I opened my eyes and the beast still hovered inches from me, like a house. He stared at me with hooded lids and peacock blues that had vertical slits for pupils. They didn’t move with me like inside the simulator. Pink and orange flames surrounded us. The flames didn’t flutter like normal flames. They were frozen in time. It was so weird.
What the hell is happening?
The ascension jumped into my mind, and I stepped out of the flame.
Every person in the crowd’s actions turned to stone. The sound, the speakers. Most of the humans stared with wide eyes and round, gaping mouths at us.
Some leaned closer to the person next to them, grasping their jackets or shirts. Others had furrowed eyebrows.
I looked back at the room I emerged from. Lucian wasn’t standing there anymore.
The Rubicon stood frozen, his head still bowed low to the ground, and fire surrounded his head and upper half. An orange glow showed through some parts of his scales. It was beautiful.
Movement caught my eyes on the left, and my gaze flickered to the spot. There was nothing there now. The movement came from a few rows lower and my gaze scanned the crowds a few rows below.
Whatever it was, it moved so fast that I couldn’t see it. The movement came to my right.
My heart stammered as an icy finger ran up my spine. Goosebumps flushed my skin and I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I hated this feeling.
The movement entered the ring, and my head snapped toward it. It was a man in a black cloak. He walked closer to me and my feet refused to move.
My stomach turned and pulled in many directions, and my breathing was almost as fast as the pounding of my heart.
The guy took off his hood revealing blond wavy hair.
Familiar green eyes locked on mine and a soft smile spread on his lips. In a second, it became a grin and his entire face lit up.
It was King Albert, my father.
I didn’t know why I ran to him. I mean, I only knew about him through what I’d been learning and seeing on the internet.
His arms wrapped around me when I collided with his body.
“Hey, sweet pea.” His breath caressed my ear. He smelled manly, husky, mixed with an oak fragrance and something sweet. His voice sounded so familiar and yet, I only heard it from the television.
I looked up at him through glistening eyes.
“Don’t cry.” He smiled. “So he released his first ability?” His eyes flickered to the Rubicon, and he frowned. “Elena, what happened?”
“Nothing, it hadn’t even started.” I looked back at the massive block of a beast.
“Explain, what did he do?”
“He walked toward me, lowered his head and sniffed, then he released his fire.”
My father’s gaze widened and flickered it back to mine. “He didn’t fight?”
“No.”
“What color were his eyes?”
“Why?”
“Just answer my question.”
I didn’t like the tone in my father’s voice. “Peacock blue.”
“It wasn’t red?”
