Chapter
Six
Ipeeled my body from the oak floor and wiped the wetness from my eyes, my fingers grazing my gemstones in the process. I winced at the contact, my skin raw from my tears.
I glared over at the soldier, lounging so casually in the throne that you would have thought he owned it. His mouth was clenched shut, making the sharpness of his jawline appear even more distinguished.
My mouth opened to speak, but immediately closed. There was nothing to say. Instead, I crossed my arms over my chest and turned so that he was out of my view. Now that the dust had settled, I found myself slightly embarrassed over my outburst. Then again, how else was I supposed to react?
My eyes wandered over the floral patterns that lived on the walls and I sighed. What now? The other students were likely already shown to their rooms and given instructions on what to expect for the following days until classes began.
A deep, authoritative voice broke through the chaos in my brain. “I’ll show you to your dorm,” the soldier said as if he read my mind.
I swiveled around in time to watch him climb down thestairs of the dais. He stopped directly in front of me, and I had to really strain my neck to look into his face. I was tall for a woman, but he had at least a foot on me—the sword he wore strapped against his thigh hardly surpassing his knee.
Dark hair framed his face, a few shaggy strands grazing his forehead. My breath snagged on my ribs at his appearance up close. The wordbreathtakingdidn't do him justice.
He stood in front of me for the briefest of seconds before his body turned and strode out of the throne room. He clearly expected me to follow him, and despite my apprehension, I did. There was no other choice. I couldn't change my fate—I just had to live it.
My legs were weak as I trailed after him, needing to take long strides to keep up with his pace. He took me back through the hallways of the castle, and this time I really noticed the magnificent stonework that made up the walls. The bricks were lined up so precisely that I could only assume it took years to perfect such detail. Paintings overlaid the walls, depicting previous members of the royal family along with a few landscape views.
We exited through a set of grand double doors. I followed him through the iron gates and along the cobblestone pathway that I knew would lead us to the dormitories. He didn't say a word to me as we meandered along the path.
The further we descended down the castle grounds, the more the ocean came into view. I could smell the salty air, and in just a few steps, I would be able to see where I sat on the shore early this morning.
It was bizarre how things could change so much in the matter of hours.
When I recognized the rocky area, I came to a halt and peered over the edge of the cliff. Daylight allowed me to actually see the depths of the ocean, unrestrained and flowing freely. The waves crashed against nature's wall, leaving bubbly foam piled on the rocks. I took a deep breath in, inhaling thescent of the sea and letting the fresh air bring me back to a realm of sensibility.
My shoulders relaxed as the rays of the sun melted into my flesh and the wind knotted my hair. At that moment, I had a small glimmer of hope that maybe things would be okay.
You were gifted for a reason. Find it. Use it.
My mother’s words would be my objective while stuck at Caelestis Academy. I would find the reason for Blythe picking me and make a purpose of it.
Shade clouded over me. I shivered, snapping out of my daydream. Though unneeded, he cleared his throat to announce himself.
I spun to face the soldier, simultaneously taking a step forward and consequently smacking into the hardness of his chest. He was so large that my body slamming against his didn't even cause him to flinch.
Gods.
“Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were so close. I—” My cheeks flushed as I stuttered then cut myself off.
He replied with a low grunt, then stepped straight back and pivoted sharply to progress back down the walkway.
“Handsome, but not very charismatic,” I mumbled under my breath when I was sure he was far enough away.
He led us the rest of the way down the path, turning at the bottom and guiding me to the front entrance of the academy dormitories.
The building was spectacular, lined with windows five stories high. It looked like a miniature version of the castle except more elongated rather than tall, and lacking towers, of course.
The grassy terrain that surrounded the building was concealed by thousands of wild flowers. They danced in the breeze produced by the beach, which lay just beyond a thick line of dune grass. I caught a glimpse of water peekingthrough from a sanded pathway that began just a few yards from the entrance of the building.
The soldier held the door open for me, and we stepped inside. The space was already filled with the voices of new students, conversing about their strain of magic and how they couldn't wait for classes to begin so they could learn how to effectively wield. A man on the first floor argued with a blonde haired girl about the size of their gemstones, claiming that his was bigger. A quick glance over my shoulder showed that it was definitely not.
The chatter made my head pound, which did not come as a surprise after the day I had. Shutting the voices out, I focused on the spiral staircase we ascended.
My room was located on the second floor, just steps away from the landing of the winding steps. The soldier stepped in front of me, unlocking the door and then handing me the key while he pushed it open. I shoved it into my pocket and stepped into my new home, which much to my liking, had a view of the water.
