Birthright

Chapter Twenty Five

Thousands of excited teens leaned over to whisper to their neighbors. Those ice circles Jordan hated zoomed down to the front rows of the amphitheater and came up with three students who looked like they were going to be sick. The first circle moved to the stage and a very ordinary looking boy in a coat stepped off. The boy had blue eyes and brown hair. Eliten and Undala? 

“Zachary Aaba,” Bertrand bellowed over the silent crowd. 

There was a popping sound and from his coat Bertrand withdrew a round, black object the size of a bowling ball. It floated in midair and there was a hushed silence as everyone watched. With bated breath, they all strained forward as Zachary extended a hand and touched the Gem. Zachary let out a grunt. His eyes flew open as wide as they could go. The Gem began to sparkle with an explosion of colors. For five minutes, nothing happened. Zachary Aaba’s hand seemed glued to the Gem, which swirled with neon and then pastel colors. Bertrand reached out a hand and placed his hand on the Gem, on the opposite side from the boy’s. 

“Winby’s Art Academy,” Bertrand said, voice magnified to reach every person present. 

Cherry stood and cheered with the rest of the students. Zachary Aaba looked relieved, but shaken as he walked off the stage. Next went Mary Abe, a girl with flowing blonde hair and green eyes. Her time with the Gem was a lot shorter than Zachary’s. Bertrand announced that she would attend Pampy’s Plant Academy. 

Jordan watched the teens on stage as they grimaced, jumped or gasped when their hand made contact with the Gem. Was it pain? Shock? When the teen’s school was announced some looked ecstatic, others dumbfounded and then there were those who looked devastated. Very few maintained a stoic demeanor. 

Jordan listened closely to the names of the schools. Each one started with what must be the founder, the specialty of the school and then the word Academy. Some of the Academies were specific such as, Percival’s Healing Academy, but then there was Drake’s Fire Academy. Jordan frowned in confusion when a loud murmur of admiration went up for Patty Bar when she was accepted into Brandy’s Binding Academy. Binding? Everyone expected Jordan to get into The Academy. Were they missing a word? How could they be so sure where she would go when a Darsana boy was put into Landon’s Baking Academy? There were so many Academies that before long Jordan lost track. Some of the teens were on stage for fifteen minutes or more. People from the main stands came and went, getting drinks and popcorn as if they were watching a movie. 

In one of the groups waiting to be Declared, Jordan noticed the boy that came in late. Bertrand announced that his name was Arthur Cole and then looked him up and down disapprovingly. Were those paint stains on his pants?

Cherry leaned forward to catch Jordan’s attention. “He’s cute. He looks like an artist. I hope he gets into Winby’s Art Academy with me.”

Arthur Cole’s face was unreadable as he looked at Bertrand and then the Gem. When he didn’t reach out to make contact, whispers broke out and several guys catcalled. A look from Bertrand silenced them instantly. 

“Don’t hold your breath. He lives with an aunt in Autumis who owns a junk shop,” Giles said loudly.

Arthur didn’t seem to care that everyone shifted restlessly, wanting him to get on with his fate, to be Declared already. Bertrand leaned over the Gem and said something that made Arthur snap out of his reverie. Arthur placed his hand on the Gem and jerked his hand away, scowling and shaking his hand as if it had been zapped. Bertrand gestured to the Gem, clearly telling Arthur to put his hand back on it. Arthur crossed his arms and shook his head and pointed accusingly at the Gem. Bertrand placed his hand on the Gem. 

“The Academy!” Bertrand said. 

Arthur’s face went ghost white. ‘Are you sure?’ Arthur mouthed and Bertrand nodded. There was a stunned silence from the crowd and then Arthur received the biggest applause yet. Cherry burst from her seat, screaming his name. On stage, Arthur shook his head at Bertrand who shrugged and pushed him towards the circle that would take him back to his seat. Guy Cornell shot Arthur an envious look before he was Declared into Yuk’s Herbal Academy.