I’ve never ridden one. Flying seems like it would paralyze me, even from a safe distance above the ground.
As I approach the crowd, my heartbeat picks up. This section of the cavern is alive, the energy light, humming, full of anticipation. There are no children nearby, just adults. My eyes go wide—so many of them I’ve only glimpsed in passing, but there are enough strangers I’ve never even seen.
Some live in Enduvida, some have come from the settlement above.
That bitch called hope pops up in the back of my mind. Maybe this won’t be awful.
Lady Ulla, the main healer in Enduvida, pops out of a cluster of humans.
“Arlet!” she calls.
I grin, looking at her fitted, silver dress. Her silky, straight hair is fanned and tucked at the nape of her neck. As soon as she’s close enough, she holds out her hand to take mine.
“No one was spared attending, I see,” she says with a laugh.
“Well, Estela made it clear what my duty was,” I say.
She takes in my dress. “This is amazing. You’re going to float through the festival with a gown as comfortable as that. I should’ve considered that before…” she gestures to her tight bodice.
I grin. “With any luck, you won’t have to stay all day.”
She laughs a little. “Well, I am not anticipating a mate. But I have never done this in the past, so who knows.”
Before I can respond, she gestures back to the tunnel.
“Shall we?”
“We shall.” My heart is pounding harder than before as we descend through the tunnel.
It takes a while to get to the bottom, but when we arrive, we are let out into another vast, open cavern. The sheer energy of the place grips me.
Incense curls through the air, thick and heady, mingling with thefaint bite of minerals from the stone. The glow of glittering crystals refracts against jewel-toned fabrics stretched across the sea of tents. Their colors are vivid under the combination of crystals and spherical spell lights. Mats and banners are laid out and hung up, their designs woven by careful hands—some of them are mine.
The sight of them makes a quiet warmth settle in my chest. A mark of the work I did in the past, before I became a part of the council and spent more time with the children than my weaving.
Laughter rises, chaotic and electric, filling every empty space as people flit between the tents, moving in waves through the festival grounds. There is no hush, no hesitation—just joy.
But beyond the heart of the festival, my gaze catches on the roped-off section. That’s the place where we will gather waiting for the Mating Journey to begin.
A pressure curls around my ribs.
I inhale sharply, nearly dizzy from the sheer life of it all. But I cannot ignore the insecurity sitting in my chest. The joy starts to turn shrill, and I feel uncomfortable.
Am I getting sick? Gods damn.
Ulla’s assistant didn’t see anything wrong last night.
No matter how much I want this to feel real, I cannot change the fact that I feel wrong. I feel like I am being pulled back.
I paste a smile on my face when I see the royal throne, stationed at the front and flanked by the entire Teo and Estela. Mother Liana stands nearby, fussing over an ore-chime. It hangs from a sturdy wooden stand, and the long cylinder is forged from enduar goldstone, a rare dark metal streaked with veins of molten amber.
I’ve seen a few of these before. When struck, their luminous bands glow faintly.
My excitement mounts, and I say a quick goodbye to Ulla before pushing toward Estela and Teo.
Teo is dressed in a deep black stone silk ensemble that catches the cavern light with faint glimmers. His long coat, embroidered with silver filigree, drapes over his broad shoulders and extends down the front of his body, the design mimicking the flow of molten metal. His high collar is fastened with a clasp of darkquartz, and the only color on him comes from the crimson sash tied at his waist.
Estela stands beside her mate, her golden gown flowing like liquid light, the fine brocade woven with faint sigils of her two goddesses. The bodice is fitted, accentuating her form, before spilling into cascading layers. A chain of moonstones sits across her collarbones, luminous against her light brown skin, and her dark curls are swept into intricate braids, adorned with delicate golden charms.