That was true, but then nothing about magic made sense. Maybe there was an answer, and I would find out at the Academy. Groping around in my bags, I eagerly pulled out my father’s hunting knife.
“Ryiah,” my brother yelped, “what are you—”
Ignoring Alex’s cry of alarm, I dug the blade into the center of my good palm, reopening freshly sealed wounds as blood dripped down past my wrist.
At the same time I observed a yellowish-green mass that clung to a nearby tree. The moss looked like a perfect target, a furry patch of flammable tendrils.
Almost immediately the moss began to shrivel and smoke. As I pushed down with the blade, tiny flames sprouted forth, engulfing the plant.
“ALEX!”
My brother’s jaw dropped as he followed my gaze.
I continued to add pressure, hardly conscious of pain in light of my new discovery. Blood continued to puddle below me. “Alex, I have magic!”
Breaking free from his initial shock, my twin rode over and snatched the knife away, giving me a dark look as he brandished the weapon.
The fire ceased immediately as what remained of the moss crumbled to the ground in a withered heap.
“Ryiah!” Alex scolded. “You shouldn’t have to maim yourself to perform a casting!” Any joy he’d felt at my revelation had been lost in wake of my blood.
“I wasn’t even sure I had it,” I murmured. “But now…”
Now that I knew I had magic…
Staring determinedly at a nearby trunk, I willed my magic to take flight naturally. Without inflicting pain.
Nothing.
I squinted harder, ignoring the throbbing of my hand and the pounding in my head as I ogled the yellow-green mound. Every thought, every part of me strained as I attempted to project my magic onto the patch.
Still, it remained unchanged.
I tried, again and again. And again.
Eventually we had passed a whole forest of moss-lined trees with not so much as the slightest hint of fire or casting of any nature.
By the time we made camp for the evening, I was frustrated beyond measure.
“What is wrong with me?” I griped, tossing a handful of wood into our fire. “Why can’t things ever come easy?”
Alex laughed loudly. “Because it’s you, Ry. Nothing about your choices has ever been simple.”
I made a frustrated sound. “It was never this hard for you!”
He gave me a wry smile. “True, but you haven’t given yourself much of a chance, either. It took me two months just to get a handle on my magic, and I never did anything half as impressive as what you did to that outlaw.” He reached out to take my hand. “Don’t worry, Ry. I’m sure the masters will be able to show you how to use it without hurting yourself.”
I hoped so. If not, I was in for a very rough year.
The next morning I was jolted awake by something that sounded oddly reminiscent of thunder. Jumping out of my bedroll, I found Alex awake beside me watching tremors on the ground beneath his feet.
“What is it?” I wondered at the same time that Alex said, “It sounds like a stampede.”
I left my brother and walked over to the center of the road, trying to discern where the noise was coming from. It was right around the corner, whatever it was. In seconds I would be able to see—
“Ry, get off the path!” My twin knocked me back just in time as nine tall, slick black horses emerged, taking up the entire trail with their riders. The men were riding in a two-columned formation with glistening livery that sparkled in the light.
Eight of the riders bore heavy chainmail with metal plates lining their arms and shoulders. Knights. The expression underneath their helmets was dark and unrelenting.
I felt a wave of nausea. If Alex hadn’t pulled me out of the way, I would have been trampled to death in their wake.
At the center of the procession rode a young man who looked not much older than me. Unlike his guards, he wore no livery. Still, there was something formidable enough about him, and I had the overwhelming impression that he was anything but helpless.
Everything about the rider’s dress unnerved me—his cloak, his pants, the boots, even his fastenings were black. What was even more unsettling, the stranger had the darkest eyes I’d ever seen. Matching his ink black, jaw-length locks, his garnet irises were the color of an endless night.
The stranger locked eyes with me as he spotted my brother and me in passing. He scowled, and I felt as if I had been kicked in the gut. I was used to the bizarre behavior of our nobles back home, but this rider’s condescension was much deeper. What sort of person carried that much hostility toward strangers?
Still, I couldn’t seem to look away.
It was only after the group of riders had completely passed from sight that I recalled what the young man had been wearing. Hanging by a thick chain round his neck, there had been a hematite stone pendant.
There was only one family in the entire kingdom that was allowed to wear a black gem of that description.
Apparently, I had just watched one of the realm’s two princes pass me on horseback.
It took a moment for the shock to register.
“Do you know who that was?”
Alex nodded speechlessly.