CELESTIAL FIRE

ira

s curling around him like smoke. My legs feel heavy

echo. My voice

ead. "You don'

ng to run, but there's nowhere to go. The creature-the on

t melts into the ground like it was

is dry. "W

een waiting," he

beyond the door-bright, cold light spi

trap. Another part of the test. But I can't stay in this room. I can still feel th

p for

y that makes my skin crawl. I follow the stranger down a hallway of

that thi

ulled from your own thoughts. Cra

y did i

ssion unreadable. "Beca

ng. "What do

"It means your blood reme

es my head spin faster. "Look, I don't

softly. "A secret? A survi

bore in

thing this world hasn

something stirs. Something ancient. Somethin

he wall ahead-one I've seen before. In dreams. I

pulses i

't real,"

ugh I can smell the sharp

't start preparing, they will destroy you

ky breath. "

sn't a

ng. A thin black card with a

says. "When the moon tu

in my fingers,

vanishing into the shadow

eft a

ai

f the underground room, the kneeling creature, or the strange man with the

drea

xir

the noise. I turn,

eryn V

teps. The way he moves is all power and gra

ooking for y

art s

't even

felt something. When we

't know what you'

oesn't believe me for a secon

arms. "Are

glowing faintly gold.

me like a sl

"Don't worry. I won't

h catche

of Valemorth, voice quiet. "Bec

aving me rooted in pla

kno

ually

t through the r

ened in the chambers. No one knows what anyone else faced. That's how

tells me mine

ing lights. My roommate hasn't arrived yet. Or maybe I don't have one. I don'

sleeve and lo

l glowing faintly

t with a

gon

It was erased from history.

am I

why

stranger gave me. Its surface reflects the moonli

ing is

sleep th

ng, the Academ

ses-five of them, ba

ng House fo

de for v

rne for

ge for

fifth-As

t means. It's for t

ere they

e next day. A dark star on black velvet. Eve

rs fol

not one

she's c

he's a m

g. Head high.

I feel

chi

the high balcony

n Rav

ampir

lver hair catching the light, ar

. Cu

ger

esn't

ars into shadow

s he wan

mething even s

to a sound

foot

ng

up s

perched on th

ra

es glo

e on my bed and flies

hake as I

s written there

e waking. You

ns into ash in my

ndow, the moon tur

ost

ky, the air around me ripples-like

ck comes a

Meas

't an

door ope

the shadows is

esn't

st sm

rk burns