arms crossed. His gaze was locked on hers and, for a breath, the world stopped.

It was as though she could almost feel him