Mark of Four Read online

  “Just Fire-Breathing now,” she whispered. “Then I really will be a Quadriweave.”

  Her legs still shook from the adrenaline. She abruptly sat down on the ground, curling her knees in front of her, and dragged in deep calming breaths, closing her eyes and counting to ten.

  The chute door burst open, and Marysa ran gasping onto the steps, followed by Professor Grace and Professor Manders.

  “What—how?” Marysa ran to Alayne and grabbed her shoulders. “How are you still alive?” She threw her arms around Alayne, buried her frizzy black hair into her friend’s neck, and sobbed.

  Professor Grace fluttered around Alayne as if searching for something to fix, thoroughly bewildered at finding nothing. Professor Manders stood gravely behind Marysa. “Why don’t you tell us what happened, Alayne?” His gray eyes held her gaze.

  “I—I guess someone must have seen me fall and bent the elements to get me to stop. I went right by the dormitory windows on my way down.”

  Professor Manders crossed his arms and tapped his fingers against his sleeves. “That would have been almost impossible, Alayne. Even if a student had seen you falling, most of the Clayborne students haven’t the skill to have stopped you before you landed. One or two might have done it if they’d had enough preparation time, but they wouldn’t have had, would they?”

  “A professor must have seen me, sir. I—I guess.”

  Professor Grace had finally decided that Alayne wasn’t broken anywhere, and she stood back, pressing her hand over her heart. “Oh, dear goodness, girl, you gave us a fright. What were you doing up on the shuttle platform anyway?”

  Alayne fingered the end of her braid. “Nothing. I just wanted a quiet place to think.”

  “Well, next time, find an empty classroom or go back to your dormitory. There have never been official rules about students on the platform, but I think it’s time we made some.” She waved toward the door. “Let’s get inside. It’s freezing out here.”

  Alayne glanced once more at Professor Manders. His eyes were still narrowed, and Alayne knew he hadn’t bought her explanation. She sighed and nudged Marysa. “Let’s go back to the dorm room. I’m tired.”

  As they entered the doors, Professor Manders touched Alayne’s shoulder. “Chairman Dorner will want to speak with you. Why don’t you come to his office in another couple of hours? Get some rest first.”

  Alayne smothered a sigh. “Yes, sir.”

  The four of them stepped into the chute and flew upward. The girls got off at the common room. “Who do you think it was?” Marysa asked as she led the way toward the girls’ side.

  “Who do I think what was?” Alayne nibbled a corner of her thumb nail, already worrying about her meeting with the Chairman.

  “The one who stopped you. It would have had to have been an Air-Master. Do you think Jayme saw you? It could have been anyone, I suppose, though Jayme’s saved you before. Daymon’s an Air-Master, too. Maybe he’s the one who did it.” Marysa grinned.

  Alayne snorted. “Yeah, you know me and Daymon. Best buds, that’s us.”

  “Well, nearly a quarter of the school are Air-Masters, so it could really have been almost anyone, I guess, but probably an upperclassman or a professor, ‘cause Professor Manders seemed to think it would have taken some skill to slow you down, especially in the surprise of the moment.”

  Alayne could feel a headache coming on. The girls were almost at the top of the eighteenth flight of stairs. “Mary, I’m going to sleep for a while now. I’m not feeling too well. So you don’t need to stay and keep me company.”

  Marysa’s face changed instantly to worry. “Is there anything I can bring you, Layne? Oh, I know, I’ll go get a cup of hot soup from the commissary. Don’t worry, you get your rest. I won’t let anyone disturb you.”

  Alayne entered the dorm room she shared with Marysa. “Thanks, Marysa. You’ve got a heart of gold.” She pulled the covers back and slid her feet into her cold sheets.

  Marysa pulled the covers over her and tucked the blanket tight all around her body. “My mom used to do that when I was sick. Always made me feel safe and warm. Or maybe that was just the fever talking, who knows.” She grinned. “I’ll be back soon.” She hurried out the door.

  Alayne allowed her lids to drift closed, welcoming the numbing veil of sleep as it swept over the raw hurt that still leaked through her mind as a result of Jayme’s harsh words.

