was one. If I hadn’t believed I was part of a mythical Greek lineage, I certainly did now.
Xander’s oath only added to the overall suckiness. There was nothing he could do to stop himself from protecting Riley. Even if it meant he had to protect her from me.
“We’re here,” Xander said.
Class was held outside, directly on the field. Everyone lounged in the grass, surrounding a shimmering glass firepit with a base of crystals. Labradorites, by the looks of them.
I swallowed, extracting details from my textbook. No ordinary firepit. That one drew its power from the Fire of Hephaestus.
“Come. Sit.” Master Redtree instructed everyone approaching. He stood tall, his metal-banded arms locked behind him. The Ares instructor was late-forties, his dark hair sprinkled with gray, in better shape than anyone I’d ever met. His biceps easily doubled most guys, and that was saying something because pretty much all Ares descendants looked like badass Roman gladiators.
I didn’t know Redtree personally, but he was friendly with my grandfather, and the two of them were very similar. Both carried an aura of power through an austere, stand-to-attention military presence.
Xander and I went our separate ways, him to the front with Redtree, and me to an empty patch of grass. As he walked away, a codependent, needy part of myself wished he could stay with me. My inner feminist quickly stamped that down. I sat by myself, trying not to notice the way the other students made a wide circle around me.
Riley was centered between Calypso and Anastasia, the same girls who pushed me and trampled my books. I went still when I saw her. They all sat with their legs crisscross, giggling and whispering, looking like they’d been friends their whole lives.
She caught my gaze, a gleam in her eye. I frowned, recognizing the animosity in it. I looked away, trying not to let her see how much it bothered me. Being this close to her wasn’t good for either of us. It inspired the rage I worked hard to release, ripping my inner balance to shreds. I hated to admit it, but the curse was working, brewing up a storm of emotions. If I felt it this strongly, I couldn’t imagine the effect it was having on her. She should have stayed in Davidson like she was supposed to, dammit. Here, she risked both of our lives.
Once all of the students arrived, Redtree spoke in a deep, bellowing voice.
“As you all know, today we have a Blood Moon. Arcadia always holds summonings on these auspicious occasions. The air is thick with energy, ripe for engaging with fire magic.” Keeping his hands locked behind his back, he circled around the firepit. “Much like the Mirror Realm, the Fire of Hephaestus determines your worthiness. Personally, I don’t think we should allow first years to put their hands in, but school rules dictate each student receives one chance per year. Here’s how it works: You place your hand inside. If you feel nothing, you’re not ready. This will be the majority outcome.
“If your palm burns as if you touched fire, your soul weapon is being forged. But again, don’t get your hopes up. Most students don’t forge their weapons until their senior or mastery years. Even second years rarely achieve it.”
I glanced at Xander. He was one of those rare students, having received his soul sword during his second year.
“Let’s say by some miracle, the fire determines you’re worthy,” Redtree continued, his hawk-eyed gaze darting around the crowd. “Make sure you hold your hand steady. You must outlast the pain to complete the summoning. Once it’s done, you are bound to your soul weapon for life.”
Well, this was just perfect. He was expecting each of us to go up there, in front of everyone. I wasn’t afraid of the pain, but I didn’t want to put my hand in while others were staring. I could already hear their boos and cackles coming for me. Thankfully, Redtree went in alphabetical order, which meant I would be one of the last called.
Student after student got up, put their hand in, and came out with nothing. Most of them lost their tempers, kicked the ground, and shouted expletives. These were hotheaded Ares descendants, after all. None of us handled patience very well.
Leo Valentine started convulsing on his turn. His body jerked chaotically, then he laughed when the crowd gasped in anticipation. He withdrew his arm and shrugged, running off when the other students started throwing random items at him: