Page 102 of Jeweler to the Blessed
“The mines supply our precious resources, but they couldn’t become the beautiful symbol we know them to be without our jeweler.”
My head snapped up at the prince’s words. Macen shrugged in indifference to whoever stood beside him. His identification of me was no longer relevant. The prince had done it for him.
Elias had decided not to introduce me at the Cornucopia. I assumed it was because making my name more widely known would risk my life.
The Feared were already after me. We didn’t need to make me a more visible target. After having strung up the supposed Feared on the Eastern Gate, the prince must have felt more confident.
The feeling was not mutual.
The prince turned to smile at me, his body bent slightly at the waist, an acknowledgment of who I was, and the crowd applauded.
Elias continued like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. I worked to slow my rapidly beating heart as he called the Selected to hold their adamas for the first time. He was scared, yet he still introduced me. It didn’t matter, I guessed, since Macen was in the crowd pointing me out to anyone who asked.
As Elias called each of the Selected, I handed them their wrapped stone. After receiving their gem, each Selected stood in line at the bottom of the steps. I let myself bedistracted by the sheer joy on Deidre’s face as she received her adamas.
The Selected were instructed only to touch the gem through the cloth. They had yet to be Blessed by the king. Deidre, in her excitement, stumbled as she turned, catching the stone in her palm as she fell toward me. Hart stepped forward to steady her. The red flash was instant though brief. She looked down, seeing the color, her brow pinched.
I sucked in a breath. She must have touched him. How hard would she consider what she’d seen? I hoped for her sake she didn’t second-guess it. I’d never realized the distinction, but I’d bet simply wearing the stone meant you could see the color of its magic. If Deidre realized the stone could sense emotion before the Blessing Ceremony, she might wonder what value the king actually provided.
She was still smiling from ear to ear at being on stage—being Selected. Quickly, she dropped the stone back into the cloth and righted herself, turning to face the crowd as the prince finished.
As the last Selected held out their gem, my spine tingled—something pressed against my skull. I knew it for what it was: the magic of the Oldwood. The mine entrance where we stood was just beyond the Oldwood’s reach, but the magic was the same. It was here.
My part in the Presentation was done. With Hart behind me, I didn’t fear the magic fully taking me. We had plans to rescue the captive tomorrow, which meant I needed to hear whatever else it would tell me. So, I let it in.
“This … Presentation ….”
The ground shook beneath us.
Prince Elias paused his speech. He glanced at Tamara. A crowd, already on edge, began to murmur.
“Is a mockery of what you are.”
The prince continued his speech.
I couldn’t let myself be pulled under again. My fingers twitched as I longed to sink them into the soil. I felt Hart’s glare. If I succumbed to the magic, everyone here would know. I didn’t need anyone to notice my oddities more than they already did. Balling my hands into fists at my side, I dug my nails into my flesh to stay present.
My knees buckled.
A press of heat at my lower back grounded me. Hart’s hand rested there—strong, steady.
The crowd erupted in cheers with Elias’s closing remarks. I stood straighter, just in time, as the prince raised his lightly clapping hands in my direction, offering me and my work a round of applause.
I nodded in acknowledgment as the Selected returned their gems before filing back into the crowd to celebrate. It was the middle of the day, but food and drink were set at a long table beside the mine entrance. The prince must have said something, releasing the crowd’s attention. They shifted toward the refreshments.
“Everything alright, Emberline?” Prince Elias asked.
I could only nod as I glanced back at the mines. The captive and the earthshakes were connected. I could feel his anger, his rage with his words. He thought the Presentation a mockery of … whatIwas.Thathad implications I wasn’t ready to consider.
My neck craned back to look up at the colossal stone entrance to the mine. How big was the captive to cause such a disturbance? I shook my head. It didn’t matter. I knew I had to get him out.
31
He will make her acknowledge what she is.
— FROM CHAMPIONS OF KAVIOS
Prince Elias proved how he’d earned his reputation after the ceremony. No matter his nerves, he worked the crowd. Chatting, smiling, even laughing with those who had attended. As much time as he spent with the Blessed, he also spent with the other citizens. Everyone he spoke with left the conversation looking like they floated on a cloud.