  * * *

  Alayne jerked awake as she felt a presence beside her.

  “Shh.” A cup of soup sat on Alayne’s bedstand. Marysa sat in a chair next to it. “I brought you soup. It’s cold now, but I’ll reheat it.”

  “How long have I been asleep?”

  “A couple of hours.”

  Alayne sat up and whipped the covers back. “I’m supposed to go see the Chairman.”

  Marysa nodded. “Yes, he knows you’re coming. I saw him in the chute when I went to get your soup. He said to take your time and to come when you’re ready.”

  “Oh.” Alayne rubbed her gritty eyes.

  “Are you okay, Layne?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Marysa shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “I wondered about you and—and Jayme. About what happened when you got back from Motion-Stop class.”

  Shards of pain sliced through Alayne’s brain as she remembered their fight. “I’m okay,” she lied. “He’s okay. There’s nothing to get upset about.”

  “And yet you are upset.” Marysa’s gaze followed the tear that trickled down Alayne’s nose. Alayne sniffed and rubbed her sleeve across her face.

  “Um, no, my eyes are watering from my headache. I need to go get something from the nurse. Thanks for the soup. I’ll eat it later.” She climbed out of bed.

  Marysa’s knowing gaze followed Alayne as she turned for the door and let herself out.

  Alayne jogged down the corridor to the steps and jumped down the flights of stairs. Her headache was nothing more than a mere twinge, but she needed an excuse to get away from Marysa’s probing questions.

  As soon as she got to the common room, Kyle hurried toward her from where he waited by the chute. “I’ve been worried, Alayne. Marysa told us what happened, and so now, of course, the whole school knows. Are you okay?”

  Alayne glanced around. An awful lot of people did seem to be looking in her direction. She turned back to Kyle and nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. No bumps, no bruises. Everything’s grand.”

  “Do you know who it was who saved you?”

  Alayne shook her head. “No, it must have been one of the upperclassmen.” The lie came easier now that she’d told it already once or twice. “Professor Manders said it would have taken someone who really knows their element to be able to stop me in time.”

  “I bet it was a professor. The classrooms all have windows, too; what side of the spire did you fall from?”

  “The east side.”

  “Hm.” Kyle cocked an eyebrow. “That could have been Sprynge, Grace, Manders, or the Chairman. Or if any of the other professors happened to be visiting a classroom.”

  “Well, that narrows it down so nicely.”

  Kyle grinned. “Okay, so it could have been anyone. Wish we knew.”

  Alayne nodded and glanced back at the common room. Her stomach dropped to her toes. Jayme stood in the doorway of the boys’ dormitories, watching her with a bitter twist on his lips. Alayne lowered her gaze.

  “Hey, well, I need to get going.”

  Kyle shoved his hands in his pockets. “Okay, well, see you later, I guess.” He shuffled toward the couches. Alayne entered the chute and pressed the button for the main office.

  As the car dropped her, Alayne wondered how much she should tell Dorner. Maybe he already knew everything, and she wouldn’t have to decide whether or not she should tell him. She shrugged mentally, frustrated by the secrets she felt she needed to keep.

  When she entered the receptionist’s office, Tarry was nowhere to be seen.

  “Hello
?” Alayne spoke in the quiet room.

  The door in the wall behind Tarry’s desk opened. “Alayne?” Chairman Dorner’s head popped out. “Welcome. Why don’t you come on in here? Tarry’s running an errand for me.”

  Alayne nodded and circled Tarry’s desk, entering the Chairman’s office behind him.

  He motioned to a chair in front of his massive desk. “Why don’t you have a seat?”

  I wonder what he’d do if I said, no, thanks? Alayne didn’t, however. She sat obediently.

  Dorner walked around to his office chair and sank into it, linking his fingers together in his lap and facing Alayne.

  “I heard about your fall, Alayne. I’m glad to see you’re all right.”

  “Thank you, sir. I’m glad to be all right.”

  Dorner propped his elbows on his desk and steepled his fingers together. “I’ve been wanting to ask you, Alayne, how you’re coming along with your Quadriweave abilities? Have you been able to utilize them at all yet?”

