Page 39 of Kingdom of Today
I recalled the whisper of denial I’d perceived while kissing Cyrus and gulped. “Any, um, news on my friend?” I asked, changing the subject to Mykal.
Domino studied me for a long while, silent as I shifted from one bare foot to the other. “Nothing new,” he finally replied.
“And my mom?” I shuffled to my bed and eased onto the edge of the mattress. “She’s well?”
“She is.”
I wrung my hands together. “And you still can’t tell me who my, um, new friend is?” The other Soalian.
“Correct.”
“So why are you here?” I demanded, suddenly mad at him, Cyrus, myself, and the world. And I didn’t even know why.
No answer came, and when I looked up, I discovered Domino had gone. His absence only added fuel to the fires of my irritation.
Hoping to better understand my reaction, I focused inward, spotlighting my memory garden.What in the world?So. Many. Weeds. Too many to pinpoint a specific section.
The sight roused tears I couldn’t bank. What even was my life anymore? I had the truth but little else. Cyrus was my boyfriend, and he claimed to love me, but I rarely saw or spoke to him. I was supposedto help him become king and overcome the courting of a god but also stay away from him for reasons. I’d kissed him, but he’d walked away with a past girlfriend. I’d become a Soalian, a citizen of the Kingdom of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, and a member of the much-feared Tome Society, and I should be shouting the truth from rooftops. Except, I couldn’t mention CURED’s lies without the threat of death. Though I’d always yearned to grow my own garden, I’d failed to tend the one in my head. Right now, my best friend was a projection of a man no one else could see or hear, yet I’d sent him away. Hopefully only temporarily.
My shoulders rolled in but squared in a snap. This wasn’t a time to indulge in self-pity. I had work to do.
Determined to start fresh, I torched the memory garden, letting righteous flames of fury eat up the weeds. A simple action, and yet a weight I hadn’t known I’d been carrying lifted from my shoulders. Much better.
The morning bell spilled over the airwaves, and my door opened again. I flowed from the bed, collected my fragment of the Rock, and stuffed it in my pocket.
Today, I traveled to Theirland.
Head high, I stalked forward. Still no sign of my guards. Though the hallway overflowed with trainees, none of them paid me any heed, per usual. No matter. I continued with purpose, every step fueled by intent. I would apologize to Domino at the first opportunity and help Cyrus as I saw fit. I wouldn’t put anyone in added danger, not even myself.
After I showered and dressed in clean fatigues, I double-checked that I still wore my necklace—yes—and transferred my piece of the Rock into my new pocket. With nothing else to do, I headed for the rift room, where one of three doorways to Theirland would instantly transport me to a CURED-owned military base. Hmm. Knights and barons rushed through the crowd in a steady stream, all heading in the same direction, leaving a trail of stinging anxiety in their wake.
Whatever the high princess had referenced must have escalated.
I picked up the pace, lagging a few steps behind Cash and Miller. They muttered together, speculating about what could be going on.
Miller glanced back at me. When he did it again with a frown, I thought a spark of recognition arced between us. I frowned too. Surely that didn’t mean ... he wasn’t ... couldn’t be ...
But maybe. I would find out.
We entered the rift room with other trainees in tangled lines. The atmosphere changed immediately, becoming denser, humming with an eerie static that prickled my skin. The trio of rifts loomed in the center of the spacious chamber. They resembled giant slashes, as if some monster had clawed and split the very air itself, leaving jagged doorways to the abyss beyond. Wisps of darkness curled at their edges, writhing like smoke trapped in a vacuum. Inside, the gashes pulsed faintly, an unnatural glow casting warped shadows across the concrete walls. A low, distorted murmur leached from the openings, sending a shudder down my spine. The scent of scorched metal and something sickly sweet filled my lungs as I took my next step forward.
Usually we traveled in an orderly fashion. Today, chaos reigned. Men and women from every level rushed through the gloom, vanishing.
At the front of the room, strapping on pieces of golden armor, was Mr. Vyle.
I pressed a hand to my churning stomach. Everyone in his vicinity appeared stressed to the max, except him. He remained as cool as ever, even when he swung his gaze to me, as if he’d sensed my attention. He inclined his head in acknowledgment, and I did the same.
Miller moved between me and the royal executioner, obstructing my view. He wiggled his brows. “Heard you trying to win back your sweet, sweet prince this morning, Roosa.”
My cheeks burned anew. He couldn’t be the Soalian. He just couldn’t be.
“Focus up.” Roman stepped in and elbowed Miller in the gut, surprising me with the show of support. “Something big is happening, and we get to be a part of it. We’ll give our best today. Got it?”
Hunching over, Miller gasped for breath he couldn’t catch. He offered a thumbs-up.
“Classes, follow me through,” Mr. Vyle called. “The royals and upper gentry are awaiting our arrival.” He took position at the front and entered the darkness.
My group joined the clusters of soldiers-in-training surging toward the seams. Winslet entered first, then Cash and Miller. I followed Roman and Merlot, bracing for an onslaught of agony as I entered the gloom.
