It took Christian Riverane another ten minutes to finish talking. I wondered if he'd expanded the topic specifically so he could continue showering in the spotlight, so eager for a thousand eyes on him and weaving tales for the ears of so many. I had sat through his speech: all his extravagant flourishes and words, imagining all the different ways I could kill him.
I was briefly debating the advantages of decapitation versus soul severing when the sound of a thousand different pairs of feet began pressing down on the ground. Looking up, I realised that we'd been dismissed - in a way.
Though the Information Seminar was considered over, already people were seeking out their respective partners, calls and replies littering the air like early morning birdsong. One girl inched her way past me and I muttered a quick reply, getting to my feet and out of her way, trying to catch a glimpse of Stellaire.
Already Alaysa and Valeryan had found each other, though I could see she was already snapping at him while he grit his teeth and lit another cigarette. I turned, trying to eye my partner - wherever the hell he was. Instead, I managed to attract Tatianya who was strolling over to me.
"Hey," I greeted her, my vehement anger unable to stop a smile flitting across my lips. Tatianya always incited that reaction within me. She grimaced - and then abruptly stumbled, a guy who was climbing over the hall's row seats to get to a friend inadvertently tripping her. He barely looked behind him as he clipped her shoulder.
I surged forward, my fingers encircling her wrist and yanking her up before she fell. My other hand held her by the waist as she dragged and Tatianya swore (a rare occasion), having to grip onto my shoulder for assistance. As I steadied her, she shook her head, already laughing at the display.
"Yeah, just keep on going, asshole," I called after the guy who'd tripped her, though his black crop of hair was already swallowed up in the sea of students. Tatianya glared in his direction, not having a problem with open displays of barely veiled hatred. As soon her eyes skimmed mine, the anger slipped off her and she smiled.
"Thanks for the save," she replied gratefully.
"I'm always saving people," I responded modestly. "It's practically in my job description."
"Yeah absolutely," Tatianya agreed sarcastically. "Anyway, where's your partner? Stellar. Doesn't look like he turned up."
"It's Stellaire," I corrected automatically, switching my gaze to the crowds. "And no, I haven't found him yet. But it would be unlike him to miss something as important as this."
"You sound like you know him already," she noted, a slight dip in her voice. "Been hanging out?"
"Hardly," I snorted. "But he's the son of two prominent leaders. I know the type."
"Not two prominent leaders anymore," Tatianya told me. "If it's Stellaire you're talking about, the mother - Ria, I think her name is - became soul-severed. Markus, her husband, cut her off from the power with evidence that she'd been communicating with the Shadow. Then, he severed her. She's been cast down from power completely."
Interesting. I'd wondered how it all came about. Thankfully, Tatianya always knew how to piece together the shards of information together to complete the broken picture. Her parents might have been leaders - but they were the informational kind - intent on gathering as much as they could - about everyone.
She managed to earn her slice of it every once in awhile, whether or not her parents actually knew about it. They underestimated her ability to weave the real story out of the few threads they gave her.
"I knew she'd been severed," I replied, the first sounds of curiosity echoing in my mind. "I saw her at the Partnering Ceremony and she didn't look too good. I didn't check her futures but I would only give her a couple more months before the rest of her soul disintegrates."
ΔΙΑΒΑΖΕΙΣ
Legacy
Ρομαντική"There's a war going on, Katarina," he hissed into my ear. "Remember which side you're on. And know that neither is the right one." This world was built on power, lies and corruption. Our hands were always stained with blood. Our eyes were windows t...
