Chapter 4
Chapter
Four
Only when the sky had been wiped clean from starlight and the sun had peaked did I make my way home. I sulked all the way to my room, only to find Delani nestled into my bed instead of her own.
I was glad that she made it home okay. I shouldn't have left her, but given the circumstances, she would understand.
As I crossed the floorboards towards my bed, I stopped to study my reflection in the mirror. My vision was still blurred from crying, and I had to work hard to focus on the jewels embedded in the fullness of my cheek.
I tilted my head every which way to get a really good look at my gift. The faint, bluish hue of the stones varied with the angle of my neck. Their strain was unclear in the ocean's reflection, but in this lighting, it was evident that I wore three diamonds in my flesh.
Damn.
It was already bad enough that my jewels had doomed me to a life of knighthood, let alone the fact that I wasn't even blessed by Thea.
Her sapphire was accompanied by the power of water manipulation, which was quite fitting for my character.
Though Caius gave those gifted by him the power to manipulate snow and ice, which I supposed wasn't too far off.
I abandoned my reflection, resuming my journey to my bed and crawling in the sheets next to my sister. I soaked in the coziness of my own mattress, knowing that this moment would be the last of its kind for the years to come.
Lying flat on my back, I made myself comfortable and rested my hands on my stomach.
I blew out a shuddered breath, my hands falling with my chest. The emptiness of the ceiling was greatly appreciated as I spent nearly an hour contemplating how I would say goodbye to my family before I left.
What did you tell the most important people in your life, when you knew there was a possibility that those words would be the last you ever said to them?
There was no question that training to become a soldier was brutal, and if I were to die—
There was no use in dwelling on maybes. I knew that, but I couldn't stop the thoughts as they possessed my brain.
Delani began to stir, but she still didn't wake. She rolled to her other side, then burrowed herself deeper into the sheets. She looked so peaceful, but she had no idea that she was about to be crushed.
I closed my eyes to stop them from watering. Saying that I would miss her hardly described it.
My sister. My best friend. After today, I wouldn't see her until the Jewel-Light Festival next year. And even then, I wouldn't be able to spend any time with her. I would be on duty, stuffed into a tight leather uniform in the dead heat of summer.
A single tear dribbled free from my eye. I hastily wiped it away as the familiar scent of vanilla and lavender filled my nostrils. I recognized my mother’s perfume and turned my head to see her standing in my doorway.
She could see my cheek from where she stood—the look on her face made that much obvious. Her dark eyes sunk, but she flicked the corner of her lips up, trying to reassure me with her poor excuse of a smile.
I shuffled over as much as I could without waking Delani. The mattress was much too small for three people, but we found the room.
My mother rubbed her fingers through my hair as she had done ever since I was a child. The cloth of her shirt felt soft where my head rested on her. In the comfort of my mother’s arms, I allowed all of my sadness to rush in.
I tried to speak—tried to explain, but choked on the words.
“Shh, my star. It’s okay. I know,” she assured me, the silkiness of her tone calming me.
Another tear slipped free. Then another. I gave up trying to stop them, letting the despair rain down my face. “I don’t know what to do,” I sniffled. “I don't know how to feel.”
She kissed my forehead, her nails getting caught in the strands of my hair that she twirled between her fingers.
“Feel it all,” she said. “Feel sorrow that this journey was not in your plans, but feel excited that a new journey awaits you. Feel scared that you do not know what is to come, but feel blessed that the gods deemed you worthy. You were gifted for a reason—find it, use it.” She kissed the top of my head again then repeated herself, “Feel it all.”
I nodded into her, then wiped my nose with the back of my hand.
Our voices, though hushed, still woke Delani. Her eyes fluttered open and I angled my neck towards her. She took a few seconds to process being awake, but then her mouth dropped open.
“You were gifted?”
I nodded, and her expression turned serious.
“Why are they on your face? And why is there more than one?”
I shrugged, having no answers regarding either of those questions.
There were some exceptions to the location of one's jewel, but I had never heard of a jewel presenting on someone's face. Clearly, it was not impossible. The more confusing aspect of all of this was why I had three.
