And then it was Jamie’s turn.
Allyra could feel Marcus’ eyes on her, his gaze searing, bright as a spotlight. He was waiting for her to react – perhaps a straightening of her back, a quickening of her breath, some sign of concern for Jamie. She refused to oblige, maintaining a cool, disinterested mask, allowing her eyes to take on a faraway look, mirroring the boredom Marcus had shown for the girl who came before.
Jamie removed his hood and revealed the face she knew so well, wearing his easy, uncomplicated smile. He announced his name, his voice steady and clear, carrying easily across the Hall and over the audience.
“James Thiessen, son of Juliette Thiessen, Inferno.”
So, according to the tradition of only naming the parents that were Gifted, his mother had been Gifted, but not his father. It was another piece of information she hadn’t known before.
They’d spent a lifetime together, a childhood spent on the veldt – that unyielding landscape, which created strength and bonds in those who loved and survived it. But had those bonds been built on falsehoods? Jamie’s smile – always so straightforward and unburdened, now seemed to be a mask, one that hid a multitude of secrets. Secrets that he’d chosen to keep from her.
Just how much of her life was a lie?
Jamie was skilled and powerful. She knew that neither he nor Emma had been taught at any of the Great Colleges, not when they’d been running around back home with her. Juliette must have taught them or perhaps even her own father. But whoever it had been, they’d done an excellent job. Jamie wielded his Gift with confidence and ease.
He lifted a single column of flame up below the black ball, releasing it. Then lowered the flames onto the steel table, feeding his energy into it until it glowed white, melting through the table and allowing the ball to roll over into his hand. It was red hot, but Jamie picked it up casually, allowing flames to rise in his hand, around the ball. He threw it, his aim straight and true, each time the ball burnt through nothing but the red bull’s eye of the targets.
Jamie bowed to Marcus before turning and walking to the gallery. The entire thing had taken less than two minutes. It was a show of strength and Allyra wondered if it had been his intention to paint a giant target on his own back.
He grinned at her and slipped into the seat next to her. She flashed a smile at him, but then concentrated her attention on the other competitors, unwilling to miss an opportunity to analyze the competition.
Of the seven remaining Infernos, only four were able to pass the First Test and of the four, two men and one woman completed the task in an unspectacular, but competent manner. Only the last one captured her full attention.
It was Jason, the arrogant ass who’d approached her before the test. He carried himself proudly, keen intelligence written all over his face. But the thing that really caught her eye was the color of his eyes – a peculiar shade of indigo blue that reminded her painfully of Alex. A small, but infinitely self-assured smile tugged at the corners of his lips. But beyond his handsome features, there was a hardness written in the lines of his face that suggested ambition and stiff determination.
Gemma supplied his name, “Jason – Marcus’ protégé.”
Allyra nodded absently, not taking her eyes off Jason.
The crowd’s attention was on Jason as he removed his hood and announced his name. She glanced at Marcus and for the first time there was a flicker of interest, like a light flickering to life in the darkness.
Jason managed to combine the showiness of Rosalie with the skill of Jamie. It was a deadly and beautiful combination. He completed his task in one minute flat to raucous applause.
Jason had just unveiled himself as the obvious favorite.
Her mind was on a loop, replaying Jason’s test over and over. He was polished and accomplished. Despite her inability to trace the Inferno who’d interfered with her test, she’d been sure it was Marcus. But now that she’d seen Jason work his Gift, she wondered if it had been him instead, though his motives escaped her.
As if he could read her mind, Jason looked over at her, indigo eyes burning into her, searching her soul. She met his eyes reluctantly, unable to shake the feeling of familiarity. Jason smiled, slow and languorous, as smug as a cat licking cream from its paws. It was as if he knew something about her, some scrap of knowledge he enjoyed immensely. He finally looked away, his eyes resting on the Oceanics and Marcus explaining their task.
It seemed simple enough. The Oceanic were presented with a key – made of the purest translucent ice, a key that could turn a lock. The key was to be dropped into the bowl of water, which was to be worked upon by other Oceanics. The task for the Trial participants was to maintain the shape of the key, to not allow it to break against the bowl, or melt in the water. At the end of five minutes the key had to turn the lock, failure to do so meant failure of the test.
There were eight Oceanics and a full six passed the test, with Eva sailing through with apparent ease. Through her entire test, Eva’s eyes never left Marcus. She seemed to be looking for something – some sign from Marcus, but whatever it was she didn’t receive it. Marcus had a protégé and a lover in the Trials, but his interest seemed firmly placed on Jason rather than Eva.
Eva didn’t seem to hear the applause that followed her successful completion of the test, and there was no mistaking the disappointment on her face as she took her place in the gallery.
*
The night
