Read Online The Testing by Jonathan Moeller - Free Book Online Page B

against material objects. A heartbeat later Arthain’s cortana came crashing down, only to rebound from the ward in a spray of sparks. The old man recovered his balance and swung thrice more. Each time Rachaelis felt the strain upon her will as the blade struck against her spell, but each time she held the defensive ward in place. 
    “Well enough,” said Arthain, returning his cortana to its scabbard. “You may release the ward, Initiate.”
    Rachaelis did so, and Arthain backed away a dozen steps, flexing his fingers.
    “You will also need to defend yourself from magical attack,” said Arthain. “Ward yourself from blue astralfire, Initiate. Now.”
    Even as he spoke, his hands came up, blue fire crackling around his fingertips. 
    Rachaelis cast her own spell, and an aura of silver light appeared around her. An instant later Arthain struck with his own spell, azure astralfire hammering into Rachaelis’s ward. She gasped and stumbled back a step, agony shooting through her skull. Arthain was strong, hideously strong; trying to block the Magister’s astralfire was like trying to stop a charging bull with her thoughts alone.
    But she did it.
    Again Arthain struck, and again, his astralfire filling the corridor with dazzling blue light. Rachaelis gritted her teeth, sweat pouring down her face. Her ward flickered and crackled, but held against Arthain’s attack. 
    At last Arthain lowered his hands. “It seems you are as strong as Talvin thought.”
    Rachaelis said nothing, blinking sweat from her eyes. Arthain had done his very best to kill her. She wondered how many Initiates Arthain had killed, if he had tried to kill Thalia when she had undergone the Testing. 
    “You have passed the fifth trial, Initiate,” said Arthain, and the stone archway appeared between them. “You may proceed to the next.” 
    She entered the arch.
    When the astraljump ended, Rachaelis found herself sitting in a stone chair, the marble chill against her thighs and back. Magister Nazim sat across from her in an identical chair, his lined face tight with concern. Rachaelis swallowed as she looked at him. Magister Nazim had been her favorite teacher? Would he try to kill her now, as Arthain and Jonas had?   
    “The sixth trial of the Testing, Initiate,” said Nazim, leaning forward. “An Adept must have a disciplined mind, one able to defend itself from attack, whether from demons or practitioners of forbidden arts. I shall invade your mind. You must repulse me. Do you understand?” 
    Rachaelis nodded. 
    “Then we begin,” said Nazim, his black eyes staring into hers.
    At once Rachaelis felt the presence of his mind digging into her thoughts. It was as if an invisible hand sifted through her brain, clawing its way into her mind and body. Rachaelis shuddered, gritted her teeth, and fought back. She visualized her mind becoming a fortress, her thoughts becoming towers and battlements and walls, and they did so. Nazim’s will battered against her mental fortress, like tides crashing against a rock, and sooner or later he would break through.
    Then a different approach occurred to Rachaelis.
    She changed her thoughts from a fortress to a hand, reached out, and caught Nazim’s will in her own. The Magister’s eyes went wide, and through their mental connection she felt his astonishment. She pushed, driving his will back, and suddenly she was in his mind. Images from his memories filtered into her thoughts; a dark-eyed woman, weeping in grief, a child in chains, the reeking hold of a ship…
    “Enough,” croaked Nazim, gesturing. A burst of silver astralfire washed over Rachaelis in a tingling chill, disrupting both of their spells, and the mental connection vanished. “Enough.” He chuckled. “Ah, but I told Talvin you were capable, child.”
    “Did I hurt you?” said Rachaelis.
    Nazim smiled. “A little. But it is my own fault. I should have been better prepared. You have passed the sixth trial, Initiate.” The archway