Page 4 of Broken Lands

Not much had changed since then. I was often covered in dirt from the gardens. James would die of laughter if he could see me now. Still, it was nice to wear something that made me feel pretty.

The final gong sounded, drawing me back to the present. This was my moment, my chance to ascend. It was the only way to be accepted into the Fae city and the only way I knew to find my brother. Most of the human population would give their right arm to ascend, but the idea had never really appealed to me until James had gone missing. I didn’t want to hand control of my future to someone else. Or spend my life serving the Fae and then be expected to feel privileged for it. No, thank you. Count me out.

Taking a slow, deep breath, I tried to steady my nerves as I followed the other candidates forward. A few of them were familiar, maybe from when I attended school. Other’s I recognized from the markets. Not that I was friendly with any of them. I preferred to keep to myself. I didn’t need or want the pity and sympathy that others often gave the orphans of war. My brother and Sarie were all I had and were all I needed.

They all looked as nervous as I felt, some fidgeting, some biting nails, others repeatedly smoothing their clothing, and I thanked my lucky stars I wasn’t first in line.

We filed up onto the makeshift stage set in the middle of the town square, a presenter announcing each candidate as we took our place in line. The crowd gathered around us was large, children running around as the adults watched the ceremony.

It wasn’t unusual for most of the town to gather here on Ascension Day; it was a welcome break from the monotony of our daily lives. An excitement we rarely got to experience. Most of the town would give anything to be accepted in Danann. I’d never really wanted to ascend, and the only reason I was here was to find James.

As the presenter called my name, I heard a cheer come from the back of the crowd. I squinted, spotting Sarie elbowing her way through the throngs of people. She must have been right on my tail as I ran into town. My heart swelled with love for her. Sarie hated any form of physical activity, and she’d run to town and back for me today. If today were my last day in Sommers, she might be the only person I’d truly miss.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I brought my attention back to the presenter. He had finished introducing the candidates and had moved on to today’s judges. My focus turned to the small table facing the stage where two stoic figures stood. The presenter introduced the first as the Fae Army General, Colin Brand.

I did a double take as I took him in. Standing at about six and a half feet, he had to be the tallest man I’d ever seen, towering above his colleagues. His face was clean shaven, hair dark and short, shaved close to his scalp. I shivered as his gaze fell on me, his stare cold and calculating. His face was youthful, younger than I would have expected a General to be. As far as I knew, the fae aged similarly to humans, meaning he’d have to be in his early twenties. He wore a formal army uniform, the same green as the candidate’s tent. I swallowed hard as I spotted the thick, muscular arms straining against the fabric of his short sleeves.

I raked my eyes over his tall frame, a warmth spreading from my core as I examined him more closely. He was magnificent.

He was assessing me—assessing all of us with those eyes. Eyes that were a shade of brown so light that they almost looked golden in the morning sun. I could lose myself easily in those eyes. Was losing myself as he continued weighing us against one another. His gaze shifted from mine, and I was left wanting, with no way to tell if I’d passed or failed his assessment.

I turned my attention to his colleague, who the presenter was introducing as the Fae Academy Dean. Professor Darmon was shorter than the Army General, though not lacking in height by any means. He was older, his short hair beginning to gray. He had a kind smile as he looked toward us, giving a little wave that caused my body to relax as he took his seat, leaving the General standing beside him.

“Welcome,” General Brand’s deep voice boomed through the town square, amplified by some form of magic. He turned to face the crowd gathered behind him. “Thank you for coming to support your candidates.” The crowd clapped and cheered. I shuffled my feet, growing more and more uncomfortable the longer I stood up here on display.

“This year’s ceremony will proceed a little differently,” he continued. “There will be no need for the candidates to present themselves to the Judges. We will not be making any further assessment of your skills, or what benefit you bring to Danann. The successful candidate has already been chosen. They have been chosen for a very specific reason.”

He paused, letting the news sink in, and my curiosity piqued. So, I didn’t have to stand here and sell myself to them? We weren’t usually given reasons why any one individual was chosen to ascend. Usually, the candidates presented themselves and tried to sell the fae on why they would be valuable to the community. Those considered the worthiest were chosen by the judges. They left for Danann the following day and, as far as any of us knew, were assigned roles in the community there and lived happily ever after.

“Each candidate before us has undergone the testing we required with the application. As you know, usually each candidate would have an equal chance of ascension. However, this year the criteria is much more difficult to meet. It is not one any of you could have prepared for.” Facing the candidates, his face was grim. A pit of dread settled in my stomach. What was the new criteria? And why couldn’t we prepare for it?

Beside me, the other candidates fidgeted, the news clearly upsetting them. A few had resigned looks on their faces, accepting that they likely wouldn’t make it this year. Many people built their lives around being the most skilled at their trade and based their application on it, hoping it would be something the fae would value. I had been planning to sell myself as a green thumb, able to nurture and grow more crops than the average farmer. That would count for nothing now, just like the other candidates’ skills would not matter. I could almost smell the disappointment radiating off of those standing with me.

Movement to the side of the stage together with a flash of pink caught my eye. I watched as Stefan joined the outskirts of the crowd. A surprised laugh caught in my throat as he waved at me, excitement clear on his beautiful face.

I took a moment to study his features again, admiring the almost aristocratic look he had, with high cheekbones and a chiseled jaw. Sensing my gaze, he turned to catch my eye, winking as the silver in his eyes sparkled with joy. He was something to look at. Flushing, I turned my attention back to General Brand, who had continued with his speech.

“There will only be one successful candidate today. That person possesses blood markers that suggest they are a descendant of fae or some other magical being. They will be given a place at Danann Academy, where we will work with them to awaken any magical skill, be that elemental or Origin in form, and teach them to control it.” His expression was serious, as though he didn’t quite agree with this decision.

Muffled gasps rang through the crowd as they processed this information. The community whispered among themselves, many looking toward the stage, studying the candidates before them, trying to work out which one of us may be descended from fae.

We were likely all asking the same questions. How was this possible? What other magical beings existed? I had never heard of anyone in the human communities having access to magic before. Magic hadn’t existed on earth before the fae traveled from the Origin, and all fae lived in Danann. There was no deserting fae, or at least none that I had ever heard of.

It hit me like a punch in the chest then. I would not ascend today. I was an orphan of the Last War. There was zero chance I was a descendant of the fae, or these other magical beings the General so casually mentioned. What even were they? It didn’t matter. Today was not my day. I’d have to find some other way to find my brother. There was no other way into Danann that I knew of. I buried my head in my hands as hot tears burned behind my eyes.

This was not the plan. I was so screwed.

Chapter three

Riley

Thesoundofmyname being called drew me out of my pity party and back to the present. Alarm ran through me as I realized the General had continued speaking. I lowered my hands from my face and looked back towards the judges.

“Riley Emmett, please step forward,” General Brand repeated, the lack of patience clear in his rumbling voice, his brown eyes dark and narrowing on me.

Why was he calling my name? Were they eliminating us one by one? Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past the Fae to torture us like that. They kept us humans segregated from their community, only allowing a special few to share in their wealth and leaving the rest of us to just scrape by. They took control of us, of our land, and made promises they had yet to keep. A little humiliation pales compared to what they’re capable of.

My cheeks heated as I forced myself to step forward. I clenched my fists, nails biting into my palms. My emotions were all over the place. I was mourning the loss of my brother, and the last chance I had to find him. That there was no other way into the Fae community, and that no one had seemed interested in helping me so far, made my blood boil with anger. I didn’t feel like being put on display for whatever reason the General had.

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