Pax turned back to Jules and found her in excited conversation with the others in the room. She looked stunned and thrilled at the same time. Even Magesecond Fenix and the managers gave her happy congratulations on her Awakening and new class.

  The room filled with an enthusiasm that told Pax they all understood exactly what they’d achieved today. Incedis was the only quiet one, staring at Jules with a bemused look on his face as his head shook back and forth with tiny movements. Eldan was almost cackling with glee. She hit Incedis’ shoulder and said something to him Pax couldn’t hear over the noise. He didn’t respond, still looking stunned.

  Pax couldn’t get past her claim to have earth mana. He really wanted to take another look inside her. How could she already have her element? He hesitated and gave her a few minutes to enjoy the celebration before he subjected her to another intrusion.

  While he waited, Pax reviewed what he’d seen at the end of the awakening process. He hadn’t noticed a collection of earth mana. But then again, that final event had overwhelmed his mana senses.

  Afterward, he’d focused on pulling his mana out safely and making sure the other four did the same. She could easily have had some earth mana, and he just hadn’t noticed. Not to mention he’d probably have conflated it with Dahni’s, even if he’d seen it.

  Jules finally noticed him quietly watching her and turned with a huge smile on her face. The others quieted down and stepped back to give her space. This time, she didn’t hug Pax, but he could see her entire body vibrating with excitement.

  “I can’t believe I’m a mage and have earth mana like Dahni.” She shot a grin toward Dahni. Then her gaze traveled down to Neptid with an interested expression.

  “You’re not disappointed you’re not a warrior?” Pax wanted to get that out of the way first.

  She looked back up at him, hesitated and then shook her head. “Honestly, getting to choose a class, any class, is crazy. While I kept asking for warrior, that was just me hoping for the best. Honestly, I assumed I’d end up a worker. I was just having a hard time preparing myself for the disappointment. You know what I mean?”

  Pax nodded, knowing exactly how life as a street rat drove home how little they could expect out of life.

  “But now I have magic.” She held up her hands, looking at them with wonder before meeting his eyes again. “So, how do I make it work?”

  “Well, that’s something else we need to figure out. Because, normally, a new mage can’t unlock their element without going through the Crucible.”

  Around him, a few intakes of breaths told Pax that he wasn’t the only one to be so caught up in the Awakening that he forgot the next step the empire forced on young mages.

  “That doesn’t sound like something very fun.” Jules’ usual skepticism was back.

  “Well, it definitely isn’t.” Pax frowned, remembering the torture chamber where four academy mages had smothered him with primary elements until he almost died.

  “That Crucible thing you explained to me is completely barbaric.” Magesecond Fenix was frowning, too. “Another reason this empire needs light mages back. We can do everything better.”

  “So, what we did really unlocked her earth element, too?” Pax asked.

  “Of course.” Magesecond Fenix was back to his disgruntled tone. “I’m sure I told you that when I explained things earlier, right?”

  “No.” Pax shook his head. He would have remembered something like that.

  Around him, the others’ glances moved between Magesecond Fenix and Pax with varying responses to what looked like the start of a confrontation.

  Fenix’s scowl deepened, and Fenix 3-one gave Pax a reproving look for questioning his mentor.

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  Pax swallowed and changed tack. “Maybe you did, and I forgot?”

  A smile appeared on Fenix 3-one’s face as he nodded.

  Solani 2-nine, however, looked at Magesecond Fenix with a censuring look. “It’s alright to be forgetful. That’s not what’s important now. How about we explain everything we know about the elemental aspects of the awakening process to this fine young mage? He did just duplicate the work of a full light mage without one to guide him, didn’t he? And succeeded on his first try.”

  Pax stifled a smile as he saw the repentant look on Magesecond Fenix’s face. He reminded himself to always stay on the good side of Solani 2-nine.

  Fenix turned to Pax. “She’s right. I’m just feeling a bit disgruntled and unsettled over all the changes. This isn’t what my creators designed me to do, you know. I had a very structured life for many generations. And then I spent forever on my own.” Fenix cleared his throat and shook his head. “You did very well with the youngling. And to explain, when a light mage awakens a new mage, the collection of mage class energy will hint at their major element. With more experience, you’ll eventually be able to predict not only their first, but also their second, element. And should you have the good fortune to stumble across a possible light mage, it will be extremely obvious.”

