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

“And the air in that bubble?” he asked.

“I suppose it could run out…” Eira had never really considered it. “It’d depend on how prepared the Waterruner was before going under, I think.”

“Ah, I see.” He laughed, though Eira wasn’t amused by the conversation in the slightest. “I have witnessed your crown princess walk through fire and come out unscathed. So I thought that all Solaris sorcerers were impervious to their elements.”

“Completely impervious, no. But thankfully, as I said, it’s not easy for us to be harmed by the same element as our affinities.”

“Indeed.” Ferro smiled. “Now, I promised you a legend about your continent. Let’s start with how Meru and Solaris were once one.”

Eira settled back in her chair as Ferro told her a story of a long-ago time when Meru, Solaris, and the Shattered Isles between them were one unified continent. He told her of a great godly war between the ultimate good—Yargen—and ultimate evil—Raspian. In that battle, the continent was torn asunder.

It was more fiction than fact. But in his rich tones, the words came to life. They painted pictures before her eyes like no one ever had before. Ferro was a skilled orator and Eira listened to him speak long into the night. She eagerly answered his every question about her magic just in exchange for his voice.

By the time they stood, the fire had died to smoldering embers that cast them in red outlines.

“I believe that is our signal.” Was that lamentation Eira heard in his tone?

She stood from her chair at the same time as him. “I enjoyed tonight.” She was surprised by how much she meant the statement. Her voice was hoarse. Eira wasn’t accustomed to speaking with anyone so much. By now, she and Alyss would’ve long fallen into a comfortable silence as they focused on a book and a wad of clay or bit of wood, respectively.

“As did I, more than I expected.” Ferro hovered and Eira followed his lead. “Thank you for telling me so much about your magic, and the Tower.”

“Of course. I look forward to our next exchange.”

“As do I.” Ferro’s attention dropped. Before Eira could figure out what gained his focus, he swept her hand up in his. In a fluid motion, the ambassador brought her knuckles to his lips.

Eira was grateful for the warm glow of the room, because the flush on her cheeks was worse than if she spent an hour in the sun.

“Until next time, sweet Eira.” Ferro left her standing in the growing darkness, trying to collect her breath and find her knees.

* * *

Over the next week, the whole encounter felt like it had been a dream.

It couldn’t have been real. A clandestine meeting in the middle of the night with Ambassador Ferro? Things like that didn’t happen to Eira.

Then again, perhaps they did. In the past month she had discovered a secret room and passage. She had defied her family and become a candidate for competitor in the Tournament of Five Kingdoms. Why couldn’t she also secretly meet with a dignitary from Meru? She was becoming someone new, perhaps someone she’d always been meant to be.

Every night, Eira returned to her room, waiting for another letter. But none came. She wished she could’ve kept the first letter he’d sent and vowed to keep the next. It would be the only proof she had that she really hadn’t dreamed the whole encounter.

“All right, what do you know?” Alyss looked up from the clay that was coating her fingers. Her bowl of porridge was pushed off to the side, mostly empty.

Eira made a low humming noise, bringing her attention back to the real world.

“You’ve spent the better part of breakfast daydreaming while staring out the windows. Spill it.”

“I’m thinking of the next trial.”

Alyss snorted. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

“Well, it’s true.” Just not the whole truth.

Alyss leaned forward, her voice dropped to a whisper. “You haven’t been going back to that place, have you?”

“No, I promised you I wouldn’t.”

“Good.” Satisfied, Alyss settled back with the clear intent of returning to her sculpting—a fox, today. But her eyes didn’t make it. Instead, they looked over Eira’s shoulder, narrowing slightly. “Well, if it isn’t the Prince of the Tower, gracing us with his lordly presence.”

“Good morning, ladies.” Cullen gave a nod. His hair was free and tousled today, falling into his eyes. “Eira, I was hoping to have a word with you.”

“Why?” Eira didn’t bother hiding a grimace. Alyss snickered.

“Because I would like one.”

“And I would like a boat to Meru. Get me that and I’ll think about giving you a word.”

“May we speak, please?” Cullen ground out the word. He clearly wasn’t accustomed to people not jumping at the opportunity to bask in his glory. “I’m here on your brother’s behalf.”

That brought her attention back to him in an instant. “Is everything all right with Marcus?”

“Yes, please, just a word before I meet with the empress.” Cullen, per usual, never missed a chance to mention he got to train with the empress. Or dine with the empress. Or just get to bask in the empress’s glory because he was so special.

Eira rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

She followed Cullen out of the mess hall and up the Tower. They wound around, past the library and Waterrunners’ workshop, eventually entering a door not far from her brother’s room—between the workshop and the minister’s office. It was a strange little room, indeed. As if the space couldn’t make up its mind on what it wanted to be.

A small wood-burning stove had two chairs positioned next to it. Eira could see the smoke it piped through the wall streaming by the stained glass window. Two bookshelves were crammed full, a desk wedged between them. The right half of the room was dominated by a large table and stools with cramped curio cabinets behind them, almost like a miniature version of the Waterrunners’ workroom.

“What is this place?”

“We call it