Despite the shame rising in my stomach, I can’t wipe this stupid smile off my face. “Thank you,” I say gratefully. Braxton pulls one corner of his beautiful mouth and lifts an imaginary hat to me, bowing his head for a breath, before the thundering words leave his mouth in a sigh.
“The pleasure was all mine.”
Maybe the self-centered prick is a real gentleman after all.
All candidates are sitting in the front row of the auditorium . I have been here before, when I showed my power. I am still not able to control the sun completely. I should really talk to Da about that. I should tell him that I want to train with my emotions, like I have read in those books. But that is really something for later, now we are going to watch the first round of the trials. Braxton sits beside me, looking all handsome with his black suit on. Annie helped me get dressed, of course. She decided I should wear my hair loose with a half updo, letting my long waves cascade over my dress. The dress she picked is stunning, made of mauve satin with a corset top and off-the-shoulder sleeves. It’s a color I don’t usually wear, but it suits me perfectly. The dress is long, but has a high split on one side. Annie and I thought it would be nice if I could show the three daggers on my leg. In the middle, Da’s dagger shines bright. Even in a dress, I am ready to defend myself. I scan the candidates sitting on the first row. On the platform, where the king gave his earlier speeches, appears some kind of screen. I assume that will project our recordings of the trails? I tap my foot on the ground. Did they also record those moments with Braxton outside of the trial? Braxton breaks in my mind, and a cloud hovers over the open place between my imaginary trees.
“You will be fine, they like you. You’re nice, pretty, and have one of the most special and extinct signets,”he comforts me. I can feel the words roll over his lips.
“You think I am pretty?”I repeat. Despite my brave answer, the other words stuck harder. ‘One of the most special and extinct signets’ that’s all I’m here for. I don’t feel like I am special. I can’t even control the sun yet. It took me a lot of years just to do some little changes to it. I won’t be able to control it completely in a few more days. My courage sinks like heavy weights to the floor.
“Like nobody has ever told you before.”Braxton hedges, answering my comment from before. I can feel the blush rise and tense my jaw in the hope he doesn’t see.
Nobody except my friends or Da has called me pretty.
It does something weird to me, my body reacts to those words. Braxton gives me a side eye, and I can feel myself shrink in the chair. Please let me disappear.
The door pops open and the king strolls in. His head is held high. If he wore normal clothes like a regular villager, you wouldn’t guess his royalty. He has dark hair, with some streaks of grey. He has an uncut beard so it wouldn’t hurt to go to the hairdresser. He lifts his chin as his gaze washes over the crowd. Cheers erupt from the crowd behind us, but all ten of us candidates sit quietly in our chairs. The king is followed by Prince Zephron, but he strolls forwards and takes a seat on the front row, close to us candidates. The king glares at the server standing next to the door. I can see the worried look on her face as she shuts the door as fast as she can before hurrying out. The king raises his hands.
“Thank you all for coming here today! This evening, we are going to watch the first round of the trials!” he announces, his voice echoing through the room. Before I can focus on the crowd going wild again, I spot Da. He is standing at the corner of the room, smiling at me proudly. I smile back at him, lifting the corner of my mouth, but still holding the armrest with my hands tightly.
A light pops up on the screen and a fragment starts to play. At first it is hard to see from whose position we are looking, because we are looking through someone’s eyesight. The person we are looking from lies down, blinks his eyes, trying to accept the light and sits up. The blond hair falling over his eyes makes it clear from whose point of view we are watching.
Ethan.
It feels odd, looking from someone’s eyes, overstepping some would say, like intruding just as much as the mindreading and secret talking through our bond felt like at the beginning. Despite that, I really try to see my advantage in this. I should watch carefully. I need to get to know the other candidate’s weaknesses. My breath feels like it is stuck in my throat.
It also means that they are going to see mine.
Flashes of different scenes play off in front of us. My fight with Delilah, Aaliyah’s attack on Braxton, and the teaming up both of us agreed on.
