Chapter 3
Chapter
Three
My mother never stayed to watch the meteor shower. “I've seen it plenty of times before,” she always said.
After the king concluded his speech, she gave Delani and me a lecture of our own, making us swear that there wouldn't be a repeat of last year. Of course we said what she wanted to hear, but as twilight got closer and my nerves got stronger, I couldn't make any promises.
After she left, Delani secured us some wine while I gathered a collection of sweets from one of the buffets. With my arms full of pastries and candied fruit, I followed Delani’s lead as she directed us along the outskirts of the courtyard.
The lights from the festival still flickered around us despite no longer being under the tent made from magic.
Our shoes left footprints in the plush grass we wandered through as we searched for the perfect spot to watch the meteor shower.
We settled on a location—a grassy hillside with a view of the cliffside near the rear of the fortress.
I dropped carefully to my knees, letting my snacks spill onto the grass.
I was already too tipsy from the wine to care if they got a little dirt on them.
My legs kicked out from beneath me, allowing me to sit more properly.
I reached for the goblet of wine that Delani had set by my hip and savored the sweetness of the liquid as I gazed into the sky that darkened more and more by the second.
Twilight was almost among us, and my fists clenched with the reminder that at any moment, my life could be forever changed.
I wished that my mother knew the exact time of my birth.
That information alone would have eased my nerves.
I looked around at the others sitting nearby on the lawn, observing who had shining jewels on their hands. The newly gifted looked excited, eager to finally access their magic. The others—the ones without magic—just looked drunk. Delani fell into that category.
We devoured most of our snacks, sipping on our goblets of wine when we finished the sweets.
As soon as she finished her cup, Delani leaned back, slumping her body into the grass.
Her eyes closed in relaxation. “Wake me when the shower starts,” she mumbled, falling asleep as soon as the words left her lips.
I sighed heavily. Once again, I was left with just my brain for company. My thoughts drifted, pulling away from my fear to instead focus on the soldier from earlier.
As uncomfortable as it had been that he caught me staring, remembering the way he stared back sent shivers down my spine.
His gaze was profound, as though I looked familiar to him but he couldn't quite figure out how.
Though the likelihood of ever seeing him again was slim, the image of his face would certainly stay sealed in my memories forever.
The inky sky had no source of light aside from the crescent moon lingering in the atmosphere. No stars had appeared yet, but it wouldn't be long before the blank canvas was speckled with color.
Tension pooled from my breath as I blew it out, releasing the anguish I’d been holding on to all day. There were only a few hours left of my birthday, which meant that the odds of me being gifted were next to none.
That logic allowed me to finally relax. I laid down next to Delani and nestled my head into the crook of her arm. With my mind finally at rest, I found myself looking forward to watching the mosaic of stars as they put on the most magical show.
As if the heavens could sense my ease, a violent force of starlight painted a streak through the blank sky, blasting through the atmosphere at an incomprehensible speed.
It created a straight bisect through the darkness, then vanished as soon as it had arrived.
The meteor was one like I’d never seen before, and left me in complete awe.
I shot upright, looking side to side, wondering who else had noticed the star. But there was no indication that anyone saw the start of the meteor shower.
My neck burned as I strained it to watch the sky, my gaze not faltering as I waited for more stars to fall.
But none came.
I blinked a few times, just to make sure that the star I saw wasn't really something caught in my eye. But I was certain it was real.
It looked real.
I frowned. I’d seen enough shooting stars in my lifetime to know one when I saw one. Maybe I was just exhausted and hallucinating. Maybe I drank more than I realized—that was also a possibility.
“Happy Birthday to me. Here’s your present—being fucking delusional,” I mumbled under my breath.
Minutes passed without any implication that the meteor shower had actually begun. I had accepted the notion that I was in fact crazy, until someone a few yards from me gasped. My head darted in their direction, then up to the heavens where they pointed.
I saw the star as it passed, its emerald tail flowing steadily until the entirety of its existence was swallowed into the blackness. Shortly after, there was a ruby meteor. Then a yellow star, followed by a violet one.
Soon enough, the sky was clustered with vibrant jewel-toned stars, flashing sporadically as they tumbled through the atmosphere.
Some stayed stationary while others flew in every direction, creating a prism of color that replaced the darkness of the night with a beautiful illustration from the gods.
I nudged Delani in an attempt to rouse her. She stirred, but did not wake. I tried once more per her request, but she had so much to drink that I doubted I'd be able to fulfill it.
The all too familiar feeling of unease returned with the true induction of the meteor shower. I focused on the immobile stars, allowing the idleness of them to grant me a sense of control amidst the hecticness of the sky.
I breathed deeply, watching the display of lights above me. My hands didn't ache yet, which was a good sign. If I were to be deemed worthy by the gods, my jewel would present itself on the back of my palm.
That logic, and the fact that my birthday was coming to a close, pushed my dread fully aside. I let out a belly laugh directed at myself. I shouldn't have been, but I was ashamed that I let fear ruin my birthday.
