“Completely selfish act on my part, and I was one of the first participants in an attempt to find a match. I’ve brushed hands with thousands of Somas, and nary a tingle.”
The room was quiet for a few moments.
“So what’s your play here?” Elex asked. “You’re the fuckin’ War Leader? How the hell did that happen?”
“The journey from Alexandria to Illyria is averylong story,” Erix replied. “And, as Beatrice said, I do have a very busy day. Perhaps we can—”
Erix’s words were cut off by the sound of a loud explosion. The ground shook beneath us, the lights flickering and the sounds of glass shattering was loud and sharp. I watched in fascination as the shattered glass of the office windows hit an invisible shield of Air that surrounded all of us, even, I noted to my amusement, Beatrice. I glanced at Elex, whose eyes were glowing with power. That boy deserved my respect and admiration. I wasn’t so sure about his brother, yet.
“What the hell was that?” I demanded, pushing to my feet and headed to the window to try to get a look. Hel beat me to it.
“The Administrative wing,” Hel said softly, Erix and Elex moving to flank him as he looked out of the window.
The center of the destruction was easy to see from our vantage point. The epicenter about a mile or two from our currentlocation. Smoke rose from the destroyed area. It didn’t look like there was any major fire, but obviously some type of explosion had occurred.
The sounds of emergency sirens were already starting to sound and vehicles with flashing lights were headed toward the area.
“Fuck,” Elex swore as he ran for the door, his face a mask of fear, rings of power circling his arms. “Luke.”
Chapter 11
Luke
I looked around the hallway, completely confused. I wasn’t sure how long I’d run; all I knew was that I had no idea where I was. This place was a maze.
The panic had struck me unexpectedly, as it usually did. Everything had suddenly seemed overwhelming. Everything was too bright, too loud, just…too much. All these people looking at them, all their hopes and expectations. I’d seen my own face flash on the giant screens in the hall, and I’d recognized the frightened look in my eyes. It was the Panicked Prince all over again.
Several of the Somas who had passed him on the stage had caused a tingling sensation in his hands as they brushed by, but instead of joy at a possible match each one seemed to only add to the weight on his shoulders.
After I saw Deliah match with a young male Soma, I had stumbled away from the other Mageia and the passing Somas, ignoring the concerned questions from Tik and the others until I’d finally turned and fled. I’d run and run until the panic finally receded, leaving me an exhausted mess—and completely lost.
I’d been wandering the halls of the building for what seemed like hours now, but was probably only a few minutes, unable to find my way back to the auditorium and my friends.
The rooms I passed had confusing numbers and names that meant nothing to me. No one was around, most of the offices were closed with the lights off.
Occasionally as he passed a closed office I tried the door in desperation only to find them all locked.
Shit. Shit.Shit.
How could I have left my friends like that? I was supposed to stay with them, take care of them as they got settled in this strange place with all these strange people, with strange customs. Instead, Ihad abandoned them. Elex would be so disappointed in him. That, more than anything else drove me on when all I wanted to do was collapse. Elex would never have run.
Just as I thought I saw something familiar, I rounded a corner only to find myself at a dead-end hallway. The door on my left was locked, my face reflecting back in the dark glass.Fuck.
I collapsed backward, hitting the wall and sliding down until my back was in the corner and pulled my knees up to my chest, resting my head on my arms, sobs wracking my body as I tried to remember how to breathe. My heart was racing and sweat beaded my forehead.
Goddess, I wasuseless! The faces of my parents, my teachers, and even my brothers seemed to hover in my head, laughing at the Panicked Prince. That wonderful nickname had come to me courtesy of Master Aurelius, of course.
I’d been thirteen when a delegation from Nova Roma was scheduled to arrive. It had been just a few months after my mother had started giving me the potion that suppressed my Mageian powers. The serum seemed to make my panic attacks worse.
I had watched from the balcony as my parents had welcomed the visiting delegates, including Prince Adrian and Princess Valentina of Nova Roma.
The pageantry had been amazing, but I’d had eyes for no one but Prince Adrian. He had seemed so…dashing. Tall and blond, he’d held his sister’s arm as she walked up the broad steps. He had been fifteen and already developed Elusian abilities. He would be named Crown Prince of Nova Roma when he turned sixteen. I’d watched as the young man had paused to whisper something in his sister’s ear that had made her giggle. The Princess was only ten, but she had been remarkably resilient with her brother there to support her. As she smiled up at Adrian, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to have someone like the prince whisper in my ear, maybe hold my hand, maybe brush his lips across mine…
I’d stayed hidden on the balcony for hours after they had passed, my daydreams finally broken when a young page found me and delivered a summons from my father. Admittedly, I’d draggedmy feet in answering. Visits with my father rarely went well for me, but finally I had faced the inevitable.
I’d entered the King’s office and presented myself as ordered. I bowed to my parents, my father behind his goddess-bedamned desk, my mother working on needlework nearby. It was unusual to see her in my father’s office.
“Lucien,” my father had said, his cold voice biting as he sat behind his desk, Master Aurelius at his side. “You need to make an excellent impression with the Nova Roma leaders. You are being considered as a possible consort to Princess Valentina.”
