A tear rolled down my cheek. My mother had never hit me before. Training had gotten me used to the pain and bruises but it wasn’t the physical sting that hurt me. “I don’t know, I’m just stupid.”
She continued on her tirade. “If you wanted to see him that much I’d have taken you there. All you had to do was ask. But instead you sneak away, steal potions from a professor, and use your friends to do it all.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, voice wavering with emotion. “I won’t be so foolhardy again.”
“I should make you stay here for your sixth year—”
“No, please,” I blurted, and then I lowered my voice. “I want to go to the Allied Academy.”
Mother’s face softened slightly. “I said I should, not that I’m going to. If you can pass your test with your father that is.” She sighed. “What was so important you couldn’t wait a week?”
“It was his birthday.” Now that I stood before my mother I felt embarrassed to have done what I did. Even if I had other more pressing excuses, like finding out why he’d been ignoring me, it could have waited too.
My mother waved a hand. “Not a good reason. And by the look of you, you’ve been awake all night, I hope you’re up to the task of passing your test.” She went to a chair and rested her face in one hand. “You better go get a few hours of sleep. We’ll talk more later.”
I thought about telling her everything that happened but she needed time to cool off so I’d save that conversation for after my sparring match with Father.
∞∞∞
After I’d fallen asleep, what seemed like only moments later a knocking sound jolted me awake. By the bright light shining through my windows I guessed it was high noon.
“Visteal,” Bindy said loudly. “It’s almost one o’clock. Are you unwell? Your father is requesting you at the sparring grounds.”
With heavy eyelids and a slight headache I wouldn’t be at my best. I shouldn’t have drunk any honey mead. I knew better.
“I’m getting ready!” I shouted. I tossed my blanket and dressed quickly. When I opened my bedroom door, I still combed my hair.
Bindy’s eyes slid over me and then she narrowed her gaze. “So you’re not feeling ill?”
Mother didn’t tell her? “I think I was just extra tired.” I braided my long locks and then tied off the end. “Is Father already there?”
Bindy turned and started walking. “He was on his way a couple minutes ago.”
When we arrived my father, his friend Rorin, and ten guards stood in a circle. They all laughed at Rorin as he grabbed at his chest, gasping as if dying. Some of them turned when we neared.
My father stepped out and waved me over. “Today I will make my final decision.”
I shook off the fatigue and my worries. “I’m ready.”
With but a nod of his head, the guards formed a wide circle. “We will use magic.” An iridescent bubble surrounded us so no rogue spells would hit anyone.
I pulled my sword and whispered a spell that set the blade alight with blue fire.
“Wooo,” Rorin jeered. “She might just give you a good wallop, Boaden.”
Father smiled and readied himself. I swung and drops of azure flames showered around us when our blades hit. My father had forty years of training on me and also happened to be one of the best, if not the best in Delhoon. Winning wasn’t my goal; I just needed to hurt him once. Or if I couldn’t do that, at least not take a beating. Probably the latter since I doubt he’d be caught off guard for me to get him a second time.
Our swords clashed, ringing out as we danced in circles. His leg swung out and I leaped back. I vanished, appearing to his right just out of sight then I swung; he turned fast enough to block my weapon. I flipped backward, cold chilled my hand as I threw a blast of winter from my palm. His shield blocked and absorbed it until there wasn’t an inkling of snow. An invisible rope wrapped around my legs and I lost balance. I tucked and rolled, waving my hand to dissolve the trap and Father’s sword came down. SHIELD! My magic firmly surrounded me, his sword bounced off. He laughed until I got to my feet.
“Come on, Visteal,” Father’s friend Rorin teased. “I thought you wanted to go to the academy so you could see your man.”
Clenching my jaw, I charged. Father easily blocked everything I had. I threw fire and ice and swung my sword like an assassin but nothing could get through. So I backed off, barely able to breathe.
“You’ve improved a lot in the last few months,” Father said, not breathing nearly as heavy as me, I noticed. “You may not have gotten me today but,” he looked me over. “I haven’t gotten you either. Your defenses are excellent. And against most other opponents I believe you’d win.”
Pride swelled within me. “I did get your calf
