The Thermalism Trial was almost . . . simple, for lack of a better word. For the sake of show, Lucian feigned struggle as much as the other Novices. Even Transcend Red’s nerve-wracking effect wasn’t enough to break his Focus or make him slip. She hovered right behind him, practically breathing down his neck. It gave him the creeps.

  Damian didn’t cast any dirty glances his way, even if Lucian executed the Trial without flaw. Then again, Damian’s performance had also been perfect. Rhea aced it, too, while Marcus, who had some training in Thermalism, did well enough. Despite Transcend Red’s harshness, it was the most basic one so far. All they had to do was heat a pot of water to boiling, then freeze it, then sublimate it. That last bit was the trickiest but achievable with a high burst of Thermal Magic streamed evenly throughout the ice. Lucian wondered when this would ever apply to the real world outside of heating bathwater, but he was wise enough not to question it.

  The next night was the written examination of the Atomicism Trial. Lucian had been studying for it with every spare minute. The questions required detailed knowledge of atomic and chemical theory as it related to Atomicism. Of course, he wouldn’t know the results of that test until the Spectrum deliberated. That could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, from what he had heard.

  That left only the Psionic Trial. Transcend Violet was an enigmatic and reclusive figure whom Lucian had only seen once, back when he had been summoned before the Spectrum. The only ones who had access to her were her Talents. That said, Lucian felt Psionic Magic was his strength.

  They met in the rock garden, located on the Academy’s isolated western cliff. It was little used due to its small size, and it had an air of neglect and abandonment.

  “The goal of this Trial is simple,” Transcend Violet said, in a lilting Scottish accent. Her pale face was serene, with curly black hair falling to the shoulders of her purple-tinged robe. The wind of the courtyard wove through her hair. Age hardly touched her features, besides the shallow crinkles at the corners of her eyes. She was beautiful in a dreamy way, an effect only pronounced by her sharp blue eyes.

  Lucian could hardly believe it was almost over. All he had to do was finish this one with a bang, and then it would be out of his hands.

  She surveyed the Novice group. “I have four large stones here,” she said, nodding toward the rocks on the ground before them. “One for each of you. Do something with these stones that would impress me, using only Psionic Magic.” She looked at each of the Novices. “Who would like to go first?”

  “I will,” Damian said, without hesitation. Maybe he thought that by going first, he would “impress” her.

  She stood aside, motioning for the rest of the Novices to take a few steps back as well.

  There was a long moment as Damian gathered his Focus. Then, with a sudden outcry, he thrust his hands forward, palms outward. His stone went rolling toward the cliff’s edge, hurtling over the side in a wide arc. He opened his eyes and lowered his hands, his chest heaving with exertion.

  Transcend Violet nodded. “Good. Who’s next?”

  Rhea stepped forward, doing much the same thing as Damian. Lucian’s hunch was that she had meant to do it faster and harder, but her stone only rolled more slowly. Damian gave a smug smile, while Rhea shot him a withering glare.

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  Marcus stepped up next, to Lucian’s surprise. He managed to get his stone almost to the cliff before exhausting himself. He shook his head, then went to stand in his former spot.

  Now, all the attention was on Lucian. He took a couple of steps forward until the heavy stone stood a few meters before him. Lucian found his Focus; the action was almost as natural as breathing. Lucian reached for the Psionic Aspect.

  He had no doubt that he could do this.

  Emma’s words echoed in his mind. They’re going to fight over you. Being caught in the crossfire of powerful people is a dangerous thing.

  A new thought occurred to Lucian. He could bungle this and not have to worry about them raising him to Talent all year. That had to be a pointless concern. He wasn’t going to make it anyway. Lucian could feel Transcend Violet watching him closely. If he did throw it, would she know the difference? Lucian couldn’t answer that. But those gifted in Psionics could often read into another’s intentions.

  No. He had to give this everything he had.

  Holding his Focus, he reached for the stone, latching onto its physicality. Then, Lucian released a rushing stream of Psionic Magic, pushing the stone up from the ground.

  It levitated in midair, rising higher and higher, faster and faster. Magic tore through him in a torrent. He kept pushing until the stone could hardly be seen in the gray sky above. Within seconds, he had burned through his entire pool of ether.

  “Novice Lucian,” Transcend Violet said, her voice tense. “That’s enough.”

  But already, the stone was falling.

  There were shouts as the other Novices realized what was happening, jumping out of the way. But before it could land, the stone flew in the direction of the ocean, far out of sight.

  Lucian hadn’t done that. He opened his eyes to see Transcend Violet glaring at him, her arm extended in the direction of the water. Lucian guessed that this wasn’t what she had in mind when she’d said to impress her. Damian, Rhea, and Marcus all stared at Lucian in shock.

  “This Trial is over,” Transcend Violet said. “Novice Lucian. Walk with me.”

  The other Novices cast curious glances his way before heading back into the Academy. Feeling a leaden weight in his stomach, Lucian followed.

  She stood close to the cliff’s edge. One step or a bit of clumsiness was all it would take to make her fall, but from her serene expression, this was far from her mind.

  Lucian stood beside her, more than a meter away from the edge of the precipice. She broke the silence.

  “What possessed you to do something so dangerous, Novice?”

  Her voice was snappish and demanded an answer from him that wasn’t a foolish justification. Lucian found himself at a loss for words.

  A ghost of a smile spread across her lips. “If you were aiming to impress me, well, you’ve accomplished that much. If your performance in the other Trials was anything like this. . .”

  All Lucian could think about was his failure at the Gravitonics Trial. It was best not to mention it. It seemed Transcend Violet was separated enough from the day-to-day to not know of his failures.

  Emma’s warning echoed in his mind. He would need to answer her carefully.

  “I was sure you were going to punish me.”

  “Well, I can hardly do that when I encouraged the behavior.” She let out a sigh. “I must admit, I was getting concerned that you would raise the stone too high. Psionic Magic becomes less efficient at a distance—at least, active Psionic Magic that isn’t branded.”

  Lucian wasn’t sure what that meant, but he nodded all the same.

  “That was what grabbed my attention,” she went on. “Despite the distance, you retained control of the stone, even when it was a good fifty meters above us. I was ready to step in at a moment’s notice, and that’s why I told you to stop. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

  Lucian nodded. “That makes sense. If I overstepped anything, I apologize.”

  “You did,” she said. “But I can’t deny that your powers have developed far beyond what any of us were expecting.” It seemed she had more to share, but in the end, she thought better of it. “Tread carefully, Lucian.”

  He almost did a double-take at the use of his name. It wasn’t like a Transcend to be so familiar. But before he could react, she withdrew, heading for the northern path that snaked its way down the cliff.

  Lucian stood for a while, feeling a sense of fading shock. Tread carefully. How could he do that when he had no idea what he was even doing?

  One thing he was sure of, though. The Trials were over, and with luck, he might get some decent rest from his labors.