A door clicks behind me, and a squeal from Alexis signals our third roommate has arrived.
“Hi! I’m Alexis. This is Ellie”—she grabs my arm and tugs me over, my leg bumping against one of the armchairs—“and we’re your roommates!”
The girl startles at Alexis’s enthusiasm, bringing her bag up in front of her as if to form a barrier. Her pale blond hair looks shoulder-length, but it’s tied back in a much neater version of my bun. Wayward strands frame her lightly freckled face, and she tucks some of them behind her ear as she recovers, lowering her bag. She gives a small wave with one hand.
“Hi.” Her wave ends abruptly as her grip slips. “Sorry, hi. I’m Sophie.”
“Let me help you.” Arron crosses the room in a couple of strides and takes her bag. He drops it onto the settee before patting Alexis on the back. “I’m heading out. Have fun, show them what you’ve got, and don’t forget to write.” He’s halfway to the door by the time he finishes speaking.
“Love you!” Alexis calls after him. He gives a curt wave as he walks out the door without glancing back.
She shrugs at us. “He’s not one for long goodbyes.”
“He’s your uncle?” I ask.
“Yep. Raised me since I was two. My parents died in the last of the Border Wars. He was sixteen when he took me in.”
My eyebrows scrunch as I work out the math. Sophie takes the easy route, asking her age—twenty-three—then shares that she’s twenty-one, a hint of relief in her expression. They both turn to me, faces expectant.
“Twenty.” I keep my voice as neutral as possible. That’s the minimum age to attend the Academy, and what’s typically expected—incanters wield an impressive amount of power, so they need a certain level of maturity. The last thing I want is for my roommates to feel judged for being older.
“Aw, you’re the baby.” Alexis squeezes my arm. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you stay safe.”
Then she skips to the center of the room, turning with a flourish. “Now then. We each get our own room, but one of them”—she points dramatically to the one I peeked in earlier—“doesn’t have a window. I say we go by placement results. We pick in order of who does best.”
Sophie frowns. “We don’t need any extra pressure.”
Alexis waves her hand dismissively. “Placements are practically meaningless—they just decide our starting point. This will give them actual stakes.”
“I don’t think that’s fair,” I say, peeking at the door to the room in question, slightly ajar. While I’m confident in my ability, I’d hate for anyone to feel trapped in that darkness. “No one should be stuck with the bad room for the entire term because of a poor performance on the first day.”
“Have either of you incanted before?” Sophie asks.
“Of course not,” Alexis says. “Even if it weren’t illegal, I’m in no rush to have my eyes turn gray.”
The other reason for the Academy’s age requirement that I’m all too familiar with. Mine used to be as dark as Mom’s, and I likely have another five to ten years before they lose their vibrancy.
Still, my stomach tangles into a knot. How can I reveal that I have without sharing my father’s identity? Once people know, they won’t see me—just the High Marshal’s daughter.
But Alexis and Sophie are my best chance at making friends, so shouldn’t I be honest?
I glance away, running my fingers along the coarse wool of the nearby armchair. “I have… some experience.”
Alexis widens her eyes. “How mysterious. Care to elaborate?”
“Not really.”
I’m burning up as she quirks an eyebrow, praying she doesn’t ask more. But she only shrugs, turning to Sophie. “Whatever. I’m still fine with this. Are you?”
Sophie presses her lips together, then nods.
With my nerves unwinding, I agree as well, mostly because we’re running out of time before the exams. Perhaps I should’ve clarified my history, but Alexis seems really excited about competing. I can’t afford to ruin her fun.
Hopefully this doesn’t backfire horribly.
Chapter 2
Ellie
