THE FLOWER CHILDREN

Chapter 34

ASMEEN tripped.

She fell, rolling onto the floor, throwing her hands out to break her fall. She groaned as her back hit the ground, her chest aching.

Aven ran past her.

Asmeen closed her eyes, letting herself lie there. It didn't matter, now. It was done.

"Asmeen."

She opened her eyes. And then her lips parted. Because Aven was there, crouching above her, his face furrowed in concern, like they'd been in the infirmary, so long ago.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his eyes flying down to her ankle.

"What are you doing?" Asmeen hissed, quiet enough that only the two of them would be able to hear. "Go, you idiot!"

Aven blinked, a stunned expression spreading across his face. "What? But—"

"Go!" Asmeen exclaimed softly, giving him a slight push and an urgent nod.

His face still confused, Aven stood up hesitantly. When Asmeen gave him another pointed look, he turned and ran.

Asmeen sat up, watching him cross the line. He was immediately swept away by the others standing there, and one of the helpers came to her.

"Are you alright?"

She was a Child of the Night, Asmeen thought. She nodded at the woman. "I'm fine."

Still, the woman helped her up, even though Asmeen wasn't really in that much pain. She crossed the line with the woman's support, ignoring the sympathetic looks she was given.

She made her way back into the field, where most of the other trainees had already gathered. Aven was standing at the front, talking to some others who were standing. Sitting down in the field were those, presumably, who hadn't made it, given that they were wearing identical hopeless expressions.

Asmeen knew her sisters would be here, somewhere. Wylla had been ahead of her. She hadn't seen Elyn the entire time.

There.

Wylla was sitting down, her expression detached. She was staring into empty space. Asmeen limped over and sat down beside her.

Wylla turned to face her, looking startled. "Oh." She glanced at Asmeen, then at the front. When she spotted Aven, she turned back to Asmeen. "I see."

Asmeen only nodded. "Elyn?"

Wylla gestured at the front.

Elyn was standing there, her eyes roaming over the field. When she finally spotted them, she froze. Asmeen couldn't quite make out her expression, but she knew that Elyn was far from happy.

Asmeen and Wylla sat there in silence as the last few trainees came in, half of them sitting down. Some of the ones who'd failed were already crying. Some were near tears.

"Alright," Dara said loudly. Neither her nor Osoric were smiling anymore. No, they looked appropriately somber.

"First of all, congratulations to all those that have made it," Osoric said, glancing at the trainees standing around them. Then he looked at the rest of them. "And all of you, though you might be disappointed, we are incredibly proud of each of you, and we wish you all the best for the future."

"You have all done superbly well," Dara said, nodding. "We're pleased to inform you that each one of the trainees that has succeeded in the race will be either a Flower Child or a Child of the Night."

An almost audible sigh of relief went through the standing trainees. The ones who were sitting—Asmeen examined their faces, and there was no bitterness. Disappointment, and envy perhaps, but no bitterness. Not even on the younger ones, who she hadn't expected to be so mature.