And Nuwin . . . I nearly snorted thinking of him. He was a true trickster, oftentimes pulsing in lilac waves, indicating he was fabricating stories to elicit a response from those around him. I hadn’t been astonished in the least to learn that.
Not surprisingly, Georgyanna lied regularly, but her manipulation affinity was strong enough that even Cailis had a hard time seeing which colors she bled whenever she spoke, so Cailis and I had decided that it was best I avoid the female as much as possible.
And as for the crown prince, she hadn’t been able to get any reading on him at all. His affinities were too strong, his Shield like a stone wall. She wasn’t strong enough to see past it, and since the prince never released his Shield, not even for a second, it meant Cailis would never be able to see if he was truthful or lying.
I gripped the ladder tightly as I began to ascend while that thought struck me again. Shaking it off, I tried to concentrate on what Matron Olsander wanted me to do.
Some of the males watching me crossed their arms, arrogant smirks on their faces, while Beatrice plucked her hands on her hips, seemingly content to observe. Of course, everyone was in the training room again today, other than the two princes—both of whom were apparently attending a council meeting that was an all-day event.
I climbed higher, and a shrill laugh came from Georgyanna. Her aura heightened. A wash of it prickled my skin. It felt slimy, reminding me of oil, but instead of coating my insides, it slid off of me when I tethered my magic around me and practiced my Shield.
Thankfully, my magic was strong enough that I was able to thwart Georgyanna’s attempts at control, but the male standing next to Georgyanna must not have been as strong as her, or his Shield was down, because a cruel smile twisted his lips when her affinity hit him.
Georgyanna nudged his side. “She looks so terrified. Don’t you think?”
The male stepped closer to her, his lips twisting more. “Indeed, she’ll probably fall. I don’t even know why she’s in this Trial. She doesn’t even have wings.”
Georgyanna shrugged, the portrait of innocence despite the fact that the male she’d just manipulated had never been cruel to me before.
I continued climbing, and my heartbeat picked up as Georgyanna leaned over and whispered something into Meegana’s ear. Meegana frowned and pulled away. Georgyanna rolled her eyes, then let out an irritated huff.
That at least got a smug smile from me. Georgyanna’s manipulation affinity had yet to sway my friend.
My hands grew slick as I neared the top, and I stopped once to wipe them on my leggings.
“Don’t fall, Ilara!” Georgyanna called. “You wouldn’t want an injury during the Trial. Who knows, they could decide to disqualify you. We would hate for that to happen.” Her words, dripped with honey, and had almost sounded sincere, but I knew better.
The urge to flick my pinky at her grew, but I knew that would only prove that she was getting under my skin, so I tamped it down.
Ignore her, Ilara. Just keep going. So what if your magic is a hundred times less practiced than theirs? It doesn’t mean you’re weak. You’re not weak anymore.
I gritted my teeth as my hands reached the last rung of the ladder. Carefully, I hoisted myself up and stepped onto the beam. Nothing but air surrounded me. Clear, crystal, barely perceptible air. Right. That was the purpose of these exercises, since it forced me to call upon my air elemental affinity and learn to control it.
“Close your eyes!” Matron Olsander barked from below. I did as she said, just as a plume of magic crackled around my skin. “I’m activating the tests. Call forth your air affinity to protect you. Remember, feel for the cushion of magic in your gut, the lightest one.” Her affinity probed within me, guiding me toward that sensation. “This is your air affinity.”
I nodded and her affinity withdrew.
All week Matron Olsander had been helping me differentiate what each affinity felt like inside me. All of them had their own triggers, and all of them required their own Outlets. It was mind-numbing at times, trying to figure out what was what. Half the time, I couldn’t differentiate anything, and it all felt like a big swirling mess in my gut.
Rain abruptly pelted my skin, hitting my head like tiny needles, and I grabbed a hold of the sensation my tutor had led me toward.
“Call upon your affinity, Ilara!” Matron Olsander yelled again. “Form an air Shield around yourself. Nothing should be able to penetrate it.”
A gust of wind nearly knocked me off the balance beam, and I shrieked, my concentration vanishing.
The rain and wind stopped. Matron Olsander sighed. “Again. Back to the beginning.”
Georgyanna sniggered, and my cheeks flamed in embarrassment that I’d so easily been distracted. Taking a deep breath, I reminded myself what the prince had said.
I was worthy.
I was strong.
I could do this.
Nostrils flaring, I closed my eyes again when Matron Olsander instructed me to draw up my magic. That light, pulsing, feathery feeling rose within my gut, like a cloud of wind. It breathed through me, rising up, up, up.
A rain droplet hit my forehead, but I took a deep breath and focused more on each step along the narrow beam as I felt the air around me, called to it, and asked it to help me.
The chatter below vanished. Warmth kissed my skin. Not one raindrop touched my scalp. A smile of satisfaction spread across my lips as I opened my eyes, feeling the air around me as though it were a living, breathing entity that pulled at my senses and ignited my magic.
“Excellent, Ilara!” my teacher called.
I was almost to the end of the beam, despite water pelting my air Shield from every angle as gusts of wind pushed against it. But the air that I controlled was one with me. I didn’t know where I ended and it began.
Another step took me closer to the safety of the platform. Five more steps, and I would be there and off the beam.
Almost there. Almost. Keep going.
An electric jolt pulsed faintly under my heel. Frowning, I tried to ignore it, but the jolt grew stronger. A zap of what felt like a hundred watts of electricity zinged up my calf. The pain of it made me yelp, but I gritted my teeth. I had no idea what this latest test was, but I was steps away from finishing. It did seem a bit sadistic of Matron Olsander, though. The electrical zaps stung painfully.
I took another step, and a surge of electricity bolted up both of my feet so strongly that my entire body seized. Eyes widening, I tried to take a step, tried to reach the end as my mind tumbled and spun with what was happening.
Where? Where is this coming from?
My bubble was around me, protecting me, encasing me. Yet electricity surged so strongly from the beam that I couldn’t move. My body’s synapses had frozen, my nerves going haywire from the strength of the beam’s circuit.
“No!” I whispered, barely getting the word out as a violent bolt of electricity scorched my nerves, burning the soles of my feet as I yelped in pain.