The part where I was beaten up by the king is being left out, naturally.
The cave appears on the screen and my heart ounces in my chest as I relive the whole panic attack over again. After Kailey dragged me out, Braxton came into the picture, strolling towards me and the same butterflies as in that moment appear in my stomach. The crowd bursts out cheering and laughing as he throws me over his shoulders. I ball my fists and my ears turn red. I find myself clinging to the chair, peering over my shoulder to look at Braxton. His jaw is ticking and his shoulders are stiff. His lips are forming a straight line as he stares in the nothingness.
I really hoped some moments would just stay between us.
Not only Braxton and I are in the picture. I watch Delilah take care of her wound. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one she fought. I see where Hazel has been dropped and how she uses her naturesignet to find her way out of the forest. Branches of trees lead her deeper into the dark woods and birds fly into the right direction. Aaliyah had been dropped close to Caleb and Braxton and acted fast as a snake. Aaliyah and Aiden find each other fast, but don’t speak nicely to each other. Bushes creak and ice blue eyes appear above it. As I already suspected Gwen would act like a princess and jump up by the smallest things. A deer sprints in front of her and she squeaks, her signet exploding off her intense emotions and a slide of ice appears in front of her. Now she holds a straight face, acting like she doesn’t care, but her red cheeks on the screen tell something different.
After two hours of watching, the light goes off and the crowd behind us starts clapping loudly. One by one we leave the room. I hold my head high and chin up, not letting them hurt me. Outside the palace we all part. I wish Kailey, Hazel, Aiden, and Caleb goodnight and after that I turn towards my room and open the next book that is silently waiting for me.
Glitters of light fall out of the leathery brown book as I open it. I sit cross legged with the heavy book opened on my legs. The tingle dances through me and a ball of light appears above the book, so that I don’t have to turn the big light on. My eyes scan the pages, and I dive deep into the theories about dark and old use of magic.
I look up from my book, feeling him coming closer. Braxton did not decide to stay the whole night away.
Ha! I was right. The doors open and a tattooed body appears behind it.
“Hi.” I smile. He gives me a nod, takes off his clothes, showing off his goddess, toned artwork, what others would call a ripped body with ugly scars, and steps under the shower. He is grumpy. My eyes track every trace of ink and muscle—every scar. Every single one of them must tell a story. A story I am excited to hear about once, if he will tell me. He looks over his shouldersand without acknowledging I was definitely staring, he uses his signet to close the door with a stud.
My eyes focus on my book again.
Reading it is.
Braxton opens the door again and I don’t give him the opportunity to dress because I interrupt him with a speech bubble. The book woke something in me, and I need answers.
“Did you know the only sun wielder before me existed hundreds of years ago? She was never to be seen again? And what about that spirit animal everybody talked about around that time? What about them?” I rattle out in one breath. He lifts one eyebrow and tilts his head. Before he can answer, I am rattling again. “Have you ever used your signet with your emotions as a source?” My eyes look up at him as he stands close to the bed. His body glows in the light of the moon that is shimmering through the windows. Out of the sudden a breeze blows, and a shiver stretches over my spine. The droplets of water on him look like sparkles and his wet hair drips on the bed. His muscles are formed perfectly and, again, a blush rises to my cheeks realizing how dumb I must look. “Sorry, you probably don’t want to hear my questions,” I stutter, looking down at the book nervously and tapping my fingers on the mattress. He narrows his eyes as I stutter and keep my gaze away from his.
“I have,” he answers. “But it is dangerous. In comparison to your signet, with mine not much can go wrong. I don’t do it often, only when I need to teleport something heavy.” Surprise flickers in my eyes and my gaze finds his again. “And no, I didn’t know about the other sun wielder, and I also did not know she disappeared at the same time as the manes,” he continues. He rubs his fingers over his soft stubbles on his chin.
