Exciti

Chapter 29 (Adam)

Adam paced the office; he was restless and worried. He regretted not letting Dr. Little speak about the evaluation. Was Liam ok?

Would he, himself, be Ok? The idea of confirming his Eclipser status for good was terrifying. He didn't want to be anyone's boogeyman. He turned in his pacing and found himself face to face with the piles of papers on the desk. Maybe the application form has a hint on what the evaluations are like? He looked at the blue wall. Nut wasn't back yet.

He touched the rejected evaluations pile, telling himself that it would be less intrusive if he saw papers that Nut had already deemed unworthy of evaluation. The first paper he saw, chosen randomly from the middle, was stamped Evaluated already, negative results. He lifted the corner, careful not to topple the towering pile. The form was filled by an Antiquarian called Marlon Drew, who thought he could sense when an Excitus was about to change circles. He let go of that application and moved to the one beneath it. This one was another apprentice claiming he got gas when a kitchen Excitus was nearby. Adam laughed when he read the rejection stamp: Dumb Request.

He went through multiple papers, now more for the fun of and the distraction than for information. He finally came across an application that wasn't stamped like the rest. Instead, the corner was filled with a tidy scribble, stating that the applicant applied under a fake apprentice name that didn't exist. Adam grinned; this must be a prank. He tugged at the paper to peer at the applicant name.

Tamara Dunton, Senior apprentice.

The start he gave caused the whole pile to teeter in a dangerous sway. He hugged the stack, stabilizing it. He then pulled out Tamara's application.

The form was short, dating to two days before the day Tam disappeared. He recognized his sister's handwriting, all wide loops and stout letters. His eyes moved hungrily to the Reason for evaluation Request section. Tamara wrote one word there, in a question format, as if she wasn't sure herself.

Raiser?

A breeze stirred Adam's shirt, and he quickly folded the paper and put it in his pocket. A second later, a gap widened until it was big enough for Liam to step through. He looked pale, with a greenish tint.

Adam felt his heart deflate, "How was it?"

Liam shook his head but said nothing. The gentle voice of Nut, having already popped on the wall next to them, made Adam want to turn around and escape, "Adam Dunton? This way please."

Liam didn't say anything. He stumbled to a chair and sat with his head between his legs. Adam followed Nut through the gap, his heart climbing up his throat in a panicked beat.