The Evermen Saga 01 - Enchantress Read Online Free Page A

Miro with it. Her brother was saved.
    From that day Ella wanted nothing more than to become an enchantress. The young girl spoke of nothing else. It hadn’t taken Uncle Brandon long to shatter her hopes.
    It cost nearly five thousand silver deens to study at the Academy of Enchanters. Aspiring students sat a gruelling round of examinations, and the knowledge that was tested was more than just what was taught at the temple school. No, it was better that she learn the skills they taught at the sky temple — weaving, sewing, numbers and letters. If she was lucky she could get a position as a maid, or a nanny. Without gilden she would never be able to become an enchantress.
    Ella had thought about it long and hard. She didn’t make the decision rashly, whatever Uncle Brandon said.
    At fourteen, the earliest age it was allowed, Ella left the temple school altogether. Her mind set on the five thousand silver deens, she started a stall selling flowers in the Poloplats market. The arguments with Uncle Brandon were long and bitter, but Ella could not be dissuaded. She worked from early in the morning until late at night, and she began to save. It was difficult at first, and business was slow, but Ella applied herself, and soon the copper cendeens began to trickle in.
    She put most of the gilden aside, in a cache that grew slowly but steadily. With some of it she bought books from the market. Any book she could lay her hands on, provided the price was right — books about history, books about language, and books about the laws of nature. Most of all Ella kept up with what she was supposed to be learning at the temple school. And Ella read books about enchantment.
    If any were too difficult — and that applied to most of them — Ella put it to the side, and kept it for another day. Over the years it constantly amazed her how a book that made little sense to her could be comprehensible at a later date if she had since built on her foundation of knowledge.
    She thought about all she had learned as she set up her stall and arranged the flowers in attractive formations. Please, she thought desperately, willing it to become true. Let Lady Katherine come today!
    For the last four years Ella had worked at the market day after day, and finally the time approached when young men and women of Ella’s age would have their one opportunity to sit the entrance examinations at the Academy of Enchanters. Ella had done it — she’d saved her five thousand deens, and she had taken every spare moment when she wasn’t selling flowers to study.
    Only last week, Ella took her gilden to the Academy, and lined up with the finely dressed merchants’ sons and noblemen’s daughters. They sent her strange looks, dressed as she was in her simple tunic, holding a bulging sack in both hands. Ella had tried not to show her feelings, but she was terrified.
    Suddenly she was the next in line, and then she was walking towards the huge wooden desk, where a man with shaggy eyebrows frowned as she approached.
    Grunting with effort, Ella planted her gilden onto the desk with a mighty clunk. She heard snickers from behind her but didn’t turn around.
    "And what have you got there?" the clerk said, pursing his lips.
    "It’s… it’s the gilden, for the fees," Ella said.
    The snickers grew louder.
    "My dear," said the clerk, shaking his head, "I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that. Firstly, what were your parents thinking, allowing you to walk about town with that much gilden? It should be on account with one of the lenders. And don’t you think it’s a little presumptuous to arrive with your fees when you have yet to sit your entrance examinations?"
    Ella heard laughter behind her and turned a deep shade of red.
    "However, never fear, we can still get you enrolled to sit your turn. May I have your letter of recommendation?"
    A chill ran through Ella’s heart. "Letter of recommendation?"
    "Yes," the clerk said; his patience was obviously being tested. "From