Page 20 of The Fifth Heir

Leander waited.

Our eyes met briefly. His face revealed nothing, but his earlier words returned to me.

Nor should we dismiss the selection.

Then he brought his hands together as well.

The sound spread through the candidates. The senior keepers joined. Academy instructors and officials followed, and finally the galleries filled with applause that was neither as loud nor as joyful as it had been for the four men.

It did not matter.

The Hall was recognizing me.

I stood beside the headmaster in my plain gray robe, with dust beneath my fingernails and no torc around my throat, while hundreds of dragons applauded a choice none of us understood.

Camilla approached when the headmaster dismissed the remaining candidates.

People moved out of her way again, but not as quickly as they had before the ceremony. Some watched her with open curiosity. Everyone knew she had been expected to stand among the heirs. Everyone had seen the fifth beam touch her uniform before passing her to reach me.

She stopped in front of me.

For several seconds, neither of us spoke.

I wanted to tell her I was sorry. The words pressed against the back of my teeth, but saying them here would make the moment worse. I had not taken anything from her intentionally, yet I stood beneath the attention that should have belonged to her.

Camilla looked at my empty throat.

Her gaze remained there one heartbeat too long.

Then she embraced me.

Her arms closed tightly around my shoulders. Pain flared through the one I had struck against the lamp, but I did not pull away.

“Congratulations,” she said beside my ear.

Her voice did not break. Her posture remained perfect. Anyone watching would see an accomplished elder sister celebrating the impossible honor granted to the younger one.

Her hands trembled against my back.

“Camilla—”

“Not here.”

The whisper was so quiet that the Hall’s runes could not carry it.

She drew away and smiled for the people watching us.

I did the same.

Between us, reflected in Camilla’s dark eyes, the Prism remained clear and silent.

Chapter 4

Talia

Less than an hour after the Choosing, the four heirs stood in Crown Wing Tower while every door prepared for them refused to open.

I had not expected to be there.