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It occurs to me that, out of everything I asked Arina about the academy, I never asked for too many specifics about its decor. I didn’t need to know. Perhaps I didn’t want to know. Part of me knew that whatever the answer would be, it’d be rage-inducing. The opulence. The hoarded and wasted wealth.

And there’s certainly that. The main hall is as opulent as the rest, filled with feasting tables laden with more food than the hundred and fifty or so who occupy the room could consume.

Though the way my stomach growls, it certainly wants to try.

What meager food I managed to eat while getting ready has done me little good.

The hall isn’t an oppressive castle atrium like the Sanctum of the Chalice but more of a conservatory perched at the edge of the fortress,offering views of Eclipse City and the eastern mountain ridge beyond.

A birdcage of metal and glass blocks against the biting winds from the sheer cliffs that frame the mouth of the Farlum River.

Smokeless bonfires line the outer edge of the room, interspersed between exotic trees.

Somehow, it had never entered my mind just how magical this place might be.

Yes, Arcana Academy is run by the worst man in the world.

It represents everything I loathe about the laws surrounding Arcanists.

It is a haven for those who have and a false aspiration for those who do not.

But it’s also…beautiful. It feels like a place steeped in ancient power, a remnant of an age long gone, hiding possibilities that seemed impossible in Eclipse City, just on the other side of the bridge.

Each house has its place at one of four L-shaped tables that form a large square.

The tablecloths denote which is which—vibrant red for Wands, shimmering gold for Coins, bright cerulean for Cups, and a slate gray for Swords.

On the front of each tablecloth is the signet of that house.

At the center of the square are two parallel tables, lined with twenty-five empty seats.

The far back wall of the room arcs around a semicircle-shaped table where all the stern-faced faculty of the academy sit.

With Kaelis at their apex.

The moment our eyes meet, an undeniable spark of tension rips through the air. My chest tightens, squeezing the breath from my lungs. A shadow passes across his face right before he stands to speak. But it’s gone by the time he opens his mouth.

“Welcome, initiates, to the hallowed halls of Arcana Academy, a bastion of learning, and the seat of tarot magic itself. You have done well, making it through your initial trial. However, your tests have only just begun.

“A full tenure at Arcana Academy spans three years, each representing a position in the traditional three-card spread—the past, the present, and the future. In year one, you will shed your past to earn the knowledge that we have to impart. The future you thought you had is now behind you, as is your family and all you once thought you held dear before you joined our ranks. To truly become one of us, you must sacrifice all you once were.” His eyes flick to me like a challenge, or a command.

The prince is downright delusional if he thinks for a second I’m going to cast aside my past anytime soon or forget about all the people in it.

The memories of the club and my sister—the belief I could get back to them, help them, be with them—were the only things that got me through Halazar.

And I’m especially not about to forget about the past that involves him throwing me in prison for a year so he could turn me into his plaything for whatever game he’s designed.

“Starting tonight, those already among the houses of this academy—the new families you seek to join—will be observing you. Each student has one coin they can give, but not must give. At the closing ceremony of All Coins Day in the fall, students will present the initiates they deem worthy with a coin of their house. Those who are not given a coin will not proceed further in their studies at the academy.”

The other initiates murmur in surprise. They had no idea what they were walking into. Just how few of us will make it.

“Those who stay will prove themselves during the Three of Swords Trials in the winter. All who do not pass two of the three trials—and it is possible for half, or more, of all initiates to fail—will not proceed further in their studies at the academy.”

The murmurs are punctuated by outright gasps.

“If you make it through All Coins Day and the Three of Swords Trials, you will be able to bid for any house that has gifted you a coin. The house will have the final say on if you are accepted or not.

“Those who remain—who are deemed worthy by their peers to be accepted into houses—will become full-fledged students. They will finish their first year in the spring and celebrate at the Feast of Cups gala.

“You may not bid for a house that has not gifted you a single coin.” Kaelis leans forward slightly, eyes darting over the twenty-five people gathered.

“You do not simply have something to prove only to yourself, or to your professors…you must also prove something to your peers. Fail, and you will be cast out and Marked. Succeed, and you will see your next two years here and all that awaits you as an Arcanist in service to Oricalis.”

