Page 54 of Xantera
“Speaking of humans…” Kyra announces, walking into the office. All of us straighten as her chin lifts to the back wall toward the pane of glass that refracts sunlight across the room.
Out the window, we all watch as the top of the sun kisses the dome of the Blood Moon Palace and disappears behind it. An orange haze spreads outward like a halo. Dusk will be upon us shortly.
My skin prickles, already on high alert, like it’s second nature, instinct for my DNA to respond to the bloodshed that is coming.
Because tonight, a blood moon will rise.
Twelve more humans will be sacrificed to sustain life for twelve leeches.
The only good thing to come from it? Saskia will use those crucial few hours when the Guardians are too distracted sucking the blood of their Chosen Ones to steal the key right out from under them.
I can only pray like hell that she makes it out alive.
As I make my way to the locker room to peel off my scrubs from another day of work, I glance at the sliding glass doors of the Healing Center.
The rays of the setting sun rebound off the glass, creating a prism of red and yellow hues that splatters across the desk where the information clerk sits. Slowly, the sun will settle over the Wall like it’s being pierced by the sharp spikes before disappearing from view at dusk.
Dusk.
Which will then turn to nightfall. And eventually, midnight.
When another blood moon will rise.
I’ve never been so nervous for a Choosing before. For the first time since my mom disappeared from the balconies, I’m not anxious to be Chosen, but anxious to get this over with. A tensesort of restlessness buzzes in my bones at the thought of what I’m planning to do afterward—sneak into the catacombs and finally ascend that ancient staircase that leads up to the dungeon of the Blood Moon Palace.
I hurry on, but just as I swing open the door of the locker room, a man crashes into me.
“Excuse me,” I rush out softly, but when I turn my head in his direction to apologize, he only glares at me with a dark expression—the same way he glared at Gaia and me for simply talking.
I resist the urge to snarl at him. All these nights with Lucan being in my head must be rubbing off on me. Instead, I move out of his way and let him slink past me with a huff.
Sitting down on the cold bench, I slip off my shoes first.
When I straighten, a warm hand curves around my shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
I crane my neck up to see Gaia with that look of motherly concern etched into the lines of her forehead.
We’ve been polite the last few months. No,formalwould be more appropriate. Thegood eveningsmore forced, thehave a good shiftsmore airy. We’ve changed into our scrubs without a word. We’ve passed off patients’ charts without making eye contact. But now it seems Gaia wants to break the pattern we’ve found ourselves stuck in the last few months.
“What do you mean?” I ask, playing with the fabric of my pants.
Her eyes track the movements of my fidgeting fingertips. “You’re shaking like a leaf.”
“I’m fine,” I insist, giving her my best smile.
“I’ve been worried about you,” she says as I stand to pull my scrubs over my head.
“Worried?”
“Losing Diggory,” she explains in a whisper. “Our… disagreement.”
My body loosens, a tension I didn’t realize was wound so tightly around my muscles softening—because I’ve missed her. That doesn’t stop my nerves from shooting through my limbs, though.
“We weren’t fighting,” I say, keeping my voice soft. “I asked you for something, you said no. That’s okay, Gaia. I wouldn’t want you to do something you didn’t want to do.”
Her lips part as she sucks in a shaky breath. “I don’t know. It seemed bigger than that?” It comes out like a question. Like she’s unsure what really happened between us. “I’m sorry, though. I didn’t mean to be harsh. I know you were struggling.”
“I’m sorry, too,” I reply, suddenly blinking back tears. Everything in me wishes I could hug her. Instead, I wave her off with a flick of my wrist, trying to downplay the moment. “And the sentry didn’t seem to have a big issue with it.”