I laid back down with my sister and listened to the joy of the others around me as they gained use of their magic with each falling cosmo.
Gazing into the heavens, I began to count the colored stars. Before I could get to ten, I drifted off to sleep.
I woke up to a horrific pounding in my temple.
Putting pressure against my forehead, I sat up and leaned back on the heel of my free hand.
I groaned, immediately regretting my decision to have that last goblet of wine.
Delani was fast asleep, and the sky was still putting on its performance of dancing stars, so I must have not been asleep for too long.
Wait.
I did a double-take back to Delani. Where my head had been resting on her dress, was a blood soaked spot.
“What the—”
My hands pushed me off of the ground. I stood on wobbling knees, the pounding in my head increasing in line with my height. Upon further examination, I realized that it was not exactly my head that was aching—it was my face. Just under my right cheekbone, to be exact.
My arm quivered as I raised my hand to meet the puffed flesh under my eye, which burned to the touch. The skin felt warm—wet underneath the soles of my fingers. My eyes widened when I pulled my hand back into view, beads of fresh blood dripping from my fingertips.
Adrenaline coursed within me as I hastily repeated my inspection, this time noticing a group of raised bumps along the line of my cheek bone.
I froze as realization struck me.
This had to be a dream.
There was no way. No fucking way.
I must have still been asleep, because this wasn't possible. First and foremost, the gemstones of the gods rarely adorned one's body anywhere except for their hands. When they did, they usually were close by, like on a forearm or something.
Second of all—there was just no fucking way.
I scrambled around, collecting the few belongings I had with me and giving Delani one last glance before hurrying off, not knowing where I was going, but needing to move.
I crept through the lawn, careful not to wake any of the others who had dozed off.
Most were still awake, those gifted testing out their new magic.
They really should have waited until they received some instruction on how to properly wield, but their foolishness wasn't my problem.
The air in my lungs thickened with each inhale, and I found the task of existing becoming difficult as panic lashed at me. “No, no, no,” I grumbled in frustration, but couldn't stop the attack as hyperventilation swallowed my air.
I forced my shuddering legs to move faster, really needing to focus on the motions.
I left the castle grounds and walked along the pathway that bordered the cliffside, my steps uneven from the shambles of cobblestone.
I didn't care if one of the soldiers caught me leaving the festival.
I had to move—had to sweat the panic out of my pores.
More importantly, I had to find a damn mirror.
Tears started to flow, warm and salty against my cheeks.
My face pulsated in sync with my heart and I could feel the blood mixing with my tears as it trickled down my skin.
But I advanced forward, following the path until it revealed an open portion of the rocky cliffside, where I paused to peer over the ledge.
The drop only appeared to be a few feet. I could clearly hear the waves of the ocean crashing below, and despite the darkness of the night, I knew that I was just seconds away from a sandy shore.
I dropped down to a crouch and swung my legs over the ledge.
The stones scraped my knuckles as I climbed down nature's wall, lowering myself, careful to get a firm grip on each rock before descending any further.
I removed my boots as soon as I hit land, granting the sand permission to caress my feet.
My toes kicked the grains as I maneuvered towards the ocean, the wet sand creating a plaster on my feet.
I came to a halt when I felt the sand being washed off by the sea. I focused on my breaths, inhaling and exhaling with the rhythm of the waves.
My breathing was already becoming easier—just being by the ocean calmed me. I got a handle on my leaking eyes, then gathered as much courage as I could before bending my neck to look down into the sea.
The jewel-toned stars mirrored off the surface, creating prismatic patterns that illuminated the water. I could see my reflection clearly thanks to the silver glow of the moon. I turned my head to the side, angling my face to get a look at the reason behind the ache.
I choked at what I saw.
Three shining gemstones, caked in dark crusted blood, peeking through the flesh that outlined my cheekbone.
I stood as still as a corpse. My body was in pure and devastating shock.
I wanted to cry, scream. I wanted to curse the gods for sentencing me to such a fate.
But I didn't do any of those things.
There was no point.
Nothing could change this.
The obligations the king had placed on the gifted had nothing to do with the gods. My fate was not their doing. It was not how the deities intended for their powers to be used.
The gods had no say in this imperative destiny. They wouldn't be able to save me.
It was hard to tell from the moonlight alone, but the jewels appeared to be pale blue. Or perhaps they were clear, like a diamond.
I blew out a wistful breath and traced my fingers over them again, familiarizing myself with the reason my life was about to drastically change.
“No…” My voice cracked in denial as my composure broke down.
My body crumbled into the sand, having no willpower left to keep upright.
I stayed there until dawn rolled in and the sun reheated the air that had been chilled by the night.
I grieved into the morning hours while preparing myself for the adjustments to my future that I would have to accept in mere hours.
Though I wanted to—more than anything in the world—there was no returning a gift from the gods.