For a moment, adults and teens absorbed the noise and the chaos that reined around them. It was like walking into a war zone. People flew through the air, some chanted in excitement and others argued about their seats in the stands. Gideon turned to Jordan and said something she couldn’t hear before he launched himself into the air and disappeared with Polly. Mr. Parker pulled Jordan into his arms and this time, she was semi prepared as he stepped over the edge and they hurtled to earth. She let out a huff when they halted abruptly. Mr. Parker loosened his grip and set her on solid ground.
The noise from the crowd was deafening and Jordan resisted the urge to cover her ears. The adults in their group closed around them, shuffling Levi, Cibrian and Jordan to the middle as they pushed through the rowdy crowd.
Mr. Parker stopped and Jordan saw they were at the fringes of the amphitheater. There was a solid wall of Lafita stopping anyone but the teens from walking down the aisles and claiming seats. Panic scorched Jordan’s insides. She tried to tug out of Mr. Parker’s hold, but he tightened his grasp to the point of pain. Mr. Parker looked at a blonde Lafita with orange eyes.
“Name?” the man asked although he knew exactly who Mr. Parker was.
“Jordan Parker, Cibrian Tolly and Levi Sawyer,” Mr. Parker said.
The Lafita tapped several keys on a small device in his hand. He nodded at the teens and moved to the side to let them pass. As the boys shuffled forward, Jordan turned desperately to Mr. Parker. She opened her mouth to speak, but he leaned down and raised the zipper higher on her jacket.
“Everything is going to be fine. I’ll be watching you,” he said and walked away.
Heath clapped them on the back encouragingly while Kelly blew kisses. Seth Tolly leaned down and murmured something in Cibrian’s ear before he pushed him forward. Jordan was propelled past the wall of Lafita. Other parents with scared looking teens wished their children good luck with tears, smiles and in some cases, angry words. When Jordan turned to the amphitheater, she forgot everything. Looking down at everything from their balcony was nothing compared to actually being at ground zero.
Jordan stood at the top step that led down a steep staircase that was so long, she could barely see where it ended. The amphitheater was as big as a football field. The seats surrounding the stage were set in a circle with about thirty seats in a row before giving way to an aisle. Like a movie theater, the seats were on a decline so everyone would be able to see the stage floating in midair. The ice circles Jordan despised from the hotel gathered around the stage.
The colored stands with spectators towered vertically towards the sky. It seemed as if millions of people looked down at them. The flashes of light from the stands were blinding. Jordan wondered if this is what it felt like to be a rock star.
“Your seat is twenty rows down, left, aisle,” the Lafita hollered at Jordan.
Teenagers milled around, whispering to one another, ignoring one another or watching people like Jordan make her way to a seat. On wobbly legs, Jordan walked down the steps, holding onto each chair as she made her way down. On the back of each chair in silver lettering it had the future student’s name. Jordan stopped, staring at the chair that stated, Jordan Parker. She rolled the name on her tongue and gave thanks she had an aisle seat.
In her row, two seats over, a girl sat sideways in her chair. She had curly red hair and dark purple eyes. Leaning over the back of her chair was a very thin boy with glasses and a brown bow tie with neon green polka dots beneath his chin. They stopped chatting when Jordan dropped into her seat.
“Are you really Donovan Parker’s daughter or is this a publicity stunt?” the girl drawled through a large wad of acid yellow colored gum.
“It’s true,” Jordan said.
Some of the teens around her turned in their seats to examine her. She met their gaze head on. Most of them looked away.
“No shit,” the girl said.
“Are you a Grounder?” asked the boy with the bow tie in a voice as bossy as any reporters.
Jordan gave him a level stare and when she didn’t answer, he flushed.
“This is Giles,” the red head said over the awkward silence. “And I’m Cherry.”
Jordan looked out over the sea of teens, aware of the boy and girl watching her. Cherry twirled her gum around her pointer finger and examined Jordan as if she were a dress on display rather than a person.
“You can’t really blame Giles,” Cherry said. “Everyone’s gonna ask.”
“How are these seats organized?” Jordan asked, ignoring Cherry’s comments.
“Alphabetically,” Giles piped up, trying to redeem himself. “Last names go around clockwise in a circle instead of row by row in one section. See?” He tapped the back of Cherry’s chair where her name glittered.
Jordan glanced at the name and raised her brows. “Cherry Pastor?”
Cherry beamed. “That’s right. Remember that name, Parker. I’m going to be a dancing star.”
“I’m sure you will,” Jordan said.
