When the loot was distributed, Ellen ended up with a new set of battle robes—a doctor's coat, really. Zeke came away with some stuff he definitely didn't need, while Jeff passed on his pick and shifted it to Yasmin. She picked a notebook that had some Script theories in it, although what kind of Scripts and Bindings a place like this might have, I had no idea. Raul grabbed a spear.

That left me with the last pick. A buckler. It didn't fit my build, and it didn't have Self-Repairing, so it wasn't valuable enough to fit in, but I kept it anyway. I might need more defense than I had someday, and I didn't need the money anymore—not now that I was clearing C-Ranks.

We also got a C-Rank core—or more accurately, what we sold it to the Governing Council rep for, minus their five percent. We'd bank it for the guild.

Ezekiel disappeared almost as soon as we left the portal, and as Ellen climbed into her car and the pounding rhythm of electronic music started up, she grimaced. "I kind of hate that guy," she said.

"Me too," I said. "He's not who he claims to be."

"And he's annoying," Ellen laughed. Then she looked at my face as Deimos pulled away from Chase Field. "Oh, you're not joking. Who is he?"

"He's no one to be trusted, but I made a deal with him anyway. It won't hurt us at all unless he keeps his end of it, and if it does…" I trailed off. I'd do whatever I needed to if it meant Jessie could be happy. Including joining the Portal Tyrants. "I'll accept that. But I can't talk about it. I promised Zeke, and I can't go back on that."

"Okay…" Ellen trailed off, and as Deimos rocketed through the streets toward my apartment, the car's cabin was uncomfortably quiet.

I interrupted it, talking about my D-Rank trial as Ellen took notes. She had the dash covered in sticky notes by the time we pulled up at my apartment's parking garage and took the elevator to the ground floor. I'd given her everything I could.

We stepped inside.

"Hi, Kade. I saw you finished up—glad you're actually safe this time," Jessie said from her room.

"Yeah, me too. Ellen's going to do her D-Rank trial here," I said.

"Oooh, exciting. Hers should be a lot safer than yours, right? More standard? I'm going to watch and take notes. Maybe I'll even record something for the GC archives. Oh, and hi, Ellen."

"You're not watching Ellen either, Jessie."

"Hi Jessie," Ellen said at the same time. "You can watch, but no recording, please. Kade, can I use the living room?"

"Yes!" Jessie pumped a fist slowly, biting back a wince.

"No. I mean, yes, Ellen, you can use the living room, and no, Jessie, you can't watch."

"Kade, it'll be fine. I don't have anything weird influencing my build. It's a pretty standard-issue mage setup. And you'll be here, right? You can stay nearby and intervene if she's in danger," Ellen said.

I closed my eyes, grinding the heels of my hands into my temples. Me being here was what I was worried about—would the storm impact her trial? It wasn't predictable, and I'd almost certainly have to jump in if, and when, something went wrong.

Jessie coughed slightly.

Then I nodded. "Alright. But if I influence your trial, I take no responsibility for it. That's all on you."

Ellen sat in the middle of Kade's living room, in a lotus position. Everything he'd said about the D-Rank trial he'd been through implied that hers would be easy enough. She'd just have to consolidate her five Laws.

That'd be simple. She could have done it at home with no problems whatsoever, but then Bob would be around. He'd know what was going on—he always knew what was going on—and he'd be there to take credit for it somehow. That was what he did, after all. Take credit for her achievements, no matter how little he had to do with them. The less opportunity he had to do that, the better.

It had gotten worse in the last day, too. She hadn't told Kade—mostly because she hadn't had the opportunity to tell him—but Traynor Corporation had finally assembled its delver team. Tank, Mage, Archer, Fighter, Support, and a Healer. The 'ideal' team composition, paid for with her father's money. He'd filled the mage role last. No doubt to put pressure on Ellen to join. They were E-Rank, but as they moved up, they'd represent a problem for all the other guilds. And worse, they were a guild in all but achievements.

Bob had thrown a lot of money at them.

Ellen sighed, screwed her eyes shut, and tried to clear her mind of her father's plans. Tried to clear it of all but the five Laws she'd need to consolidate inside her core.