  Alayne shifted uncomfortably. She opened her mouth to tell him the truth, but the words that came out surprised her. “Not much.”

  Fear inherited from her mother ate at her innards. Wynn couldn’t trust anyone, and neither could she. Her spine crinkled as she stared at Dorner’s corn silk comb-over, his questioning pale blue eyes. No shadows shaded their color, but still, how could she know? How could she ever know?

  Inwardly, she writhed over another lie. She hated dishonesty, but fear of the unknown, and of a million terrifying scenarios, played in her mind.

  So she sealed her lips.

  “Your fall,” the Chairman continued. “Would you have had anything to do with stopping your own fall?”

  “Professor Manders suggested that perhaps someone saw me through the dormitory windows, sir.”

  The Chairman was silent as he studied her carefully. A minute passed, then two. Alayne forced herself not to squirm under his gaze.

  Dorner pressed his lips together, tapping them with his fingers. “It’s been several months now since you’ve been tested, Alayne. Perhaps we should set up a reevaluation to make sure there has been no mistake.”

  “Is that really necessary, sir? I’m a Water-Wielder; can’t we just leave it at that?”

  Dorner’s brows raised. “Don’t you want to know the truth?”

  “I know the truth, sir. You say I have the potential to be a Quadriweave. But my first element is Water-Wielding, so why don’t I just focus on that talent until such a time as any other talent makes itself known?”

  Dorner pursed his lips as he leveled his gaze at her. “Okay, Alayne, we can wait if that’s what you want. But if this entire year passes without your other talents showing up, I would like you to be reevaluated by early summer.”

  Alayne nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  Dorner swiveled his chair and gazed out the huge window behind him across the gray winter landscape. “I’m interested, Alayne, not only because you’re a student at Clayborne with an unusual gift, but also because I’ve just received word that some members of the Elemental Alliance have managed to get themselves elected to the bench in the High Court. Shadow-Casters seem to go hand-in-glove with members of the Elemental Alliance.” He sighed deeply, shaking his head. “We’ve tried to keep your records secret, Alayne, but you were tested in Skyden at a City Testing Centre, and it’s likely that the Shadow-Casters will be looking for rising stars on the Elemental scene. And Elementals in positions of power will have ways to access information that most can’t.”

  “But surely there are safeguards in place?”

  Dorner turned back to her and smiled reassuringly. “Of course, there are safeguards. Even though Shadow-Casters can make a person do what they want them to do, they are unable to read minds. So even if they Shadow-Cast someone at the testing facilities, they won’t be able to read passwords, because the passwords are always verbally given and memorized. It would take some doing for the Shadow-Casters first to access the files, and then, since you were originally filed under Water-Wielders, you wouldn’t immediately draw attention. The secret files, where your Quadriweave data is stored, have even more safeguards.”

  Alayne breathed a sigh of relief. “So there’s not much danger then?”

  “Not much danger?” Surprise mixed with consternation in the Chairman’s voice. He leaned forward. “I don’t want to alarm you, Alayne, but I do want you to take the utmost care with your secret. They are out there now—Simeon Malachi and his followers, and Malachi has made his goal clear. He wants the Vale, and only someone who possesses the Vale would be able to challenge you, Alayne. A wielder of the Vale would be able to confront you element by element. Anyone else is at a disadvantage. So that’s why it’s so important for me to know when you get a handle on all four elements.” He tapped his fingers on his desk. After a long moment, he spoke again. “How much do you know about Simeon Malachi?”

  A shiver crawled up Alayne’s spine. “Just that he is a notorious Shadow-Caster, sir, and I saw the footage of what he did at the High Court before I came to school.”

  “As I’m sure you are aware, Alayne, his lifelong goal has been ultimate power. He was well on his way during the outbreak of Shadow-Casting four years ago, but just because he’d been sitting in a prison cell since his arrest doesn’t mean that he’s by any means shed his ambitions. His attempt to Shadow-Cast the entire bench of Justices made that very clear. He’s been outspoken about his unquenchable desire to possess the Vale.” Dorner’s eyes pinned Alayne to the chair. Alayne squirmed under the questions she could see hovering in their depths.

