First Year (5 page)

Forcing myself out of bed, I found Ella standing by impatiently.

“How much time do we have?”

“We’ve got about ten more minutes before breakfast ends to meet Master Barclae.”

Barclae.
Immediately, all exhaustion was forgotten, and I yanked my only clean dress over my head. I ran out after Ella, combing my fingers through my bedraggled hair and wishing I had more time.

The two of us rushed through the courtyard and into the back entrance of the Academy. We made it into the dining hall just as the platters were being taken back to the kitchens.
Wonderful.
 

Ella and I took our seats at the end of a back table. I had just spotted Alex a couple seats down when Master Barclae entered looking stern and impressive in his silks.

“Well, it looks like you are all still here. I will try my best to discourage that.”

I flinched. Master Barclae’s mood was worse than the night before.

“What is
he
doing here?”

I turned in the direction of Ella’s whisper and saw where she was looking. The prince was seated one row from Alex.

I had forgotten all about him. “Maybe he doesn’t know,” I whispered, knowing my explanation sounded ludicrous even to my own ears.

Master Barclae coughed loudly, and I felt my cheeks burn as I realized his scowl was fixed on Ella and me. “Have I bored you?” he drawled loudly.

We quickly shook our heads, and I lowered my own, shame-faced.

But Master Barclae wasn’t done making his point. “Really, I insist, what is
so
fascinating that you needed to interrupt my lecture?”

“Nothing,” I said quickly.

“Him.” Ella pointed.

I quickly snuck a look at the prince and saw his garnet eyes fixated on Ella and me. The expression he wore was one of unadulterated loathing.

I swallowed uncomfortably.
Ella!
 

“Ah.” Master Barclae smiled sardonically. “Him. What about this h
im
?”

Ella stood nervously, “The Council’s Treaty states no heir of the kingdom can undertake training as a mage. T-to prevent the Crown from interfering with matters of magic.”

The irritation in the young man’s eyes had turned to daggers. I quickly looked away.

“True,” Master Barclae admitted, “but the doctrine was alluding to first-born children who would be inheriting the throne. Prince Darren is not.”

“But we’ve never had a prince before—”

“
You’ve never had one before because nobody was good enough!”
Prince Darren spat.

I winced. There was no mistaking the indignation and resentment in his tone.

Master Barclae laughed harshly. “Ah, my dears, you are so young to have already made such an unpleasant impression with a member of the royal family.”

Ella bit her lip. I continued to stare at the ground. I could feel the prince’s angry gaze burning us alive.

“Well, now that these two girls have finished embarrassing themselves, would anyone else like to join them?”

Silence.

“Good. Now, before I send you off to your actual lessons, I want to make a couple of things clear. Each year, students enter my school claiming to have a gift.
Please understand that having magic has never been and never will be enough.
For most of you the degree of power you possess is nothing short of insignificant.”

The master grunted. “Unfortunately, it takes
months
of testing to determine. Were it weeks, there would never be such thing as a silly trial year in the first place.”

Someone behind me snickered loudly. Apparently,
they
weren’t worried, a sentiment I couldn’t help wishing I shared.

“The constable has informed me that we have one hundred and twenty-two new faces this year. I advise you all to think long and hard on those odds. There will only be fifteen apprenticeships. Do you really want to waste an entire year under the guise of
hope
?” He eyed the audience coldly.

“Ten months of hard labor, course study, and endless repetition.
That
is what you have to look forward to if you choose to stay.” Master Barclae eyed us speculatively. “Half this class will leave, of their own accord, by midwinter for that very reason—well,
that
and the realization that their magic is not nearly as powerful as they had presumed…

“In any case, we will have a weeklong trial for those that remain at the year’s end. Which brings me to my final note before you begin your studies, and that is your faction.

“I know that each one of you walked into the Academy doors with a preconceived notion of which magic to train for… and for most of you that faction is Combat.” He eyed his dress, smiling ironically. “The black robes of the warrior class
are
world-renowned, undoubtedly inspired by the Candidacy.”

An elbow nudged me in the ribs, and I saw that Alex had made his way to where Ella and I stood. My twin gave me a crooked grin, and I shoved him back, knowing exactly what he was thinking. I already knew Combat was a long shot, but it wasn’t going to stop me from trying.

“Still, I implore you to think twice. Consider perhaps the great skill of Alchemy. Or the healer’s touch of Restoration. Both branches commit their service to Jerar’s defense, and yet they are under-praised in light of another’s glory. You have two months before you actually commence the study of your chosen faction. It would be wise to consider those odds.”

The Master of the Academy cleared his throat. “That said, I will now have Frederick lead you to your first lesson. I am sure you have much to think about in the hours that follow.”

Leaving the atrium behind, Alex, Ella, and I followed a winding corridor to the left. I had just finished introducing the two when I noticed the prince watching us from the corner of my eye.

“Don’t look now,” I said to Ella in a low voice, “but I am pretty sure if looks could kill, you and I would be dead already.”

Ella’s eyes shot to whom I was referring to, and then rolled her eyes. “Well,
he
can glare all he wants. I had a right to question his being here. Who cares if he’s not first-born? All it takes is one accidental stabbing, and suddenly, he’s the realm’s first mage king.”

“Would it really make that much of a difference?” Alex asked abruptly. “If anything, I think having a member of the Crown would help the mages’ cause, not hurt it.”

“You say that now,” Ella replied, “but you wouldn’t if you actually knew him.”

“You know Prince Darren personally?” I stared at her.

Ella grimaced. “Oh, yes, Darren
and
his brother. Trust me when I say not knowing is preferable.”

I was instantly curious. “What did they do?”

Ella shook her head, clearly unwilling to drudge up memories of her life back in court.

Alex glanced at me, and I shrugged. Our confusion faded momentarily, however, as we entered an enormous library with the rest of our class. The three of us took our seats in a hushed silence.

Already, there was parchment and quill ready for note-taking. Beneath my chair, I discovered three heavy leather-bound books. I couldn’t imagine the price they would have fetched back in Demsh’aa. Books were a privilege, a very expensive one that few nobles could even afford. Occasionally a baron or duke might have had a small collection at home, but only the king’s palace in Devon and the Academy could have so many volumes as the ones I saw now.

No matter where I turned to look, shelf after shelf greeted my incredulous gaze. Thousands of books and yellowing scrolls stacked high along the walls, and at the very end of each was a ladder leading up to yet another floor of manuscripts and tables.

I hazarded a guess that the second floor was a study. There was another floor after that, but I could not make out what its contents were.

Back at ground level, there stood a raised podium with two solid oak desks at its center. At the first sat a heavy-set woman in her midfifties. Her brown hair was pulled back in a wavy bun, not a strand loose, and her powder was perfectly pressed. She was dressed very severely underneath a heavy blue cloak, with a high-laced collar and an emerald pendant clasped tightly around her neck. Her eyes had a severity that warned one not to fool around in her presence.

To the woman’s right sat a slightly twitchy man about twenty years her junior. His vest and pants were frayed, and his hair was rather ragged. He had an untrimmed mustache that lined his chin and upper lip, but it seemed more from neglect than the careful precision of Master Barclae. In an erratic sort of way, the master stood and nervously glanced around the room. Though he seemed to be out of sorts, his eyes spoke of kindness and intelligence.

The duo introduced themselves as Masters Eloise and Isaac and wasted no time in familiarizing the class with their expectations for the year.

Magic was the very last thing on their agenda.

“There is no point in learning to cast if you haven’t a clue what you’re doing,” Master Eloise sniffed. “What you need is basics. I don’t care how much tutelage you have had, one can never know too much.”

“Yes,” Master Isaac added quickly, “‘tis far more important to know the ‘why’ than the ‘how’ in casting. The basics will give you that knowledge.”

The “basics,” it turned out, were history, science, mathematics, and geography. No weapons, medicines, or “anything of interest” as Ella had grumbled. I couldn’t help agreeing.

It would be two months before we would actually commence the study of our factions. “This way,” Master Eloise had noted, “I can be assured you have a
proper
foundation.”

