“Yes,” the man agreed, “but I am enacting my right as a member of the Council to include one apprentice in today’s ceremony.”
“But it has always been fifteen!”
“In the beginning it was more.” The Black Mage stepped forward to face the crowd and address his startled audience. “But it was too many. Too little magic. We lost more lives than we gained… Yet, it has always been acknowledged that the number could change, should others arise with the potential we require.” He pulled back his hood so that everyone could hear his next words clearly: “And I believe today to be that day.”
I couldn’t breathe. It was too much to hope. I’d never considered the possibility…
“My dearest Ryiah.” The Black Mage found me in the audience with a grin. “Will you please join me, as the final apprentice of Combat?”
My heartbeat fell to the floor. I stood motionless, afraid that if I moved for even a second the dream would end.
“Ryiah.” Derrick was tugging on my arm. “Ryiah, you’ve got to get up there.”
This is real.
The audience fell silent as I walked forward, and the sea of people slowly parted to let me approach the steps. As I drew forward I caught sight of Alex’s grin. Ella was beaming.
I could also see the loathing in Priscilla’s eyes.
As I passed the prince, Darren gave the slightest nod, the barest semblance of a smile on his lips. His eyes danced as they met mine, and I realized suddenly that the answer to his earlier question was yes. Yes, the nonheir was a friend. It didn’t matter that he was betrothed. My feelings didn’t matter one bit. Because there had been no shock in his eyes when I had climbed the stair just now—Darren, Prince Darren, the sometimes-bane-of-my-existence, had put faith in a future that even I had never bothered to foresee.
Trembling, I took the hand of the Black Mage and then continued across the line. Eventually, I finished shaking the masters’ hands and returned to my spot at the end of the row, right beside Ella.
Master Barclae strode forward to address the audience, again: “Ladies and gentleman, I give you the fif—the sixteen apprentices of our Academy. Please give them the applause they deserve.”
This time when the clapping and shouting started, it never stopped.
About the Author
Rachel Carter lives in Placerville, California with her boyfriend and their two spoiled pets -a feisty feline named Charlie and Zoey, the Australian Shepherd who gets jealous of anything that moves. She loves to organize -and when she is not color-coding her closet she is always looking for the next good book. She grew up reading about magic, hot bad boys, and lady knights. The Black Mage: First-Year, her debut novel, is a tribute to all the things she never stopped loving.