The atmosphere is thick with excitement, the buzz undeniable. It almost feels like hours haven’t passed since fireworks danced in the sky and an announcement for The Institute Games boomed through the air. As I follow the same path this morning, with the sun peeking over the horizon, it feels like I’m somewhere else entirely.
It’s out of the norm. So far out that the uneasy feeling that settles in my gut is for completely different reasons. The shadows and bleakness that are Institute Thirteen don’t bleed into The Vale; instead, a brightness pours onto our grounds, awakening the earth beneath my feet with a wave of delirium.
After my frazzled wake-up call last night, Icouldn’t get back to sleep. Now I feel like death, while Ocean looks all fresh-faced and cute. It’s rude.
“It’s so exciting,” my friend sings from beside me, clapping her hands together giddily, revealing every inch of her craziness. She’s been electric like this since her eyes opened and it’s exhausting to watch, never mind considering how draining it must be for her.
“I’m still trying to figure out what the hell I’m being dragged into now,” I admit, mindlessly rubbing my palm in circles across my chest. It does nothing to ease the tightness that suffocates me.
Ocean bounces two steps ahead, unfazed by my uncertainty, but as I glance through the smattering of students, I find them as animated as my friend. Rubbing my lips together nervously, I peer over my shoulder to see the three men from across the hall who continue to drive me insane.
They’re a handful of steps back, acting like I don’t exist while still monitoring my every move. Rion catches my gaze and I’m blessed with a wink that makes my stomach do a somersault.
I don’t like it.
Spinning my head back around, I feel a sense of relief as the dining hall draws closer. Ocean holds the door open for me, a grin spread wide across herface as I step inside, only to falter when I realize the entire space is different.
The center of the room holds a giant cherry blossom tree, with pretty pink petals dancing across the ceiling, while the roots protrude from the floor, cracking through the tiles. Instead of each section being in rows like they usually are, they’re all turned in toward the cherry blossom tree. It’s almost as if it acts as the center of a clock with each institute fanning away from it, from one all the way to the thirteenth hour.
A flash of red hair a few feet away from the Institute Thirteen table makes my gut twist. I’d rather sit as far away from Institute One as possible, but it seems luck isn’t on my side today.
Ocean links her arm through mine, tugging me along like usual, and I follow, all but collapsing into my seat before Ocean rounds the table to sit across from me. Instead of one giant table, there are a dozen smaller ones, growing bigger the farther away from the center you get, and she opts for one that has enough chairs to seat six. Wordlessly, Rion, Thorne, and Kael join us; the wolf and vampire seated across the table with Ocean, while the shadow fae drags out the chair to my right.
Eager to look anywhere but at them, I glance around the dining hall and frown.
My gaze pings from one to another, and another, and another.
“Since when do professors hang out in here?” I murmur, thinking out loud as my stare latches onto my least favorite professor: Drayker.
“The Games are a big deal for everyone,” Thorne states, tearing through my thoughts, and I glance at him to find he’s staring in the same direction I was. The scornful look on his face makes my breath catch as I follow his line of sight just to be sure.
A satisfied smile teases the corner of my mouth, and it only grows wider when Drayker spies me staring and glowers at me. All too quickly, I lose her gaze as she turns her full attention to the wolf sitting across the table from me. My smile drops as I’m flooded with rage. Daring to follow her line of sight for myself, I stall when I find his eyes on me, unaware of the attention he’s garnering. Another wink, and I feel my cheeks heat.
Dropping my chin to my chest, I sigh as the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I peer to my right to see Thorne’s deep, green eyes fixed on me, as if he can see and feel everything that’s overwhelming me right now. His tongue flicks out over his bottom lip.
“She’s bad news. Stay away from her,” hemutters, his warning barely more than a whisper, and my eyebrows furrow.
“I gathered that, but what makes you say it?” I ask, curiosity always getting the better of me.
He doesn’t answer straight away, but I don’t miss the slight flicker of anger that darkens his eyes as he sneaks a glance at Rion.
“It’s not for me to say,” he finally states, offering nothing to calm the darkening thoughts taking root in my gut.
“What does that mean?” He shrugs, but his eyes remain on mine. “Thorne.” His name is a plea. For what, I can’t quite decipher. I want information, but I can’t fathom why I need it so much.
His eyes crinkle at the corners at the sound of his name and I spy his fingers curling into fists in his lap. “Maybe you should ask the right person. I’m not one to gossip.”
I blink at him as he turns away, just in time for the plates of food to be placed in front of us. The smell of bacon fills my senses and my mind is immediately distracted. The weight of his words dissolves as I grab my fork and spear it into the crispy deliciousness.
Silence cascades over the table as everyone eats, but the electricity of excitement is still clear around the entire room. I’m halfway through my plate ofbacon and scrambled eggs when a firework fizzles from the tree behind Ocean. A burst of squeals dances around us as the light dims, the cherry blossoms turning a deep shade of gray as a projection dances over the central feature to reveal The Sanctum.
My stomach lurches and I drop my fork; the sound of it clattering against the plate is washed out by the round of applause that vibrates through the dining hall.
All five members of The Sanctum stand side by side on the display in the center of the room, and they must hear the cheers around the dining hall because they all grin with pride and excitement.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” I mutter, glaring at all five of them as I recall the last time I saw them. My body spasms with a deep-rooted shiver, like the pain and horror I experienced in their presence is still committed to memory.
“You’re safe, Echo,” Thorne murmurs, curling his fingers around the back of my chair as he inches closer, a nickname for me on his tongue as if he’s spoken it a thousand times, but it’s definitely the first time I’m hearing it.
