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I rolled my eyes at my brother. “You are such a ham.”

But his distraction seemed to have done the trick. Mom couldn’t stop smiling.

“I’m proud of you. Of all three of you,” she added, pulling Nevada into our big family hug.

A loud, foghorn-like noise roared across the grassy field. A big sign on the gate told me we’d stopped just outside ‘the Garden’, a fenced-off park that cowered in the shadow of the gargantuan building that towered over it. That building must have been the Black Obelisk, the district’s namesake.

The wide base of the tall tower sat at the center of town; its angled tip kissed the sky. Black glass coated the entire structure, absorbing the surrounding light. The Watchers could see out of those glass windows, but no one could see in. That was just how they liked it. Surrounding the structure was an iron fence covered in security cameras (to watch us all) and broken glass (to keep us out).

“Apprentices!” the General’s voice—sharp and commanding—bellowed through the speakers at the Garden’s gate. “Line up for assessment!”

CHAPTER2

THE BLACK OBELISK

Mom pulled us in closer, holding us for one perfect moment, before she stepped back. “The three of you will be great. I just know it.”

She gave us a parting wave, then hurried to join the other families of this year’s Chosen. Two women dressed in white were already leading them through the Garden’s iron gates. Our families had front row seats to the Assessment.

“Are you nervous?” Nevada whispered to me as we followed the other Apprentices into the Garden.

“Of course not,” I lied. I tried not to look at the Black Obelisk, but it was just so big. “You?”

She sighed. “Of course not.”

“Well, I’m not nervous,” Dante said, grinning.

I believed him. Dante didn’t get nervous. It just wasn’t in his nature. He exuded confidence wherever he went. I guess that’s why he was so popular. Honestly, it kind of made me feel like the lame, cowardly sibling.

“Welcome to the Fortress,” the General said when we’d all gathered around him at the center of the Garden. Today, his black uniform was especially crisp. And so was his expression. “This year, thirty teenagers—excuse me,thirty-oneteenagers—from all over the world absorbed the spirits’ gift of magic.”

He paused to let those words settle in.

A few people in the crowd began to look around, searching for the stowaway. Every so often—for reasons no one understood—something went wrong with the Blending, and one or two of the Chosen failed to absorb the spirits’ magic. In those years, there were only twenty-nine or twenty-eight Apprentices instead of the usual thirty. But there had never been more than thirty.

The other Apprentices were whispering now. I wondered how long it would take before everyone figured out that I was number thirty-one.

“You were Chosen to be champions, the saviors of humanity,” the General continued.

I did the quick math. Roughly thirty teenagers per year over five Choosings—though the Curse had hit sixteen years ago, the spirits had only come to us a few years ago—that added up to one hundred and fifty of us altogether.

One hundred and fifty Knights to save the world.

One hundred and fifty teenagers against the Curse that had wiped out most of humanity.

Seen like that, the task of saving the world seemed almost impossible. We sure didn’t have very many heroes on our side.

“The spirits have given you all a great gift, a powerful gift. You have magic. Now it’s up to you to learn to wield it to save this world and everyone in it,” said the General. “The Castle is not a school or a playground, and you’re not children here for a vacation. You’re here to become Knights. And being a Knight isn’t just a privilege. It’s a job—the most important job on Gaia. Do not fail us. The Assessment begins now. Your actions over the next few weeks will determine not only your future, but the future of this planet.” With that said, he pivoted sharply and marched out of the Garden.

The General might have looked like a grumpy old grandfather, but he sure had a flair for the dramatic. As the gates clanged shut behind him, two women in white took his place at the podium. They were the same two women who’d ushered our families into the Garden.

They wore white dresses, white kid gloves, white kitten-heel shoes—and big, white, wide-brimmed hats with white silk bows. Even the neatly-knotted chiffon scarves around their necks were white.

The skinnier, meaner-looking of the two women lifted her arms in the air. “Good morning, Apprentices!” Her voice sliced through the Garden. “I am Ms. Pirana. This is Ms. Featherdale.” She indicated her colleague. “We are this year’s Apprentice Program Managers.”

She paused and waited, like she was expecting us to break out in applause or maybe lick her shoes or something. When no one moved, she let out a long-suffering sigh.

“After this initial Assessment today, you will be divided into six teams.Weshall select the teams, so don’t bother asking if you can switch to be with your ‘friends’.” She simpered, like she couldn’t understand why anyone would ever choose to have friends. “Do take this all seriously, children, because you will be scored. Both individually and as part of a team.”