Four long hours later, mind reeling and stomach growling voraciously, I pushed my way past the slow mob of students and practically collapsed into the dining hall. Ella found me just as I was piling my plate high with salted pork, spiced cheddar, and a variety of colorful vegetables.

“Hungry much?” she observed.

“You have no idea,” I said through a mouthful of toast. I could feel other first-years’ eyes on me as I ravaged a second roll, and I made an effort to eat a little more slowly.

“For the five days it took us to get here, all we’ve eaten is rye and one too many handfuls of dried fruit,” Alex added, snatching an apple off Ella’s plate as he joined us at the table.

Ella snatched her fruit back from my brother. “I guess that explains why you looked like a ruffian last night.”

Alex reddened and I snorted, drink spraying across the table. It had been a long time since I’d met a girl who was immune to my brother’s charm. It was a refreshing, and amusing, change of pace.

Ella turned back to me. “Ryiah,
you
look wonderful today. Your hair is such an interesting shade. I’ve never seen one like it before. I bet all the boys back home loved you.”

I choked into my glass. “Hardly.”

Alex snickered. “Ry was too tough for the boys in Demsh’aa. She was too busy fighting them to notice.”

I kicked his foot. “We were training, not fighting, brother.” I glanced at Ella. “What about you, Ella? You’ve only been here a day, and you already have a shadow—that boy from the library.”

She laughed loudly. “Oh, James? He is hardly my type. I need a man’s man, like that Master Barclae.”

Alex cringed. “But he’s so old!”

“And mean,” I added. “He was mean to us.”

Ella scoffed. “He doesn’t look it. Besides, he knows how to carry himself. I don’t need any of the young men here. Most of them are younger than us. Have you noticed that?”

“The nobility,” Alex offered, “they all took advantage of the early admission at twelve and thirteen, I’d bet.”

“I don’t see why.” Ella frowned. “I
am
highborn, and it always seemed more of an advantage to wait until the cut off at seventeen. A better chance to build up your powers, especially since they don’t even start to emerge until adolescence…” She laughed lightly. “But I guess the three of us didn’t wait that long either. I suppose it’s hard to wait once you discover your magic.”

“Prince Darren is older,” I observed, “and so are some of the others
”

“He’s one of the smart ones,” Ella admitted. “He’s had his powers for awhile. Thankfully most of the students rushed admission, like us.”

I reflected on our first lesson. “It certainly didn’t seem that way in the library.”

“All that extra tutoring,” she assured me. “Not that I should resent them for it. My parents would have done the same if they hadn’t been so set on a convent.”

“Still, they knew so much more than me,” I sighed. “In Demsh’aa Alex and I were one of the few kids who knew how to read and write, but that was only because our parents were merchants! I didn’t even realize it would be a part of our studies!”

“Well, it makes sense, doesn’t it?”

I just groaned and put my head in my hands. “And all the work they gave us? It’s the first day, and they already expect us to read through four chapters and do fifteen sets of those horrid math equations?”

“We can start on them now. We’ve got a half hour until our next session,” she suggested lightly.

I frowned. “I would, but if I take in any more ‘learning’ right now, I think my head will implode.”

Ella chuckled.

“I’ll study with you, Ella,” Alex said a little too quickly. He flashed her a winning smile.

Ella turned to me, ignoring my twin. “It’s not going to get better. Remember my brother. There’s a reason people leave early on.”

I shook my head. “I’ll meet you guys at the armory before our next session.”

“Okay,” Ella said shrugging. “Just don’t be late.”

As I emptied my tray and started down the Academy’s long corridor, I spent the walk fantasizing about the goose-down pillows that were awaiting me back in the barracks. I was only four hours into my year, and I was already longing for sleep. It couldn’t be a good sign.

First couple weeks are always the hardest…
 

I sighed.
Or maybe that’s just a saying, and it really
is
horrible all year long.
 

I had just turned the corner when I suddenly collided with someone coming from the opposite direction.

“I’m so sorr—” I began, and then froze.