Weren’t there more people with a last name between Par and Pas? When was the person between them going to arrive? Jordan glanced at the chair between Cherry and herself that said, Gima Parks on the back. Jordan started when a girl in the row before her squealed into a hideous pink phone and flapped her hands excitedly.
“How many of us are here for this?” Jordan asked.
“This year it’s three thousand, eight hundred twenty two,” Cherry waved at a girl six rows over.
“Who’s that?” Giles asked with great interest, eyeing the dark skinned girl with blue eyes.
“Chrystal. She’s a bitch,” Cherry said, keeping a friendly smile on her face.
“She’s hot,” Giles said, adjusting his bow tie.
“She thinks she can sing,” Cherry snorted derisively. “Have you ever heard a Darsana that can sing?”
“No, I don’t think so,” Giles said thoughtfully.
Cherry poked Giles. “Exactly! Darsana don’t create, they’re not supposed to be into the arts. They’re brutal, merciless warriors not poets-”
Giles pinched her arm to alert her to the fact that several Darsana teens were turning in her direction.
“These days, anything is possible,” Giles said with a strained smile.
Cherry shrugged. “I’m getting into Winby’s Art Academy. My family’s been going there for generations.”
“I’ll be happy just to get into Yuk’s Herbal Academy or Opal’s Agriculture Academy,” Giles tapped nervous hands together. “I mean, I’m half Eliten, half Undala, but I feel more connected to the earth, you know?”
A guy sitting next to Giles said, “Anything would be fine with me.”
Giles looked horrified. “Don’t say that! What if you end up in a coal mine for the rest of your life or stuck identifying minerals or leaves… No. Don’t jinx yourself- but then again, don’t think of anything out of your reach. You need to find a happy medium,” Giles rambled, adjusting his stiff bow.
“Your dad probably rigged the Gem, didn’t he?” Cherry asked Jordan.
“I’m in the same boat as everyone else,” Jordan replied, but Cherry didn’t look convinced.
Jordan glanced back and saw Levi in the section beside her, several rows above. He made his way through the crowd until he stood beside her chair. Giles looked Levi up and down like he was a rare species while Cherry’s mouth dropped open. Her gum fell to the floor, unnoticed. Jordan swore Cherry said, “Hubba hubba.”
“It’s a zoo,” Levi observed and fell down a step as a short Asian girl jostled into him.
“Sorry,” she said, glancing at Levi and then Jordan.
She had wavy hair that was so black, it had a blue tint to it. On either side of her temples she had a thin braid that gathered in the back. She looked as if she was wearing a crown and her big eyes were calm and not the least bit nervous. She glared at a group of boys roughhousing, making everyone scatter to get out of the way.
“Juveniles,” she said and continued down the steps.
“If her last name is between A and D it could take her half an hour to get to her seat,” Levi said, peering over the crowd to track her progress.
Cherry tapped Jordan none too gently on the shoulder. She must have retrieved her gum from the floor because she was methodically wrapping it around her finger again.
“Introduce me,” Cherry said.
“This is Cherry Pastor,” Jordan said.
Levi shot Jordan a quick, searching glance. You’re kidding me.
I wish.
“This is Levi,” Jordan said aloud.
Jordan stared, revolted, as Cherry unwrapped her gum from her finger and extended the hand to Levi. He gingerly shook her hand and then ran his hand along his pants leg when he finished. Giles shrank into his seat and looked away as if that would stop Levi from noticing him.
Cherry waved a dismissive hand. “That’s Giles. Anyway, what school does your family have a history of attending?”
“I’m the first one to do this,” Levi said.
“Ooh. A wild card. Maybe you and I will end up at the same school. Are you into the Arts?” Cherry asked enthusiastically.
Levi was nonplussed. “Arts?”
“Yeah. Painting, singing, dancing- You must be a singer. I’m not bad at that either. Maybe you and I can do a duet and make sweet music together,” she said suggestively, cracking her gum.
Levi had a startled expression on his face while Jordan wheezed and coughed.
“I’m not a singer.”
“Well, maybe you’re a closet sculptor-” Cherry stopped dead, staring over Levi’s shoulder.
Jordan grimaced when Cherry’s gum dropped out of her mouth again. Cibrian’s eyes were bright with excitement as he rubbed his hands together.
“I’ve been waiting fifteen years for this day-” he broke off when Cherry stumbled past Jordan, hand extended.
“Y-you’re Seth Tolly’s son,” Cherry stammered.
Cibrian beamed and shook her hand. Levi hid a smile when he saw Cibrian shook her gum twirling hand too. Cherry looked as dazzled as if she were meeting a movie star. She dug into her pocket and pulled out a bright purple phone and held it up.
