Apprentice (The Black Mage, #2)(24)

Before I knew it Constable Barrius was coming around to send first-years on their way. He caught sight of me and recognition sputtered on his face. "You." I was the girl the staff would never forget, and how could they? I had destroyed an entire building.

I paled as the man's scowl deepened.

"You want to know who got stuck cleaning up that mess after your trials, girl?"

"I am-"

"Don't apologize, apprentice, the man is merely jealous he hadn't thought of it sooner."

I whirled around to find a chuckling Sir Piers. All of the Academy staff had been present for the ball, but I hadn't had the chance to catch up with any of them, least of all my favorite teacher.

"Sir Piers!" I wasn't sure whether it was appropriate to hug the older, dark-skinned commander but I found myself doing so anyway. Out of all my teachers, he had always been the nicest – despite his no-nonsense ways and loud demeanor. He alone had stood up for me against Priscilla when she had bullied me in class. The man had congratulated me after the naming ceremony too – but I'd been so busy with my newfound apprenticeship I hadn't had a chance to thank him.

The two of us exchanged amiable greetings as the constable left in a huff. Piers asked me how my training was going as an apprentice and if I liked the desert, and I asked him about his newest batch of first-years. I found I liked the trainer even more; now that I was no longer his student he opened up to me about what it really was like to teach the Academy students and his life as a former commander of the King's Regiment, the personal guard to the Crown.

Eventually we were forced to part ways – the rest of the staff and students had long since departed - and the man winked at me. "This is your last night of fun, apprentice. I suggest you grab that troublemaker friend of yours - Ella, I believe - and the two of you share a good laugh. Once you get back to that desert the hard part begins."

I thanked him and promised to do just that.





****





I couldn't find Ella anywhere. She wasn't in her chambers and she wasn't in any of the training rooms. The palace bell had just tolled eleven, and after ten minutes I decided to go find my twin instead. Alex was missing as well. Well, I had told her to talk to him…

I considered searching for Lynn and Loren, but the first would inevitably be found with Ian, and the latter… well, as friendly as he and I were, it was always around others and we had never had that much to talk about on our own.

Fine, I'll just go to bed early! I shut my door and collapsed on my four-poster bed – dress and all - and then proceeded to stare at the ceiling.

I wanted to sleep.

But I was too restless.

I tossed and I turned but it was no use. An hour passed by and it wasn't getting any better. Scouring my nightstand I found one of the small vials I kept packed in my bag. A sleeping draught. It wasn't the ideal solution – usually Alchemy's potions left me queasy - but I did not want to spend the next day falling off my horse on the long trek to Ishir because I hadn't gotten enough rest.

I swallowed the bitter liquid in one long gulp and then lay back down on my bed as I waited for it to take effect.

Everything became quiet, heavy, rhythmic. My eyelids fluttered shut and I was only vaguely aware that I was still wearing my dress…

The loud clatter of a fallen sconce jerked me awake.

I sat up, suddenly dizzy. Someone in the hallway outside was cursing. Had they no respect for the sleeping? I tried to lay back down, only to be awaken again by a second clatter as the person tried to replace the sconce and dropped it again.

I stumbled out of my room with a purpose. The chamber door spun as I swung it open and tottered out into the hallway. The Academy's illustrious blue fire torches lit up the passage enough to see door panels, but I still had to squint to see in the darkness.

"Get some decency!" I scolded the shadow. "Some of us are trying to-" I yawned. "-Sleep in peace."

"Ryiah, is that you?"

"What of it?" I grumbled. The contents of my stomach came riding up. Oh no. I clutched my ribs. I should have known better than to take a sleeping draught on an empty stomach.

I quickly sat down. My head was spinning. Everything was spinning. I did not feel good.

"Are you sick?" The shadow approached and I saw hazel-green eyes. It was all I needed. I burst into hysterical laughter and then immediately regretted it. Could this night get any worse?

"Where's Lynn?"

Ian started and then shook his head, frowning. "You should go to bed, Ryiah."

A wave of nausea hit me and I swallowed hard. I needed to say something first. "I should have fought you outright," I croaked. "I'm sorry for that day in the desert."

Ian sighed, and the next thing I knew he was sitting down next to me on the cold marble floor. There was silence for a moment - just the sound of quiet hearts beating as we leaned against the wall, shoulder-to-shoulder in shadows.

"I've been acting like a jealous fool," he said abruptly. "You have nothing to apologize for Ryiah."

"But I-"

"You did what needed to be done."

Wait. Did he say…? I turned to face the third-year. "Did you say jealous?"

The mentor regarded me grimly. "We are Combat mages, Ry. You wanted to win, and I understand why you did what you did." He exhaled softly. "When we were in that cave… I guess I just thought things had changed between us." He played with a button on his sleeve. "But then I realized it was just a part of your plan, and that you had let him talk you into it. I wasn't mad that you had done it but…"