A wave of hushed yet panicked conversations crashes down around me from about half of the initiates.

The other half look as unsurprised as I am.

Nobles already knew this was coming. They also know that they have nothing to fear, since they made it this far.

A house will accept them regardless of how skilled they are with magic.

They have already built the relationships with their peers that Kaelis is alluding to.

And for the Three of Swords Trials, they’ve had tutors prepping them with information on what’s to come before they ever stepped foot through the main entry.

For them, the rituals and trials of the first year are but a formality; their sole challenge was making it through the Arcanum Chalice.

They can relax and focus on their studies.

The common-born are fighting for what little hope remains to avoid a Mark and a future at the mills.

“Oh, and one more thing…” There’s a spark to Kaelis’s eyes that my gut instantly dislikes.

A sort of smug, I-have-all-the-control glint that makes me want to punch him square in the nose.

“The academy is only so large. Just like we cannot accept everyone who applies into the initiates’ dorm, every suit’s house also has only so much room.

They can only accept as many as are leaving at the end of the year.

Kings, if you please.” The prince gestures with an open palm.

Unsurprisingly, a man immediately shoots up from the corner of the Wands table.

It would be Wands that’d move first… He’s a towering individual with a build that reminds me uncomfortably of Liam.

Brown hair is trimmed and coiffed into a short, neat haircut with streaks of lighter blond that come alive in the firelight.

“House Wands has five among us graduating this year; therefore, we will be able to accept five initiates,” he announces with a booming voice.

“We will be looking for those who burn with passion in all they do, creative spirits willing to push the boundaries of the normal. The freethinkers who are fiery, bold, energetic.”

A woman with a particularly youthful appearance stands for Coins. A mass of auburn curls tumbles over her shoulders. Her porcelain skin is near flawless, and her revealing gown puts it on display along with her curves.

“House Coins may graciously accept six initiates,” she says in a low and even manner.

“We will be seeking the pragmatic—those who know that without stability it is impossible to achieve greatness. And with that knowledge are those who will invest in their health, wealth, and family. Nurturing, grounded, and levelheaded.”

With fluid grace, another man rises from the table of Cups. His wavy black hair is kept messy to his ears. The rich brown of his skin accents the muscles of his arms—as on display as the curves of the woman from House Coin—and offsets his dazzling smile.

“House Cups would gladly welcome five initiates, much like our friends in Wands,” he says warmly.

“To be counted among us, you must come with an open heart. Be someone who is unafraid of allowing fate to carry you along its uncharted waters. A person who finds strength in the depths of their emotions. Thoughtful, caring, easygoing.”

The last woman to stand does so almost reluctantly.

She rises like a sword unsheathing, elegant and deadly.

Her sharp, angular features are softened by two long strands of platinum hair.

Her skin is a similar shade to mine, not brown nor overly fair—the sort that will readily darken with the sun.

Her eyes are light brown, and, for some reason, out of everyone, they find me.

“House Swords will only welcome two initiates.” Even though her voice is soft, it carries. “We search for those with the sharpest wit and even sharper intellect. Those who are unafraid to wield power but understand the responsibility with which it comes. Clever, powerful, intelligent.”

More murmuring around me. At first it’s because of the surprisingly small number of initiates that House Swords can accept. But that leads to other realizations. Five in Wands, six in Coins, five in Cups, and two in Swords. That’s just eighteen spaces for twenty-five initiates.

No matter what, some of us will be Marked before the year has made its turn…

And judging from the wary looks the non-nobles aregiving one another, they’re realizing the number of available openings is even smaller for all of us who don’t have guaranteed placements.

Bymy estimation, at least ten of the initiates are of noble birth. Meaning…

Of the eighteen spots across the houses that are available, with ten practically promised to nobles, that leaves just eight spots for the remaining fifteen of us to war over.

My hand balls into a fist, and I look back to Kaelis.

His attention was already on me, a slight smirk on his lips, as though he were waiting with bated breath for me to come to this realization.

I can almost hear him in the back of my mind: See, Clara, you need me. Only I can ensure your safety here.

It makes me want to spit in his goblet.

“Now, with that out of the way, please enjoy your Fire Feast. Mingle with the students of Arcana Academy. Because tomorrow, class will be in session.”