Chapter 33
The vision disappeared, and I stood in the sand pit of the Arena, my breath shallow.
The roar of the crowd crashed over me, a tidal wave of voices vibrating through my bones. Hundreds, there were hundreds of spectators, and they were all screaming for us. Above, the sky was a blinding expanse of blue, empty except for the midday sun.
Pain seared through my forearms. I glanced down, expecting a mess of flesh, but the skin was unbroken.
Except for the brand. Twin circles joined together, as though two bracelets had been placed next to each other. Dark and sharp-edged, the ink-black lines stood in stark contrast against my flesh, the edges still red and raw.
The symbol of the Culling.
I clasped my other hand around my jade bracelet, which was still warm.
Thank you for your protection, compassionate Kuan Yin.
My eyes focused on those standing beside me. The masses who had crowded the Arena had been whittled down. We all must have been tested at the same time.
I found familiar faces in the aftermath, all with the same brand I wore on my skin.
Quinn looked like a soldier with a mission. Calla trailed behind him, her shoulders stiff. Her hands were curled loosely at her sides. She caught my gaze and gave a crooked smile.
“Still breathing,” she said, her voice rough. “That’s all that counts.”
I searched beyond her, heart thundering.
Malissa was there, her lips pressed in a thin line, hollowed out by whatever she had endured.
Jace—his expression unreadable but for a dark passion simmering just beneath the surface, something in him I’d never seen before.
Ire, lips curled in a silent snarl, looked at me with disdain. And there was—
Thank the gods.
A near sob of relief escaped as I spotted Blake, deep lines of exhaustion carved into his face. He looked haunted, his eyes searching the Arena with the same terrified intensity.
But then his eyes swept over me, over the brand on my skin. A flicker of satisfaction crossed his face before the Diviner’s voice stole through our minds, her red robes flickering into view over the high sun. She sounded strong once more, her form bright.
“The gods have Chosen. And We, along with your dominion, have Culled for the Raveling.”
The Diviner’s masked face turned toward me, and though there were no eyeholes, I felt her gaze pierce through me, cutting into the deepest parts of who I was. The red of her robes seemed to deepen, darkening to a shade that looked almost like blood.
“Tomorrow at dawn, you shall be taken to the Haven of the Gods. The fate of the realms depends on you all.”
I blinked, but the world stayed blurred around the edges. It didn’t feel real. Like someone else’s life, someone else’s fate, was being decided.
A cold rush of adrenaline shot through me, burning away the numbness. My hands started to shake. My heart slammed against my ribs.
I forced a breath into my lungs. Then another.
Calla and Quinn swept in beside me for hugs, tight and warm. There was celebration and excitement, but also something somber in each of us.
Behind them, I could see Blake waiting for me quietly, though before he could approach, a worried-looking Malissa stepped up to him and whispered in his ear.
Whatever she’d said was enough to make him interrupt us, hugging me tight, our bodies melting together.
“I need to speak to the king,” he muttered into my hair, before leaning back and tilting my chin up toward him.
I blushed at this public display. It was as if the intensity of the Culling had laid us all bare. Malissa was watching us with narrowed green eyes, Calla with mischief, and Quinn with wariness.
“I’ll come find you.” His voice was deep.
“You always do,” I whispered back with a smile.
He released me then, turning on his booted heel and following Malissa out of the Arena.
I turned to begin my own tired walk back, body drained of strength.
Quinn fell into step beside me, Calla on my other side. He poked me in the ribs. “Rubi Morningtail, I have so many questions.”
I smiled at him. “I promise to answer them. Later. Right now, I want to eat my weight in pork buns.”
I looped my arms around Quinn and Calla both, grateful for their friendship. Grateful we would face whatever was to come together, even if for different dominions.