Embrace the Dark

Chapter One S ome people had no idea they were destined for greatness. I’d spent my entire life preparing for it—and today my destiny was supposed to begin. Nervous, excited energy woke me before the sun. After tossing and turning for an hour, I accepted that falling back asleep was futile, so I rose with the dawn and dressed in my combat leathers. My Ascension wouldn’t happen until this afternoon, which meant I had many hours to fill until then. Burning off some energy was the only way I’d get through the longest day of my life. My steps echoed along the white marble halls of Soulspire Palace, and I nodded to the few guards I passed. The morning’s silence melted away as I neared the kitchen, which was already bustling with activity as the staff prepared for the banquet tonight in my honor. The head chef gave me a bright smile and offered me a warm blueberry muffin. “Happy birthday, Sora,” she said, and a chorus of echoes went up around the room from the other cooks and servers. “Thank you,” I told everyone, before shoving half the muffin in my mouth. Fresh out of the oven and delicious. Another young woman offered me a glass of milk, which I chugged down. “Would you like us to make you some breakfast? An omelet, perhaps?” Hada asked. “No, but thank you.” I grabbed an apple off a nearby tray on my way out the door. My stomach was too twisted to eat much of anything, and I doubted I’d be able to sit still long enough for a full meal anyway. I crunched down on the apple as I headed outside into the fresh, cool air. Clouds gathered overhead, but otherwise it was a beautiful morning, the kind that made you feel like the day could only bring good things. I headed past the garden my mother created to the training grounds, where dozens of soldiers were already sparring with each other. I scanned the area for one of my fathers, Jasin, who led the Silver Guard, the elite fighting force dedicated to serving the Dragons. I didn’t spot him there, but I did see someone else who made me smile. Erroh caught my eye and grinned before jogging over to me. I tried not to admire the way his muscular body looked in his soldier’s uniform and dragged my gaze back to his face instead. Not that it helped, since his face was just as appealing. His dark hair was cut military-style, showing off his chiseled cheekbones, golden-brown skin, and warm eyes. He was the spitting image of his father, Cadock, except with the coloring of his mother, Faya. Both Cadock and Faya worked for my parents, with Cadock acting as Jasin’s second in command, and Faya handling diplomacy with my other father, Auric. Erroh was only a few months older than me, and since he’d also grown up in the palace—along with his older siblings Daka and Parin—he’d been my best friend for as long as I could remember. “Happy birthday,” he said as his arms circled me. I leaned into his embrace for probably a little too long. As we pulled back, our faces turned toward each other and our lips were close, way too close. For a second we paused, tempted to close the gap, but then we broke apart and looked away quickly. We both knew the Gods would choose my four mates later today. Erroh and I could never be together. Not as anything more than friends, at least. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. “I can’t believe it’s finally here.” “Me neither.” I couldn’t meet his eyes. The moment had grown awkward, as it always did whenever we spoke of such things. If I were any other girl, without a Gods-ordained destiny, we’d probably already be married. “I’m guessing you couldn’t sleep and that’s why you’re out here so early,” he said. He knew me so well. I nodded. "I thought I might have a run through the Gauntlet to burn off some energy. Care to join me?" Erroh glanced behind him at the other soldiers, but his sparring partner had moved on to someone else. He turned back and grinned at me. "You know I never miss a chance to be humiliated by the Ascendant." I nudged him in the arm. "You might beat me this time." "On your big birthday? I wouldn't dare." We passed the soldiers' training area and headed around the buildings toward an elaborate training course where I often practiced running, jumping, and climbing. The Silver Guard used it also, but it had originally been designed for me by my four fathers. The soldiers called it the Gauntlet, and running it successfully was one of their major tests. I'd been doing it since I was seven. We climbed up the ladder to the first platform, where we had a perfect view of the rising sun making the sky the color of pink roses. The Gauntlet spread before us, with different platforms and various challenges all designed to test my skills. I tied my wild, curly brown hair back in a tight bun and shook out my limbs. "Ready?" Erroh finished stretching out his arms and nodded. "First one to the finish line has to get the loser a present." I c****d my head at him. "I'm not sure that's how winning is supposed to work." He shrugged and then took off, leaping from the platform to grab onto the zipline overhead. He zoomed down it, and I cursed him under my breath and hopped onto the zipline right after him. He hit the ground on the next platform with me only seconds behind him, and then we both ducked down under the first obstacle and scrambled over the next one. My focus narrowed to my own movements as I jumped across small steps over a pool of water, before climbing up to another platform. From here I carefully crossed the rope walkway suspended over the same pool of water, belly crawled through a dark moss-covered tunnel, and then wove my way through thick forest and large rocks until I reached the next platform.