The cycling went on for a solid two hours. By the end of it, my core felt like a bundle of knots and bruises. It was hard to catch my breath, and waves of nausea swept over me. When the ending chime sounded, the transition from meditation to normal awareness was so jarring I nearly lost my balance.
I guessed the strain from the Inquisition’s tests still hadn’t worn off.
“You’re dismissed,” Professor Ishigara called from her platform at the end of the courtyard. Her red-robed assistants handed her stacks of crystal slates that held the results of our aptitude assessment from today. “Your regular classes begin tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon.”
It was easy to spot Clem’s violet hair through the crowd headed for the exits. I slid between my fellow students, wincing when anyone touched my stomach or sides. My core felt ridiculously raw, as if I’d been cycling toxic sludge from the School’s waste system for the past twenty-four hours instead of the cool, clean air in the courtyard.
“Are you all right?” Clem asked when I caught up to her.
“I’m fine,” I bluffed. “I’m still recovering from the Inquisition and didn’t expect to be tested again so soon. I just need some food and a nap.”
“You need to go to the infirmary,” Clem insisted after she’d taken a quick look at my aura and core. “You’re a mess.”
A wave of cramps rippled through my core before I could argue with my friend. The pain was so intense it buckled my knees. I grabbed hold of Clem’s shoulder for support, and she caught me before I fell.
The rest of the students hustled past us, eager to avoid whatever drama was brewing around me. I couldn’t really blame them. My history at the School was filled with mayhem.
“Geez, hanging all over each other in public,” Eric started, then his brows knitted together when he saw me. “You look bad, Jace.”
“I’m still more handsome than you,” I shot back.
A wave of pressure washed over my core. Someone powerful had just focused their attention on me. It couldn’t have been Ishigara; she wasn’t nearly that strong. The only people I knew who could exert that much force through their jinsei senses were sages or elders. Grayson and Tycho were both missing. That left my clan’s elders. I wouldn’t put it past them to spy on me, because the Shadow Phoenixes spied on everyone. It was kind of our job.
“Just need to sit down for a minute,” I said.
Eric and Clem eased me over to one of the benches that lined the courtyard’s perimeter. The pain had me hunched over, hands on my knees, my chin almost touching my knuckles. Sitting down made it a little easier to endure the cramps. Unfortunately, the agony wasn’t going anywhere. It grew sharper, and I winced with every new pulse.
“Let’s take him to the infirmary,” Clem demanded.
The pain was so intense I couldn’t even examine myself to see what had gone wrong. Every time I tried to focus my attention on my core, a new lance of agony disrupted my concentration. I didn’t need to see it, though, to know that something was wrong with my core.
“Let’s go.” I hurt too much to argue. “Before I keel over right here.”
“Okay, man,” Eric said. “Nice and easy. That’s it. Lean on me. Good.”
“I need a second,” I groaned. My friends had gotten me back onto my feet, but I didn’t think I could take a step. My knees shook and my core felt bruised and bloodied.
“We can’t wait,” Clem said. She took a step, and I dragged my leg on her side forward. It took a monumental effort. My breath hitched in my lungs, and my muscles burned like I’d just run a marathon.
My legs went limp as boiled noodles. All the strength in my arms vanished, and I lost my grip on my friends’ shoulders.
Clem shouted something, and Eric grabbed my arm and eased me to the ground. I tried to tell my friends I was fine. I just needed to lie down and rest for a few minutes. The grass was so cool against the side of my face.
My eyelids drifted closed.
Just a few minutes. That’s all I needed.
The Separation
HUNGER PANGS DRAGGED me back from the edge of unconsciousness. The aches radiated from my stomach, a faint echo of the agonizing pain that had brought me to my knees. I bolted upright in a strange bed, hands clutched to my abdomen. I held my breath, afraid to cycle and bring back the agony that had knocked me out.
“Please relax.” Elder Hirani pressed her fingers against my chest and eased me back onto the mattress. “You’re in good hands.”
While Hirani’s words were comforting, I didn’t believe her. I was naked from the waist up, my chest covered with scrivened medallions that clung to my skin like leeches. The large wood-paneled room I’d woken in was filled with machines that beeped and whirred with electric life. Other contraptions ticked and thrummed with jinsei that flowed through their scrivened circuits to trigger internal mechanisms. It all seemed very serious and worryingly complex. It was also all connected to me by a network of copper chains and lengths of thin wire attached to adhesive pads.
“None of this looks like I’m going to be okay.” I tried to force a smile for Hirani. Judging by the look on her face, it didn’t work. “What happened to me?”
“We’re still running tests.” My clan elder took my hand and gave it a squeeze.
“I’ve had enough of tests,” I groaned. “The inquisitors poked at me for months. I can’t take any more.”
“I know. We didn’t want to leave you in their custody, but with everything that’s happening, we couldn’t afford an extraction. When we have more time, you can tell us all what happened.” Hirani let out a weary sigh and shook her head. “Not that I know when we’ll have that luxury.”
“It’s not
