Page 120 of Blooms of Darkness

He took her hand and let her stand next to him by the podium, his knuckles white from gripping the edge so hard.

Vivienne’s unruly hair stood tall all around, framing her face. She looked like she had been struck by lightning.

She glanced warily at my father before speaking, “Times a foot, times a foot. Take heart contenders.”

Her head jerked to the side strangely, eyes widening as she glanced at me, her body taught.

“Danger! Fights! A change of fate! Beware the tide that shifts too late.”

Her eyes gleamed with worry. She turned to the king and grabbed his arm, attempting to tell him something, but with the podium already amplified, it echoed across the arena.

“King, King! Trials of fate, or not, it mustn't! Something dark and wicked tries and binds. Everywhere it runs.”

He rubbed her arm. “We are almost done, Vivienne, please.”

She shook her head erratically. “Fates be wary. Turn back before the darkness clings to life and hangs the future on a pin with a knife.”

She rocked back and forth on her feet, her eyes darting around as the words flowed through her being.

My mother rose from her throne, standing at Vivienne’s side to gently take her other arm and try to lead her away.

The king shook her hand off of his arm, turned back to the crowd and smiled. Carefully, raising his arms above his head, he took a breath to continue.

Vivienne panicked and appeared as though she were going to collapse. She turned to me, and the king laughed to try to calm the crowd.

The Seer knelt before me, hidden now by the podium as my father attempted to play off her words of the danger we might behold today. She grasped my arms. Tears were brimming in her eyes. “Mustn’t linger. Mustn’t stay! You’ll know when Fate has had its say.”

I shook my head. I didn’t understand what she was muttering. It was all nonsensical. Something seemed different about her, and as I stared at her, I gasped. Her eyes were completely white. What was going on?

I directed my attention to my mother, whose face turned ashen in shock. Whatever was happening, the queen believed every word our Seer spewed, and she was worried.

Shifting back to Vivienne, I tried to ease her hands from my arms, but she gripped me so tightly she left a mark. Elisabeth respected Vivienne. She’d been her friend. I couldn’t ignore a small voice deep within me telling me to listen now. “Yes, Vivienne, I’m here. What are you trying to say? I’m listening. I’m listening.”

She continued to mutter unintelligible words, completely panicked. I didn’t know what else to do to calm her down, holding her hands, repeating I was here for her, was all I could think of doing. A loudboomsounded as the trial commenced.

As much as I wanted to help her, I didn’t want to miss any of the trials. My fear for Ian and Kade was too great from what happened in the other two trials. I squeezed her hand. “Let’s sit down.” Nodding to a guard, they took our Seer’s trembling body and walked her back to her seat. She relented, seemingly calmed from the vision supposedly blessed by nature.

Watching the chaos of her mind play out, it made sense why there weren’t any other Seers. But for the first time, my heartached for Vivienne. I didn’t know what I believed, if her words rang true or not, but experiencing what she just did couldn’t be easy. What a lonely, terrifying existence.

I twisted in my seat, facing the arena below. I’d make amends with the Seer when the people I loved were safe and done with these trials. I didn’t have to believe her to treat her kindly.

The five contenders had moved to their respective positions in front of the archery course. Quivers were hung across the backs of all the contenders as they nocked their arrows, gathering their sights. Kade, Ian, and Ryland, were clearly apt at archery as the string of the bow sat tight against their lip faster than Casimir and Hale could move.

Ryland released his arrow as a tremor shook the arena, trailing up into the stands. The entire pavilion vibrated as well.

Hale, about to shoot his arrow, stumbled as a second, larger tremor ricocheted throughout the grounds.

The once-voracious crowd grew eerily silent. All we heard was the whistle of the arrows hitting their targets as the second quake ended. The shock and surprise of what had rippled twice through the arena fully captured all of our attention.

Vivienne fled the pavilion, panic-stricken. No one followed her. The guards were clearly too afraid of what the Fates might bestow upon them should they attempt to stop her.

Kade and Ian turned to each other on the field before both glancing up at me. I rose from my chair, moving to the front of the dais as the silence stretched on, my heart beating wildly. A familiar electric heat filled the air around us.

Silence broke as a lone shout echoed across the arena. A loud, wailing cry followed immediately after.

Not just any cry, though, a battle cry, and it roared across the palace lands.

Before I could gather my wits, or look at my father, the arena flooded with hundreds of Fae. But not just any Fae.

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