Page 6

The Test

The wooden frame of the workshop stood charred—the strong scent of burned wood lingering on the morning breeze. Broken glass from the fire littered the cobbles nearby. Adelina took a broom and swept the shards off the main trail.

She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, then glanced at the wreckage. Large planks of wood from the original structure buried all of her father’s belongings and supplies.

“Damir, give me a hand with this, would you?” Daro hoisted one end of a plank.

He nodded, then gripped the other side. Together, they threw the wood to the edge of the ruins.

“My materials were stacked over here.” Daro gestured to the spot in front of them .

“Pa.” Adelina climbed over the wood, then placed a hand on his arm. “Even if you find any bricks or paint, they will be burned and of no use to you. Your customers will understand. Why don’t you go to the bathhouse, and we’ll meet you at home? You must be starving and exhausted.”

Tears sparkled in Daro’s eyes. He rifled in his pocket, then pulled out a gold chain. Along it, slid a tarnished locket. He carried it with him always, for it contained tiny portraits of his family. “You’re right.”

“Here, let me help you.” Adelina smiled warmly as she took the necklace and fastened it around her father’s neck. She tucked it under his shirt. “There. It’ll make you feel better. We’re always with you.”

Daro cleared his throat, kissed his daughter on the forehead, then left the wreckage behind without another word.

“Come on. We should get out of here too. The test is tomorrow, and we mustn’t stay out all day in the cold.” Damir took her by the arm and steered her away from what remained of the workshop.

He walked beside her down the cobbles. The streets bustled with activity as daily life resumed, irrespective of Daro’s disaster.

Smoke plumed into the air above the blacksmiths, and the stench of manure wafted from the stables and barns.

Chickens clucked and skittered across the hay.

Cows mooed deeply, and a horse whinnied in the distance.

Leaning into his embrace, she breathed in the lingering scent of charred wood and smoke clinging to his clothes.

∞∞ ∞

“Morning, my precious daughter. It’s time to wake.” Velinka swept back a brown curl hanging over Adelina’s face.

Adelina stirred. She wiped her eyes with her hand. “What time is it?”

“Just after seven. You ought to hurry to the bathhouse before it gets busy. I’ll prepare breakfast. Your test is at ten.” Her mother drew the covers back. “A fresh towel and felt hat are waiting for you downstairs.”

As she sat up in bed, she scooped her hair and pulled it to one side. “Will you pin this for me?”

“Of course, dear. I’ve pressed your clothes too. Now hurry. I must tend to your sister’s wounds.” Velinka gestured to the neatly folded clothes positioned at the foot of the bed, then left the room.

Once Adelina was dressed, she rushed downstairs. She ignored the tingling sensation bubbling on the surface of her scar.

Damir awaited her in the living room. “I got here a few moments ago, and I’m yet to go to the bathhouse, so I’ll accompany you.”

A warmth washed over her. “I appreciate it. Honestly, I do. But you don’t have to.”

“I’m going to be with you every step of the way, and you can’t change my mind.” He nudged her. “Come on. Let’s go enjoy the steam while we can.”

She flung the towel and hat over her shoulder, heading out of the Orlov home with Damir in tow .

Half an hour later, once they were bathed and dressed, they left the bathhouse as locals crowded the cobbled street. People swarmed inside, hurrying to use the hut before it would require refuelling with firewood. She was glad she’d heeded her mother’s words and went early to avoid the crowds.

The market was bustling with villagers. Shop owners laid out copper or porcelain kitchenware which would likely be purchased by the noblemen who accompanied Filip for the test.

Past the stalls was the open field where the winter solstice was held, and beyond was a round wooden structure which was utilised for the test. A potent waft of burning sage was carried on the breeze. The Sage Seer’s hut.

Adelina wrinkled her nose. “They must be testing a batch in preparation.”

“Do you know what will happen to us?” Damir asked.

She shrugged. “No idea. No one says—I don’t think they’re allowed to. All I know is we need to mark the register with a sample of our blood. It’s so they have proof they’ve tested everyone in the village.”

“Filip comes every year. He’s visited every town for the last ten years. I wonder why he’s never given up.”

“I’m sure I’ll find out.” A chill ran down her spine. The test would solidify their suspicions.

