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I see a conflict in the Five of Wands that he is not sure if he knows how to overcome.

Perhaps it is related to work, perhaps family; it’s difficult to discern, as every Minor suit is represented, and the more I look at the cards the harder it is to make sense of their meaning.

There are no clear images in my mind or gut feelings.

In the end, the best I can offer him is an acknowledgment that he is in a difficult position from all angles, trapped between conflicting wishes—his own and those of others.

The Four of Coins suggests he might be hoarding his resources, perhaps in preparation for the battle he sees ahead.

I suggest that the only way out is to look at everything in its totality, but victory will come at a price.

The only card I struggle to work into the reading is the Seven of Swords. Every time my fingers land on it there’s a sickening unease that shifts in my stomach. Betrayal. “There is deceit around you” is all I can say.

It’s impossible to tell how accurate this is from his expression, so I move on to the last deck.

My confidence for Professor Duskflame’s reading is somewhere between the other two. Not resounding, but also not a total loss.

They all take a moment, scratching notes on the papers in front of them.

Raethana and Vaduin hand their papers to Las.

The head professor of reading makes a few sharp strokes with her pen, her eyes flicking to me in equally pointed movements.

She leans in to whisper to Vaduin, and they exchange a brief conversation that I can’t hear.

Despite myself, I hold my breath.

“You pass,” she says begrudgingly.

I’m in a state of utter shock as I leave the room.

Few of the initiates seem to want to discuss how they’re doing between the trials.

So we’re all left staring at one another in hallways and holding rooms, silently sizing one another up.

Of course, my friends and I have no problem sharing our outcomes.

I’m not surprised by the rush of relief that courses through me at knowing Luren, Sorza, and Dristin all passed.

The second trial—inking—also takes place before lunch.

It feels like it’s over in an instant, and honestly, if someone told me that I’d actually slept through it, I wouldn’t be surprised.

They had us ink four different Minor Arcana cards, chosen at random.

It was like another day with Glavstone, minus the beatings. Easy.

But when I go to hand in my cards, I hesitate, though for only a second. Fail inking, Cael had said. Professor Duskflame’s hand waits expectantly as she asks, “Are you certain this is what you want to submit?”

“Yes.” I place my cards into her palm, submitting them for review. Fuck Cael and Eza and everyone else who wants to see me come up short. I’m not failing anything.

I hand over my freshly inked cards and leave.

“I had been hoping for a bit of a challenge with inking,” I say as my friends and I catch up over lunch.

“Brag much?” Sorza nudges me.

“It’s good one of us feels confident.” Luren is slumped over her food, picking at it listlessly. Despite all of our efforts and all the long nights spent in the common areas and the library going over inking, she still failed the inking test.

“You have one more trial. You only need two out of three to bid for a house.” Dristin makes an attempt at cheering her up.

“I don’t feel confident about it all coming down to wielding,” she says with a sigh. The day her card reversed understandably still haunts her.

“Not eating your lunch isn’t going to help you with what’s to come.” I lean across the table to nudge the plate a little closer in front of her. “You’ll need your strength.”

“What I need is a miracle.”

“Maybe one will encourage the other. Eat. ” If nothing else, food is a worthy distraction.

As Luren picks up her fork with more confidence, we’re interrupted by the arrival of another initiate.

Eza hovers at the edge of the table, attempting to embody pure contempt and malice.

I meet his gaze and hold it for the sole reason of keeping his attention on me and not my friends.

If he’s focused on me, and me alone, then hopefully he won’t get distracted by the notion of going after those close to me.

“The only person needing a miracle will be Clara,” he announces.

I imagine he thinks himself quite sinister and intimidating. Especially since he seems annoyed when my expression doesn’t change from bored and lackluster.

“I passed my first two trials.” Even though I’m speaking to him, I allow my voice to be loud enough for others around me to hear. “I already have two out of three needed to pass the Three of Swords Trials. I don’t need to win the duel. So beating you will purely be for fun.”

Eza wedges himself between Dristin and Luren, leaning over the table with a sneer. “I’m going to wipe the floor with you and leave nothing but a pulp. There won’t be anything left for any house to even consider.”

“You’re more than welcome to try.” A thin smile breaks through my otherwise disengaged veneer. “But we both already know how it will end, don’t we?”

The bells toll before he can say anything more. Eza pushes away from the table and casts me a final withering gaze. “I’ll see you on the rooftop.”