Chapter 1 MAGIC

I stood in front of the cracked mirror in our small dormitory room. I pulled the rough fabric of my gray dress over my shoulders. 

The dress was a standard-issue uniform for all the orphans living in the Solaryn Abbey. I pulled at the tight collar because the coarse wool scratched my sensitive skin.

"You are fidgeting again," Maeve said from her bed behind me.

I turned around and sighed. "I cannot help it. I just want today to be over."

Maeve stood up and walked over to me. She had pale skin and long brown hair that fell past her shoulders. She wore the same drab gray dress, yet she always managed to make the cheap fabric look neat. She reached out and adjusted the collar of my uniform.

"Everyone is nervous about the Luminal Ranking," Maeve said. "It determines where we get to live and what jobs we can hold in the dominion. You should try to relax."

"It is easy for you to say," I told her. "The other Fae actually like you. They look at me like I am a disease."

Maeve frowned and shook her head. "They are just ignorant. They do not understand why you speak a different language sometimes."

"I do not even understand why I speak it," I muttered.

"I only speak the strange words when I am having a nightmare. I never do it on purpose."

"It does not matter," Maeve insisted.

"You are nineteen years old today, since our birthdays fall on the same week. We are both adults now. Once we touch the Celestial Orb and receive our ranks, we can leave this abbey and find a small house in the lower city."

"I hope you are right," I said.

"I spent three hours scrubbing the courtyard stones this morning while the other girls rested. The head matron made sure I got the hardest section."

"The matron is strict with everyone," Maeve pointed out.

"But she definitely targets you. You just need to endure it for a little longer."

"I try to keep my head down," I replied, although I felt frustrated. "I never want to cause trouble, nor do I seek attention. They always find a reason to punish me anyway."

"Roland will help us," Maeve reminded me. "He is a good mentor. He always looks out for us orphans."

"He does," I agreed. "I am grateful for his kindness. I just wish I belonged here."

A loud bronze bell rang through the stone corridors of the abbey. The heavy sound echoed off the high walls. The bell signaled that all nineteen-year-old wards needed to report to the grand hall for the ceremony.

"It is time," Maeve said. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "Let us go get our rankings."

We walked out of our small room and joined the crowd of other orphans in the hallway. We followed the line of students down the spiral stone staircases. We finally reached the heavy oak doors of the grand hall.

Two royal guards in shining silver armor pushed the doors open for us.

We stepped into the massive room. The grand hall was packed with hundreds of people.

The room was bathed in bright golden light reflecting off the pristine marble floors. The Light Fae nobility stood on the balconies above us.

They wore beautiful silk gowns and velvet suits.

They looked down at us with bored expressions.

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other on the hard floor. The hall was very warm because there were so many bodies pressed together. I wiped a drop of sweat from my forehead.

"Do you think the stray will even register on the orb?" a girl named Elisia whispered loudly from the row behind me.

"She talks in that demon language when she sleeps," another noble girl replied and laughed cruelly. "She will probably be a Fading with ten percent light."

I looked down at my worn leather shoes and ignored them. Maeve turned her head and glared at the two girls.

"Ignore those spoiled brats," Maeve said in a soft voice. "You are going to do fine today. You will be an Emberborn at the very least."

"I hate it when they call me a stray," I whispered back. "I just want to get my rank and leave."

The crowd went quiet. The High Priest of the abbey walked to the center of the raised marble dais at the front of the hall. He wore long white robes trimmed with gold thread. He raised his hands to address the citizens.

"Welcome to the Luminal Ranking ceremony," the High Priest announced. His voice echoed clearly across the silent room. "Today we measure the inherent light within our nineteen-year-old wards and citizens. This holy light dictates your future standing within the Solaryn Dominion."

Roland Ashcroft stood beside the pedestal holding the Celestial Orb. Roland was the Keeper of the Abbey. He had mentored me for many years and often gave me extra portions of bread from the kitchens. He gave me a reassuring nod before he unrolled a long parchment scroll.

"The Celestial Orb will reveal the truth of your soul," Roland said to the crowd. "When your name is called, you will approach the dais and place both hands on the glass, for the magic will calculate your percentage and assign your title."

Roland cleared his throat and looked at the top of his list.

"Elisia Vance," Roland called out.

Elisia pushed past me and walked up the marble stairs with her chin raised. She stopped in front of the pedestal. She placed her hands on the smooth glass of the Celestial Orb. The artifact instantly glowed with a blinding golden brilliance.

Golden letters materialized in the air above the glass.

"Radiant," Roland read aloud. "Ninety-two percent."

The crowd clapped loudly. The nobles on the balcony nodded in approval. Elisia smiled proudly and walked down the stairs to join her wealthy parents.

"I knew she would get a noble rank," Maeve muttered next to me. "Her father buys half the abbey's supplies. I bet the orb is rigged."

"Hush," I warned her. "The guards will hear you and we will get into trouble unless you lower your voice."

The ceremony continued for another hour. A boy named Kael touched the orb and received the rank of Luminary with seventy-five percent light. A timid girl from the lower city touched the glass and the glow was very dim. She received the rank of Fading with only twenty-two percent light. She cried silently as she walked away.

"Maeve Alden," Roland announced.

Maeve let go of my hand and took a deep breath. She walked up the steps and stopped in front of the artifact. She looked very nervous. She placed her palms on the orb and the golden light flared bright enough to illuminate her face.

"Luminary," Roland declared for the room to hear. "Seventy-four percent."

I smiled and clapped for my friend. Maeve let out a loud sigh of relief. She walked down the stairs and took her spot next to me again.

"I told you that you had strong magic," I said to her.