The Black Mage: Apprentice by Rachel E. Carter Page A

exactly what I was
thinking. "Well at least he's not the Black Mage. I don't think
Ryiah or I would even be here right now if he had been on the
Council."
    A half-hour later I was depositing my tray
when Darren approached me.
    I started to push past but he caught my
sleeve.
    I stared at him. "What do you want?"
    "Did I do something wrong?" Darren was
studying my face. "You haven't said one word to me since that night
in Ishir."
    Was I the one bothering him ? "I have nothing to say to you." I made way to
leave.
    "Ryiah." Darren reached down to grab my
wrist. The second his hand made contact my skin tingled. My heart
began to race, slamming against my chest.
    I swallowed and hated myself for liking it.
Like Ian, the prince was off-limits. I was tired of my traitorous
heart wanting things that were taken.
    Or, more importantly, people that I didn't want to want.
    "What did I do?" Darren's words were quiet,
desperate even.
    I opened my mouth-
    "Excuse me."
    I jumped as Ian squeezed past us, avoiding my
gaze as he did.
    Shame squeezed at my lungs.
    Darren watched me. A slow anger was spreading
along his jaw. "This is about him ?"
    My silence was gone. "And why shouldn't it
be?" I countered. "You made me betray him."
    "If you had challenged him outright we would
never had have enough magic to take on Caine afterward."
    "A friend would never have done what I
did."
    "You are Combat, Ryiah. You can't blame
yourself for using every possible advantage to get us that
victory."
    I glared at him. "You are right. I don't
blame myself. I blame you for talking me into it! You really
are the coldest person I've ever met!"
    Fury flared in the non-heir's eyes. "When you
are ready to apologize," he said tersely, "you can come find
me."
    Before I could take one step the prince was
already gone.

CHAPTER FIVE
     
    The next couple of weeks flew by, though they
certainly weren't without their awkward silences and angry pauses
on the part of my two biggest fans. The prince and his mentor
continued to ignore me during our practices. I quickly got
accustomed to feeling a sense of shame whenever I was in the same
room as them. It was particularly excruciating during our after
dinner practice when we performed our pain castings… but somehow I
managed to shut out that feeling as the days went on.
    Instead of letting their cold shoulders get
to me, I was more than happy to spend time with Ella. My friend and
I didn't have a curfew or restrictions now that we were
apprentices, so we spent a lot of time wandering the small village
of Sjeka during our free time. Alex somehow managed to get himself
in trouble with Master Joan, so he wasn't able to join us, but my
younger brother Derrick did. He was supposed to obey
first-year conduct, but the chance to spend time with his older
sibling was too tempting to ignore. I would have been lying if I
said I minded.
    "I don't think I'm good enough," Derrick
confessed on the last evening before solstice. "I'm afraid I'll
disappoint Mother and Father." He swallowed. "And you and
Alex."
    "Derrick." I reached out to take my little –
well, not so little anymore - brother by his shoulders. "You can't
– it's not possible. We love you too much to care if you get an
apprenticeship or not."
    "But you and Alex-"
    I shook my head. "It doesn't matter."
    "My brother didn't get one," Ella added,
scooting closer on our bench. We had picked one overlooking the
Sjeka coast – far enough away from the Academy that no one would
spot Derrick, but close enough that we wouldn't get lost in total
darkness on our return to the Academy. "I still think the world of
him." She snorted. "Or I would, if he didn't hound the card tables.
But I still love him."
    "But Combat's my dream!" Derrick moaned. "And
everyone is better than me!"
    I gave him a small smile. "That's only in
casting."
    "But that's the part that matters!"
Desperation was bright in his eyes and my heart lurched. I had been
in his position one year ago. It hurt me to see him look