Nina, on the other hand, is watching with hawk-like focus, her eyes darting between Logan and me. It’s like she’s noting everything—the dirt on my skin, the state of Logan’s clothes, the leaves tangled in my hair, and the fact that Logan refuses to acknowledge I exist.
Then Sam walks forward, clutching his arm. “Does anyone know how to reset a shoulder? I think I dislocated mine. Along with…” He pauses to examine the cuts and bruises on his body. “Well, at least I’m not dead, I guess.”
“Don’t worry!” Evie appears at his side, bright and happy, although from the way she keeps glancing at the Hydra’s head that nearly killed me, she’s spooked out of her mind. “Nana’s fixed worse. She once reattached someone’s hand after a Mirror Vault accident. Too many reflected flames, not enough spatial awareness.”
Mirror Vault? Reattaching someone’shand?What the hell is she talking about?
My old life—college rejections, disappointed parents, fake friends, cheating ex-boyfriend—suddenly seems beautifully simple compared to this insanity. Not to mention it didn’t include mysterious, life-saving proctors who kiss like they’retrying to burn the world down, then act like touching me might kill them.
“Performance assessments,” Kieran’s voice slices through the air, bringing me back to focus. He’s no longer focused on the Hydra—the malfunctioning wards seem to have already been forgotten—but on us, although I’m shaking too much from what just happened to pay complete attention. “Starting with Evie. Field leader potential. Natural tactical thinking.”
Evie beams, glowing with the orange-yellow fire that dances across her skin.
“Vera.” His gaze shifts. “Brutal efficiency. Refined control. You know how to end a fight quickly.”
Vera smirks, satisfied.
“Garrett.” Kieran’s tone drops. “Flashy but inconsistent. Power without precision is just noise.”
Garrett deflates, shoulders slumping.
“Sam.” Kieran’s eyes narrow. “Intelligent but prone to panic. All the knowledge in the world means nothing if you freeze.”
Sam stares at the ground, cheeks burning.
“Nina.” Kieran pauses. “Efficiency, precision, and excellent observational skills. No wasted movement, no wasted energy. Impressive.”
Nina nods once, sharp and contained.
Then Kieran’s eyes land on me. “Jade...” He tilts his head, studying me like an unfinished puzzle, and my heart pounds as I wait for what I assume will be a less than stellar review. “Unclear.”
“Thanks?” It comes out more question than statement.
“It wasn’t a compliment or an insult. Simply an observation.” He turns toward the cave, as if I’m already gone from his mind. “Now, the portal awaits.”
“Portal? What portal?” I look around at the others, knowing I sound like a dimwitted parrot, but not particularly caring, given that Ialmost diedten minutes ago.
Logan’s hands clench at the confusion in my voice, like my ignorance personally offends him. Or maybe he just needs to hit something.
Sam, on the other hand, gives me an encouraging smile. “The fire portal that’ll take us to Blaze Academy,” he offers quickly. “It’s one of the few free-standing portals in the world. You step through the flames and?—”
“No. Absolutely not.” I laugh, but it comes out slightly hysterical. “I’ve hit my limit on near-death experiences for the day. There’s no way in hell I’m walking into a magical bonfire.”
They all stare at me with confusion laced in pity.
Garrett crosses his arms as he sizes me up. “Okay, I’ll bite,” he says. “What kind of witch doesn’t know about fire travel?”
“The kind who didn’t know she was a witch until an hour ago.” My words come out defensive, but I’m too shaken to care about protecting my dignity anymore.
Evie steps toward me, as if seeing me closer will help her understand. “But you were invited to Blaze Academy.” She speaks slowly, like she can’t believe what she’s saying. “They only invite the most powerful witches. If you didn’t know you had magic...”
She trails off, looking more confused than annoyed now.
Nina’s been quiet through this whole exchange, but her dark eyes are sharp and calculating. “Question,” she says. “Why would the academy extend an invitation to someone who doesn’t know basic magical knowledge?”
“Maybe they made a mistake.” I shrug. “Maybe they got the wrong Jade Harrington. Maybe there’s another one out there who would actually know what the hell is going on here.”
Logan clenches his fists so hard his knuckles turn white. “The academy doesn’t make mistakes,” he says, unmistakable warning in his eyes.
