17
I stand on a high platform, staring down into the Crystal Ballroom of Arx Hall. A thousand thrax partygoers fill the floor below me. And the rest of the chamber? When they say crystal, they aren’t kidding. This ballroom is one giant geode made of luminous white stone. Crystal clusters jut down from the ceiling, serving as chandeliers. Subtle beams of light dance through everything.
I shift my weight from foot to foot, anxiety zooming through me. Any second now, I’ll be announced as the guest of honor for tonight’s Ball of Welcome. Unfortunately, thoughts other than the Ball keep popping into my head. Like the weirdness back in my chambers with Clover. What was that, anyway? Why do her red eyes and strange voice keep triggering something in my mind?
Searching for a distraction, I scan
