two thousand years, Quintessentialists had been attending the Academy of Arcane Arts and Sciences. That wasn’t daunting. Not at all.
Volinette poked her head into the room and looked around before she dared enter. There were already a few apprentices scattered around the room. Most were alone, but a couple had formed loose knots, banding together against the unknown that faced them. There were a few faces she recognized, but more that she didn’t. Stepping into that room seemed as dangerous as walking into the open jaws of a slavering bear.
“Hey! Volinette! You made it!”
The voice that called out to her seemed far too loud for the small room , and a number of apprentices turned to stare at her. She slipped into the room, wishing that her entrance hadn’t been noticed by quite so many people. She’d have preferred to enter unnoticed. Unfortunately, Baris had other plans.
“Hello, Baris,” Volinette replied quietly. She hoped that the young man would take her lead and lower his voice. “It’s good to see you.”
“Too right!” Baris slapped his knee. The young man seemed oblivious to the fact that the others in the room were watching his antics and talking amongst themselves. Volinette could only wonder what they were saying, but she doubted it was very complementary. “I’m glad you made it through, always nice to have a friendly face.”
“Perhaps we should be a bit quieter?”
“Pshaw,” Baris snorted, jerking his head at the other apprentices. “Don’t worry about disturbing that lot. They’re all just a bunch of temple mice. Live a little, that’s what I say.”
“Some people don’t deserve to live. Even a little.”
Volinette and Baris turned at the same time to see Janessa standing on the threshold. The cold malice that Volinette had seen in the infirmary still lurked behind the girl’s blue eyes. Volinette took an involuntary step back, but Baris drew himself up to his considerable height. He towered over Janessa, looking down into her reddened face.
“Shove off, Janessa. Tenika knew the risks just like the rest of us. Just because you couldn’t save her doesn’t mean that it was anyone else’s responsibility to do it for you. Maybe you should stop taking out your failures on others.”
Janessa’s mouth worked slowly, but no words came out. After a long moment, she shoved past Baris and stalked across the room. A group of girls there folded her into their midst and looked back at Baris and Volinette with darkened eyes.
“Don’t let her get to you, Volinette.” Baris was still looking at Janessa and the girls who had surrounded her. “She’s rotten on the inside.”
“You know her?” Volinette was surprised. She didn’t know Baris all that well, but she doubted that a boy from a farming village would be likely to travel in the same circles as Janessa.
“I know the Navita family by reputation,” Baris said with a shake of his head. “Her parents are Masters on the High Council. Purebred Quintessentialists for the last thousand years. Guess all that refined blood didn’t save her sister, did it?”
“Baris!” Volinette was aghast at his tactlessness. She was beginning to wonder if having Baris as an ally wasn’t just as bad as having Janessa as an enemy.
“What?” He shrugged. “It’s true, isn’t it?”
He seemed to see Volinette’s expression for the first time and ducked his head.
“Alright!” he exclaimed. “I’m just saying she knew the risks like the rest of us. If Tenika couldn’t handle the trial on her own, she shouldn’t have been there in the first place. If Janessa was supposed to be there to help her, she should have been. It isn’t anyone’s fault but her own.”
“A little compassion goes a long way, Apprentice Jendrek.”
Volinette recognized the new voice from the doorway and she hung her head. How much worse could today get? Master Fulgent Casto stood in the doorway behind them. The look he turned on Baris was enough to make
Volinette poked her head into the room and looked around before she dared enter. There were already a few apprentices scattered around the room. Most were alone, but a couple had formed loose knots, banding together against the unknown that faced them. There were a few faces she recognized, but more that she didn’t. Stepping into that room seemed as dangerous as walking into the open jaws of a slavering bear.
“Hey! Volinette! You made it!”
The voice that called out to her seemed far too loud for the small room , and a number of apprentices turned to stare at her. She slipped into the room, wishing that her entrance hadn’t been noticed by quite so many people. She’d have preferred to enter unnoticed. Unfortunately, Baris had other plans.
“Hello, Baris,” Volinette replied quietly. She hoped that the young man would take her lead and lower his voice. “It’s good to see you.”
“Too right!” Baris slapped his knee. The young man seemed oblivious to the fact that the others in the room were watching his antics and talking amongst themselves. Volinette could only wonder what they were saying, but she doubted it was very complementary. “I’m glad you made it through, always nice to have a friendly face.”
“Perhaps we should be a bit quieter?”
“Pshaw,” Baris snorted, jerking his head at the other apprentices. “Don’t worry about disturbing that lot. They’re all just a bunch of temple mice. Live a little, that’s what I say.”
“Some people don’t deserve to live. Even a little.”
Volinette and Baris turned at the same time to see Janessa standing on the threshold. The cold malice that Volinette had seen in the infirmary still lurked behind the girl’s blue eyes. Volinette took an involuntary step back, but Baris drew himself up to his considerable height. He towered over Janessa, looking down into her reddened face.
“Shove off, Janessa. Tenika knew the risks just like the rest of us. Just because you couldn’t save her doesn’t mean that it was anyone else’s responsibility to do it for you. Maybe you should stop taking out your failures on others.”
Janessa’s mouth worked slowly, but no words came out. After a long moment, she shoved past Baris and stalked across the room. A group of girls there folded her into their midst and looked back at Baris and Volinette with darkened eyes.
“Don’t let her get to you, Volinette.” Baris was still looking at Janessa and the girls who had surrounded her. “She’s rotten on the inside.”
“You know her?” Volinette was surprised. She didn’t know Baris all that well, but she doubted that a boy from a farming village would be likely to travel in the same circles as Janessa.
“I know the Navita family by reputation,” Baris said with a shake of his head. “Her parents are Masters on the High Council. Purebred Quintessentialists for the last thousand years. Guess all that refined blood didn’t save her sister, did it?”
“Baris!” Volinette was aghast at his tactlessness. She was beginning to wonder if having Baris as an ally wasn’t just as bad as having Janessa as an enemy.
“What?” He shrugged. “It’s true, isn’t it?”
He seemed to see Volinette’s expression for the first time and ducked his head.
“Alright!” he exclaimed. “I’m just saying she knew the risks like the rest of us. If Tenika couldn’t handle the trial on her own, she shouldn’t have been there in the first place. If Janessa was supposed to be there to help her, she should have been. It isn’t anyone’s fault but her own.”
“A little compassion goes a long way, Apprentice Jendrek.”
Volinette recognized the new voice from the doorway and she hung her head. How much worse could today get? Master Fulgent Casto stood in the doorway behind them. The look he turned on Baris was enough to make
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