He gave her hand a squeeze, and when they returned to the Orlov home, Velinka dished up cooked sausages and buttered rye bread. She served brewed tea into enamel mugs, then placed a dollop of honey into each. “Please sit and eat. ”

Tihana poked her head around her bedroom door, wearing her nightgown and clutching her bunny to her chest. “Ma? Can I have some?”

“Oh, darling. I know your leg hurts, but you cannot come out here dressed like that. I’ll come in and help you change.” Velinka hurried after her youngest daughter and closed the door shut behind them.

Silence enveloped Damir and Adelina. She glanced at the clock in the kitchen. An hour and a half before the test. The hands ticked each second slowly. Her heart thrummed as she tapped her fingers against the wooden table.

Damir placed his hand over hers. “I’m right beside you.”

She rested her head on his shoulder, sucked in a breath, held it for a few moments, then let it out. “Are you scared we’ll be separated? I’m so nervous I can’t even stomach my food.”

He swivelled in his chair, then studied her face. His gaze fell to her lips, slightly chapped from the harsh winter weather. “Of course, I’m scared. We spend every day together. Can you imagine what I’d be like without you?”

She giggled. “Look at all the food you scoffed at the winter solstice. There’d be no stopping you from eating everything in the village.”

He cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand, and she leaned into it, keeping her gaze locked on him. The space between them shrank as he inched towards her. Their lips brushed gently.

Velinka entered the living room and closed Tihana’s bedroom door behind her. The sound of her footsteps jolted Adelina. Her heart leapt into her throat.

Damir straightened and ran his hand through his hair.

Velinka smiled, collected the dishes from the table, then carried them into the kitchen to be cleaned.

Luckily, she hadn’t seen their intimate moment.

Although she rooted for them to be together, what was the point in giving her false hope when Adelina knew what lay ahead of her?

She didn’t think her parents would take kindly to their physical connection before a marriage took place.

She cast her gaze onto the table, hiding her burning cheeks.

∞∞∞

An eerie silence hung over the village as each twenty-year-old queued in single file.

Ahead, was a wooden table positioned outside the Sage Seer’s hut.

The people in front of Damir and Adelina shuffled forwards.

One at a time, the villagers were taken into the hut. Each test took about five minutes.

As the line shortened, Adelina caught sight of a tall, slender man outside the hut’s entrance.

His black hair was swept back from his angled face, and his dark gaze inspected the individuals before him.

His large fur coat was draped over a black buttoned shirt, accompanied by fitted trousers, and knee-high leather boots.

Although his gaze briefly landed on Adelina, his expression remained blank. He turned, then entered the structure—his cape flapping behind him as he disappeared inside. Her heart sank into her boots.

After each test, he returned outside, glanced at the registers, then scanned the shortening queues ahead of him.

“For someone who’s been searching for astral magic for the last ten years, he seems calm.” Adelina nudged Damir, then gestured to Filip.

“We’re up next.” Damir stepped up to the wooden table. Behind it sat a man wearing spectacles.

“Name?” he asked.

“Damir Litvin, and this is Adelina Orlova.”

She positioned herself beside him and glanced down at the large, leather-bound book lying open in front of the man. Across the parchment was a grid. Down the right side, were a list of names and a thumb print of blood pressed next to each.

The man scribed their names, then drew a pin from its case. “Fingers.”

Damir winced as his blood was drawn. The man held his finger, pressed it against the paper, then gestured to the hut. “Stand over there.”

Adelina eyed the needle, trying to ignore the tight knots in her stomach before stretching out her hand. She sucked in a sharp breath as the quick stab of a needle brought a bead of crimson liquid to the surface. Once her print was taken, she moved out of the way for the next person.

She fidgeted her weight from one foot to the other as she waited to be summoned inside.

The Sage Seer emerged from the hut.

“You.” She pointed to Damir, and the pair of them entered the structure, leaving her alone outside .

As she flattened her sweating palms against her thighs, she kept her gaze fixed on the remaining queue. The woodsy, astringent scent of burning sage wafted through the air, and so did the lilting tune of a song.

A few minutes later, Damir exited the testing facility—his gaze cast to the heavens, shoulders relaxed—and before she could say anything to him, the Sage Seer beckoned her inside.

The door closed behind her, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust in the smoke-filled room. Candles were dotted across the wooden cabinets, providing the space with a warm glow. The Sage Seer grabbed a fresh bunch of herbs, then lit the ends.

Adelina coughed and rubbed her stinging eyes.