  “Another light mage would be amazing.” Pax couldn’t keep the excited hope out of his tone. “What do you think the chances of that are?”

  “Back in our time, it was one in about ten thousand.” Solani 4-five gave him an apologetic look as she spoke for the first time. “But I’ve never heard of one successfully awakened with one of those nasty artifacts. The process damages light mages and could even kill them if the mages using the artifact don’t know to recognize the signs and stop.”

  Amil and Rin gave Pax pointed looks. They’d been there to see what the empire’s awakening process did to him.

  “You shouldn’t have survived.” Solani 4-five gave him a grim look. “With that as the primary awakening process, it’s no wonder your empire doesn’t have light mages anymore.

  The secret hope that they’d discover someone else to help him carry his burden suddenly faded. “There’s still a chance one of the littles might be a light mage, right?”

  Solani 2-nine pursed her lips. “If you have ten thousand of them, maybe?”

  Pax nodded to show he understood before pushing the topic aside for later. There was nothing he could do about it now.

  “Dahni, do you want to take Jules under your wing and show her some of the beginning lessons you remember from the academy?”

  “What about my second element? And a companion?” Jules looked eager.

  Pax smiled at her enthusiasm and stifled a chuckle. “I’m pretty sure we need to wait a bit for the energy inside of you to settle before we attempt anything more. Dahni can take you to check with Turgan’s people who are organizing the spell scrolls and help you pick something that’ll fit well with the build you want. You’ll need to decide between fighting or support spells and a frontline or backline emphasis.”

  Jules’ eyes widened at the prospect of her first spell. “Frontline fighter,” she blurted out.

  “Well, give it some thought and talk it over with at least two people whose opinion you respect before you choose.” Pax did his best to caution her about making a choice she couldn’t undo. He suddenly understood why the academy controlled new mages so tightly. “And you’ll have a much stronger start than any of us, because you won’t have to settle for one of the default spells.”

  Magesecond Fenix cleared his throat, a mischievous glint to his eyes. “Perhaps you should tell her to learn to walk before she runs. You know, explain that she shouldn’t follow your example.”

  That got a lot of laughs while Jules just looked affronted. “But he’s the best example to follow. Look at everything he’s done.”

  More laughter followed her words, but she just got angrier. She pointed a finger at Magesecond Fenix. “Take that back. Without Pax, all of us would be dead.”

  Her heartfelt words quashed the humor in the room like a wet blanket putting out a fire.

  In the sudden silence, Magesecond Fenix aimed a contrite expression at both Jules and Pax. “I apologize. You’re right. There really isn’t much chance of a future for any of the empire without young Pax and the miracles he keeps achieving, despite the odds against him.”

  As those around him nodded in agreement, Pax felt his cheeks warm under the approving looks of his closest friends. He was just trying to figure out how best to deflect it when a tentative knock sounded on the door.

  Jules scowled and spun to the door. “I told Theo not to let anyone disturb us. He knows better. Even though we’re done with the awakening part, he doesn’t know that.” She marched toward the door. “I’ll take care of this.”

  She flung open the door to Theo’s panicked and flustered face. Pax had always seen the boy unflappable, regardless of what was going on around him. Jules hesitated, too, taken aback by his obvious distress.

  “The committee sent a messenger for you to come right away. They just received a message that the empire’s army has mobilized to leave the capital.”

  Alarm shot through Pax, followed by anger at the committee for wasting precious time they didn’t have. Around him, the celebratory mood vanished.

  “It’s time.” Incedis stepped forward and met Pax’s gaze. “Are you ready?”

  He nodded. “I’d say we need to make sure we’re ready to take on the empire and win, wouldn’t you?”

  Murmurs of agreement full of resolve echoed around him.

  “Good man.” Incedis nodded and clapped him on the shoulder before motioning toward the door. “After you.”

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