“At least one of those was meant for me. I'm sure of it,” Delani joked, making light of the situation.
I forced a laugh.
Her eyes started to water and her smile drooped as the reality of the situation splintered her. “Dammit,” she choked, pulling me into a sideways hug. “I’m going to miss you.”
By mid-afternoon, I was back at the castle. Most of my morning was spent debating if I had diamonds or sapphires. I was still convinced that Caius was the one who gifted me, but Delani believed otherwise. Either way, we would know soon enough—the king's advisor was an expert on gemstone strains.
The more I thought about it, the less I cared what my jewels were, anyway. I didn't even want them.
I hadn't spoken a word since we arrived here, having already said my goodbyes back at home while packing whatever I could stuff into my rucksack.
Looking back, I shouldn't have bothered.
The bag was taken by a soldier the moment I stepped onto the castle grounds.
The soldier went through everything I had packed, leaving me with hardly anything by the time he finished.
It was a good thing I left my journal at home. That would have made for an awkward encounter had he chosen to read it. I wanted to bring it, but figured I would be able to get my hands on some parchment here.
It was the king's orders that during your two years of academy, you were not to leave the castle grounds unless it was for battle.
Contacting anyone outside of the grounds was forbidden, meaning I wouldn't even hear from my family until next year.
He believed that having contact with the outside world caused too many distractions—that it could affect one's loyalty to the kingdom. The way I saw it though, these rules were just another way for him to control us. Apparently forcing the gifted into knighthood wasn’t enough for the asshole.
This morning on the shore, I promised myself that I would do everything in my power to not crumble with fear over my fate.
I planned to do as Delani said—fight like hell, wield my power, and stay alive.
Emphasis on the stay alive portion. Some of the new students would die, and I didn't plan on being one of them.
Many of the decorations from Jewel-Light were still on display in the courtyard.
The cascades of flowers—though wilting—still hung from the trees, the warm summer breeze scattering their petals throughout the patio.
The buffet tables had been cleared out and replaced with rows of chairs, covering the patio aside from an aisle down the middle.
The seats were pointed at a golden podium.
It sat atop an elongated platform, where the freshly gifted twenty-one-year-olds would soon stand.
I wondered how many of us there were. Previous years had averaged around seventy-five new academy students. Based on the crowd, I had a feeling there were more this year.
The chairs filled rapidly as numerous Caelestians, gifted and not, arrived at the Jewel-Light Ceremony.
I inhaled purposefully, using the kiss of the sun to melt away the nerves in my chest. The air was sweltering, and the heated rays of the summer sky were sure to burn my skin if I sat outside for too long.
A few wispy clouds loitered in the aqua sky, none of which were opaque enough to produce any shade over the courtyard.
I brushed my hair over my shoulders, letting the sun-kissed strands tumble down my back.
I used them as protection from the sun as it began to blister my skin, and found myself thankful that I chose to let my waves coil freely today.
Sighing, I looked to the left at my mother. I could tell she was proud of me, despite knowing that soon I’d no longer be standing by her side. Without looking at me, she took my hand in hers and squeezed it gently.
“I'm scared,” I whispered to her, returning my gaze straight ahead.
“I know, my star. But there is nothing to be afraid of. The gods have blessed you with an amazing gift. It is an honor.”
I bit back my scoff.
An honor.
I wasn't so sure about that.
My fingertips subconsciously twirled the pendant she gave me, the use of my nickname reminding me why the charm was so fitting. My mother had been calling me her star for as long as I could remember. I was unsure where the name came from, but I cherished it all the same.
My focus was redirected as heavy footsteps rocked the stone beneath my feet.
I whipped my head around as the same ten soldiers who were present at the Jewel-Light Festival marched into the courtyard.
The one who caught my eye last night led the rest of them as they filed down the middle of the chairs.
My eyes followed the soldier onto the golden platform. He wore the same uniform as last evening, and somehow the daylight made him look even more dashing. He situated himself then stood completely static while the others filled in next to him, copying his stance.