The First Law of the Shadow Boxer was simple. Darkness was Ellen's ally. She'd lived in the spotlight for most of her life—even as a toddler, she'd also been a prop for Bob to trot out and show he was a family man. The shadows felt more natural for her, and they always had. They boiled around her, and Kade said they'd leaked into his skill merges, too.

The First Law of the Bottomless Pit was more complicated. It stated that everything did have an end, even if that end was unreachable. It was finding that end that was the challenge, and the Law of the Bottomless Pit asked her to dig deeper in search of them.

The First Law of the Dark Book was Ellen's third Law. Forbidden words must be read. The magic she was trying to access started out normal, but as she ranked up, she'd have access to more and more horrific spells. The shadow wouldn't stop pushing for her to use them, and to resist, she would have to give in—at least partially. She would have to understand the darkest corners of shadow magic in order to use it for good.

Next was The First Law of the Echoing Word. Truth will reveal itself. She would help it along, though.

The First Law of the Thunderbird was the odd duck of the bunch. It read differently from the others. A contradiction and a paradox—that the storm would rage on after it faded. A challenge that was too much for one fight could be brought down through persistence and dedication. Storms didn't retreat. They regrouped and crashed against their enemies again and again until they were defeated. It felt too Kade-like, but Pepperoni was hers, and she'd have to understand the Law that would empower the storm serpent. How could a storm rage after it had faded?

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Reaching inside herself was easy. She'd taught Kade how to connect with his core, after all. The shadows fled before her or were consumed by Infinite Well. In less than a minute, she'd made contact with the jet-black orb that hung over her heart, touched it, and drained Mana from every pore of her body. She was completely empty. The Law of the Bottomless Pit hungered, and Infinite Well tried to fill the hole she'd hollowed out inside of her.

She didn't let it. She had to consolidate instead.

Kade had told her about this part, too. The empty feeling couldn't be filled with Mana—not properly. It had to be filled with Laws.

All five went in, one after another, and as she added them, the shadows around her grew stronger and stronger. There was something else, though, out there beyond the darkness. It felt like anger. Like rage.

Ellen ignored it. It was just Kade, not a threat. Not to her.

She reached out, trying to grasp the shadows like Kade had said he'd done with his storm. Her fingers slipped through them harmlessly. No matter where she gripped, it wouldn't work.

Something had to change. Kade's trial was different—not even accounting for his bizarre core or his Path. Ellen had to operate differently. She was in new territory. Or…not new. She'd studied this. But something inside of her had hoped that the storm would change her trial into an imitation of his.

No matter. Ellen didn't want to feel indebted to Kade anyway. Not more than she already did.

The darkness was her ally. Not something to be shoved and grabbed, but something to be worked with. That was the key. Ellen opened her core, inviting the First Law of the Shadow Boxer inside. It flowed like oil, filling the edges of the space inside of her; she smiled slightly, then followed it up with the First Law of the Bottomless Pit.

That one threatened to fill her core completely. No matter how much space she cleared for it, it just kept coming, mixing with the oily shadows at the edges. She needed to shape it into something, to give it structure—and the spellwork she'd inscribed onto her soul was the perfect shape. No, not just her spellwork, but even more of it. The forbidden words she'd known for weeks she'd have to read, and that she'd diligently studied even though they were beyond her.

A new spell. Gemini Twin. Something horrific. But words from the Dark Book that would give her consolidated Law shape. And the truth was that she was ready for it. Ready to grow, to advance. To become just a little less reliant on the structures she'd leaned on her whole life.

Kade's storm grew in strength, as though sensing her anger. She let it brush against her core, but blocked it from entering. Even as the Law she'd learned when she merged the skills that kept her familiar safe flowed inside and bright yellow lightning crackled across the black surface of her soul, Ellen rejected Kade's storm.

Part of her was tempted, though. She made a note to herself to explore the connection she obviously had with Kade later. Something in the GC's archives would hold information on it.

Then her five Laws were inside her core.

She waited a heartbeat. Two. A warmth touched her shoulder, and she almost opened her eyes.

Then the Law appeared.

Law Consolidated: Law of Stormtouched Nightfall Rank Increased: Rank E to Rank D

Darkness hides. Shadows conceal.

The truth inside of you longs to break free, no matter the cost.

But the Law of Stormtouched Nightfall holds it in its grip, and with its power and yours, you control when that truth escapes, and what the consequences will be for it.

