“I’m happy to help,” Sarielle offered, rolling the dice and moving her mage forward. “An Impartation only happens once in a person’s life—we need to give it the attention it deserves.” Glancing thoughtfully around the room and at the now fully dark view outside, she beamed at Jessy and announced, “We’ll have the party here. There’s plenty of space, so invite whoever you want.”
Jessalyn looked like she might burst.“Really?”
“Really,” Sarielle confirmed. “We’ll have music and games. I’ll even ask my theater friends in the Entertainment Guild if they’ll come and do a quick show. Or—” She snapped her fingerstogether as an idea came to her. “The Incendio Illusionists are performing in Encore Alley until the end of the month. I’ll call in a favor.”
“The Incendio Illusionists?”Jessy shrieked, wonder clear in her eyes. “Theacrobatswho jugglefire?”
“Elders help me,” Soren muttered, rubbing a hand over hisface.
“I doubt even they can help you now,” Wynter said, her shoulders shaking as Sarielle continued suggesting party ideas and Jessalyn became more starstruck with each new possibility.
“Sure, find amusement in my demise,” Soren grumbled.
“Aww, is the big, scary Nox afraid of a few little kiddies?” Wynter teased. “Or is it the fire acrobats? We all know you’re scared of clowns. Don’t worry, this is a safe space.”
Soren used his middle finger to scratch his nose, prompting Wynter to snicker and respond in turn. Viri hid her smile at their antics, relieved they were back to behaving like best friends after their brief—but disastrous—attempt at dating a few months ago.
“As for the Impartation itself, I assume you have a day in mind, Soren?”
Sarielle’s question made Soren start, his focus having drifted from the party conversation. “Uh—yes.” He sat up straighter. “We’re doing it on her birthday, first thing in the morning.”
“Wonderful,” Sarielle said. “I’ll clear my schedule.”
Viri had already told Meera she’d need that morning off. It was customary for loved ones to attend Impartation ceremonies, partly for support but also to honor the sacrifice being made when children yielded their magic to the obelisks—not that kids had a choice. Imparting was the most sacred law on ElverdineIsle and had been ever since the ancient mages flew away on their dragons, taking their wisdom and knowledge but leaving the four obelisks behind as a parting gift. Protection from the blackmist. Protection from the reapers. Protection from burnout.
Some people considered it a tragedy. Viri understood why, but her hunter mind was still relieved that she lived in a time when the only citizens with notable levels of ellixen were those younger than fourteen, since at least that meant there wasn’t an entire population for reapers to siphon from. Some didn’t even wait until fourteen—Viri herself had been ten when she’d given her magic to the obelisks. She could barely remember her Impartation ceremony now…but that was only because it had been overshadowed by her parents dying that same day.
“Everything all right, V?” Wynter asked. “You’re lookingpale.”
Realizing it was her turn to play, Viri rolled the dice and used her warrior mage to save a village from marauders, then collected the bountiful reward. “Just tired.Someonewoke me up this morning.”
Wynter grinned shamelessly.
“How is it that even when tired, you still manage to beat me?” Soren asked, indicating his pile of treasure cards that was half the size of Viri’s.
It was only then that she saw they’d reached the end of the game, and the others were counting their cards. She didn’t need to, given how visibly large her pile was.
“Viri won, Soren lost,” Jessy declared with no small amount of glee. “That means she gets to choose his penalty.”
“I will never understand why the winner’s reward is to punish the loser. What are we, sadists?” Soren complained. His grouchyattitude was an act, though—of them all, he was the least likely to hold a grudge or be a sore loser.
“What’s a sadist?” Jessy asked, her head tilted curiously to the side. “Isn’t that some kind of sex thing?”
Wynter, having just taken a sip of her sparkling elderberry juice, nearly spat it all over the table.
“It absolutely is not,” Soren said firmly.
“I mean, itcanbe,” Wynter murmured, dabbing juice from her chin. “Crack a book, Sor.”
The look he leveled at her had Viri coughing to cover a laugh.
“This isn’t the most age appropriate of topics,” Sarielle said mildly, her words belied by the humor in her eyes. “Let’s move on, shall we?”
“I’m nearly fourteen,” Jessalyn argued. “You don’t have to treat me like a child.”
“You’ll always be a child to me, sweet girl.” Sarielle glanced around the table. “That goes for all of you.”
“Ugh, we’ve reached thefeelingspart of the night,” Wynter said with a comical shudder. “Quick, Viri—give Soren his penalty before Mom lets loose with the emotions.”
