by D. S. Murphy
“It’s not as bad as I thought,” I admitted, kicking my leg out a bit and watching the dress ruffle.
She rolled her eyes and pushed me in front of the mirror.
“Not bad, eh? Glad you approve.”
I was stunned by my reflection. She sat me down and pulled my hair back into a fancy bun, pinning it up high with golden barrettes. Then she opened a drawer on the desk, pulling out a tray of cosmetics. My eyes lit up at the selection. We had makeup in Algrave, that Amber and I played with sometimes, but nothing like this. Another girl came in to assist. She had blond curls that reminded me of my brother, and was probably about his age. Annette called her Claire and told her to do my nails. While Annette applied dark eyeshadow and lengthened my eyelashes with mascara, Claire quietly began testing lip gloss until she found the perfect shade of pink.
There was a knock at the door, and then a man came in. He was tall and lanky, with golden curls and large green eyes. I recognized him from the choosing ceremony. Damien had called him Tobias. He clapped his hands when he saw me and the women jumped back.
“Marvelous!” he declared, motioning me to stand up and turn around. “You’re perfect. Just one thing. He flicked a small lever in the wall and a panel swung open, revealing a walk-in closet full of shoes. There were enough shoes for every girl in Algrave.
“Why would anybody need so many?” I murmured.
“Oh, you sweet thing,” he said with a wink. “The shoes complete the outfit.” He pulled out a pair of elegant black pumps and bent down to strap them to my feet.
“Did Damien pick those out too?” I asked.
Tobias smiled, and glanced up at me. From close up, his face was practically angelic.
“Damien has never fully recognized the importance of presentation,” Tobias said. “He thinks he can solve every conflict with his sword, when the truth is, fashion is a much keener weapon.”
How could fashion be a weapon?
Tobias was strange, for an elite, but for some reason I didn’t feel threatened by him. After he strapped on my shoes, he lifted me up gently so I could put my weight on the heels. They made me taller than usual, though I still barely came up to Tobias’s shoulders.
“Can you walk?” he asked.
I took a few timid steps, before strolling more confidently across the room.
“You’re a natural,” he beamed.
“Just keep your chin straight, and don’t look down. Pick a point across the room and fix on it with your eyes, it will help keep you steady.”
I turned and practiced walking again. I felt ridiculous, focusing on something as simple as putting one foot in front of the other, but it was a welcome distraction.
“One more thing, I think,” Tobias said, heading to my closet. He pulled out an elegant pair of long black gloves that reach up to my elbows. I tried them on, turning in the mirror. I’m not sure how I felt about them, but at least they covered the marks on my hands. I was self-conscious enough as it was in these new clothes; I didn’t need to draw more attention to myself.
When I turned again, Tobias was just leaving the room through the side exit. Annette and Claire motioned me towards the large door at the far end of the room, on each side of the threshold. Then Annette reached and swung the door open.
Damien stood on the other side with his back to the door. He turned around, appraising me with his eyes. I’d only caught a glimpse of him this morning, when he killed the slagpaw, and I realized my memory didn’t do him justice. He was far more handsome than I remembered. He wore an all-black suit that screamed expensive, with a dark blue tie and that matched my dress.
“It’s nice to see you again, Miss Sharrow,” he said. His rich voice felt like velvet in my ears.
I hesitated for a moment, as he reached out a hand towards me. But finally I took a deep breath and stepped forward.
“Call me Emily,” I said, putting my hand in his.
His lips curved up in a tiny, amused smile. He repeated the name thoughtfully, dropping the syllables like he was savoring them. I realized it was the first time he’d ever said my name. The gentle way he said it sent a warmth through my body.
I linked my arm in his and he led me down an arched hallway overlooking a center courtyard full of rose bushes. The floral scent was wonderful, even up here on the third floor. We crossed a narrow stone bridge over one of the natural streams that cut through the city. In the distance I could see several more, hundreds of feet high, crisscrossing between the gravity-defying pillars of the citadel. Some of them looked like natural rock, like melted wax. Others were made of glass and steel. I couldn’t believe a place like this actually existed.
