Second of all—there was justno fucking way.
I scrambled around, collecting the few belongings I had with me and giving Delani one last glance before hurrying off, not knowing where I was going, but needing to move. I crept through the lawn, careful not to wake any of the others who had dozed off. Most were still awake, those gifted testing out their new magic. They really should have waited until they received some instruction on how to properly wield, but their foolishness wasn't my problem.
The air in my lungs thickened with each inhale, and I found the task of existing becoming difficult as panic lashed at me. “No, no, no,” I grumbled in frustration, but couldn't stop the attack as hyperventilation swallowed my air.
I forced my shuddering legs to move faster, really needing to focus on the motions. I left the castle grounds and walked along the pathway that bordered the cliffside, my steps uneven from the shambles of cobblestone. I didn't care if one of the soldiers caught me leaving the festival. I had to move—had to sweat the panic out of my pores. More importantly, I had to find a damn mirror.
Tears started to flow, warm and salty against my cheeks. My face pulsated in sync with my heart and I could feel the blood mixing with my tears as it trickled down my skin. But I advanced forward, following the path until it revealed an open portion of the rocky cliffside, where I paused to peer over the ledge.
The drop only appeared to be a few feet. I could clearly hear the waves of the ocean crashing below, and despite the darkness of the night, I knew that I was just seconds away from a sandy shore.
I dropped down to a crouch and swung my legs over the ledge. The stones scraped my knuckles as I climbed down nature's wall, lowering myself, careful to get a firm grip on each rock before descending any further. I removed my boots as soon as I hit land, granting the sand permission to caress my feet. My toes kicked the grains as I maneuvered towards the ocean, the wet sand creating a plaster on my feet.
I came to a halt when I felt the sand being washed off by the sea. I focused on my breaths, inhaling and exhaling with the rhythm of the waves.
My breathing was already becoming easier—just being by the ocean calmed me. I got a handle on my leaking eyes, then gathered as much courage as I could before bending my neck to look down into the sea.
The jewel-toned stars mirrored off the surface, creating prismatic patterns that illuminated the water. I could see my reflection clearly thanks to the silver glow of the moon. I turned my head to the side, angling my face to get a look at the reason behind the ache.
I choked at what I saw.
Three shining gemstones, caked in dark crusted blood, peeking through the flesh that outlined my cheekbone.
I stood as still as a corpse. My body was in pure and devastating shock.
I wanted to cry, scream. I wanted to curse the gods for sentencing me to such a fate.
But I didn't do any of those things.
There was no point.
Nothing could change this.
The obligations the king had placed on the gifted had nothing to do with the gods. My fate was not their doing. It was not how the deities intended for their powers to be used.
The gods had no say in this imperative destiny. They wouldn't be able to save me.
It was hard to tell from the moonlight alone, but the jewels appeared to be pale blue. Or perhaps they were clear, like a diamond.
I blew out a wistful breath and traced my fingers over them again, familiarizing myself with the reason my life was about to drastically change.
“No…” My voice cracked in denial as my composure broke down.
My body crumbled into the sand, having no willpower left to keep upright. I stayed there until dawn rolled in and the sun reheated the air that had been chilled by the night. I grieved into the morning hours while preparing myself for the adjustments to my future that I would have to accept in mere hours.
Though I wanted to—more than anything in the world—there was no returning a gift from the gods.
Chapter
Four
Only when the sky had been wiped clean from starlight and the sun had peaked did I make my way home. I sulked all the way to my room, only to find Delani nestled intomybed instead of her own.
I was glad that she made it home okay. I shouldn't have left her, but given the circumstances, she would understand.
As I crossed the floorboards towards my bed, I stopped to study my reflection in the mirror. My vision was still blurred from crying, and I had to work hard to focus on the jewels embedded in the fullness of my cheek.
I tilted my head every which way to get a really good look at mygift. The faint, bluish hue of the stones varied with the angle of my neck. Their strain was unclear in the ocean's reflection, but in this lighting, it was evident that I wore three diamonds in my flesh.
