Unchosen by Michele Vail Read Free Book Online Page A

and strange. On the upside, I didn’t feel like I was gonna yark anymore.
    “Here.” A glass of water appeared above my head. Unfortunately, it was held by the hand of Clarissa Jacobs. Anger soared through me. Were the Jacobs’ so intent on getting rid of me that they would try to poison me with magic, and now with water? “Forget it!” I knocked the water away and the liquid spilled on me, the dais, and Clarissa. She yelped, and leapt backward. Her expression turned furious.
    “You moron! I’m trying to help you.”
    “You’re trying to help yourself.” I felt tears welling in my eyes. Here I was, splayed out for all to see. I knew I looked weak, and I hated that. I gave a beseeching look to Miss Chiles. “I really want to get out of here. I need … I need…” I gulped. “Please.”
    “It’s okay. See if you can sit up.” Miss Chiles put her arm around me and helped me sit up. For a queasy moment, the room spun. I clutched my stomach, and swallowed the bile that rose in my throat. What spell had Mr. Jacobs used? Or was it that woman? Had they worked together … or had he driven her off? Ha. If he had, it was only because he wanted to do me in himself!
    I’d never heard of reaper magic making someone violently ill. I was still learning about my own necro powers, so there were probably all kinds of magic out there that could hurt people. I shuddered.
    “Moll y?”
    I waved off Miss Chiles’ concern.
    “I’m fine.” Sorta. Ugh.
    “Well, we can’t stop the proceedings for one ill student.” Mr. Jacobs looked down his nose at the headmistress. “Everyone else is here. We should move forward as planned.”
    Miss Chiles glared at Mr. Jacobs. “Molly is a contender. She has the right and privilege to enter the competition. We will wait to proceed until she feels better.”
    “She can’t compete if she’s sick,” said Clarissa. Oddly, I didn’t hear a sneer in her voice. I knew she wasn’t concerned about me. But I do think she was worried about something. The fire had gone out of her eyes. How could her anger turn cold so fast? She glanced at her father, and then she looked away, chewing on her lip. Clarissa acting vulnerable? What?
    A headache pulsed behind my eyes. Still, I had grabbed on to the gist of the conversation. “Compete? Compete for what?”
    “To become the champion of Anubis … the Kebechet ,” said Miss Chiles gently. However, the look in her eyes was more like: Suck it up, princess. Things are going to get rough. “The elders of our society have voted that the champion will be chosen by competition.”
    Wait. The Nekros Society had elders? Note to self: Read The Secret History of the Reapers . STAT.
    “Competition?” echoed a girl’s voice in the crowd. I couldn’t place which student had spoken, not even when she added, “There hasn’t been a Kebechet challenge since the fourteenth century.”
    “ These events are only held when more than one Chosen have the ability to become Kebechet ,” said Miss Chiles. She looked at me. “There is only one Kebechet per generation. Usually, it’s very clear who bears the title. In rare cases, it is not … and so, the competition was created.”
    W hy did I think Mac Jacobs had something to do with this? He’d probably initiated this whole stupid contest thing. It wasn’t like I’d been announced or formally picked as Kebechet No one knew that I was the blood daughter of Anubis, and it’s not like my god-dad had bothered to talk to me lately, either.
    “ After the prophecy of Set’s return was discovered, our ancestors created a series of challenges designed to reveal the true Kebechet ,” said Mr. Jacobs in a superior tone.
                  Oh, yeah. He definitely had something to do with initiating the competition. Not only did his voice give away his smugness, but the look Miss Chiles aimed at him should’ve melted him into a fiery pile of poop.
    “The one who won the competition had obvious ly been