Suspense permeates as cadets await the next arrival. The doors swing open to reveal the first Underworld representative, Lord Rollo of the Jord and his Oksvakt.
Disgust coils in my stomach like a snake. The entire Underworld can collapse in on itself and I wouldn’t feel an ounce sorry.
His steps thud heavily on the tile as he approaches the table. A small entourage of Jord court members trail behind. They are dressed in red battle leathers with brown and white shoulder furs, making their large bodies appear even wider. They look as if they are walking onto a battlefield with their arrows and battle axes, even though tonight is a celebration with food and dance.
The largest Oksvakt in the back blows into a curved horn made of bone. I shiver, despite the thin layer of sweat dampening my forehead. I have a feeling this is a sound I will recognize for the rest of my life. A tone forever engraved in my ears. Flashes of Goldenpine fill my vision.
Rosie holding her cast iron pan high above her head.
A mother rushing away with crying children tucked under each arm.
Bane and Row fighting off Underlings, bloodied and broken.
Marrow lying lifeless on the small stage.
I swallow down bile.
The hall reverberates with the chilling note and the Jord Lord begins a throaty chant, his voice gravely and harsh. The Oksvakt join in, slowly crescendoing with every turn of phrase. They pound their axes on the ground as they march toward the section of head table. Their war chant echoes against the hard stone walls, bouncing back in chaotic rhythms.
Ragnar and Sabra clap the loudest after their presentation. Ragnar looks hungry to impress, while Sabra’s stare seems to hold some sort of reverence or devotion for the male.
How could any human revel in the presence of an Underworld Lord, knowing their violence and misdeeds?
Sun burn me. I take a long sip of my wine, knowing who will be the last royal entering the room: the Underling I met in the springs who also happens to be known as a fucking Soul Eater.
I finish off the rest of my wine, earning a look of curiosity from Ramona.
The lights dim slowly until the room is covered in a thick darkness. I reach for Castor under the table. Our hands collide. My pulse quickens, partly from the way Castor’s fingers are now entwined with mine, and partly from the male I know will enter at any moment.
The whole room begins to shake violently. Surely he wouldn’t enter from underground? That would ruin the support structure beneath this castle, and it’s already miraculously perched along a steep hillside.
The rumbling becomes so loud that I can no longer tell the difference between my own trembling and the ground beneath me. Something warm and furry scurries across my feet. I scream and release Castor’s grip so I can hug my legs to my chest.
A gust of wind raises the tiny hairs of the back of my neck, as if there was someone standing right behind me. The sound of beating wings fills the room, and the distinct scrape of a sword being drawn fills the air.
Above us, each sword glows in shades of purple, blue, and green, illuminating the warriors from Terraguard as they hover in the air in a great circle. They swing their swords around in glowing arcs, cutting shapes into the air above as they move through a series of technical strikes.
“Incredible,” Leaf mutters from across the table, jaw gaping at the sight.
That’s when I notice that they aren’t hovering with magic, butflying. Each of the Terraguard Coredivers has wings spanning from between their shoulder blades. They look to be made from the shadows themselves, swirling with smoke yet somehowsolid. The dinnerware begins to clatter as the room rumbles and reverberates. Murmurs ofSoul EaterandWorld Destroyerfill the room.
A single figure descends from the darkness down the center of the circle. The largest of the group, undoubtedly to support his frame. Tonight, his blonde hair is slicked, revealing an angular face covered in ornate glowing war paint around his eyes and forehead. He is devastating and beautiful at the same time. I cannot help but be transfixed by his slow, oscillating descent.
From the lowest levels of the Underworld, I greet you,Lord Atlys’s voice fills my mind. By the startled looks of cadets around the room, they too heard his voice.
He holds up a fist, and all five Coredivers fly to his side. They snap their wings in and drop down to the ground. Altys lands last, slamming down to land on one knee, wings disappearing. The entire castle shudders as he stands slowly to his full height, silver eyes looking right at me.
My breath leaves me, and I freeze under his starry gaze, not daring to look away.
He turns and heads to the far end of the table reserved for Terraguard. The torches glow brighter once more and the crowd erupts for the fourth time.
Each entrance wasn’t just an entrance, but a dance, a careful play in a larger game that many around me did not seem to catch as they merrily clink their glasses and clap. How can they not feel the palpable tension between the allied races? Each move a power play on another.
I do not look toward the Lord of Terraguard throughout the dinner, though my mind screams for me to glance. I fight the temptation and try to engage in table conversation. Leaf and Ramona have successfully agreed upon the best way to trap a mountain troll, while Castor and Selene bond over their Moon’cher swimming capabilities.
Even Commander Hogsmith came by our table to congratulate us on our outstanding Presentations. “I had no idea you had that in you, Nox. Thought you were going to be the soft and sheltered sort coming from a life of Telling.” He pats my back.
I hold in a laugh. Luxury is the last thing I know. Telling, yes. But a lavish, soft life, I think not. “My weapon display was a surprise to many, it seems.”
