Page 17 of The Daughter of the Scarred Elf

Sijur ate another biscuit while Kolfinna inspected the divots and grooves along the surface of the floor, walls, and ceiling.

“We’ll be assessing your power level today,” Sijur said after he finished his biscuits. He placed the plate not-so-carefully on the floor and crossed a leg over the other. “We’ll determine which rank you are based on your mana manipulation, how strong your attacks are, that sort of thing.”

Kolfinna rubbed her suddenly clammy hands on her thighs. At least now she would finally know what her true power rank was. If she had been asked two years ago, she would’ve said she was very much a purple rank or even higher, since she haddefeated Lord Estur, who had been a purple rank. And if she had been asked that question right after her defeat with Blár, she would’ve said she was a gray rank. But now? She wasn’t even sure. Probably a yellow?

Joran walked to the center of the room and lifted his hand above the floor. In seconds, a circular ball molded out of the floor; a small hole where he had created it from remained behind. He did the same five more times until six hand-sized balls were lined up a few feet apart from each other. Kolfinna hid her surprise: even she couldn’t mold stones to bethatperfectly round.

Joran stepped away from the balls. “Please raise up the first stone.”

Easy.

It took her less than a second to wrap her mana around it, raise it up, and allow it to plop back down.

“The second one as well.”

Also easy.

She did the same, eyebrows raised. If this was all the test entailed, she’d pass it easily.

Joran only nodded, while Sijur braced his elbows on his knees and watched with intrigue.

“All six at once, please.”

Kolfinna did as she was told, lifting the stones off the floor and then letting them fall back down.

Joran exchanged a glance with Sijur and gave a nod before he raised a hand and all six of the balls fell back to their respective holes. In their place, six formless boulders groaned from the floor, rising up as Joran added more details to them and pushed more stone into their creation. It took less than a minute for six humanoid statues to appear where the six stone balls had been. The statues had faces, arms, legs, and even the vague outline ofclothes. At the center of their chests, he had carved a circular target.

She didn’t have that level of control over her stone magic. Seeing that should’ve shocked her, filled her with awe at Joran’s secret abilities, but it only angered her. He was a powerful fae, but he was content with pretending he was a white rank? His abilities were definitely at a purple level.

She reminded herself that the path she had chosen was one of visibility and authenticity, but she still couldn’t help the anger that burned below the surface. She had it harder than him and they couldn’t even commiserate together because he was going to keep pretending to be human. He was taking the easy way out.

And maybe it frustrated her because she secretly wanted that too. Where she didn’t have to fight for her position. Where she wasn’t seen as a threat at all times. Where the people around her just saw her as a normal person.

Joran’s voice brought her back to reality. “I want you to raise up a stone and hit the third statue from your right. Please try to hit the chest, on the target.”

Kolfinna carved a piece of stone from the floor and launched it at the third statue. It struck the chest and crumbled on impact. A cloud of dust rose from the attack and when it settled, she was satisfied to see a small crack indented on the statue’s chest.

If Joran was impressed, he didn’t show it. “Please attack all six at the same time.”

“With … different stones, right?”

“Yes. Raise up six stones and attack the target at the same time.”

This wouldn’t be that easy.

Kolfinna created six stones, but she hesitated before flinging them at the statues. She would have to keep track of which stone went where. She usually only worked with one or two stones ata time. She could certainly throw all six at the same time, but hitting the target? She wasn’t so confident about that.

“Well?” Sijur asked from his spot at the back of the room.

She focused her mana on each stone and flicked them at their respective targets. Her mana strained and the rocks smashed into the targets. Four hit the statues on the legs, arms, or head, while only two hit the target on the chest.

Not perfect, but better than she had thought she could do.

The fae male stared at the statues. “Try again.”

She did, but this time, half hit the target, while the other half hit the statues in a different spot.

“Again.”

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