Embrace the Dark

2

We kept going, racing through the course and overcoming other obstacles, including huge swinging stones I had to dodge between, holes in the ground that randomly shot bursts of fire or water, and an area with heavy wind that could knock you over if you weren’t careful. Finally we reached the last platform, this one a steep rock hill with only a few handholds, made by my other father Slade with his earth magic. I climbed it while breathing heavily. Only then did I notice Erroh again beside me, and we pulled onto the platform at the same time. We both leaped across and grabbed onto the rope hanging before us, then swung to the next one and grasped it, and kept going like this until we reached the other side. I got there only seconds before him and sprinted over the random obstacles in the way, until I reached the end. I grabbed the white flag and raised it triumphantly, while Erroh came to a halt beside me. We both bent over and tried to catch our breath, sweat dripping from our brows.

“I let you win,” he said.

“Sure you did.” I threw the balled-up flag at his chest. "If you’re expecting a present for losing, forget it."

He grinned and hung the flag back in its spot. “Ah well, it was worth a try.”

We climbed down the platform and sat on the grass to stretch our legs and calm our racing hearts. I wiped sweat off my forehead and leaned back, gazing at the clouds gathering overhead. For those few minutes on the Gauntlet my mind had been blissfully clear, but now the thoughts slowly crept back in. Today I was twenty years old. Today I would be blessed by the Gods so I could take my mother’s place as the Silver Dragon. Today my life would change forever.

"What distraction do you need now?" Erroh asked, breaking me out of my fog. "Shall we get our swords? Throw some knives? Head into town and drink some ale at a seedy tavern?” He waggled his eyebrows at this.

I laughed. "You should probably get back to your own training. I might run the Gauntlet a few more times though."

"Whatever you want," Erroh said with a grin. “I’ll just have to get you drunk at the banquet instead.”

“That sounds good. I’ll need to be drunk to deal with all the stuffy noblemen and diplomats. Speaking of, is your brother going to be there?”

“No, Parin is still on assignment in the Earth Realm. I’m sure he sends his best wishes and all that.” Erroh stood up and brushed the grass off his uniform. “Daka isn’t coming either, unfortunately. The baby is still too young for them to travel. But I’ll be there representing the family, don’t you fret.”

“Thank goodness for that.” I stood up and almost reached for him, but then stopped myself. "Thanks for the distraction today, and for being so understanding about…everything. I know it hasn't always been easy, but I'm glad you're my best friend."

His jaw clenched a little, but he smiled. "I'll always be there for you, Sora. You know that." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Good luck today."

He walked away and I allowed myself to check out his behind one last time. In a few hours the Gods would choose my mates, and then I'd only have eyes for them. But for now I could at least admire my first love a little longer.

After running the Gauntlet until my muscles twitched and sweat ran down my body, I finally returned to the palace. I stopped in the kitchen to grab a drink and some food, but paused when two familiar faces rounded the corner ahead of me. They abruptly halted when they saw me, and one of them gave me a charming smile, while the other had on a permanent frown. Carth and Zain, total opposites, and yet somehow best friends. They were also two of the most handsome men I’d ever seen.

Carth was dressed in fine silks that brushed across his tan skin, the soft yellow and pale blue marking him as a nobleman from the Air Realm. His sandy hair always looked windswept, and his sea green eyes and muscular swimmer’s body hinted at his origins in the Water Realm. When he was four years old, his family was on a boat that was lost in a storm. Water elementals rescued him and brought him to Soulspire, where he was adopted by Brin, a friend of my parents, and Leni, my aunt. That made Carth my adopted cousin, which made my desire for him rather awkward. It didn’t help that Carth was an incessant flirt either.

Zain wore the black and red armor of a guard of the Fire Temple, and his eyes were the blue of the hottest part of a flame. His grandmother was the former High Priestess Calla, who helped my mother during her time as Ascendant. Calla was like a grandmother to me too, and that made Zain sort of like an older, protective brother to me. He was always serious and somewhat aloof when I was younger, though his eyes were always on me. As I grew older, the looks he gave me changed and became something different, something that made my heart race. Last time I saw him was a year ago, when we shared a secret, passionate kiss against the outside wall of the Fire Temple, his fingers skimming across my breast. After that, we never spoke again. The whole encounter confused and excited me, even though I’d tried my best to put it out of my mind.

“Hey there, birthday girl,” Carth said, before wrapping a tan, muscular arm around my shoulders. “How are you feeling? Excited? Nervous?” “Both those things, and many more as well,” I admitted.