“It was a deliberate choice,” I agreed. “They wanted to distance themselves from the witching community so people would forget about them—and me. They weren’t just protecting me by binding my magic, they were hiding me fromeverythinghaving to do with the magical community.”
“I agree.” Alex’s lips pressed together. “I think that whoever is murdering our peers doesn’t know exactly who or what they’re looking for—just like we don’t. But once they make themselves known to their targets, they can’t just walk away, so they eliminate those who have seen them. They kill. So the smart thing to do would be to figure out what the prophecy has to do with you.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Blood thrummed through my veins, and I rubbed my arms, trying to fend off the February chill, as my class wound its way through the corridors of Spellcasters to where the Imbolc challenge would take place.
Unlike the Samhain Trial, which had garnered much pomp, and necessitated preparation beforehand, Spellcasters had told us nothing about Imbolc. I’d overheard Diana telling Phoebe that even if she wanted to inform others about the challenge, she couldn’t. Her mother had erased her memory of the day every single year. Nowthatwas a rule-following mother.
“What do you think it’s gonna be?” I asked, grasping Alex’s hand and squeezing it tight.
“No idea. We’ve already battled demons. If I had to guess, I would say that the Beltane Trial will probably be similar to Samhain’s because it’s the final trial. Plus, on the wheel of the year, it makes sense to have mirroring tests. Following that logic, the Imbolc Challenge will be different.” His lips pushed to the side. “Would they send us to another realm?”
Another realm?Ice flew through my veins. The only other realms that witches could enter were Hell and Faerie. Neither of which I wanted to visit.
“No way,” I said. “That’s way too advanced. There aren’t many known cases of witches journeying to either Hell or Faerie and surviving. Unless they go to reproduce, those trips don’t usually end well for witches.”
Alex looked impressed. “Where did you learn that?”
“I did some research before school started.”
“What? Then why didn’t you know how to get into your room?”
“I only said I didn’t read the orientation paperwork.” I gave him a playful shove. “You’re the one who decided that meant I didn’t do any research at all.”
His lips turned down. “I was a fool. If only I’d pushed past my prejudices sooner, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time not knowing you—or how amazing you are.”
My cheeks warmed as I beamed at him. Our relationship had changed so much from the day we met. Alex really believed in me, and it warmed my heart.
At the head of the column, Professor Umbra stopped before a set of brass double doors that I had never seen. We were close to the wing where the professors lived, an area I avoided.
“Behind these doors lies your next challenge,” Professor Umbra flung her arms wide and beamed. “Be advised that some of you will fail.”
A few murmurings arose from the crowd, and defiant glares flashed up at our professor. I, too, felt annoyed. We’d all completed the Samhain Trial. What made her so sure that we’d fail this?
“It’s not that you’re unworthy.” The professor smiled as if to soften the blow. “It’s the facts. This challenge is very . . . specific. Some people succeed right away, while others will take a lifetime.”
I gaped. A lifetime?What the hell could we be doing?
But instead of answering the questions plastered over all our faces, Professor Umbra stuck the key in the lock and opened the door.
A whoosh of air left me as I entered the room. Everywhere I looked, there were weapons, jewelry, and even a wall of wands that had gone out of fashion centuries ago.
“These,” Professor Umbra gestured to the surrounding items, “are totems. Items imbued with magic. Many consider them to be magical amplifiers. Some say totems are analogous to familiars, and to an extent, I have to agree. Professionals have tested each totem in this room, and every single one revealed sentience to some degree. The primary difference between totems and familiars is that familiars bond to only one witch or wizard, whereas totems can have many partners.”
“Partners?” Efraim spoke up, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “But they’re things.”
“Did I stutter when I said they were sentient?”
A couple students snickered, and Efraim’s face pinked.
“Yes, they are items, but totems have acted on their own—they’ve even saved the life of the witch they bonded with when the witch wasn’t strong enough. It’s because of this that when you pick up a totem, you must be very honest with yourself. Claiming a totem that does not belong to you could end in disaster for the person who was meant to have it—and the witch or wizard who took the totem against its will.
“That being said, go forth and see if you bond with a totem. If you do not, have no fear. Yours will still be out in the world, waiting. Spellcasters graduates are constantly returning to campus to see if their totem has cropped up. You will fail this trial only if you take a totem against its will.” The professor arched her eyebrows. “And believe me, we will know if you choose an improper totem.”
“But how dowefigure it out?” Alex asked.
“It is different for everyone,” Professor Umbra said. “However, those who have discovered their true totem have all agreed that a profound sense of . . . rightness . . . overcame them when they found it.” She shrugged.