  “Alayne, please,” he begged, leaning forward in his chair, “keep your talents to yourself.” He paused. “If you do find your other talents manifesting themselves, don’t let anyone else know. At least not yet.”

  “Yes, sir.” Alayne bit her lip, fearing that he knew, or at least suspected, the truth.

  * * *

  Exams loomed closer and closer as Christmas drew near. An ever-present ball of tension tightened Alayne’s stomach. It affected her appetite and her mood. Marysa eyed her with concern as Alayne picked at the fried Brussels sprouts on her plate.

  “I get why you don’t like those things, Alayne, but you should at least stop teasing them. Poor things are probably drawing numbers to see which one gets speared first.”

  Alayne tossed her fork down with a sigh. “It’s no good, Marysa. I wish I knew what was going to be on the exams.”

  “You’ll be fine. Me, yeah, I’m scared to death, too, ‘cause just think what would happen if I was the only one in the whole family to flunk out of Clayborne? I’d never live it down at home. But your parents wouldn’t compare you to your perfect older brother who just accepted a job as a lay-barrister in the High Court.”

  Alayne shook her head. “You’re right, of course. I’m worrying for nothing, and it’s getting me nowhere. All it’s doing is making me fall asleep in class because I’m losing sleep at night, and I don’t want another scolding from Manders.”

  Marysa opened her mouth to answer, but at that moment, the MIUs switched on, and six images of Chairman Dorner hovered across the commissary.

  “Good morning, students. I have a special announcement today. We are collecting signatures for any interested students who would like to participate in our annual field trip to Cliffsides. Sign-up sheets are hanging at the back of the commissary and in the common room. Only fifteen slots this year, so the volunteers will be selected at random from the names on the sign-up sheet.”

  Alayne leaned toward Marysa as the Chairman continued. “What’s Cliffsides?” she asked.

  Marysa rolled her eyes. “You remember, I told you a while back. It’s that field trip they take every year south of here. There’s nothing there—cliffs and ocean. All three of my brothers went, and all three of them wished they hadn’t wasted their time. Supposedly, it’s a good spot to find your element—lots of all four kinds what with the ocean and the nearly constant thunderstorms and everything.
Me, I’d rather enjoy a warm evening by the fire in the common room.”

  Alayne deliberated. She could sign up—she might even find her fourth element there. But as she glanced back at the rest of the commissary, Dorner had just blinked out of the hologram, and a line of students already stood, waiting to sign up on the holographic sheet.

  Jayme signed his signature with a flourish, shooting a dark-eyed glance at Alayne as he went to sit with his friends.

  Alayne picked up her fork and resumed shoving her Brussels sprouts across her plate. Never mind. If Jayme was going, she certainly didn’t need to go breathe the same air as him.

  * * *

  Alayne studied hard, practicing Water-Wielding in her dorm room and finding lonely places in the spire or outside in the surrounding fields to practice Earth-Moving or Air-Mastering. She was getting more proficient at these skills. She was working on mixing and matching some of her talents, and she accidentally created a swamp under one of the main support cylinders that held the spire in place. As soon as she felt the huge structure shift, she realized her mistake and sent the water flying out of the earth so fast, it looked like a mini-tidal wave.

  Another time she tried to create an ice stairway that went up and over a tree. Each stair was separate from the others, and hovered in the air at exact lengths apart. Using all her concentration, she began to walk up the steps toward the summit, but the cry of a buzzard startled her, and the steps came crashing down. She landed with a thump amid sharp ice shards, but the only wounds she received were punctured pride and flushed embarrassment. She thanked the stars above that no one had seen her accident. Much as she hated to admit it, she took pride in how successful she was at bending the elements, and such a massive failure would have been humiliating.

  Jayme no longer ate lunch with Alayne and Marysa, and the classes they had together had turned into awkward torture for Alayne; Jayme was required to keep his seat, so he sat next to her, but he completely ignored her existence. She tried to talk to him once or twice, only to be greeted with stony silence.