Page 18 of Immortal Origins (Chronicles of the Immortal Trials #1)

“Yes, I know,” she sighed, frustration growing as she picked the skin on her nails. “Why does that matter though?”

“What else would you call what happened to you?”

“Sure…” She paused in thought. “It was pretty weird. But it wasn’t an Element that called me. So that doesn’t make much sense. When someone gets their call, the Element that called them immediately wakes up inside them. Nothing happened when I woke up.”

“Is that so?” he said as though he didn’t quite believe her.

“Yes, I think I’d know if flames shot from my hands or the ground sprouted vines because of me.

Nothing happened,” she recanted, going over the scene in her head, wondering if there’s anything she missed.

“My mana feels different, I can’t deny that.

Stronger, without a doubt. But I’d know if an Element called me. This was… different.”

Magnus studied her, really studied her. Starting from the strands that had replaced her natural color to the eyes that looked back at him with a hue that wasn’t hers. Amber irises of someone she still didn’t know.

“Have you seen your mark of servitude lately?” he asked.

Reflexively, her hand shot to the spot on her neck where she knew the ink of ownership curled its way around her throat in midnight black for all to see.

Admittedly, she hadn’t seen her reflection since right before her trial.

It was hard to look in the mirror when the image that stared back at her was an impostor wearing her face.

“No. I can’t say that I have.” Her nose crinkled as her fingers brushed her skin.

Ambrose let out a small gasp as Magnus pulled an hourglass from his desk and shattered it against the wood framing.

He poured the sand into his hand and with a charge that hummed through the air, it burst into flames.

“I think you should see it.” A stunning mirror of Almurian glass emerged from the flames as he handed it to her.

Strands of radiant white framed her soft features. Amber eyes burned through her like the flames the Grand Mage just wielded. She knew seeing her reflection again would be shocking, but she still wasn’t prepared for the person that looked back at her .

Her eyes cut to her throat. “What—” she muttered, unable to tear herself from the mirror.

The mark she had known her whole life had shifted.

No longer wrapping itself around her neck, the swirls had broken and opened at her throat, pulling away from it and down her collarbone towards the nape of her neck.

“How is this possible?” A criminal mark had never changed before.

Only debt servants had theirs removed when their debt was paid and they were freed.

“I think you’re going to be surprised quite a bit over the next six months. Though I fear you’ll be facing a great deal of the unknown.” Magnus took her hands in his again, his left palm still warm from his fire. “I urge you not to run from this. I’ll prepare you the best I can.”

Ambrose sighed. She had hope in her heart, but it wasn’t hope of winning the trials. She would never be so naive. She would still do everything she could to escape, Divine Law or not, there had to be a way around it. Somehow.

Meanwhile, she’d learn everything she could from Magnus, she had no idea of knowing what would be useful, so she’d learn it all. He only ever wanted what was best for her. To see her grow and thrive, she knew he wanted to do everything in his power to protect her—so she would learn.

Magnus clapped his hands in his more usual joyful cheer. “Now, let’s see what you can do.”

They spent the rest of the evening going over various tests and techniques for multiple Elements.

Starting with Fire Magick, she attempted to create an even steady flame on the candles in the room, which she failed and in turn melted them instead.

Next was Water Magick. Something simple like refilling the vase Magnus kept for fresh water.

Which she failed miserably and shattered the pottery instead.

Finally, she tried her hand at Nature Magick and attempted to make the flowers Magnus liked to keep on his desk bloom again.

Instead, they shriveled to blackened dust. No matter what she used, her channels surged beyond what she could control and a disaster happened.

As soon as she let go, her channels threatened to consume her.

Each test took more and more until she was nothing but a shaking mess on the carpet, her lungs hacking for air as she tried not to vomit.

“I think that’s enough for tonight,” Magnus released her. “I don’t want you to push too far. Take a break and have some water.”

“I told you,” she said between ragged breaths. “Nothing.”

Magnus stood and walked to the fire which had died down to a bed of embers. “I don’t think the Elements are the issue.”

“What do you mean?” she rasped.

“I’m not sure yet… We’re going to need more time to train, but right now, you have to learn to get your channels back in control or they will kill you.”

“I don’t understand what happened,” she groaned. “They were never enough to be even the slightest challenge to hold but now they’re choking me at every moment. I can’t take it.”

Magnus let out a deep sigh as he watched the fire die, with a wave of his hand the flames roared back to life. “You’ve been called. I don’t think there’s any denying that. It’s up to you to find what called you, but the call has been answered. The Magick inside you is proof enough of that.”

“Called by what though?”

“Don’t fret, child. I think you’re going to find out,” his tone was as kind as he could make it.

“I don’t understand.” Tears stung her eyes and she furiously blinked them back.

“We don’t always know the reason for our fates. We just have to decide whether to answer when we’re called to them,” his voice rang with the wisdom of his age.

“What if I don’t want my fate?”

“What do you want?”

Ambrose thought deeply. No one had ever asked her that before and she wasn’t sure if she had an answer for him.

What did she want? She wanted to escape.

She wanted to spend time with her brother that wasn’t stolen.

She wanted to run with Ernaline through the woods until they got lost and found all kinds of interesting and wonderful creatures.

She wanted to see all the kingdoms and the beings that lived in them.

See lands all across the empire that she could only dream of.

She wanted Inanna to see the mage kingdom of her dreams. She wanted Magnus to be able to teach new mages for as long as he wanted.

There was a long pause as she chewed on his question.

Finally, the words spilled out of her like a secret wish.

Words that had always been there, pounding at the back of her head.

Never had she dared let them slip past the gates surrounding her mind.

It was an absurd wish. An impossible wish.

But as soon as the words were spoken, as soon as they were out of her mouth, her heart squeezed at the truth in them.

She placed her head in her hands as tears spilled down her cheeks. “I want to be free .”