He hummed softly, letting his gaze fall back to the door as he opened it. A shiver erupted along my spine.
“You are clever, young Alchemist,” he said, so faintly I had to crane my neck to hear him. “But did you think you could hide from me?”
Stomach plummeting, my hand shook against my dagger, lungs bursting with how long I had gone without taking a breath.
“I will let you walk away this once,” he murmured as he glided through the open door into a darkened chamber beyond. It shut behind him, but the whisper of his voice carried on the wind in his wake.
“Remember my mercy, for you will find no more of it within these walls.”
18
Rose
My feet carried me back through the mysterious door, down corridor after corridor, not pausing until I burst through the nearest exit and into the balmy early afternoon air. I rested my hands on my knees and breathed deeply, letting the autumn breeze sweeping through fallen leaves calm my racing heart.
Why had Gayl let me go? If he knew I was there, knew I’d beenspyingon him, why had he not taken me in for questioning—or worse?
The fact that he’d allowed me to walk away made me even more anxious than the alternative.
A single day, and I’d already made him suspicious of me. What was Ithinking? I’d been overzealous and arrogant for believing a simple invisibility spell would fool someone like him.
I rubbed at my father’s herb satchel, calmed by the familiar leather against the pads of my fingers. Taking a deep breath, I pulled my attention away from that cold hallway.Thatwas a problem for future Rose. There was nothing I could do now that wouldn’t draw his attention even more. I needed to shift my focus back to the trial—something I could act on.
Taking the folded piece of enchanted parchment from mypocket, I looked around to make sure nobody was nearby and whispered, “Can you show me the riddle again?”
I wasn’t sure it would answer me, but a moment later, the same long lines of verse scrawled on the blank page. I read it through once more, using it as a distraction against my still-heightened nerves.
An artifact of blood you then must find.After seeing each clue directed at the six different types of magic and the line about “only one shall reward you,” I was fairly confident it meant each of us had to find the single artifact related to our province—our blood. But then why were we given clues for all six?
You could try to stop the others, a voice in the back of my mind said. I had to admit, it was an intriguing thought. To be able to find Callum’s before him and ensure he’d fail.
I took a deep breath and silenced my vengeful nature. Lark had said in the debriefing that rankings were determined by speed and proficiency—meddling with Callum, even if he deserved it, would only slow me down.
Find my artifact first, win the trial.
“Find me with charm where bones and echoes reside; it is cloaked in the day, and revealed in the night.”I was positive this part of the riddle was for me. It was the only one that spoke of charms, while the others all had some hint to their own magic. Pulling the atlas from under my arm, I sat on a nearby bench bordering the elaborate palace gardens. The sweet scent of an array of flowers washed over me. Bright lilies, blooming azaleas, and delicate clusters of hydrangeas swayed in the breeze amidst green vines trailing up a large wooden canopy. Their steady, vibrant presence helped to clear my thoughts.
Somewhere bones and echoes lived. A graveyard was still the only thing that came to mind. I scoured the maps, focusing on the more detailed ones of the individual sectors. Little icons were scattered across the page, marking permanent structures and features of the city. Triangles for the small mountains in the north sector, wavy lines for rivers, a tall, domed spire for the palace in thecenter. There was a temple in the northwest corner of the central sector, trading posts along each compass point, and a handful of academies—most bordering the central sector, where the heaviest population likely lived. I also spotted a theater, multiple infirmaries, and a library.
While we always called the capital “Veridia City,” it wasn’t merely a singlecity. Perhaps it began that way, but now, small villages and communities dotted the entire island. There was so much to take in, and my eyes wanted to glaze over the little lines and emblems.
Finally, something useful caught my attention.
A black hexagon sat right next to the symbol for the palace, so small I almost missed it. The name “Silver Mausoleum” was written in tiny letters above it. A mausoleum—that would definitely have bones. And it was close by.
Another hexagonal icon labeled “Ridgemore Cemetery” rested in the far east sector. And one more in the north, near a small stretch of hills.
Three potential options. Would I be able to try all of them by midnight?
I shut the book and got to my feet. There was only one way to find out.
The Silver Mausoleum was by far the closest, located on palace grounds. I was currently at the north entrance, and the map had shown the mausoleum on the west side. Hurrying along the stone pathway lining the perimeter, I passed training fields with soldiers of the Royal Guard sparring, stone statues of majestic animals, and members of court promenading around the palace.
Their heads turned as I scurried by, whispers trailing in my wake.
I was used to that. Used to the muttered remarks of those in my province who didn’t think I could hear them. But these…these were different. They looked at me with curiosity, not scorn. Intrigue and excitement.
“She’s one of the challengers.”
