Fireblood by Elly Blake

Author:Elly Blake
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2017-09-12T04:00:00+00:00

FOURTEEN

A WOODEN BRIDGE WITH ROPE CABLES spanned two cliff faces. Lava poured from one cliff like a waterfall, gathering in a wide pool under the bridge before flowing away in a thin river that cut through the narrow canyon, meandering out of sight toward the northern edge of the island. In the center of the bridge, missing boards left a gap a couple of yards wide. A large glass cube sat over the gap.

I squinted, ignoring the elevated rush of my heart as I tried to figure out what it was and how it might relate to my second trial. I heard Kai swear under his breath and Master Dallr hiss at him to be silent.

The glass had a bluish sheen and was too thick to see through. I’d never seen—

I drew in a breath and stopped. Not glass. Ice.

Only a Frostblood could create ice in this warm climate—shape and craft it so carefully. And I hadn’t seen any Frostbloods since coming here, aside from the queen’s servant. Had he made this on her orders?

Kai appeared at my side, speaking quickly. “You can do this. You are ready. You just can’t let yourself—”

“Silence,” said Master Dallr. “Remove your shoes and stockings.” I did so, dropping them beside the path. He motioned for me to approach the bridge.

“You see the chamber of ice,” he said quietly.

I swallowed convulsively and nodded.

“The ice will hold if you remain still and calm. It’s a test of restraint and endurance, control over your mind and body. Vital qualities in a master.” He pulled a small hourglass from a pocket and held it up. “You must sit in the chamber for one hour, at which time, you will return here. If you move from that spot before I permit you to move, you will forfeit.”

I turned to stare at the pool of lava below. My fingernails bit into my palms, frustration already raising my temperature. I had never been able to repress my heat under stressful conditions. Brother Thistle had warned me that I needed to learn. Why hadn’t I listened?

“You may begin,” said the master.

His face was a mask of indifference. How many young students had he watched die in tests like this? For a people with fire in their veins, it was such a cold way to measure its masters. And this trial in particular—a test of my ability to deny my very nature—seemed devoid of pity.

I couldn’t afford to get angry, not now. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then started toward the bridge.

“Stay calm,” Kai instructed, grabbing my arm as I went to pass him. “Don’t get upset, no matter what happens. Think only of controlling the beat of your heart, of keeping your skin cool. Deep breaths.”

He pulled me tight against him. I had a moment, pressed to his chest, to ponder the irony of his advice. He counseled me not to grow warm, not to worry. Meanwhile, I could feel his chest rising and falling rapidly against my cheek, his overheated skin, his heart thudding in my ear.

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