1. Irina

Chapter one

Irina

I stared up at the infirmary's towering double doors. I'd dreamed of following in my parents' footsteps since I was old enough to watch them work. They weren't famous. Few within the halls of power would ever know their names. And yet, my mother and father were among the many physikers who tended everyday wounds of ordinary folk across the Kingdom.

At twelve summers of life, I stood trembling before the hallowed halls of the capital's most prestigious infirmary, the Royal Medica. I could hardly believe the day had arrived.

"This is your door to open, ?Rina," my father said as he placed a gentle hand on my back. "Remember, you won't be alone. There are other apprentices starting with Master Rist today. You'll have friends to help you through this."

My eyes rose, drinking in the white marbled fa?ade of the massive building. Black swirls of the stone's veins flowed like calming brooks through fields of snow. An ancient etching of the Phoenix hovered above the door, its gilding flawless and glittering despite centuries of exposure to harsh Kingdom winters.

As I reached for the bronze handle, the door flew open to reveal a thin boy whose eyes were as wild as his unruly brown hair. He took one look at me, made an odd yelping sound, and ran back into the building, slamming the door behind him.

"Is that one of my new friends?" I asked, blinking at the door that had almost smacked me in the nose.

My mother chuckled. "Maybe he's shy."

A moment later, the door opened again. This time, an old man in thick, round spectacles with lenses so small they barely covered his eyes stood before us. The man looked as wide as he was tall, causing the buttons on his pale blue smock to strain against the threads that bound them to the fabric.

"Hello, Irina. Don't be shy. Come in and meet your fellow apprentices. Parents, I shouldn't see or hear from you for another week. Is that understood? Now shoo." He waved a dismissive hand toward Mother and Father.

I turned, expecting to see outrage from my parents at the week-long ban but found only grins and nods of acceptance. Then I remembered they had both been apprentices long ago. They knew what to expect. Why hadn't they prepared me for this? They could've said something, anything . Annoyed, I crossed my arms and turned back to face my new Master.

"Deep breath, Irina," Master Rist said more warmly than before as he beckoned me forward. "Your mother tells me you have quite the aptitude for learning and memory. We'll test both straightaway."

Then the door slammed shut behind me.