Chapter 61 Taera
Taera
“You ready?” Nikolai asks, holding open the door to the hallway.
I scowl. “How would I possibly be ready?”
He grins and leads the way down an unusual set of corridors. We emerge, joining a long stream of students waiting outside a stone door. When they look over at us, Nikolai puts a possessive hand on my lower back. I try not to shiver as his touch thrills me.
“That’s who you’re working with?” Jezebel stares at Nikolai. The rest of the class is probably thinking the same; they’re just more subtle.
“You have a problem with my new source?” Nikolai smirks, curling me against his side. Jezebel looks between us, her expression icy.
“Next,” Master Koroy calls. My stomach twinges, and I fidget with my fingers as the entire line shuffles two steps forward.
“Relax.”
I glance up into sparkling green eyes, and Nikolai’s lips quirk up. For once, I’m grateful for the distracting rush of tingles up my spine. He reaches up and teases his fingers through my hair. I shiver in his arms. His affection is intoxicating.
“So you lovebirds are actually doing it,” Annie squeals as she joins us in line alongside Omi, Sasha, and several others whose names I don’t remember.
My anxiety spikes again. Nikolai shushes against my ear and continues stroking my hair. I’m torn between jittery excitement and rubbing my face against his chest while purring like a cat. Fortunately, I resist the latter.
Sasha assesses Nikolai. “That’s bold of you.”
Nikolai laughs. “You underestimate me.”
Worry prickles my chest, but Nikolai distracts me by cupping my cheek, rubbing circles into my palm with his thumb.
It sends my mind delightfully skittering.
I’m frustrated by my reaction to him, but it’s brilliant—the way he diverts my attention until we’re right outside the stone doors of the exam room.
They swing inward.
“Next,” Master Koroy barks. When he sees me and Nikolai, his whole face tightens. “What is this?”
Dread swells in my stomach.
“This is the source I’ve chosen.” Nikolai gazes adoringly down at me. I’m caught between foreboding and breathlessness.
“Choose another,” the master growls. “Last chance.”
Nikolai looks genuinely taken aback, then his eyes harden with righteous indignance. “I’ve chosen Taera.”
Koroy huffs, blocking the entrance for one tense beat before jerking his chin and waving us in. The door slams behind us, shutting out the murmurs from outside.
“Will you be challenging the partnerwork or the individual, first?” Koroy mutters.
“What do you think, darling?” Nikolai says, lowering his forehead to mine. He smells of sage, and his breath is hot on my face. My lips part, and my mind completely blanks. What are the options again?
“The partnerwork,” I stammer.
“Partnerwork it is.” Nikolai grins, his gaze lingering on me before he drags it back to the master. I wish his attention didn’t make my blood heat, his affection leaving my body aching for his touch. He smiles down at me, a twinkle in his eye. He knows exactly what he’s doing to me.
My ears heat.
“Step forward,” Koroy barks.
As soon as we move, my nerves paralyze me. We haven’t trained together once, and I haven’t trained nearly enough on my own. This is going to be a disaster.
“Shh, Taera. Calm.” Nikolai’s commanding, calm tone echoes inside my head.
I glance at the magician standing confidently at my side, and force myself to take one breath, then another.
Not too fast. Somehow his amused smile steadies me.
I don’t know how he’s always so sure of himself, but it’s contagious.
“Close your eyes.”
Nikolai takes my hand, and my magic prickles against his skin, agitated and fierce.
He squeezes once, and I force my mind blank.
The blankness deepens around me into a peaceful, quiet sky-blue, and I realize it must be his doing.
The sensation of soothing warm water and sunshine embraces me, and my breaths come easier.
Master Koroy is grumbling something, but I don’t hear it through the lapping of waves. Nikolai tugs at my magic, drawing it forth; it’s a pleasant tingle, a shiver up my spine.
“It’s over.”
I open my eyes.
That was it? The entire partnerwork section?
Master Koroy is still glaring at us. “You will now challenge the individual.”
“I’ll go first. Want to watch me?” Nikolai smirks, stepping forward. My hand slips from his and the hum of magic between us fades. But my anxieties don’t have time to resurface.
Master Koroy hands Nikolai a string of amulets on a chain, then starts barking nonsense. “Night. Day. Forest. Melodies…”
My magician winks at me, and the room flickers dark. Then light. The ceiling alights with birdsong, and the hall becomes a lush forest surrounding us, rich with the scent of pine.
Music envelops the room next, a deep, rolling waltz that has the trees transforming into dancers and spinning around me to the jovial melody.
Scents and even tastes touch my tongue. The nectar of a honeydrop flower, the aroma of pepperspice cookies, unexpected and warm.
Minutes pass in a beautiful dance of colors, of sensations, until the test is suddenly over.
I blink.
Nikolai steps wordlessly to a desk that appears, where he sits and scribbles something on the piece of paper in front of him. I stand stiffly for a full several minutes until he rises.
The master grunts, fixing his beady eyes on me.
Nikolai flies through his individual portion of the test, which means there’s only one part left. Mine.
“Your turn,” Koroy barks. “Might as well start with the written.”
He points a stubby finger at the desk, and my feet kick into action. I glance at Nikolai, who nods, then I step forward to take a seat on the hard wooden chair.
