Apprentice (The Black Mage, #2)(34)

"Do you want to take a tour of the city after you've unpacked?"

I smiled up at Ian – he had walked me to my new chambers instead of following the rest of the young men to the men's one hallway over.

"I would love to."

"Then I would love to take you." He started to pull me close, but the two of us broke apart when the sound of angry footsteps sounded behind us.

"Apprentice Ian," the Master of Restoration snapped, "you know the Code of Conduct! Do not make me report the two of you to Master Byron."

"I'm sorry, Master Joan." Ian gave her his most disarming smile. "I was only assuring Apprentice Ryiah safe passage."

She narrowed her eyes. "You are lucky I detest your master as much as I do – if I didn't you would already be reported for your flagrant sass."

"Yes, ma'am." Ian was grinning. It was no secret Master Joan hated Master Byron for his sexist ways. She would sooner swallow poison us than report us. The man complained loudly to anyone who would listen that she and Perry were an "abomination" as female mages.

"See to it that we don't have this conversation again."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Apprentice Ryiah." The woman turned her focus to me. "Since you and that boy are in no apparent hurry, I will need your assistance returning those books to the palace library." She pointed to a mountain of crates beside her door. "I'd have the servants take them, but we wouldn't want you Combat apprentices to lose that muscle you worked so hard building would we?"

I nodded meekly. So much for that tour of the city.





****





Seven days came and went before I even knew they had passed. In no time at all the robe ceremony for the fifth-years ascensions had passed and I found myself in a crowded ballroom filled with hundreds of simpering courtiers and regiment mages who had come to celebrate the fourteen new apprentices to join their ranks.

"I can't wait until it's us." Ella stood next to me against the large tapestried wall, gazing in earnest at the four new Combat mages wearing their black mage's robes proudly. Their faces were flush with excitement and they were currently in talks with the regiment commanders of some of Jerar's most prominent townships. Whenever an apprentice became a mage they were offered positions in accordance with their rank during the ascension ceremonies.

Unfortunately that rank was decided by Master Byron. Whose bias had led to fourteen straight years of women apprentices ranking last.

But I was not going to think about that now. I had three years to change his mind.

Taking a long swallow of a chilled juice that one of the servants had offered me I focused on the rest of the ballroom crowd. While most of the others were regulars at court whose only interest lie in what their highborn friends were wearing, there was still a large number of mages in attendance – including the Colored Robes who had come to officiate the ascension and offer congratulations to their faction's newest members.

The Black Mage was wearing his signature robe. The silken black layers were etched in an intricate gold design with small red and yellow gemstones dotting its fallen hood. He looked uncomfortable in such lavish dress – probably because mages only wore their robes during public occasions, choosing to spend the rest of their time in more comfortable garb for battle. I could see the two gold earrings in his left ear, dangling under the bright lights of the hall.

I longed to approach him. The dark skinned man with the piercing green eyes had gone against tradition and vouched for me to become the sixth apprentice of my year. That alone would have been enough to make me worship the man, but he was also the best Combat mage in the realm. The man had won the Candidacy fifteen years ago and before that he had served as one of the leading mages in the Crown's Army.

"He won't bite, you know."

I blushed. "You caught me."

Ian grinned and grabbed my arm, dragging me forward to the most important, most powerful mage of Jerar. "Hey, Marius, I think you have an admirer."

I turned the shade of the tapestry behind me as the Black Mage swung around, white teeth flashing. "Is that Master Byron's least favorite apprentice I hear calling my name?" The man's tone implied a longstanding joke.

"Not anymore." Ian nudged me forward, chuckling. "Ryiah has taken over the job for me."

Recognition flashed across the Black Mage's features and he smiled. "Ah, Ryiah, well it is only fitting. That cranky old frog would hate the first-year I personally nominated." He held out his hand and I shook it, palms sweaty and unable to breathe.

After a couple minutes of listening to easy banter between the curly-haired third-year and Marius, I finally found the courage to speak. "I am so grateful you vouched for my apprenticeship." I took a deep breath and continued quickly before I lost my nerve. "And I hope I do not disappoint you."

The man raised an amused brow. "My dear, you can not disappoint me – why the prince was just telling me earlier you and he led the mentees to victory for the first time in a mock battle in over a decade." His eyes danced. "Two second-years… why, I might be in the presence of my successor now. What do you think, Ryiah? Are you going to be taking part in the next Candidacy?"

Was I dreaming? This had to be a dream. Because in what life would the most powerful mage of the realm be suggesting I was a contender for the robe. Not the traditional plain black robe of my faction – but the special robe, the only one etched in gold and encrusted with gems. The one passed down over seventy years among the Candidacy's winning mages. The Colored Robe. The robe that made a mage the Black Mage.