As the sun set, the lights of the city began to glow, until they outshone the stars. We reached a spot overlooking the lower layers of the citadel with a view over the maze-like walls that surrounded the settlement. The height made me dizzy, I’d never been up this high before. The sky was turning a deep purple, casting long shadows through the dark pine trees below us. I realized suddenly there was no ash here, even though we were outside. The air tasted crisp and cool. I inhaled deeply, smelling scents of flowers and spices from a market down below.
“Like it?” Damien said. I’d spent the last few days thinking about Damien Hartmann, and now there he was, escorting me to some kind of ball. It should have been a dream come true. And yet, he’d barely said two words to me since I got here, and he always seemed slightly annoyed, like he had better things to be doing than show me around.
“So, um, I guess I should thank you,” I said, not looking at him. “You know, for saving me from Nigel.” I bit my lip. “Twice.”
“Don’t mention it.” He said it casually, but with a sharp edge that sounded almost like a warning.
He was acting like it was no big deal, like he would have done it for anyone. But not only did he save my life in the woods, he’d chosen me. We were supposed to get married, and I couldn’t even tell whether he liked me.
“And for what happened today,” I added. “I guess that was the third time you’ve saved me. How’d you find us, anyway?”
Damien’s sharp eyes flicked down to the steel bracelet his father had given me.
“That does more than monitor the level of elixir in your blood,” he said. “There’s also a tracking chip inside, so we know where you are. My father insisted on picking you up himself,” Damien said. There was an apology in his eyes, but not on his lips. “He can be very persuasive. But I was monitoring your journey. I left the citadel as soon as you stopped moving.”
I shuddered, remembering the terrifying moment when the limo had been flipped through the air. The amount of force it must have taken to lift a car like that. Damien stopped in front of me and bent down to meet my eyes. His blue eyes took my breath away. They were what I imagined the sky used to look like, before they were scorched by the ash.
“Listen to me,” he said. “The slagpaw cannot hurt you inside the citadel. You’re perfectly safe here. Do you understand?”
I nodded, and forced a smile. I hated being treated like some fragile thing that needed protection. I lifted my chin and stepped brazenly forward.
“So are we going to do this, or what?” I asked, casting a teasing smile over my shoulder.
He was at my side in an instant. My pulse raced as he threaded his fingers through mine.
“You certainly have a knack for getting yourself in trouble, Miss Sharrow.”
“Yeah, I suppose I do.”
For a long moment, he was silent, and the duration bled into awkwardness. Finally, he dropped my hand and stood a little further away from me.
“I wouldn’t recommend continuing that behavior in the palace,” he said. “The fortress walls will keep the slagpaw out, but that’s not an invitation to be reckless.”
With that chilling piece of advice ringing in my ears, Damien ushered me forward down a side alley and over another bridge. I was completely turned around as we went through some kind of tunnel, then suddenly emerged
onto a huge platform. It was lined with trees, but it was so wide and flat, the opposite side faded into the distance. In the center of the platform was an enormous slice into the stones, revealing a gushing natural river and forming a crashing waterfall. Just at the top of the waterfall was a twinkling palace. With more lights than anything else in the city, its collection of tapered pillars and jeweled domes lit up the sky. A massive set of sweeping stairs were cut into the bare rock on both sides, crossing the chests of two giant sculptures carved into the cliff face, supporting the tremendous weight of the platform with their shoulders. The waterfall gushed between them.
“We have to climb up that?” I asked, frowning. I thought we were going to a party, not a hiking trip. My new shoes were already cutting into my ankles, and I didn’t relish the idea of climbing up all those stairs in the dark.
“There is a faster way up,” Damien said. This time there was a hint of a smile in his eyes.
“Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like the next words out of your mouth?”
“We jump,” he said, nodding at the platform above us. It was at least two hundred feet high.
My heart started pounding just thinking about it. I didn’t know if he was serious, or making fun of me. Or what if he was just testing me, to see how tough I was?
“Fine with me,” I said, far more boldly than I felt.
He stepped closer and wrapped his hands around my waist. He was suddenly way too close, holding my body firmly against his. He raised a questioning eyebrow. I gulped and nodded, grabbing his shirt.
Then we shot into the sky. My dress fluttered in the wind, and then opened up like an umbrella when we started descending. Damien landed first, then let me down slowly until my feet touched the ground. When he let go I was breathless, my eyes wide from excitement.
“That was amazing,” I grinned. “It’s just like flying.”
“Glad you liked it. Now, if you don’t mind, I think we’re late.”
He nodded towards the palace. Up close I could see the entire building was covered in gleaming marble tiles, inlaid with golden ornamentation that reflected the glowing lights pointed at it. A long red carpet ran from the massive front doors to the edge of the platform, then it was a straight drop to the waterfall far below. A dozen royal guards were positioned on either side of the carpet, so still I thought they were statues at first. Like the ones in our compound, they were wearing silver jackets with black pants, and a protective mesh that hid half their faces. These ones, however, also wore a wide red band around their arm with the royal emblem, and body armor under their uniforms. As Damien and I walked casually between them, their gaze never flickered.
We entered into the largest room I’d ever seen. The high ceilings were covered in frescoes, and golden accents ran between the enormous marbles stones in the floor. I had to shield my eyes from the lights—they were brighter than anything I’d seen before, illuminating every inch of the room as bright as daylight. A few of the men in town had flashlights, and the streetlights used electric bulbs, but otherwise electricity was metered, and expensive. Unnecessary power usage was seen as wasteful, even potentially damaging to the purification engines. But here, the lack of restraint was almost conspicuous. They must have an unlimited supply of power.
Some kind of band with stringed instruments played music that made my heart sing, and people were already dancing in the center of the floor. At the far end of the palace was a stage, surrounded by white round tables. Each table could fit twelve chairs, and had an elaborate flower display in the center, surrounded by white candles.
“Took you long enough,” said Tobias, approaching us with a friendly smile. He was with a woman in a stunning black dress and a pearl necklace. She was nearly as tall as Tobias, with long dark hair and an elegance I envied.
“We took the long route,” Damien grinned.
The girl rolled her eyes at him.
“Don’t tell me you jumped,” she said. “Poor thing! Tobias did that to me at my Presentation. I nearly had a heart attack.”
“She still hasn’t forgiven me for it,” Tobias smiled wickedly. “Allow me to introduce my wife, Penelope.”
I held out my hand, but Penelope reached out and grabbed me, squeezing me into a hug.
“I’m so happy you’re here,” she said. “We’ve been trying to get Damien to choose a girl for years, just so I have someone to hang out with while the boys are busy.”
“How long have you two been together?” I asked, hoping I was asking the right question.
“Five years,” she said, holding out her hand to show off her ring. I wondered if that included the one month trial, but I was too embarrassed to ask.
“Let’s sit,” Damien said, motioning toward the tables. We picked one and were soon joined by several other couples, and a handful of elites that appeared to be single. Everyone was so dressed up, it was a little hard to tell them apart at first. Mostly, the elites had a calm certainty about them, and a restrained power. They did everything in precise, simple movements. It was easier by far to recognize the other chosen, by their wide-eyed expressions and open mouths. I wonder if I looked as impressed as they did.
My mouth watered as the first course of the meal was served. Waiters in red coats twirled wide silver plates and removed the lids with a flourish, revealing strange foods I’d never seen before. The duck, venison and soup I recognized. But there were also alien-looking creatures with massive claws, and something that looked like two leaves stuck together.