“You have a half hour,” the master declares, looking too pleased with himself, and I stare down at the page in front of me.
Some of the words make sense. Like Question 1 and Solve. The rest are gibberish: harsh lines of symbols I’ve never seen before. It’s the nightmare math test I never studied for. My heart pounds.
“Write down exactly what I tell you.” Nikolai’s voice startles me, and I— “No, don’t turn around.”
I continue to stare at the page, breathing fast, as the first image glimmers into my mind.
It’s a complex tangle of lines and symbols that floats in front of me like wisps of candle smoke in the air.
I glance at the master, but he’s still staring at me with crossed arms and a triumphant smile. Like he can’t see it.
“Copy it exactly.”
I pick up the quill and copy each stroke onto the paper beneath the first question.
“Now for the second.” A new sequence of symbols floats above the page and I hurry to write them down.
I squirm at the wrongness of it as I fill out the paper.
The master’s smile sours above me, his eyes narrowing to slits as I write down answer after answer.
I’m hardly finished writing the last line when Master Koroy stalks over and snatches my paper up, glaring at it with an expression of pure loathing.
“I don’t know how you accomplished this, but I assure you, the practical won’t be as easy.”
“You did it.” Nikolai beams, stepping forward and enveloping me in a hug. He nuzzles the top of my head.
I’m too surprised to object, and his over-the-top display of affection turns my insides rather gooey.
“Step back, Mr. Hugo.” The master glowers at me. “Taera, you may now attempt the practical portion of your test.”
I try to step forward, but Nikolai’s grasp tightens on me, holding me back. My magic surges into him, and a perfect image of myself steps forward in my place.
I can’t look away. Nikolai continues to squeeze my hand while concentrating unwaveringly on the scene. The torrent of magic flowing between us leaves me breathless.
“A series of talismans,” Master Koroy explains to my image, who nods and bites her lip—a nervous tell of mine. “You may start with the first.”
Three pedestals appear, holding three strange glass shapes atop them.
My image hesitates at the first one before reaching out to touch the tiny glass frog sitting on top. The air thickens with humidity and a loud crrooaak ripples through the room. My image jumps back, wearing a shocked expression.
“The second one requires more subtlety,” the master grumbles.
Slowly, my image steps forward to the second pedestal.
I look from the illusion to Nikolai, shaking my head. It never mattered whether he trained with me or not because he was going to cheat. He doesn’t even need me; he can do this entire exam by himself. I don’t know whether to be impressed or afraid.
Master Koroy’s face reddens as my image progresses through the pedestals. The deep song that emanates from the urn—the third challenge—cuts off into a squeak, and my image grimaces, murmuring, “Sorry.”
I glance at Nikolai, who spares a flicker of a smile through his focus.
“You can’t appear too good. Don’t worry, activating it at all is still a pass.”
The master is scowling. Illusion-Taera steps back toward Nikolai, takes his hand. She smiles at him before casually taking the exact pose I’m in. Like a shadow held up to the light, she dissipates into nothing.
The strain on my magic loosens, and I let out a shaky, pleased breath.
“Will that be all?” Nikolai asks.
Koroy glares at us. “Not yet.”
The magician at my side frowns. “What do you mean?”
“If I have reason to think you’re cheating, as you’re so fond of…” Master Koroy’s mouth peels into a smile. “I have one final challenge.”
Nikolai stiffens almost imperceptibly, and my breathing stutters. He isn’t prepared for this.
“Given your source’s exceptional abilities, I’m sure this will be no problem for her.” Koroy sneers.
A fourth pedestal appears next to the others. On it rests a glass orb the size of my fist. I glance at Nikolai, but he just stares at it. This time, no duplicate image of me steps forth.
I’m on my own.
Master Koroy watches me, a smug smile spreading across his face. It ignites a fire in my belly. I’m not going to let this man stop me.
I pull away from Nikolai and step toward the pedestal.
I’ve activated a powerful talisman once before, after all.
Twice, if I count the time I blew up one of the shards.
Closing my eyes, I set aside my pride and imagine the same bittersweet magician who trapped me in the Halls of Glass… and is now helping me be able to leave.
With my magic as calm as it’s going to get, I pick up the glass sphere.
The sharp tang of magic hits my nostrils, and the orb ignites.
Red fire bursts upward. A screech rings out.
I look up. A massive bird of prey, flaming orange, spirals overhead.
Its huge wings beat the air like thunderclaps.
When the bird plunges toward me, I realize its glowing red feathers aren’t feathers at all. The bird is made of flame.
I gasp, almost dropping the orb as my magic rushes into it.
With another tremendous screech, the bird dives and lands—wrapping hot talons of golden fire around my forearm. It cocks its vicious head, first eyeing me, then Master Koroy.
Koroy’s eyes are wide, his voice scrapes out hoarse. “That will be all.”
Breathlessly, I place the orb back on the pedestal and turn to the door.
The master stares after me, jaw slack, as we leave, as though I’ve sprouted three eyes.
Nikolai meets me at the door, holding out an arm. I accept it, and he leads me out.
“You were incredible.”
His awed whisper is just for me.