Sweat streams off us, and I have to admit, I’m pretty proud that I’m here without anyone forcing me. I mean sure, there’s the pressure of the impending doom of the games, but I came to the training room of my own free will. The thought makes me grin. We don’t stop sparring until the floor starts to shake violently, and a few of the weapons lining the walls clatter to the ground. Instinctively, Kenzie and I crouch, covering our heads.
“What’s happening?” Kenzie asks, staring around at the other students in the room who are looking just as concerned. “Is it an earthquake?”
That would have been my first guess, except my guys had reminded me to look out of the window in the mid-morning when the ground starts to shake.
“Come on,” I say, grabbing Kenzie’s hand and pulling her out of the room. Students are already crowded around the arched windows lining the corridor, and I pull Kenzie to the front, desperate to catch a glimpse of whatever it is the students are staring at.
When my gaze fans out across the academy grounds, my jaw slackens. Inside the walls of the academy, a tower of black stoneis lifting from the sky, like a giant mountain is rising from the earth.
“Oh my god,” Kenzie breathes beside me, her eyes as wide as mine. “When you told me they were going to erect the stadium, I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this.”
High in the sky, and mounted on their winged animali, I can only just make out the shapes of my guys against the gray background. Near them are a number of other figures, and from what the guys told me earlier, I’m guessing it includes the shadow queen and the other originals.
A mass of shadows flies through the air, gripping the stadium and pulling it out of the ground, and the walls of the academy tremble and shake. The decorative statues in the corridor bounce on their pedestals, but none of them fall and shatter, because they’re fastened by hooks to the walls.
It’s a short while later when the trembling stops, and the shadows around the amphitheater peel away, revealing more of the huge mass of blackened stone. The amphitheater reaches much higher than the academy building, and large, black flags flap in the sky, the long strips of rippling material attached to tall stone posts. I swallow, intimidated by the size of the amphitheater.
The flying figures disappear, and I’m not sure if they swoop down into the amphitheater or go somewhere else. Either way, now that the show is over, the students drop away from the windows, some of them looking pale while others jitter with excitement.
I remain at the window, staring out at the tomb that’s blocking out the sunlight. That’s right, atomb.Because that’s what it feels like. A reminder that my time is running out.
“I knew it would be big,” Kenzie says softly. “But that is…impressive.”
I nod, still staring. “You mean, terrifying?”
“Yeah, that too,” she agrees.
After lunch, Professor Lankin holds a ballroom etiquette and dance crash course for us in one of the largest training halls. All of the students are in attendance, and we spend the next couple of hours taking instruction from the professor as she teaches us a basic box step dance and reminds us how to act during the celebration. Kenzie and I pair up, and I get the joy of stepping on Kenzie’s feet multiple times before the session is over. Despite a few slips, Kenzie and I finally find a rhythm, and I thank all those sparring lessons I’ve had over the past weeks.
According to Professor Lankin, there are only three main restrictions for the celebration night. Firstly, we’re not allowed to retire for the night until the queen has left the party, which seems fair. Secondly, the students aren’t permitted to murder each other during the dance. Again, I’m not complaining about that rule, but there’s a ton of awful things the students can still do that don’t include murder. I try not to think about it. Thirdly, we all have to be wearing a red garment. Other colors on the garment are permitted as long as it is mostly red. I have no idea why, because according to what Kenzie’s heard, that’s never been a requirement before, but Professor Lankin doesn’t provide us with any explanation. Aside from that, this is our last night to relax before the games, and the professors will be more lenient with our behavior. I’m not so sure if that’s a good thing or not, and I make a mental note not to let my guard down during the night.
It’s mid-afternoon when we’re dismissed, and Kenzie and I relax in our dorm before we have to clean up for the dance. I sit by the window, and I’m completely absorbed by the story of the latest special edition book Galen has gifted me. After four hundred pages, I’m just at the part where the dark lord says, ‘fuck it,’ and he gives in to his desires and wants, claiming his fated mate. I sit up straighter, my fingers gripping tightly to the cover with anticipation.Finally.
“You all right over there?” Kenzie teases from her bed as she practices with her shadows.
“Shhhh,” I hiss, waving a hand at her to get her to shut up. “They’re finally about to get it on.”
“Oh, in that case, do you need the room?” She laughs, but I ignore her, my eyes flying over the words faster than I can register what I’m reading.Gosh this scene is so much filthier than I’d hoped! Yessss.My cheeks heat as my eyes gobble up the story like I’m some kind of addict.Oh, smut gods, he doesn’t even care that they might get caught! Get it, my man. You hit that?—
“Hmmm. I told the others you still wouldn’t be dressed,” comes a familiar drawl, and Galen tisks, his tone reprimanding but playful.
I jerk my head up, startled as I tear my eyes from the page. As I jump to my feet, my book goes flying from my lap, and I cry out in horror. Reaching forward, I fumble for the hardback, trying to catch it before it hits the ground, but my fingers swipe the air just out of reach. Before the book can impact with the floor, damaging the pages, shadows wrap around it, and Galen brings the book close to his face.
He flips it over, scanning the page I was reading, and a devilish smirk curves his lips. “Some light literature before the dance, I see?” he teases.
Grinning, I dart forward, muttering a stream of appreciative noises as I retrieve the book and hide it carefully under the cushions with my sketchbook. “It’s called relaxation,” I say defensively.
“Hmmm yes, you certainly look…” he pauses, his eyes gliding up and down my body, taking in my tense muscles and flushed face, “calm.” Stepping closer, he traces a finger along my collarbone, and my breathing hitches. “Perhaps, I should help to alleviate your tension before the dance?”
Kenzie giggles, but she clears her throat when Galen peers her way, like he’d forgotten she was even there. “Uh, do you two need a minute?” she rushes out, her cheeks reddening.
Ignoring her, my mate’s eyes become unfocused, and he tilts his head as if he’s listening to something, before he turns his attention back to me. “My apologies, treasure, I’m being called away, but I had to see you before the celebration.”
“Is it Thane and the others?” I ask, not wanting to sound needy but also wondering why I haven’t seen any of them since this morning.
“Unfortunately, Thane is busy working with a few of the other originals to finalize some preparations for the games, and Raith is attending to the zenali creatures we captured. It seems one of the foxrets was released last night, and he’s busy tracking it down.”
“What? One of the foxrets escaped?” I shudder, thinking of the creatures we had captured.