By learning these laws and consolidating them, Ellen Traynor, your core has grown in strength, and your potential has grown.

Rank D Effects: 1. Your Mana and Stamina caps have increased. 2. Your skills' caps have increased.

Law Effects: 1. You may hold a single shadow spell in your core, ready to cast, and simultaneously cast up to two spells.

She smiled and opened her eyes. "I did it." Before Kade could react, or even pull his hand off her shoulder, she reached up and touched it. Then she pulled up her Status.

User: Ellen Traynor D-Rank Stamina: 200/200, Mana: 500/500

Skills: 1. Shadow Box (D-02, Unique) 2. Infinite Well (D-01, Unique, Merged 3. Calliope's Shadow Tome (D-02, Merged) 4. Arcane Resonator (D-01, Merged) 5. Thunderwing Bond (D-01, Merged) 6. Dash (D-01, Active) 7. Energy Transfer (D-01)

Laws: Law of Stormtouched Nightfall

"Great job," I said.

I didn't mention what I'd felt while she consolidated her skills. I didn't tell her that her shadows had leaked out of every corner of the room until only the barest hints of light could be seen from the overhead bulb. I didn't ask her if she'd connected with the storm during her trial.

Right now wasn't about any of that. It was about our progress. About Ellen's progress.

"How does it feel?" Jessie asked.

"Like I can keep up now," Ellen said. Her hand was still on mine, fingers still wrapped around mine, and without a rank difference, I felt how hard she was squeezing. "But also like something was missing. It felt too quick, especially after your explanation of your trial, Kade. That didn't match my notes at all. It was hardly even a revelation."

"It's how—" I started.

"I know, Kade. It's how most D-Rank Trials go. And it took me, what? Fifteen minutes? Twenty? It was easy, but that's not enough. I want more, and I'm going to figure out how to get more. Otherwise, how will I keep up with your ridiculous…cheating?"

I kept my hand on Ellen's shoulder, even though her grip was starting to hurt a little. "You don't have to."

"But I want to. And I need to." Ellen stood up and turned to face me. Her eyes were dark storms. "If I don't, Jeff's not going to have backup in a month, is he? We need to keep pushing—and we need to find you a solution to your problem. Otherwise, you're not making it either, fancy Path or not."

She was right. I nodded and stepped back, hands up disarmingly; I winced as the hand Ellen had crushed slowly healed. "Okay, Ellen. We'll work on it, I promise, and we'll keep pushing. We've got a lot of portals to clear, though. Growth seems slower at D-Rank, but that might just be me wanting C."

I pulled up my status to check.

User: Kade Noelstra D-Rank Stamina: 310/310 (+10), Mana: 400/400

Skills: 1. Stormsteel Core (D-05, Unique, Merged, God-Touched) 2. Thunderbolt Forms (D-04, Altered, Merged) 3. Mistwalk Forms (D-02, Altered, Merged) 4. Cyclone Forms (D-02, Altered, Merged) 5. Sunbeam Bond (D-01, Altered, Merged) 6. Energy Font (D-02) 7. Brendan's Hymnal (D-01)

Path: Stormsteel Path Laws: First Law of the Stormcore

"Right. I'm sorry, Kade. I didn't mean to—"

"I know. You didn't mean to squeeze so hard. I forgive you. D-Rank strength is more than you were expecting. You'll see it the next time you're in the gym—or in a portal." I took a deep breath and turned to my little sister. "So, how was your day?"

"It was fine," Jessie said casually.

"Fine?"

She rolled her eyes, then pointed at Ellen. "I want to see what you can do at D-Rank."

Ellen shook her head slowly. "She's trying to distract you, Kade."

"Yeah, I know. What's going on, Jessie? What happened at school?"

"Not much. I had a math test, then ate lunch with Stephen."

"And?" Something was missing. Jessie was being ridiculously evasive, and I couldn't figure out why. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I kind of signed you up for Parent/Teacher Conferences, but I wasn't going to tell you. I'm doing fine, really, and you're on a deadline, so I figured—"

"That you'd just make it look like I'd blown it off?" I sighed. "Jessie, I need to get to C-Rank, but if I can't spare an evening or two a week to do family stuff, there's no point. When is your conference?"

Jessie looked down.

"When?" Ellen asked.

"Tomorrow night."

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