Chapter 14
Fourteen
If only the confidence I felt this afternoon could carry over into dinner with the other challengers.
I almost wish I had to run that assessment again…
almost. After conceding to wearing a dress, I negotiated with Orion for slippers instead of heels.
He sent in two Celestials to assist me in preparing for the evening.
One is turning my face into a work of art, while the other tries to accomplish something with my short bob.
I insisted on doing this myself, but Orion wouldn’t yield.
This is the kickoff event for the Games, and I have to play my part in the spectacle.
I nibble mindlessly on my lip as the stylists finish their work.
The two move around me in a flurry, making hums of approval and touching up last-minute spots before jointly deciding I was finished.
My dress hangs on the door of the wardrobe, intimidating me with each layer of fabric. Now or never, I suppose.
The fabric slips softly over my body and cascades down.
I contort myself, attempting to secure the buttons in the back, but find that they’re just out of reach.
Maybe the stylists are still in the apartment and can assist me.
I walk to the bedroom door and open it, only to find Orion poised to knock.
“Oh, hi!” I let my hand fall from the doorframe and take a step back.
Orion stands speechless, eyes roaming over the dress. He clears his throat and runs his hand over his mouth. “Wow, hi.”
He looks handsome in a tailored jacket in the deepest shade of blue, paired with slim, tailored trousers. His white shirt remains unbuttoned at the top, displaying his muscular chest. “Wow, you!” I reply, and I swear his cheeks redden. “Would you be able to help me? I can’t reach the buttons.”
“Yeah.” Orion’s eyes end their perusal and meet mine with a tight grin. “Yes, of course.”
I step back into the bedroom and give him my back. His fingers are feather-light as they graze against my skin, causing goosebumps to travel up my arms. “Have you seen yourself?” Orion’s breath is on the back of my neck, and I can’t bring myself to move as my skin heats beneath his touch.
“Not yet,” I whisper.
“Please do yourself a favor and look.”
I slowly approach the golden-arched mirror standing in the bedroom corner.
The woman who stares back at me cannot possibly be the same one who would emerge from the Gardens covered in soil, slick with sweat, and beat down from a day’s work.
I look… soft. Soft and mysterious and beautiful.
My eyes are highlighted with violet eyeshadow and liner, making the green ovals pop vibrantly.
My hair is pulled back in a wavy updo, with my yellow strands loosely curled and hanging, framing one side of my face.
The dress takes my breath away. A cornflower blue gown, bordering a shade of purple, stitched of delicate gossamer, shimmered on me with every movement, as though someone crafted the galaxies within the threads.
The bodice is fitted—embroidered with silver threads and sequins that glisten like stars.
The sleeves are sheer, capped at the shoulders in a way that screams femininity.
A satin belt cinches at my waist with a crescent moon and two stars at the center.
Below the belt, a full skirt expands and flows out beneath me.
Layers of lilac and gold rest beneath the blue tulle strategically placed on top.
A light laugh escapes me as I spin, examining the dainty buttons lining my spine.
The gown swishes around me as I turn. “I feel like a princess.”
Orion remains stationed at the door, one shoulder leaning against the frame. “You are exquisite.” I blush at the compliment. “Are you ready? I have a hovercraft waiting for us. Dinner will be held at the Cosmic Hall, the Kosmos’ residence.”
“Do we have a game plan?”
“Find potential allies, play nice.”
I can do that. “Easy enough.”
It was, in fact, not easy enough. After an exhilarating ride in the floating transportation, Orion offered me his arm to help me exit the vehicle, and I have yet to let go. He led me through a large arched doorway and into an impressive foyer.
White-tiled floors with golden suns and stars cast an illusion that the space is larger than life.
This building drips opulence, and I have never felt more out of place.
In the center of the room, a crystal fountain with orbiting planets as the centerpiece falls quietly in a steady, comforting stream.
We are the only ones here, and the silence is unnerving.
“If you squeeze any harder, my arm may fall off.” I glance at Orion’s arm and realize my hand is gripping his arm so tightly that the skin on his forearm is pinching.
“I’m sorry. I’m nervous.” Seeing the Kosmos again fills me with dread, along with my lack of preparation for the Games to begin.
I’m stuck in a game I didn't sign up to play, in games I didn’t even know existed.
How can I pursue success when I’m deficient in my belief in myself and the value of what I’m chasing?
“I don’t think I’m cut out for this, Orion. ”
“That’s the beauty of this life; there are infinite possibilities to reinvent yourself.
But no matter who you choose to become, you’ll realize you had it in you all along.
I see it in you—I know you can do this.” I rapidly blink away the moisture forming in the corners of my eyes.
“You are a viper in a lion’s den, Zellie. Cunning, resilient, bold, adaptable.”
I straighten my spine at his kind words, letting the affirmation settle in my bones. If he has this much belief in me from whatever he’s seen, then it is time I do as well. I am all these things and more.
“A viper, Zizi. They will underestimate you. Let them. Then you strike.”