Magic Trials (Half-Blood Academy #1)(22)

Then both the sea and sky demigods sniffed the air.

Were they sniffing at me, as Axel had done earlier?

Panic spread through me when they traded another sinister, intrigued look.

All three pairs of demigod eyes trained on me, and I nearly shivered under the focus of their intense stares.

“We’ve voted,” Zak announced. “All prospects will be initiated today. There’ll be no exception. The weak will be weeded out, and the strong descendants of the gods will have their dormant powers activated and accentuated through the sacred Ritual of the Blood Runes.”

There was nothing sacred about sacrificing an innocent life. But if I shouted my objections again, the demigod of lightning might just strike me down right now.

I had to take my chances with the ritual then.

A dark, yet hopeful thought wheeled through my head. I’d resisted two demigods’ compulsion. I might just survive this fucking ritual.

I dropped my defeated gaze to the ground and waited for my name to be called. Asshole Axel had likely decided to let me die first.

When Demetra was called, I pressed my cold, sweat-soaked palms against the robe. I was relieved for a brief second, then I felt sorry for her, even though she was a bitch.

What if she didn’t have a god’s blood in her veins as she’d claimed? She could die!

Axel shifted his mischievous gaze back to me and smirked, and it dawned on me that I was the last on the list.

The fucker brought me here to play a sick game with me. He wanted me to watch a few agonizing deaths before I walked to my own.

I sent him a hateful stare before I let my burning gaze follow Demetra.

The blonde shot me an angry glare, as if I’d stolen her thunder or something, before she glided toward the operating table with a graceful gait, enjoying every minute of having the attention of the entire hall.

As she faced the demigods, she didn’t show the slightest trait of a mean girl. She could appear to be the sweetest thing when she was dealing with someone above her rank.

Even the demigods’ eyes slipped toward her, except for Axel’s.

He still watched me closely, as if he wanted to record my every dreadful reaction.

Demetra flipped her hair like a siren queen before stepping onto the stool placed before the table. She perched on the edge of the table, facing the demigods with her ankles across each other perfectly, like a lady of great manners.

Theodore told her to open the top of her robe and lower it to just above her breasts, but Demetra pulled it all the way down to her waist, obviously wanting to give the demigods an eyeful.

The other demigods did give her exposed body a passing glance, but Axel kept his eyes glued on me.

Theodore frowned at the bountiful flesh in front of him—he was indeed a saint, even if he was a mean one—but in his eagerness to get to work, he didn’t correct his first test object.

The dagger of fire in his hand, he approached her swiftly. From my angle I couldn’t see exactly what he was doing, but from how the dagger danced, I speculated Theodore was carving the runes onto the skin beneath her left shoulder.

Either Theodore was skillful (he had to be adept, right, since he’d done this probably thousands of times?), or the tip of the blade barely touched her skin because Demetra only yelped a few times.

Theodore moved the blade away from her.

All three demigods were staring at her chest, and Zak nodded.

“Demetra is a descendant to Demeter, Goddess of Harvest and Fertility,” Theodore announced. “She’s one eighth goddess and also has a hint of siren heritage.”

Demetra raised her chin high. At an eighth goddess, she was what she’d said she was, even if she’d exaggerated the percentage of her godly blood.

Even so, the hall gasped. She was indeed close to a demigoddess.

Theodore looked down at her and nodded. “Congratulations, Demetra. You’ve passed the first trial. You may return to your rank.”

What? This was only the first trial?

Now I felt sorry for everyone.

Demetra glided back to our row as if she’d just been crowned. She shot me a haughty look. What had I done to her this time?

Then Jack was called and went through the same ritual. He proved to be a distant descendant of Zeus, but there was no shame of that. Most soldiers were a distant descendant, and Zeus was the current King of the Gods.

Then another clique boy was called. When the first rune hit his chest, he screamed and screamed, and then he dropped dead.

My blood went cold in my veins.

Two Dominion soldiers moved forward swiftly and removed the burned corpse.

Two other outsider initiates didn’t make it either. They screamed and died.

Then it was Nat’s turn. Yelena went all pale when his name was called. I grabbed her hand to support her, and she squeezed my hand back, hers shaking.

Nat made it. He was a distant descendant of Hephaestus, the God of Metal.

Then it was Yelena’s turn, and I prayed for her to live. She and Nat were the only ones who were friendly to me.

Yelena turned out to be a not too distant descendant of Poseidon. Yet the Demigod of the Sea wasn’t looking at the initiate who belonged to his house. He was looking at me.

Then my name was called.

I shot Axel a venomous look, and his dark eyebrow quirked, playing innocent. I could almost hear his silent question, “What was that for, darling?”