The next day seemed to dawn brighter for Maddie and her friends. She had managed to put Tereus’s warning out of her head and dove into classes. With autumn coming on classes were being taught predominantly inside. Corentin ran most of his classes from one of the smaller buildings off the main school. Natural Science was being held in the greenhouse much of the time, though they would occasionally range out and learn about the plants and animals that came out for an Armorican autumn.

Elementary Magic was being held on the lawn for the last time. The grass was crisp with frost as they sat down in their assigned formation.

Corentin walked back and forth through the middle row, seemingly lost in thought. He carefully looked over each student as if evaluating their place. Several times he moved his hands, imagining what the ramifications would be if he changed things. Finally he walked to the front, sighed, and turned back to the class.

“From now on there will only be two sections, front and back. Close this gap in the middle here.”

He then moved individual students around, moving one or two from front to back or vice-versa. He motioned to Maddie and pointed her to a spot next to Cleo. As Maddie shuffled over the blanket to her friend, Cleo put her hand on Maddie's.

“Today we will begin something different. We will be having examinations, something my colleagues have said I should have been doing for months. But I like to give my first-year students a break. Unfortunately, I think that time has come to an end.”

Maddie felt her heart sink. They had been through exams in other subjects, including the other ones taught by Corentin. They were usually asked to stand before the class and recite something they'd learned and be prepared to answer questions. While Elementary Magic followed a different format, Maddie was sure it would be the same.

“Since magic is a unique discipline, examinations will be tailored to each student's particular talents. This examination will be difficult to fail. And since you will each be tested in your own way, do not judge yourselves based on your peers.” He looked straight at Maddie as he said that, and she knew that his assured

assurance was meant for her.

The exams started with the students who had the most basic abilities: the single elementalists. They were usually asked to manifest some of their particular element. One of the water mages was asked to describe how to draw water from the environment and then to demonstrate it by drying the grass and forming the water into a globe. Gaius had to manifest a ball of light and cause it to pulse and display different colors. He then had to answer questions about the relationship between fire and light.

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Cleo’s evaluation looked almost like a study in telekinesis. She was tasked with lifting into the air various small items that Corentin pulled out of his overcoat. He pushed his luck when he asked her to juggle them.

“If I don't know how to juggle with my hands, I can't be expected to juggle using magic alone,” she answered with all the Ptolemeyan haughtiness she could muster. Maddie and Gaius hid giggles at their friend's uncharacteristic response. Corentin ordered her to learn to juggle before her next exam, then burst into laughter.

By this time Maddie's worry had turned into confusion. Surely she was going to be asked to do something, but what? Corentin knew both her abilities and the stakes if she tried to demonstrate any magic. Didn't he?

He did. Maddie had the most grueling exam of all. She had to recite nearly everything she had learned about the theories behind magic, its various forms, and then answer a series of questions from both Corentin and the other students about the more esoteric things they had learned.

The most bizarre and obscure question came from Cleo. Maddie had to wrack her brain to even understand the full meaning of the question, nonetheless its answer. But then she felt the knowledge blossom within her and she answered not only the first question, but several follow-ups. When she sat back down next to her friend, Cleo reached over and gave her a tight squeeze.

“That was amazing. Well done,” she whispered.

Exams continued throughout the week. Every day Corentin had them meet in a new location and take a new type of test. Sometimes it was magical lore, other times they merely had to stand and stare into their teacher's eyes. No student performed the same test as another and none performed the same type twice.

They were meeting in the astronomy tower when Corentin asked Maddie to stand and look at him. She had a feeling she knew what was coming next, since it looked just like her private sessions. She wasn't far off, but instead of directing her to focus on her magic, he did it himself.

She felt the core of magic inside her come to life, felt it start to swirl and give off smokelike wisps. With nasty yanking feeling, she felt it surge and unravel. Inside the smoke was a tight black ball that sat there in the center of her soul. The darkness seemed to pulse, shrinking and enlarging. Then, like a letting out of breath, it dissipated.

Maddie let out a huge breath, but then staggered back from the pure power of her magic. It hadn't disappeared into nothingness, it had filled her body, mind, and soul.

She saw the look of surprise on Corentin's face. He knew. He knew about her shadow magic, and now he would lock her up, or whatever they did to potential Shadow Walkers.

She stumbled back then turned and fled