The moment she and Erica disappeared beyond the tarp, a tension held the group in its grasp. Bertrand's head cocked a little as he watched us. The first time meeting Mrs. Kingsley and Bertrand had been intimidating. Especially because Bertrand looked like he could pick a hole into your stomach. But after seeing him for two consecutive years, I'd gotten used to him. Unfortunately, so had the rest of the class. It hadn't taken long before the first round of whispers started. Soon the room was filled with a low buzz of excited whispers and people were either proclaiming they already knew what their cores were, or betting with one another about who would have what core and whether or not there would be someone with three cores or potentials instead of the usual two. It wasn't unheard of, but it was rare.

I sighed and slumped against the tarp behind me. I didn't have someone to talk to anyway and the droning whispers weren't interesting. I'd done my guessing this morning. I wouldn't even be here if the school didn't have such a strict policy about this test. If they'd simply done it the day I'd turned fourteen, I wouldn't have to sit and wait. Only because in the past some students had started with magic before their proper classes - and blown up themselves and part of the school - had the school decided to test all students before the ritual of Summoning. Perhaps not too bad of an idea. I wasn't certain I wouldn't have tried magic on a few people here if I'd known my cores.

Emilie soon returned, smiling proudly and returning to her friends. The next person went out with Mrs. Kingsley, who once again reminded us to not raise our voices too much. Bertrand croaked as a reminder. The conversation topics quickly shifted and most people focussed on Emilie and soon the others who returned from the test. All curious what they had and if they were happy with it.

"Psst. Grey."

Oh no. I pressed myself harder into the tarp, pointedly looking at the flap where Mrs. Kingsley had disappeared into and trying to ignore the incessant whisper of one person in particular. Suddenly the intricate colours of the tarp seemed far more interesting than anything else in this tent. The person in question tried again, this time a little louder. Still I ignored them. I wasn't going to rise to the bait today. Not today.

"I know you can hear me," their voice continued in that stupid familiar sing-song way. "I just want to ask you something."

I said I wouldn't rise to the bait. I said I wouldn't. And yet, I was curious. Whatever could be important enough for her to ask me? If it was another dig at my sacrifice, I might reconsider putting her up as mine instead. I balled my hands. She kept trying to get my attention. I tried to tune her out. I tried to listen in to another conversation. Yet every time I tried, her high pitched voice would snap me out of it. Finally I turned my head to Judith when she once again hissed my name.

"What?" I snarled.

A wicked grin formed once again on her lips. Next and behind her, her friends were mirroring the smile. I already regretted reacting.

"Why do you bother taking the test?"

I squeezed my eyes. "Aside it from being mandatory? Why are you asking?"

She flipped her blonde hair behind her shoulder, a very useless gesture if you asked me. Her hair soon fell back in place next to her face. It did irk me that she was making me wait for her answer. And the worst part of it, she knew it did.

"Because it's not like you'll be using it anyway. Did you tell your parents goodbye?"

I pressed my nails deeper into my hand. I didn't like what she was insinuating.

"Why would I do that?" I said, my voice growing a tad louder.

Her smile widened, showing a bit of teeth. She looked almost bored at her nails. A sure sign of her thinking she was going to win this argument.

"Because we all know you won't be Summoning anything. You might have had a chance if your sacrifice had been something more... valuable. But now, I'm afraid this will be your last day."

What happened next would be a testament as to why it was a good thing I didn't know how to properly cast yet. Because my mind turned off. She'd been harassing me the moment she laid her eyes on me. She'd been taunting and if she so desperately wanted me to bite, than I would do so literally. I slammed my hands on the ground and got up, knocking Richard – who’d been sitting next to me – over in the process. Bertrand immediately reacted. He cawed loudly and flew up to stand between me and Judith. Judith who at first looked surprised, now returned to that arrogant little grin of hers. I would have done anything to wipe it from her face. However Bertrand's intervention made me pause. It was long enough to feel my anger drop again to the ever present simmer. He looked at me with one eye and cawed again. I balled my fists and glared once more at Judith.

"I am going to make you regret saying those words. Once I summon something better than you ever could you will apologize to me. Publicly," I said, the words but a hissed whisper, but loud enough now that the classroom had gone silent.

"Ms. Grey. You may take your place again,"

I jumped a little. Judith would have laughed at it if Mrs. Kingsley wasn't glaring us down. I felt my cheeks burning hot as I scrambled to get back to my place. Nora, who'd just returned from the test, silently sat herself next to me. I ignored the gesture and only stared at the ground, regretting that I'd once again got baited by Judith. I expected a lecture. It wouldn't be the first time. Instead Mrs. Kingsley sighed and nodded at Bertrand, who returned to the desk.

"Judith Fox, come along."

