Page 108 of Ashes of Aether
When I still say nothing, she hauls me from the wall and wraps my arm around her shoulders. “We don’t know whether the trial is over yet. We have to keep on going.”
Her words remind me of my purpose. Remind me that if I fail this trial, I will never become a mage.
Determination washes over me, but it is weak compared to the pain. I drag my feet forth and lean my weight into Eliya. With her help, I continue down the tunnel. Our pace is slow. I stumble over the uneven edges of the stone, almost sending us both falling over. My illumination orb fizzles out, leaving only Eliya’s. The tunnel is left more shadowed and harder to navigate. Not that I can see much in my current state.
Many turns later, I feel myself slipping from Eliya’s shoulders. She grips me more securely, refusing to let me go. “You must keep going.”
I try, but it’s becoming more difficult with every stride. The urge to rest is nearly impossible to ignore. Soon Eliya is all but carrying me through the maze of tunnels.
My senses dull. Even the intense pain numbs. I’m rapidly sinking into emptiness.
Before the darkness can claim me, Eliya suddenly shouts, “Look!”
Languidly, I lift my head. Through my partially closed eyes, I see a faint light gleaming at the end of the tunnel.
“That must be the end, Reyna! It must be!”
She picks up her pace, or at least tries to. With my weight burdening her shoulders, she doesn’t manage more than a brisk walk. I do my best to lighten her load, but sleep has almost claimed me. My steps falter.
“Come on!”
Eliya heaves me down the rest of the tunnel. We burst out into the chamber beyond.
Aether crystals shine brightly. Their radiance blinds me.
When my sight adjusts, I see Archmage Gidston standing there—along with many other adepts. My vision is too blurred to identify them, but I think I see Lorea and Koby among them. The golden hourglass sits at the center of the room. Barely any aether dust is left inside the top glass bulb. I don’t want to think how many minutes—seconds even—we were from failing.
“Congratulations, Ashbourne and Whiteford,” Archmage Gidston says. “You have both successfully passed the Trial of Mind.”
“Reyna,” Eliya breathes, turning to me. “We did it. We actually did it!”
I want to rejoice with her, but numbness spreads through my body. I can no longer feel anything, not even her shoulder beneath me. All I manage is a slight smile, and then the last of my consciousness slips away.
I descend into darkness.
Thirty-One
WhenIwake,thecoarsestonewallsbeneaththeArcaniumaregone.Instead,myeyesaregreetedbythelavishcreamsandgoldsofmyroom.Mr.Waddlessitsonthegildedcabinetoppositemeandwatchesmewithhisglassy,blackeyes.
The Trial of Mind comes rushing back to me: Kaely being consumed by my lava, Eliya hauling me down the dark tunnels. We made it out in time, didn’t we? Or did I dream of Archmage Gidston congratulating us on passing the trial?
Fog shrouds my mind. Clutching my temples, I push myself upright.
“Don’t move.”
I turn to see my father sitting on my cushioned armchair which he has moved beside my bed. Since the curtains are closed, I can’t tell what the time is.
“Father? What are you doing here?”
“You need to rest.” He stares at me through narrowed eyes until I lie back down. “A healer came to examine your wounds and apply Blood Balm. She said you will be fine, but that you must sleep.”
“What time is it?”
“Six o’clock?”
“What?” I exclaim, my heart skipping a beat. Wasn’t I supposed to be somewhere at six o’clock? No, wait. That was tomorrow night, wasn’t it? Assuming I didn’t sleep for longer than I think I did. “Is it still Wednesday?”
My father peers at me suspiciously. “Yes, why?”