Doesn’t he understand this is what they can do for their father? That the man who raised them needs undeniable proof that the Askala he built is the way forward?
Luca shakes his head. “I won’t vote for you Sammy. I won’t be part of something that could kill the only sister I have.”
Sam huffs. Luca always tended to the dramatic—he’s never done anything in moderation. Her mind quickly subtracts the eleven tokens Luca could’ve helped her with. She can still do this. She pushes herself forward, glaring at him. “I don’t want to let our father down.”
Luca winces and Sam yanks back. “I’m…I’m sorry. I didn’t—”
“It’s okay. I know what you meant.”
But the heaviness in Luca’s tone tells Sam that her words still inflicted damage.
There’s the sound of heavy footsteps and Hawk steps through the door, his gaze sliding between Sam and Luca. “Is everything okay?”
Luca grins, his arms spreading out wide. “Everything is fabulous,” he says cheerily. “We were just discussing the voting.”
Hawk’s gaze is still jumping between the two of them. “Voting for ourselves is the right way to go this time.”
Luca goes to brush past him. “It’s a super idea. I’m sure that’s exactly what everyone’s going to do.”
Luca’s about to step through the door but he leaps back as if he almost walked into an inferno. Mercy exits, smiling broadly at him. “Thanks.”
Sam isn’t sure, but she thinks Luca’s cheeks heat. “Yeah, sure.”
Sam’s noticed Mercy has that impact on a lot of people, particularly males. She smiles, they stutter and two minutes later they’re offering to help. But Luca? Her brother found Mercy nothing but annoying when they were children, even Sam could see that.
But then everyone else is filing through, their faces tight. A few walk over to the urns, several move to the opposite side as if they want to be as far away from them as possible. A heavy silence creeps through the courtyard like smoke.
Jagger is the last to come through, and he stands in the doorway. “If you could all come inside, please. Voting must remain anonymous.”
Sam flushes, realizing that’s obvious. No one can see who votes for who. Jagger turns, and she notices he’s holding a jar. It rattles slightly as he walks back inside the building.
Everyone hesitates, like it’s a collective pause. Sam glances back at her urn, knowing that in a week’s time, it’ll be counting out her destiny. Twelve tokens, that’s all she needs. All she needs is one person to give her an extra one and she’s in the top six.
Hawk appears by her side and she instinctively leans toward him. In a blink, her mind calms and her pulse settles. Her center of gravity has realigned.
Mercy’s the first to snap into motion. She walks—more like sashays—toward the door. “Might as well get it over and done with,” she calls over her shoulder.
For some reason that galvanizes Gust into action. He leaps forward to hold the door open, even though it’s showing no signs of closing. “You’re so right, Mercy.”
Sam rolls her eyes at Hawk and his lips twitch. It’s a good thing Mercy doesn’t seem to want to pass this Proving, because she’s going to need more than that to become a Seeker.
Luca stalks through the door after them with his hands clenched and Sam wonders why the voting has got him so worked up when he doesn’t seem to be trying.
Hawk leans down. “It was only the first test, Sam. Just vote for yourself like everyone’s agreed.”
Sam squeezes his hand. Where would she be without her best friend? “You, too.”
Because there’s no doubt in her mind that Hawk will pass this Proving. There’s one word scrawled across Hawk’s heart, and that’s Seeker. It’s making sure she’s beside him that’s going to take determination.
They enter the main room of the Proving Center and stand in small groups, the odd person shuffling their feet.
Jagger looks at each one of them in turn, not smiling, but not frowning either. “As you’re aware, no one earned the bonus tokens as no fires were started. These tests are designed to find those suited to a life in the Newlands. Warmth is the first thing you’ll need, along with the ability to prepare food. Lighting a fire is an essential skill for survival.”
There’s more shuffling, some gazes sliding away. Just like Sam, everyone’s realizing these tests aren’t what they’ve spent so long preparing for. She glances around, wondering who will figure out that a change of mindset is needed, just like she has.
Jagger holds out the heavy glass jar with what looks like wooden coins inside. “I’ll call a person’s name, and you’ll take your token to the urns and vote. Choose your vote carefully, you are forming the team that will forge a new colony in the Newlands. Those who will spread the healing of Askala.”
This time, everyone stands still, as if they’ve been frozen by the weight of the choice they must now make. Twenty tokens, twenty urns, twenty votes.
At least they’re all voting for themselves. That’s fair. They all failed the first test, now they all move forward equally.
Jagger puts his hand in the jar and pulls out a token. He rubs his thumb over it then holds it up. “Sam.”
Sam jolts. She knew this was coming, but she didn’t expect to be the first. She glances at Hawk, who nods imperceptibly. Straightening her shoulders, she walks toward Jagger, taking the token from his hand.
The size of a large coin, it’s smooth in the center but etched with a strange pattern around the edge. Sam’s hand closes around it, its round shape imprinting into her palm. Jagger’s emotionless as he looks straight ahead, waiting for Sam to move on.
Stepping into the courtyard she only just left, Sam scans the area. Eremochloa ophiuroides carpets the ground in green. The timber fence encloses the space—no one can see in, no one can see out. A soft westerly pushes the hair back from her face. It’s a normal day. The courtyard that she only recently completed her Proving in.
Never knowing a second one was coming.
And now twenty urns face her. Sam steps toward them, scanning each name that’s been carved into them. Even though it was agreed she’d vote for herself, Sam considers each one. Like Jagger said, this voting is about finding the best team to head to the Newlands. She needs to make sure she remembers that.
Her gaze flickers over most of them. Alina. Her freckles only emphasize how much she frowns. Juno. Nope, too dreamy. That girl has no idea what she’s getting herself into. Sam doesn’t even glance at Gust’s or Bryan’s. They’re competing for glory, not the good Askala can do. She discounts name after name—being a Seeker takes a unique mix of traits.
Leaving only four left. Mercy, sweet but…lacking direction. Luca. Sam pauses, he’s everything a Seeker should be. Tough and strong, but still fair and kind. And he knows how to survive in the wilds beyond the safe haven they’ve all grown up in. Except he doesn’t want this, even she can see that. To be honest, Sam doubts he ever would’ve. Something else has driven Luca his whole life. Which begs the question as to why he’s here…
Knowing that’s a puzzle to ponder another time, Sam realizes that leaves two urns. Hers or Hawk’s.