“Congratulations.” He said, a kindly smile gracing his lips, one that didn’t quite hit the correct note of sincerity.
Allyra’s skin crawled, she couldn’t shake the belief that there was something wrong about this man, something akin to the Revenants she’d faced in the Between.
“You’ve done your families and more importantly your Elements proud.” Marcus said, speaking directly to the successful participants in the gallery. “Take your place as true Competitors of the Elemental Trials.”
Marcus smiled as applause roared through the crowd. “A further three tests lie ahead of you. Eliminations will occur at the end of each test until a single Trials Champion will emerge. The Elemental Trials are designed to find the strongest of the Gifted; those who succeed in the Trials are the shinning lights amongst us. But to identify strength means risk. Understand that the Trials mean danger. If this is unacceptable to you, you have one final opportunity to leave. Should you choose to stay you will be expected to see the Trials through to the end.”
Marcus paused, waiting to see if any would take up his offer to leave, but the gallery remained as still as statues. No one wanted to face the humiliation of having to walk through the crowded Great Hall, admitting fear as they left.
Marcus smiled again, turning to face the crowd. “Well then, please join me in congratulating our Trials Competitors and wishing them luck in the Trials ahead!”
The crowd stood as a single entity and applause rang around the Hall.
The Competitors were ushered back into the anteroom where their night had begun. This time however, waiters moved amongst them offering champagne in tall, elegant flutes and trays of delicate finger food.
Allyra took a flute of champagne and drained it in one gulp, not caring if Marcus or any of the Council members saw, or if any of the Competitors took it as a sign of fear. She replaced her empty flute with a full one and prepared to drain it as well when a hand took hold of her wrist, stopping her.
“Whoa, slow down soldier. You might want to line your stomach first.”
It was Jamie, holding out a platter of delicate hard bread topped with a variety of delicious meats and cheeses. She rolled her eyes at him, but obediently popped a couple into her mouth before turning and walking away, towards a wall that she hadn’t noticed previously, decorated with golden plaques each engraved with a name, year and Element.
“It’s the Winner’s Wall.” Allyra turned to see Jamie had followed her. “All the winners of the Elemental Trials in years past.” He explained.
She traced her fingers lightly over the winner’s name from a quarter century ago. Her father’s name – engraved in gold, capturing forever his accomplishment. She tried to imagine him here, standing in this very room, young and brave and strong. Fire burning brightly within him.
It was a vision created by her mind, but it felt like a memory, one she wanted to hold on to. It warmed her as if the picture of her father had reached through time to give her strength. If he’d found the strength and determination to win, she would too.
“He was powerful, and more skilled than anyone I know.” Jamie said quietly, his eyes also on Sam’s plaque. “There’s so much I want to tell you.”
Allyra nodded wearily. She had a million questions for Jamie, but she was exhausted by the secrets and afraid that her questions would lead to ones that he surely had for her. Questions she didn’t have answers to. Questions she wasn’t ready to answer.
“Later.” She said softly.
Jamie paused for the slightest moment, but she could see he understood.
Of course he did, he always did. He melted back into the crowd, falling easily into conversation with a group of Terras. Making friends was second nature to Jamie, his easy and happy nature combined with good looks made him utterly irresistible.
Allyra turned back to the wall, relishing this moment of rare quiet. She followed the names back in time, each plaque bright and golden despite the passage of time.
In the recent past, the Winner’s Wall was dominated by Infernos with a few Terras and Oceanics dotted amongst them. But moving further into the past she could see Elementals used to be dominant, up until the point one hundred and fifty years ago.
She looked for the last Elemental name on the Wall.
Her hand froze when she found it: Alexander Patrick Cairns.
Chapter 25 – Allyra
Allyra lay awake in the darkness; she was surrounded by the sound of sleep; deep, even breathing. After the test, all the remaining Competitors had been moved into a single room. Having never been to boarding school, she was unaccustomed to sharing a room with so many people. She’d been lucky enough to sleep in her own bed, in her own room all her life. In fact, she’d never shared a room with anyone but Jamie.
Now, her privileged life and lack of experience of dorm rooms meant she was having trouble falling asleep. One of the guys in the room definitely snored and one of the girls – the curly, dark-haired Terra – talked in her sleep, mumbling nonsense and occasionally breaking into a soul-rending screech.
Allyra turned on to her side, punching her pillow and trying to get comfortable. Her eyes fell on Jamie, in the bed next to hers. As usual he was fast asleep, utterly unconcerned by the noises surrounding them.
She groaned softly, it wasn’t just the noise keeping her up; she couldn’t escape the image of Alex’s name engraved onto the golden plaque, the permanency of it.
The memory of him saying his name to her was seared into her mind, his dark blue eyes softening just a fraction, his hand warm in hers, a second before they plunged into the Walking Forest. She’d spent almost two months in his company, but the truth was she knew very little
