Necromancer's Legacy

I let out a breath of relief and set my pen down. That wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared it would be. I glanced around the auditorium at the other students taking the same Calculus exam. There was already a few finished exams on Professor Redding's table down in the front of the room. I was always afraid of being the first one finished. It usually was a bad sign for my grades.   I checked to make sure my name was on my exam, and stood gathering my things before heading down the stairs to turn in my final. "Have a good holiday, Mr. Stanwood," Professor Redding said as I added my papers to the stack. He looked up at me over the nearly destroyed copy of a romance novel. It was the same one he'd read during all of our exams this semester. "You too, Professor. See you next year." He arched an eyebrow up at me, and returned to his book as I left. My roommate was waiting for me out in the hallway. John was a tall lanky kid and always

My father's study was too small to hold all of the adults and the 'kids', so they'd moved to the living room. Avery released my hand before turning the corner, as if she were afraid of their judgment. I couldn't blame her. The Families tended to look down on interfering with each other's affairs, and unmarried relations even more so. Arranged marriages were a completely different story, though, since they were a way to ensure that children continued to be born with necromantic talent. The Heads of the Families had to keep meticulous genealogy records to make sure we kept enough distance between the Families lines, and enough fresh blood to keep our Families strong. Avery left my side to go stand by her mother and sister, who sat on the far couch with my mother. My father stood near the fireplace mantle with my older brother, Liam, and Lyssa, the Head of the Amerson family, only a short step behind him. "Ezra," Nathan said, his voice flat and cold. He stood on the opp

I went back up to my room, climbing the stairs as quickly as I could without dislodging Poe from my shoulder and found my father waiting for me. "Shut the door. We need to talk," he said from his seat on the end of my bed, his tone of voice that quiet harshness that parents get when before they really lay into you. I dropped my bag and did as he asked, already dreading whatever it was he wanted to talk about. Poe let out a soft call, rustling his wings as I transfered him gently to his perch by my desk. "Ezra, come sit down." I picked up my bag instead, setting it on my desk and unzipping it open. "I'd rather go ahead and unpack," I said, tossing a bundle of dirty laundry into my hamper. "I might not get a chance to later." "Erza, you can't go through with this. You can't take the test." The desperation in my father's voice made me turn around to look at him. "Why not? Because I don't have Talent?" I felt anger boil up in me all over a

My heart pounded in my ears as my eyes fought to see anything in the darkness. What was supposed to happen next? I turned in a circle, feeling as if the darkness was closing in on me. Poe shifted on my shoulder again, letting out a soft caw."Hello?" I called out. My previous thought of the test not trigging came flying back to my mind. I'm Talentless, I'm not even technically a Stanwood. What if I wasn't supposed to be here?I tried to slow my hectic breathing as the blackness around me closed in. If I couldn't take the test, the door to the vault wouldn't open until it was time for the next test, or the next member in my family died.I spun around, trying to feel around for anything, a wall, the door.Pain shattered my panic, forcing me to concentrate on the sharp, sudden bite on my earlobe. Poe squawked loudly.Reaching up, I felt for his feathers, gently laying a hand on him. "Thanks partner." Poe had cleared my mind enough for logic to take ov

I followed Poe through the door. The heat hit me immediately. I strained to see the tops of the trees that stood like giants around me. I was in a jungle, but where?Poe was perched on a bush not far to my left. His dark feathers standing out like a thorn against its bright flowers."There you are!"I whipped around to see a girl, tiny and delicate, stepping out of the undergrowth with a spear. She wore a wrap of bright orange, like a monk's almost. But even though the color was vibrant, her expression of suppressed fear and urgency was what really startled me."You're talking to me?" I asked her looking around.She nodded. "Come, my people need you." She motioned for me to follow her, and even took my hand when I hesitated, dragging me forward. "Come, Come!"I followed her as she ran barefoot through the jungle, barely able to keep up with her. Poe glided over us, never too far from my sight. We came around a large root of the tree on a hil