Page 57 of Xantera
No. For my mother, for Diggory and his daughter, for all the Chosen Ones who don’t come to the balconies anymore and all their families who don’t know what happened to them, it has to be tonight.
I’ll let you know as soon as I make it back,I start, already raising my hands to take the necklace off as quickly as I put it on,and then we’ll go to the catacombs togeth—
What did you just say?
Um. I blink as the loudspeakers repeat that smooth beckoning and the floor creaks outside my bedroom door—Malcolm is probably waiting for me on the other side.I’ll let you know as soon as I make it back, I start to repeat.
Hell no, Saskia.Lucan’s growl could saw through stone.I’m coming with you to the Choosing, too.
My hands pause around the chain.I can’t wear this thing around the Guardians. They might see it as they’re passing by.Even if I tuck it into the folds of my cloak, there’s still a chance one of them could glance at me and catch a gleam through my hair or something.
Then hide it on some other part of your body, Lucan says firmly.As long as that vial connects with a pulse, we’ll be able to communicate. Doesn’t have to be your heartbeat.
I cross my arms.And what other pulse are we talking about here?
I don’t know.His voice flickers, as if he very much does know.You tell me.
“Saskia?” Malcolm’s voice follows a soft knocking on my door. “You ready to go?”
“One moment!” I call. “Just putting on my cloak!”
Why do you insist on coming with me?I hiss at Lucan. He has to realize that he doesn’t really have a choice in the matter. I couldjust rip this necklace off right now like I’ve done before and take off without him. There’s no way he can make sure I obey him.
I don’t need to make sure you obey me, Saskia. Once I’m inside that Wall, you’ll be crawling after me of your own accord.My eyes fly open, but he plows on before I can process what he just said.Now find another pulse, because I can’t stand the thought of something happening to you around those parasites. I need to make sure you’re okay.
The dichotomy of his words rattle me, and I try to stumble through my own.
I’ve been to plenty of Choosings before without your mind inside my own, you know. There’s nothing you’d be able to do to protect me even if they randomly decided to attack me. Which they won’t.
No, the Guardians attack their victims in the confines of their palace, where nobody can see what they really do to them. My fingers tighten with a flash of anger at the very thought, and then a cacophony of voices washes over me all at once.
“Eligible citizens of Xantera,” the loudspeakers repeat,“please report to the Blood Moon Palace for the Choosing.”
“Saskia!” Malcolm calls again.
Another pulse, Lucan says, his voice dropping into something pleading.Please.
I huff out a breath of frustration and rip the necklace off my neck. Instantly, our connection is severed, the Monster in my head cutting out like a slammed door.
“Stubborn male,” I mutter under my breath, and quickly slide my pants off before putting one of my feet on my bed so that the edges of my cloak fall back. Then, I slide my foot through the necklace and shimmy it up my leg.
When it’s just above my knee, I stop, but it slides right back down, and I grit my teeth. It’s not quite long enough to loop around my leg twice, but too big to stay put where it’s at, so I pull it up even higher. Higher, higher, higher, until it’s securedaround the widest part of my thigh, the vial resting right between my legs—touching the part of me I just satisfied minutes ago.
Well, I found a pulse for Lucan, that’s for sure. He’s going to be so satisfied.
Great. Just great.
His presence reappears in my mind merely seconds later, oozing just as much satisfaction as I expected, but I’m already pulling my pants back on, throwing open my bedroom door, and marching out into the living room to Malcolm’s side, determined to give Lucan the silent treatment until he stops feeling sosmug.
I don’t know if that’s possible, little nightmare. This connection is so much warmer and wetter than—
“Sorry for the wait!” I interject a little too loudly, forcing myself to smile at Malcolm. “I was having some problems pinning my badge.”
Malcolm eyes my badge like he doubts that’s true, but nods and gestures at the door.
Together, we join the crowd slipping down the main road toward the Blood Moon Palace. The clatter of thousands of footsteps merges with the ticking of my heartbeat in my throat, and I can feel the necklace pressing against me from beneath my clothes, creating a chaotic mess of confusing sensations that I try to shake off by focusing on the moon: a bloody eye looking down on us from the sky, monitoring everyone’s march toward what they think would be an honor if they’re Chosen.
An honor, Lucan scoffs.
