Page 104 of Wings of Ash & Flame
“How about you?” Alaire glanced at Kaia’s relaxed posture.
“Nah. Not sweating it. I trust Hadrian.” Kaia shrugged. “I’ve done the training. Either I’ll pass or I won’t. Twisting myself into a pretzel won’t change that,” she said, giving Alaire a pointed look. “But come on—look at who we’re bonded to. No one else stands a chance.”
Unfailingly optimistic.
“You’re right. As always.”
“Pfft. I’m insulted you even doubted my sage words of wisdom. You should know better by now.”
Alaire kicked off the fine sand clinging to her boots, watching the grains scatter in a brief rainstorm.
Kaia leaned forward, peering past her to Archer. “How about you, Archer?”
“I’m quite thrilled. There’s nothing like the prospect of circumnavigating undisclosed terrain, surviving Lysia knows what, using moves we’ve only tried under an instructor’s eye, all in the dead of night. And one can’t forget the allure of potential embarrassment in front of the administration. A right-on good time, if I’ve ever heard of one.”
Kaia and Alaire burst out laughing. Whatever tumbled out of Archer’s mouth always seemed to lift their spirits. Both had kept Alaire afloat.
“I look forward to proving my gusto as a flier.” For all his quirks, Archer treated his bond with his creature as sacred. In his eyes, bonding with a celestial was Lysia’s direct calling—his destiny fulfilled. He was simply less smug about it than most. “Plus, it gives me an excuse to wear my lucky socks.” He lifted his pant leg. “They have little owls on them. Fitting, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Entirely,” Kaia and Alaire agreed in unison.
One by one, novices were led through the arch toward the Valiant Vanguards grounds. To maintain a fair advantage, no one was permitted to watch another’s run of the course.
Alaire bobbed her knee. She should’ve brought a book—anything to keep her mind off the scorched symbols, the files she’d found, and her last fight with Dawson.
Fortunately for her, fliers couldn’t use magic in this trial. Celestials, however, could use whatever advantages they saw fit.
All they’d been told was the Nocturne Crucible tested a flier and their bonded creature’s agility and navigation—under the cover of darkness. Novices without a celestial took part in a different trial, one testing elemental abilities.
Archer was called, then Kaia. Alaire waited with a handful of others. She pulled her breathbind reliquary from her leathers and inhaled deeply, ignoring the curious looks. Tension around her lungs loosened with her exhale.
She reopened her connection to Solflara. Immediately, her phoenix’s boundless confidence flooded her.
“Alaire Vallorian,” a voice called.
She stood, stretching her neck from side to side, shaking off any lingering doubts. Rolling her shoulders back, she walked toward the tunnel.
She was ready.
Beyond the arch, Professor Ross stood waiting with Solflara. Tonight, he wore a burnt-orange ensemble.
“Follow me,” he said without so much as a greeting before disappearing into the Woods of Whispers.
Solflara moved to Alaire’s side, and together they followed the professor in silence.
The academy had restricted novices to the castle all day, keeping them in the dark about what awaited them. Alaire didn’t mind—better to focus on the task ahead. Adrenaline thrummed through her veins, ready for anything.
Under the cover of the trees, Professor Ross stopped abruptly. His casual demeanor vanished, replaced by tense shoulders, clenched fists, and a stiff back. His eyes scanned the forest, sharp and alert.
Alaire slowed, stopping just short of him.Was this where the challenge started?
“Professor—”
His gaze snapped to her. Before she could finish, he gripped her forearm, fingers digging into her skin. “You must win the trial. Your very survival at the academy depends on it. Be swift, be ruthless, trust your gut, and above all—trust your phoenix. She was made for this,” he said in hushed tones.
Solflara ruffled her fiery feathers, sensing Alaire’s spike of anxiety.
Alaire jerked her arm free, suspicion swirling as she narrowed her eyes. “What? Why? What aren’t you telling me?”
