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“Probably not, I’m guessing she’ll be waiting for us,” Matt said.
“I appreciate the vote of confidence,” I said.
“Remi,” Coach Miller called. “You’re up first.”
The buzz of conversation around us ceased in a heartbeat. The wait was over. It was time to go.
Remi gave Makayla a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you out there.”
“Good luck,” she called to him.
My stomach twisted into knots as I watched Remi disappear into the darkness beyond the door.
“Ms. Winters,” Coach Miller called.
My heart raced. I thought I was ready for this but now that it was my turn, I wasn’t so sure. “Yes?”
“Your turn,” he said.
I blew out a breath. “Might as well get it over with, right?”
“Good luck,” Makayla and Luka said in unison.
“You got this,” Zach said.
“Don’t over think it,” Ben said. “Use your instincts.”
“We’ll see you at the end,” Matt said.
I walked to the front of the group of students and stood in front of Coach Miller. “I’m ready.”
“I doubt that,” he said. “But you might as well go, anyway. Pick a side. Stay alive.”
I resisted rolling my eyes. He was so dramatic. How bad could it be? I stepped up toward the entry and dropped my guard, letting my magic flow through me. To the right, I felt nothing. No magic. To the left there was something else. Something that made the air feel charged with energy. It was a magical signature for sure. But to what?
Just because one side didn’t feel like it had magic, didn’t mean that side was better. There were lots of ways to make our life hell without magic. Monsters, booby traps, more monsters…
Deciding I’d take my chance with the magical elements, I turned toward the electrical buzzing in the air. With a deep breath, I walked into the maze, away from Coach Miller and all the other students.
As I walked through the dark tunnel, I realized I’d never really done anything on my own. There’d always been someone there to help me or bail me out. This was my chance to see what I could do on my own.
My feet sank into soft mossy ground and I breathed in the scent of a garden. If not for the tingle of magic around me or the heavy sense of dread weighing in my gut, this would be nice.
Light filtered in through cracks in the canopy above. Areas where the vines weren’t quite as thick as the rest of the tunnel. It was just light enough to see where I was going without using magic to guide my way. Which was a good thing as I wanted to save all my strength just in case something came at me.
The feeling of magic intensified, growing stronger with each step. Whatever I’d chosen to encounter was coming up fast.
Ahead, I saw a slight shimmer in the air. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I knew it was the source of the magic I’d detected. Stretching out my arm, I brushed my fingers over the shimmer. My hand met resistance, like glass.
It was a barrier of some kind, blocking off my path. I smirked. This was so much better than a monster.
Calling to my magic, I spread my fingers wide, reaching toward the shield. I sent a pulse of energy forward and it hit the shimmering air, spreading outward like ripples in a lake.
The shield sputtered and shattered, falling in like glitter to the ground.First obstacle done.I walked through, feeling more confident with each step. So far, this wasn’t anything to worry about. And if this was a sample of what the trials had in store, I was going to be just fine.
I reached another fork and peered down the two paths. One was dirt and lined with bare, brown branches. The other path was the same moss I’d been walking on and the tunnel was made of the green, twisting vines.Interesting.They’d even changed the appearance this time.
Once again, I felt for magic. As I breathed in, sending my senses outward, I heard a roar that made me open my eyes wide. A chill ran down my spine. I’d had too many encounters with monsters to walk toward one. Ever. Not going to happen.