“I have the Tolly Talker, edition three,” she squealed, bouncing up and down.
“Um, that’s great,” Cibrian began to look uneasy as Cherry continued to stare at him expectantly. “Yeah, uh, I’ll let my dad know you like it.”
“Wow. Um, yeah. Just wow,” Cherry staggered back to her seat, stepping on Jordan’s foot in the process.
“Maybe we should go by my seat,” Cibrian said, casting a pointed look at Cherry.
“Maybe we should-” Levi began when a loud voice boomed out over the stands.
“Ladies and gentleman, kiddies and elderly… we would like to begin the Declaration Ceremony. Please take your seats, be courteous and we will begin momentarily,” a male voice said.
An excited hum fell over the crowd and everyone scrambled to get to their seats. Jordan looked up at the Darsana stands who were chanting and stomping their feet as they had in the temple last night. Jordan, Cibrian and Levi stared at one another for a long moment. Jordan’s heartbeat tripped along. She wasn’t sure if she was shaking or the ground beneath her. Levi and Cibrian clapped her on the back like a guy.
“Good luck,” Cibrian said and leapt into the air like a frog to reach his seat.
“See you in a few.” Levi squeezed Jordan’s hand before he disappeared into the crowd.
Feeling abandoned, she pulled the hood of her jacket over her head and rubbed hands damp with sweat against her jeans. How could she sweat when it was freezing?
“I forgot you were related to the Tolly’s,” Cherry said.
“What?” Jordan asked distractedly.
Cherry slapped the arm of her chair. “Everybody knows everything about the Parker family. I mean, they’ve been on the Council, like, forever. By the way, your dad is a total hunk, no offense. Your dad and Seth Tolly were best friends at The Academy and your dad invested in his company and made him one of the richest men in our world. They both married the Dunn sisters, so you’re related by marriage, right?”
Jordan blinked. Did everyone know more about her family than she did? Definitely. Jordan nodded and ignored Cherry who demanded to know how she knew Levi, if he was single and what his secret passion was. The headrest of the chair in front of Jordan flickered to life like a TV and she had a close up of the audience in the stands. Families held signs, leis, and gifts or prayed over charms. As the teens settled, the stage rose to her level, revealing eight men sitting on the sparkling thrones.
Dressed in varying fashions and colors, the men looked out over the assembled crowd. On one end sat Mr. Parker with Seth Tolly beside him. Seth talked, gesturing expressively with his hands. Beside Cibrian’s dad sat a red haired giant with military short red hair and intimidating orange eyes. He was dressed exactly like the Lafita in unrelieved black except for the thick silver bands on his arms and the grey cloak that cascaded down his back. Beside him sat Gideon. The red haired giant and Gideon seemed intent on ignoring Yale King, the Guide of Wintra who stood in front of them. Like the first time Jordan saw him, Yale was dressed in blinding white to match his city with a matching cloak trimmed in indigo rippling over his shoulders. Yale gave up trying to enter their conversation and turned to Mr. Penn who waved merrily at the crowd with his glasses propped on his balding head. Bertrand sat beside Mr. Penn and Jordan averted her eyes quickly to the eighth man on stage. He had long, straight blonde hair that cascaded over his shoulders like a waterfall. He had a very pinched, arrogant look and he was very pale. His orange eyes seemed to glow from within his sockets. From his shoulders, a forest green cape trimmed in brown slithered around him.
“Excuse me.”
Jordan pushed her hood back and saw a girl with dreads and worn jeans standing in the aisle. Jordan stood so the girl could sit in the seat between her and Cherry. Yale saw the interruption and waited patiently. Even as Jordan sat and Yale opened his mouth to speak, another student started down the steps past Jordan.
She caught a glimpse of his face. He had startling violet eyes that contrasted with his black hair and tan skin. The knees on his worn jeans were ripped and his bomber jacket looked as if it was twice his age. Despite his lack of winter clothing, the subzero temperature didn’t seem to bother him. His black hair was messy as if he just stumbled out of bed. Millions watched the rumpled teen make his way down the stairs until he stopped at one of the front rows and made everyone in his row stand so he could take his seat.
Jordan glanced at Gima Parks, but saw that Cherry was doing enough staring for the both of them. Gima turned her head and looked pointedly at Cherry who wasn’t embarrassed in the least.
“Can I help you with something?” Gima asked.
Undaunted by the chilling tone, Cherry stared at her dreads. “Is that fashionable where you come from?”
Gima’s eyes narrowed. “I do what I want to with my hair. Got a problem with that?”
Cherry winced. “I could give you a makeover-”
“Okay, let’s begin,” Yale said on stage, voice booming over the teenagers at an overwhelming volume.
