Page 64 of The Stars are Dying

As we passed through the dominating doors, the grand reception hall was like something from a darkly beautiful fairy tale. I tried to keep from admiring the pristine, silver-embellished black marble. The wide space could suspend an echo for seconds, but everything was so eerily quiet. A peaceful desertion.

The grandeur of my surroundings offered enough of a distraction to slow my pulse. I was really here, in the fortress of the Central I’d only heard whispers of.

And I should be here with Cassia.

My gaze dropped with sinking despair to track my boots over the light mosaic floor that broke up the black decor. The loud groan of doors directed my head up, but what I didn’t expect was for a loud commotion to hit my senses like a physical blow. It was sheer focus and determination that kept my steps from halting like my mind demanded. I wanted to turn and run far away from the gathering I hadn’t expected to interrupt.

Only one guard walked ahead of us while the others stopped, and we followed his lead until we stood at the center of a table that spanned around us on each side in a U shape. The hushed silence of those seated was weighted with judgment, intrigue, and astonishment. The feast drifted so many scents at us, but I could focus on nothing but my erratic nerves trickling sweat down my spine.

“She claims to be the last of your Selected, Your Majesty.” The guard bowed before turning sharply, and as soon as he stepped away as the final barrier between us, the King of the Six Realms set his intense eyes on me. Breathing became a conscious effort, and I swallowed hard, but my throat stung with dryness.

I dropped into my own bow as the king rose slowly, his broad form dominating, and I wanted to disappear with all the attention. Every set of eyes felt latched onto my skin, and the worst of all of them let the thick silence linger.

“Is that so?” His voice rumbled with intrigue.

I shivered, haunted by it, but forced myself to straighten. “My name is Cassia Vernhalla,” I said, glad when my voice came steady, though my nose prickled with a note of shame at the impersonation. “Our company was ambushed. We barely made it out.” I couldn’t help but to survey the gathering. From their looks of disgust and horror, I knew they couldn’t distinguish the blood we wore as an animal’s and not a person’s. Zathrian hadn’t taken long to hunt the rabbit, and we’d coated ourselves enough to add merit to our story.

There were many in attendance, but from the elegance and even spacing of them, I knew I stood in the center of my competitors.

The other four Selected.

My gaze came back around to the king, but I did a double take at the male on his right. Something about him stole my breath. His sharp jaw, high cheekbones, the roundness of his eyes… He was beautiful. Though dangerous too, I realized as I beheld his pointed ears. His hazel irises were the color of caramel as they bore into me. Then I took in the gold band over short brown waves that met in a point at the center of his forehead.

I’d heard mention of the king having a son, though never any details. He’d seemed almost like a fable to me until now.

“Cassia,” the king drawled slowly.

I snapped out of the trance I was slipping into. My cheeks flushed to realize we’d been staring at each other.

“The Selected for the Kingdom of Alisus. We feared you would not make it. But we can forgive you as the Libertatem has not yet officially begun while we enjoy this welcome evening.”

I forced myself to react like I owned the name, wondering if my biggest challenge to survive would not be this deadly game but my slowly shredding heart. “Your Majesty.” I dipped my head again.

My pulse counted the beats of silence, and when his slow smile curled, I almost relaxed.

“Do you have your invitation?”

Shit.I hadn’t thought of that. With a glance at Zathrian, he spoke for me.

“We barely fled with our lives, Your Majesty.”

“Then how am I to know that you are who you say you are?”

My mind scrambled. This was about to all be over before it could begin… I drew a shallow gasp, and though it made my heart wrench with the possibility the king might claim possession of it, I willed my hand to reach into my neckline and reveal the seal of Alisus on the silver pendant.

The last thing I had of Cassia’s.

The king’s shadow-lined chin tilted faintly. He outstretched a hand, and with a motion of his two fingers for me to approach he chilled my blood. Zathrian gave me a small smile of encouragement before I obeyed. I stopped right before his table, and he reached out further until I stepped forward, my thighs touching the wood. The entire table watched his judgment as if this were the first of his trials.

His hazel gaze studied the pendant, and my breath caught as his fingers lifted it from my chest right up to my high neckline. I didn’t know why my attention felt so drawn to the prince and I wished I hadn’t diverted my focus. He watched me carefully, and while his reception appeared kind, I couldn’t shake the crawling wariness that became amplified by his proximity. He glanced between me and his father, leaning forward in his chair as if to intercept.

It was then I found the king piercing me with a studying intensity, scanning my face, my attire, and scrutinizing me as though I’d come to him as a puzzle missing a piece.

“Allow me to introduce myself.” A smooth voice of silk smothered my panic under the king’s close watch. “My name is Drystan.”

As I straightened with the rise of the prince, the pendant slipped from the king’s hand. Mercifully it stole his keen interest away from me.

“Yes, this is my son.”

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