Apprentice (The Black Mage, #2)(89)

"I also vote for Eve, she did a great job in Devon."

"Eve for me."

"I nominate Ryiah."

At that I gave Ella a grateful smile. I knew our fifth year was critical, I knew what it would say if we lost, but I really, really wanted a chance to try. And this was my last year to do it.

"I second Ryiah." Ray gave me a rueful smile, perhaps to make up for voting for Eve the year before.

"Well, I vote for Darren," Priscilla said shrilly. "I will not follow a lowborn."

"We vote with Priscilla. We want the prince." Merrick and Radley made no attempt to sound partial.

"Ryiah," Alex and all four of his comrades spoke at once. I grinned. Restoration's pride wasn't at stake the way it was for Combat so the fifth-years in his faction were more open to change.

"Ryiah. Give the poor girl a chance. If she wants to risk commanding this year, it will be her fate on the line if we lose. All of us know Byron will blame her anyway." Ruth winked at me from her circle of Alchemy mentors.

The rest of the class spoke out. Eve made a bold move and took herself out, voting for me in a pleasant twist of fate. Darren and I were tied… it came down to a third-year boy in Alchemy.

I stood tall. "You should vote for me because everyone deserves a chance. That's how we all became apprentices, isn't it? We were allowed to try… So you should let me try." I smiled sweetly and the boy blushed. Beat that, Darren!

Darren stepped forward and said loudly, "You shouldn't pick Ryiah because she's lowborn and reckless-"

I made a choking sound.

"-And did you hear why the Academy's armory had to be rebuilt the year before you started? That was because Ryiah made a rash decision that brought the whole thing down and almost killed herself and Ray here. The only reason she didn't lose was because he was able to save them. If she does that this time, who knows what will happen?"

I broke free of Ella's hold. I didn't even care that all of the mentors' eyes were upon me. I was done trying to ignore the prince.

I would not let Darren sabotage another part of my life.

"You and me," I growled, "duel. Pain casting. Now. Let's see which one of us has more control then."

"You know I would win," Darren shot back, "and at least I didn't resort to petty flirtation to sway someone's vote!"

"Flirtation is hardly the same as insult!"

"It's not an insult if it's true."

"You called me lowborn and reckless!" I put my hands on my hips.

Darren raised a brow. "Well, you were born in Demsh'aa and that decision was reckless."

"You know exactly what you were implying, Darren, don't you dare try to-"

"I want Eve."

Both of us turned our heads to face the boy we had been fighting over. We had forgotten about him.

"I want Eve too," another girl from Alchemy spoke up. "I want to change my vote."

"Both of you are wasting our time. I vote for Eve as well."

Before my eyes, I watched as the rest of the mentors turned against Darren and I with the exception of Priscilla, Ella, Ray, and Alex, who loyally kept their votes. When it was all said and done, Eve beat out Darren and I for the second year in a row.

Eve walked over to the both of us. "I don't want the two of you distracting everyone else from what needs to be done. Both of you can scout the grounds below the wall. When you are done, I want you both to report to me and we will station two of our third-years as sentries in whatever location you deem best. This way we'll be warned before the mentees arrive and I won't have the two of you hindering the rest of our planning."

My face fell. "How will we know what to do during the battle if we spend the whole time before it scouting?"

"Yes, Eve, how will I know my role if I'm out counting trees?" Darren's tone was incredulous. "I'm one of the most valuable people you have!"

"You should have thought about that before you decided to stage a fight during the middle of our vote." Eve frowned. "You two will be stationed next to me during the actual battle. But until then you scout. Understand?"





****





"Have you heard anything yet?"

I glared at Darren. "I thought you were keeping track of the bell tower."

"I was," he snapped, "but you kept bringing us further into the forest and I can't see it anymore… I was hoping we'd be able to hear it but-"

I threw down the charcoal I had been using to map our location. "But what?"

"I think we are too far out."

"You couldn't have mentioned this sooner? How many tolls do we have left?"

"Just the ten minute warning bell before it begins."

I stood up with a start. "Darren, we are twenty minutes away from the wall!"

"That was when we didn't know where we were going." Darren's tone was anything but helpful. "Now we do. If we run we should be fine."

A bloodcurdling scream shot out, echoing across the clearing. I whirled around to stare into the woods behind us. "What was that?" I kept my voice low. "Did the battle already start?" Leave it to Darren to lose track of our time!