My gaze trailed to Arrik without meaning to. His jaw was set and he looked ready to pummel me even though his own gaze was still on the projection.
Cash took a long sip from his glass, then nodded toward the projection.
“Today is just about skills. King Elion uses it to determine capability, pending they survive the entire thing. Tomorrow the real fighting begins.”
I watched in silence after that, mainly because Cash left again to socialize with the other Wielders and drakins on our balcony.
I started to memorize all the riders with us before I realized it was pointless. Hael wouldn’t be standing on the same balcony as me. He had to be somewhere else. I just had no idea where yet.
There were riders that came and went on Elion’s balcony, but the projection was blocking most of my view that I only got glimpses here and there.
“Can you get back to your room from here?” Arrik asked, his voice curt, causing me to jump again. The suns were starting to sink below the walls of the Dome, casting the pit into shadows.
“What?” I breathed, not entirely convinced I heard him right.
“Do you know how to get back to your room?” he repeated, his gaze flicking toward Cash by the assortment tables before finding mine again. “Can you get there by yourself?”
I nodded. When my mind was focused, I could lay out entire floor plans in my head, having it memorized after visiting somewhere only once. I had no idea if it was something I was naturally good at or if Iwas just conditioned to be from all the years hunting for Dahes, but either way, it was helpful.
I hadn’t been able to map out the entire castle yet, mainly because of the sheer size of it, but I was close. I had nearly two-thirds of it scoped out already.
“As soon as this ends,” he gestured toward the projection, “go straight to your room.”
My mouth dropped before I schooled it. Irritation rang through me and it took everything in me to not roll my eyes. “What?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. “Did you give up on being my escort?”
Please say yes.
As much as I didn’t like Cash, he, at least, answered my questions.
“Don’t leave your room tonight. No matter what,” was all he responded with, completely ignoring my commentagain. It was starting to piss me off. Dahes ignored me all the time. I should be usedto it, but for some reason,himdoing it grated my nerves.
I narrowed my eyes. “Why?”
I had free rein of the castle. I half expected Elion to place guards around me when I came, but he didn’t. I knew it was intentional. Only ‘invisible shackles’ to trick me into staying willingly.
He wanted something from me. I wasn’t stupid. I wasn’t buying Dahes’ excuse of mere curiosity that I escaped Moriann or the fact that Elionmighthave a thing for brunettes. It wasn’t enough to keep me here, wasn’t enough to invite me to the tournament.
Something else was going on. I just had to figure out what.
Arrik turned to look at me, those pale eyes freezing me in place. I hated that I couldn’t look away, that his gaze was mesmerizing. It wasn’t in the eerie way Elion’s or Dahes’ were. Even though the brown was just as pale, his eyes were soft, probably the only gentle feature about him.
“Just don’t.”
And then he left, turning out of our balcony and started down the hundreds of stairs toward the archway.
I tore my gaze away from the projection. The initiates were still aiming at targets, but almost a third of the riders were leaving the stands as a swarm of onyx leathers were slowly making their way toward the exit.
I realized then that they were the only ones in uniform. The Wielders had on formal wear, but the riders wore their leathers like a badge of honor.
I guess it was.
I glanced across the Dome, trying to glimpse the king through the projection, but he was leaving too.
“I won’t be training you tonight, convict,” Cash slurred as he came up beside me the moment Arrik left.
I thanked the Suns for that. He was drunk, stupidly intoxicatingly drunk, that I wasn’t sure how far he’d take his lessons if he did.
“Where is everyone going?” I asked Cash, trying to figure out what was happening.
