Page 28 of A Clash of Stars

I woke up drenched in sweat and looking around the room in pure panic. My pajamas were stuck to my body, and my tear-stained cheeks burned bright red. What was that? Was it a warning of some kind?

Just as I am taking in the morning and rejoining reality, I watched Sophia come in with breakfast and armor.

“What are you doing with armor?” I asked curiously. She replied as though I should know. “It’s for you to wear in the Variance. Get up. We have to get you ready.”

Sophia was short and more direct than usual. I could sense her anxiousness swelling inside of her. She’s concerned about me.

I hesitantly got out of bed and allowed her to dress me. I am in all black. I don’t think I have ever worn all black before. I don’t think I have ever worn black in public at all. The pants were tight and snugged around my hips and backside.

The black tunic was a long sleeve and draped over my thighs ever so slightly. I slipped on black laced boots that stopped near my knee. I was then wrappedin Carondelet’s leathers. The silver stitching of our kingdom symbols is woven together and aligned as a balanced circle.

There is a talk about the Artesian bloodline being the most powerful, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at us. I can understand it, though. The power to control nature is a beastly set of gifts, and the guys in Sefida haven’t seen everything I can do.

Sophia pulled my wavy hair into a high ponytail and placed my rose gold crown on my head, securing it with braids crowning my head. She then grabbed my shoulders and pulled me in for an embrace. She whispered in my ear, “The key unlocks it all.”

She placed a small key into my hands and continued, “Place this in your leathers, don’t let anyone else see. Your mother and father love you greatly. Many are waiting for your rise to the throne. I know you must have many questions, Clara, but it is best that you complete this Variance without the knowledge you are seeking. It will come in time. Stay safe. Fight hard. Oh, and don’t forget this. It might be helpful.”

I gave her a puzzled look as I stepped out of the embrace and placed the key inside my leathers and the book I had been reading in my satchel.

I felt the pain and uncertainty pulling off of her, but the one emotion I couldn’t support was her excitement. Why the abyss would she be excited about this?

“Everything you just told me was completely overwhelming, but fortunately, I don’t have time to unpack them with you. I will bring them up again, you know?” I smiled at her. “Thank you, Sophia. I am unsure of what I will face today, but I feel much better knowing you are on my side,” I paused, unsure whether or not to ask her my next question, but decided it was worth the risk. “Were you the one to put the flowers outside my door?”

All she did was smile at me, not saying one word as she nodded her head to the door as if saying to get the abyss out of here. I knew my time was limited, so I gave her a quick smile and headed downstairs to my future. Before I could leave theroom, I glanced at the mirror and noticed that the golden mark I thought I saw last night was no longer there. Maybe I dreamt of this marking instead, or I’m simply delusional.

I entered the sitting room alongside the rest of the royal competitors. I am late, big surprise.

“Clara, how nice of you to join us. Please have a seat,” Master Edward arrogantly points out to me and everyone else in the room.

I sit in my assigned chair, coincidentally between Madok and Evander.

Ha, just stab me now.

I could feel them both glaring at me, but I stared straight ahead to give neither of them satisfaction. I could feel the pulse of my power marking starting to glow. I tried to suppress it but couldn’t stop the glow from showing.

Evander, to my left, noticed the glow. He grabbed my hand secretly between the chairs and squeezed my hand so hard that I wanted to scream and possibly punch him in the jaw. I yanked my hand away from him, but that’s when I noticed exactly what he did. He distracted me so the glow would disappear and smirked at me.

Pompous ass. But a smart pompous ass.

“Let’s begin,” Master Edward gestures, his hands rising for us to join him. We all stand around the circular offering plate. He then goes over how to start the ceremony. Each person will gently cut the other contender’s hand and offer their blood into the mystical-looking bowl in order: Luke and Madok, Griffin and Evander, and Evander will assist me as well. Every royal is introduced and proclaimed by Master Edward.

Personally, I’d rather watch paint dry than listen to this man any more than I need to.

“Luke of Thea, the bloodline of the goddess Adelaide, bestowed the powerful gift of telepathy. Please submit your blood to the Chalice.”

He repeated this pattern for every contender, and I made it a point to watch each of them, unsure of what I was looking for, their weaknesses, or possibly to show that I supported them. Although we are against one another, we all have the same goal: peace and happiness for our people.

He continued, “Madok of Ophera, the bloodline of the goddess Lena, bestowed the powerful gift of light seeing. Griffin of Rhysette, the bloodline of the god Alaric, bestowed the powerful warrior gift. Evander of Aster, the bloodline of the god Theo, bestowed the powerful gift of persuasion.”

Then it was my turn to submit my blood to the Chalice.

When Master Edward points to Evander to do the honors for me, Evander picks up my hand and continues to create a cut in my palm. He then turns my hand over the bowl to ensure my blood is added. As my blood drips into the bowl, I am overwhelmed with a feeling of power. Not just any power, mine.

I flickered my eyes toward Evander; he had been watching me the entire time. I saw his teeth nibble on the bottom of his plump lip, and my body immediately reacted to it. He could tell, and he smirked, looking towards Master Edward for him to read my right of submitting blood for the Variance.

“Clara of Artesia, the bloodline of the goddess Colette, bestowed the powerful gift of nature. Please submit your blood to the Chalice.” Immediately, the lights in the room flickered once my blood hit the Chalice.

Spooky.

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