“Oysters,” Penelope said. “And lobster. My compound is right on the ocean, we catch them with traps and nets.”
She showed me how to crack them open to reach the meat inside. I pulled off my gloves so I could better eat with my bare fingers. I saw her eyes slide to the dark marks on my wrists and fingers, but she didn’t say anything.
“They’re supposed to be aphrodisiacs,” Penelope whispered in my ear, giggling.
I didn’t know what the word meant. I raised my eyebrow and she explained.
“It’s supposed to make you more eager, for the bedroom.” She winked and I grasped her meaning.
My brow suddenly prickled with sweat, and I squeezed my hands under the table. Was that supposed to happen tonight? I’d assumed intimate contact would restricted to after the trial period, after the formal wedding ceremony, but I realized nobody had told me so specifically. I glanced up at Damien, and he smiled at me warmly. He reached over and poured me a glass of wine. I smiled, and took a tiny sip. He was handsome, of course, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to be with him, in that way. Was it expected of me? Did I have a choice?
At that moment, spotlights pointed towards the stage and I saw King Richard ascend some kind of podium. On either side of him, large screens zoomed in, showing a close up of his face. Somehow his words were spelled out on the wall behind him as he spoke.
“Tonight is the opportunity to welcome the new chosen into our community. I hope everyone is having fun.”
There were cheers from the crowd. There were at least a hundred elite in the room, and I knew these weren’t even all, Penelope told me these were just the noble families and royalty. I wondered how many elite there were in total.
“There were thirteen chosen this year. I’d like to invite them to the stage now.”
A few girls stood up immediately. Others, like me, waited to be prompted. Tobias and Penelope clapped their hands and smiled at me, but it wasn’t until Damien stood up and pulled my chair out for me that my legs started heading towards the stage. In my peripheral vision, I saw Mary coming towards me from the side. I almost didn’t recognize her at first—she was wearing a lacy pink dress that stood out like a bright flower amongst the forest of dark suits and dresses that the elite seemed to prefer. She’d always worn her bangs short, and her brown hair had been trimmed to just above her shoulders. She smiled at me, and I returned the gesture.
It was nice to have someone else from Algrave I could talk with. She was probably feeling a
s alone as isolated as I was. She followed up the stairs behind me and we got in line behind the other girls. Each chosen seemed to have a more elaborate dress. I was suddenly grateful that mine—while luxurious—was relatively simple and understated. My jaw dropped when I saw Jessica, in a bright yellow dress with a matching hat that looked both ridiculous and stunning at the same time. She strode confidently forward. At my side, Mary nudged my arm and raised an eyebrow.
“She looks like a block of cheese,” Mary whispered.
“Or a banana,” I shot back, smiling.
Mary and I were going to get along just fine.
Once we were all lined up, the king continued.
“For the last seventeen years,” he said, pacing before us, “you’ve enjoyed the protection and technological advances of living in the compounds. Safe havens, built for humans to thrive, without worrying about the poisonous ash of the wastelands, or the beasts who room outside the gates. Now you have been selected to fulfill your sacred duty and represent your communities by joining with an elite in a bond of matrimony. However, while you have taken the first step, and secured one of the highest honors, your partnership is not yet set in stone. Over the next few weeks, you will attend classes, to learn how to be a better citizen of the citadel, and a loyal consort to your mates. I know that you will make your compounds proud.”
“This year marks the ninety-eighth year the chosen have been selected. For almost a century, we have had unparalleled peace and prosperity, since the covenant between our two races was first formed. Trust that, even if you don’t understand everything we do in the citadel, there are reasons for how things are. Learn our ways quickly, serve your new masters, and you will be invited to stay among us as full citizens.”
“One more thing,” the king said, softly this time.
“There are some, even within these walls, who do not support our mission, who questions our laws and way of life. Traitors and rebels, hiding in the shadows, plotting our downfall. Today there was even an attack on several chosen as they were heading towards the citadel.”