Judith got up and walked to the door. When she passed me, we looked at one another. There was this small smile where one side of her mouth curled up into a smile. Her eyes were hard and twinkling merrily. I only stared her down until she left the tent. Mrs. Kingsley looked at me shortly and I swear it was pity that crossed her features.

The door closed and carefully the whispers started again. I could pick up a few of them that were about what just transpired. Some called me pathetic to resort to physical violence because of some words. Others said they'd wished Bertrand hadn't been as quick as he'd been. But most were ridiculing my words. And why would they not? It wasn't like anyone expected me to summon more than a bug. But a bug was still better than nothing. I was no servant of the Nether. I would Summon and proof I belonged in the light. And by the gods, I swore I would summon something great. If I had to sacrifice body parts for it along with Mousey, I would do so.

“Too bad you didn’t manage to get a hit in.”

I raised an eyebrow and looked behind me, at Richard who was still nursing a painful cheek. He offered me a grin.

“I mean, if you getting up already hurts, I can’t imagine what she would have looked like if you’d gotten a punch in,” he said.

I snorted. I had little to no weight or presence. I doubted I would have hurt her bad enough to feel good about it. Still, his attempt at humouring me brought a smile to my face.

“Yeah, well.. Sorry anyway.”

He shrugged and finally stopped rubbing his cheek. His brown hair was still a bit tussled, but the smile he flashed me seemed genuine.

“Don’t worry about it. Still got all my teeth. I’d give you one of them if you can knock one of hers out though. She’s been on that high horse for far too long.”

I grinned. “No fan of her?”

He frowned.

“I’m lucky I’m in a class with you this year. Last year I was her target during classes. I can’t imagine how you haven’t exploded until now.”

My humour dropped. It was one thing knowing the kids who would normally be bullied would be happy to share a class with me. It was another to hear it directly. I shrugged, bitterly staring back at the tarp where Judith and our teach had disappeared into.

“Call it my one talent,” I said, the bitterness tainting my words.

A silence fell between us. Mostly uncomfortable, but I wasn’t going to mention anything. It was not his fault that my family was an easy target for bullying. I just preferred it if no one mentioned it. It made it all just a tad more bearable. Just be honest. The moment people admitted that they knew, they also admitted they weren’t willing to help.

"So ...What cores do you think you'll have?"

I looked up, surprised. Nora looked at me, a tad uncomfortable leaning against the tarp. Her friends, Emilie and Kim had joined us without my noticing and only now did I realise she was pulling us into their conversation.

“Probably metal and water for me, like my parents,” Richard said, sounding only a tad too happy to break our silence. I saw him look at me. I opened and closed my mouth a few times before turning back to Nora, trying to form the words to answer her.

"I...uh. I hope fire and earth," I said, scratching the back of my head.

Emilie chuckled. "I wouldn't be surprised if you'd have fire no," she said. "But that would be cool. Then you'd have the same cores as I. Maybe we can both apprentice in the jewel crafting guild Moondew?"

I blinked surprised. Not only had I never considered the guild in Archlon, but I'd never had such a long conversation with Emilie, or the other two. Our conversations had usually been about what the homework was and we'd sometimes exchange our homework when someone had forgotten to do it. The invite was rather surprising. I smiled carefully.

"I'll consider it. I just have to wait until she comes back to test myself."

Nora clacked her tongue. "I'd covered for you if you'd managed to deck her. She's been prancing along for far too long like that."

"Yeah, no wonder you exploded. I would have done so a long time ago if I'd been you," Kim added.

“That’s what I told her!” Richard said, sounding a tad too excited.

I raised an eyebrow. Kim had been more of a background type and rarely spoke up. Richard was about as spindly as I was. The thought of them getting angry seemed almost impossible. "You?" I said, ignoring Richard this time.

A shy smile formed. "Well, even I have a limit to my patience," she said.

I chuckled. The others joined in shortly when the tarp moved again. Judith came in, strutting like a rooster. She found my gaze and once again flipped her hair behind her shoulder.

"Lightning and water as cores, ice and air as my potentials," she proudly announced.

Her friends gave her a small applause. I rolled my eyes and joined in, only clapping incredibly slow. That seemed to irk her and I smiled as she glared at me. I knew why she announced it. She had a lightning core. Just like her sister. And would probably also be able to use it without any problems. She just said it to bait me again. I guess I had to thank Nora, her friends and Richard for getting my mind from her bullying long enough for me to once again endure.

"Yes, Ms. Fox. It is not an accomplishment you need to announce. Please take your seat and quiet down please," Mrs. Kingsley said.

One of the things I liked about Mrs. Kingsley was that she was terrible in hiding her thoughts. Her irritation and exasperation rang clearly in her voice. Even Bertrand seemed to share her emotions, as he too crowed loudly until Judith actually started to move to her friends and retook her position on the floor. I only now noticed she was sitting on a cloth. I rolled my eyes at the obvious decadence.

"Zephyra Grey, please join me."