AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Gloria. Representative of Kirata, goddess of the heavens.”
Eyes wide, Tempest whipped her head around to see who the goddess that ruled over the land of the gods had chosen. Kirata was one of the only gods Tempest feared; not because she was an evil god, but because she was one of the only ones strong enough to drag her back. It was unusual for her to send a representative.
A lean but toned woman with caramel hair and amber eyes walked towards the doorway without even a glance at the rest of them. Clapping and cheering followed her entrance to the ballroom.
Tempest looked at the last woman standing in the hallway. The gold dress, golden hair, and warm skin tone immediately told her who this woman represented.
“Alina. Representative of Soleil, goddess of the sun.”
Tempest circled her thumbs around each other as she waited her turn. Soleil was flashy, so her sign took longer than the rest.
“Tempest. Representative of Tempest, goddess of the broken.”
Head held high, she straightened the simple white dress she had chosen and made her way into the ballroom.
A pedestal stood at the end of the walkway. Aiden sat on his throne on the other side of it. Golden embroidery covered his dark blue uniform; he looked as stiff as the uniform must have felt. Three men in black with long swords hanging from their hips stood behind and on either side of him.
A man in purple finery waited for Tempest at the pedestal. Well over a hundred pairs of eyes followed her progress down the unmarked aisle. She pulled her token out of her pocket as she approached and placed it on the sandstone with a soft clink.
The man in purple spoke. “What proof do you present that your token is true?”
Tempest locked eyes with Aiden and grinned wickedly. “The blood of the guilty.”
Chapter 9
Tempestslowlyspuntoshow all who were in the room what she was doing. Unlike the other representatives, she wore no jewelry or shoes. She wanted nothing to draw attention away from the message she would send today.
Her dress slowly turned from white to crimson, the color bleeding from her collar downward until her entire gown was saturated. She could have left it at that. The gasps in the room told her that she had already done enough to pass the test. This moment would be wasted if she stopped now, though. She slowly walked around the pedestal and picked up her token, facing Aiden again. Red dripped from the hem and train of her dress onto the stone floor, painting a wet trail as her feet left dark footprints behind her.
Tempest stretched her arms out to the crowd. “I give you the blood of the guilty and a promise from the goddess of the broken,” she pronounced, then fastened her eyes on the man on the throne. “No harm will come to you, Emperor Aiden; only to those who wish to harm you.”
Aiden showed no sign of acknowledgment as Tempest turned to join the other women participating in Dei Electi, though he held her gaze steadily. She wondered what the high and mighty emperor thought of her display. From the uneasy shuffling of the crowd to the shocked and horrified faces of the other representatives, Tempest knew her point had reached those she’d intended it for.
Tempest walked to the end of the line of women and turned to face the crowd. Alina inched towards the other girls, trying to create more space between them. Tempest couldn’t blame her. Her dress was still staining the ground around her.
The ballroom was silent until the purple-adorned man in the center came to his senses. “There you have it. Our twelve participants of this generation’s Dei Electi. Emperor, do you accept the gods’ offerings?”
Aiden’s eyes were still locked on Tempest. “I do.”
“And with that, ladies and gentlemen, let the feast begin! Ladies of the Dei Electi, welcome.”
Servants entered with trays of food and drinks and started circulating among the crowd. Music began to play, conversations were initiated, and the other women of Dei Electi hurried away from Tempest as quickly as they could, whispering amongst themselves. Only Sylvia remained.
“That was incredible!” she said as she drew near Tempest. The sparkle in her eyes hadn’t dimmed since her entrance. “I’ve never heard of a god offering a threat… no, promise? Whatever that was, before. What was it like having her speak to you? Vesper hasn’t said a word. I was terrified it was all a big mistake right up until I started to glow.”
Tempest laughed. “Don’t be too offended if he doesn’t speak to you. It’s unusual for a god to interact directly with a mortal, even their representative.”
“You’ve been studying up on past Dei Electis, as well? I stayed up all night reading anything and everything I could find on them.”
“I like to read. What can I say?,” Tempest replied with a shrug. “You certainly seem to be feeling better, though.”
Sylvia was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. “I feel… at peace. I’m sure it won’t last long, but I’m enjoying it while I’ve got it.”
“I completely understand. I…”
Tempest to pause when someone coughed behind her, clearly asking for her attention. She turned to find Aiden standing there, his arm outstretched.
“Would you like to join me for the first dance?”
