Page 114 of The Song of Sunrise
The hair on the back of my neck rises, stealing my thoughts. Near the doorway, Atlys, Damaris and Cadex huddle close, bickering over something. Atlys breaks apart hastily and heads straight for me.
Well that answers the question of what they are bickering about.
The crowd parts where Atlys strides, each jumping out of the way, eyes cast down. I wonder if it bothers him, how terrified everyone is of him.
Tonight, his face is painted with a thick black streak across his eyes. The face of a warrior. The famed Soul Eater. The room gets distinctively quieter.
My treacherous soul seems to act entirely differently from those around me, singing for only him. I realize all too late that I’m the only one not jumping to the side, feet planted and mouth agape. A lone tree left in a clearing. Cursing myself for looking ridiculous, I clamp my mouth shut. Why does this male have to be so intoxicating? My core heats, and Atlys’s eyes flare, knowing full well his effect.
Ramona chuckles softly next to me. I jab her with my elbow.
“Congratulations, Akemi,” Atlys says smoothly once he’s close enough for only me to hear. His fingers gently brush against my arm. Slowly, the murmur returns and chattering begins anew.
Just a Champion and her Sponsor. Nothing to look at here.
I smile up at him, trying not to remember the way his hands feel when he trails them on my—
“Thank you,” I manage to say in a somewhat normal tone.
Get a hold of yourself, Akemi.
Atlys’s jaw flexes as he scans the room. Something is wrong.
“I wanted to warn you”—he leans in and whispers—“the third task is going to start tonight.”
“Tonight? That cannot be, we overheard it was scheduled for next week. You mentioned that yourself!”
“It was moved. We are not supposed to warn our Champions, but I had to talk to you.”
That must be the reason why Damaris and Cadex are tapping their feet impatiently, looking slightly worried.
“Why are you warning me? I mean, I appreciate that you came here to tell me. But why is it so urgent? Castor seems to think that it’s going to be a—”
“I don’t care what the son of the Elder Superior thinks this is going to be. You have to be careful.” His words come out rushed. Is the Lord of Terraguard…nervous? “If anyone finds out that you are a Starwatcher—”
“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” Commander Hogsmith’s voice fills the theater. “Please make your way back to the theater.”
Cadets rush back to their seats. Families climb the steps to the second level.
“I have to go,” he says, then slips through the crowd.
Ramona grabs my hands and tugs me toward the golden ribbons of the Sun’cher section, cutting through the mass as expertly as she does with her daggers.
“Tonight signifies a milestone for those receiving their first, second, and third-stones. Yet there is another reason for our gathering tonight!”
The silence of the room amplifies the heavy metal door creaking open near the stage. Elder Superior Markus and the other two Human Sponsors, Elders Davenpath and Burroughs emerge, adorned in long, cobalt robes clasped tightly at the neck.
Lady Neda of the River Tribe glides in next, wearing a long, gauzy light blue dress that accentuates her floating stride. Lord Nelios and Prince Laden stomp through the door, supporting heavy, blue fish-scale armor. The Forest Tribe delegation enters next.
Lord Clayoq, in a tight brown suit, is followed by Lady Opita and Lady Tofina, both in unique dresses that split in the front to accommodate their tight fitting riding leathers underneath.
The Underworld courts follow next, starting with the Jord Territory. Lord Rollo and his two Oksvakt fighters, Sigurd and Ivar, are massive. Animal pelts rest on their shoulders and hips, bulging their silhouettes even more. Axes poke from behind the Oksvakt’s backs, though Rollo wears his low on his hip. Instead, the red wax tipped arrows peek out from behind his shoulders.
Arrows a shade of red I’ll never be able to forget.
Lord Cadex walks in next, all bulk and clad in all black, followed by Damaris wearing an armoured jumpsuit. Both Terraguard warriors have their wings out and tucked. Shadows creep along the floor around the door frame in swirling tendrils. From the darkness, Atlys emerges, last to join the royal sponsors on stage.
If my heart beat any quicker, it would turn into a sustained note rather than the cluster of disjointed patterns it is now.