Gima rolled her eyes at Cherry and looked forward, effectively ignoring her as Yale spread his arms wide on stage.
“Welcome to Wintra. Today we are here to celebrate and witness one of the biggest events these young adults will experience, the Declaration Ceremony. As you all know, it started centuries ago when the races began to intermix and new talents began to emerge. Our ancestors decided to create schools that would not only educate the abilities that will lead us to our destiny, but to make connections with those that will enhance our futures, our fellow classmates.”
Yale glanced back at the men sitting behind him and then turned back to the crowd with a slight smile on his face. “I attended The Academy and met some of the most brilliant minds of my time. Donovan Parker, Link Cassidy, Seth Tolly and Bertrand Christian…”
The crowd roared with approval as they cheered on these names. Mr. Parker and the man in the gray cloak didn’t change their formidable expressions, but Bertrand inclined his head and Seth Tolly waved.
“These connections are helpful to me, two decades later. The friends and relationships you make in these schools happen for a reason. They will be with you, good or bad, for the rest of your life.”
Yale smiled at the teenagers who stared avidly up at him.
“Donovan Parker, master investor,” Yale announced, turning in Mr. Parker’s direction. There were a lot of catcalls from women accompanied by an outburst of whispers.
Cherry leaned over Gima and poked Jordan in the arm. She mouthed, “hot” and fanned herself.
“Seth Tolly, creator of Tolly Inc., our provider for every type of communication in our world,” Yale continued. “Link Cassidy, our Warlord.”
The red haired giant lifted his fist in salute and every male in the vicinity copied his motion and made a hooting sound. Jordan bounced in her seat as the sheer force of the crowd made the ground shudder.
“Gideon Parker Guide of Paradice,” Yale said and Gideon raised a hand in acknowledgement to the loud yells and stomping support from the Eliten, Undala and Darsana stands.
“Yours truly, Yale King, Guide of Wintra.”
Yale bowed and a strong, frigid breeze blasted from the Thishe stand. Jordan pulled her hood tighter around her face as Yale gestured to Mr. Penn.
“Walter Penn, our connection to the Ignorant world,” Yale announced and people pounded their feet enthusiastically.
“Bertrand, Sentinel of the Gem,” Yale boomed and Bertrand acknowledged the applause with a fist in the air. “And last but not least, Bertrand’s father, Christian Christian, Guide of Eden.”
Christian Christian threw his gleaming blonde hair behind him, stood and waved arrogantly out at the crowd. Everybody roared and stomped in celebration of their Council. Yale waited patiently for several minutes before waving his hands for quiet.
“Everyone on this Council thanks you for your support of their leadership and continued trust in them. As you all know, we lost a great Guide- William Stan, Guide of Autumis,” Yale said solemnly.
Everyone fell silent and Jordan’s stomach lurched. Her power pulsed in response to her instant panic and fury. Desperately, she reached into her coat and closed her hand over the pendant.
“The details and our understanding of what happened are still unclear. Know this- whoever is responsible will pay.”
People stomped their feet and shouted agreement.
“William was an exceptional Guide, husband and father. Let’s all bow our heads to honor him with a few minutes of silence.”
Everyone bowed their heads and closed their eyes. The only ones who remained staring straight ahead were Mr. Parker and Jordan. She swallowed hard and tried to control her roiling stomach. The silence seemed to last for hours before Yale raised his head.
“Thank you all for coming! Let’s sit back and watch what fate the Gem has in store for our kids.”
The crowd roared as Yale sat. Bertrand rose from his seat and walked to the front of the stage.
“I am the Sentinel, keeper of the Gem, a sacred jewel created by the first Council,” Bertrand said, voice low and grave.
Jordan examined William’s brother. They didn’t look anything alike. William’s last name was Stan and Bertrand’s was Christian… They must be half-brothers, which might explain why they didn’t look alike. Was he a sorcerer as well?
“No one knows how the Gem works or why it decides the things that it does. Over centuries, we’ve come to realize that it will always reveal the truth about people. It sees straight to your core. Your values, morals, potential, power and most important- your heart.”
You could have heard a pin drop in the stadium.
“Based on what you’re made of, the Gem puts you in the school that will educate and prepare you for your destiny. Don’t fight your fate. Everyone has been put on this earth to accomplish a task and with the guidance of the Gem, we hope you will walk the path you are here for.
“Today our future leaders stand before us to be Declared into the school that will nurture their skills and power. Starting with the A’s, each student will come up, put their hand on the Gem and I will announce what Academy they will attend. On August first, each student will start at the school announced today.”
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