Hours later, after Viola had finally convinced him to let her pay for their two rooms, Barclay lay in his bed upstairs in the Ironwood Inn and read by candlelight until his eyes strained and his head ached. And then he read some more. He scribbled notes into a journal, and even though the last thing he wanted was to become a Lore Keeper, studying likethis still felt good. It felt normal. He could almost imagine Selby sleeping in the other corner of the cramped room or hear Master Pilzmann’s snores shaking the entire inn.
He fell asleep with his cheek pressed against the page, and it was the most comfortable night he’d had since he left home.
THIRTEEN
The written exam took place at sunrise in the Guild House, though it didn’t look the same as when Barclay had last entered. A large stage had been set up by the fireplace, where over sixty adults sat, each one dressed more strangely than the next. The walls were decorated with dusty banners embroidered with trees and Beasts. A chandelier of branches and moss had been hung from the ceiling, and strange Beasts like massive lightning bugs perched on it, emitting an earthy glow.
“Students, please take your seats,” High Keeper Erhart told them. Because Barclay had only seen him sitting in an armchair, he hadn’t realized how short he was. He was shaped like an upside-down acorn, all round with brittle, tiny legs.
The two hundred students swarmed to the tables. Barclay,Ethel, and Abel managed to find seats next to one another near the front, giving them a good view of the Masters onstage. Runa was among them, near the back. She gave Barclay a small nod.
Barclay’s chair jolted, and he whipped around to face Tadg. Tadg whistled and stared at his parchment.
“Before we begin,” said High Keeper Erhart, “I’d like to offer a round of applause for Soren Reiker, who has generously donated the funds to renovate the Guild House here in Sycomore.”
Barclay’s heart tightened in panic as Soren, seated on the end in the front row, stood up. His blond hair was cleanly slicked back, and he wore an expensive coat with fur trim. Nearly all of the students and Masters clapped.
Soren had noticed Barclay too. As Soren took his bow, his eyes widened with something that looked like excitement, like a predator who had once again spotted his prey. Barclay quickly averted his gaze and slid down in his seat, his palms sweating.
“And now, to pass it off to the first exam’s proctors,” Erhart said, “Mandeep Acharya and Runa Rasgar.”
Mandeep and Runa stood up, and the students’ excited whispers swelled at the mention of Runa’s name. They made an intimidating pair, Mandeep in his scholarly copper glasses and Runa in her chainmail jacket.
“You’ll all notice a brooch in front of you,” Mandeep said. Barclay reached forward and grabbed the pin placed beforehim. It was the ugliest brooch he’d ever seen—rather than a gem, the dull rock looked like any found on a riverbed or in the dirt. It glowed with a cool green pulse once he touched it. “This brooch will turn red if you cheat. No Lore will hide it, so best to keep that in mind.”
Barclay nervously pinned it to his shirt.
“You’ll have sixty-two minutes to complete the exam,” Runa said. “Good luck.”
At that, Barclay and the other students opened their packets and began.
What is the largest Beast in the world?
Barclay’s thoughts were hazy from not sleeping, but he did remember this one. A whale dragon known as a Silberwal. Barclay scratched the answer down in the clawlike Lore Keeper script, finding that the writing came as naturally to him as the alphabet he had used in Dullshire—so easily that it was a tiny bit eerie.
His confidence grew—he could manage this test. He wouldn’t fail.
In what city is the Guild of the Tundra headquartered?
He didn’t know that one.
What are the seventeen life stages of a dragon?
What is the only Beast capable of immortality?
How many Lore Keepers, throughout all of recorded history, have bonded with a Legendary Beast?
Barclay didn’t know any of these questions either. He scanned the rest of the exam and filled in the few he didknow, and then, with fifty minutes of the test to spare, had nothing to do but sit and panic.
He was going to fail. He wouldn’t come in first. Runa would never tell him how to break his bond.
When he glanced at the stage, Runa wasn’t looking at him. Soren looked nowhere elsebuthim. Barclay felt so nervous, he could burst.
I could cheat,he thought. He’d never cheated in his life, but he was desperate enough now to try. Except the brooch would turn red, and Mandeep and Runa would disqualify him for sure. That was worse than failing.
And so Barclay sat there for the rest of the exam, planning out his miserable future as a Beast poop-cleaner.
At the sixty-two-minute finishing mark, Mandeep called, “The time has expired! Students, please return your exam booklets and brooches to the Masters. Your tests will be graded and the results posted this evening.”
