88

“It was,” I said. “It really is beautiful.”

Before Amity could close the door, Fina called, “Did we miss it?” She stuck her head in the gap in the door and the doorframe. “The final fitting?”

“No, no,” I said with a smile. “Come in.”

Fina and Adora both hurried into the room. It was mid-morning, and they’d been dolled up by their own handmaidens. Both looked gorgeous, in their lush gowns and simple makeup. Fina swept me into her arms immediately in a hard hug, and I laughed as she spun me around. “Please don’t smudge the makeup,” Amity said. “We don’t have a lot of extra time!” “I won’t, I won’t,” Fina said as she released me, grinning.

Adora gave me a hug as well, and an air-kiss on each cheek. She was a bit flushed, but she looked happier than she did yesterday. That was about all I could hope for, considering how things had shaken out for the both of us.

“We wanted to be a part of the big day,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not in the slightest,” I said. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

Fina and Adora perched at the foot of my bed. Amity and Rue ushered me behind the dressing screen, and carefully helped me into the gown. Somehow, it was more real than the fitting had been, with my handmaiden’s attentive fingers fastening the closures and smoothing out the lace, instead of Aerika’s.

When I stepped out from behind the screen, Fina and Adora jumped to their feet. They both stepped closer, guiding me to the full-length mirror in the room. Having my two friends at my side in their beautiful gowns made mine appear even more striking. The light caught the gown, my hair—I almost seemed to glow. My naked feet peeked out from under the hem of the mermaid skirt, just a flash of pale flesh under the lacy hem of the dress. Strangely, it seemed to fit and look right—bare skin where I would usually expect to see a delicate heeled shoe.

I wished my mother was here. I wished I’d known her. I wished I knew if she would be happy with how all of this had turned out. If she’d wanted a wedding like this—maybe even a wedding to my real father, whoever he was.

There was a knock on the door. I pushed that thought away. Adora waved off Rue when she stuck her head out from behind the screen, where they were both folding my robe and towels, and hurried to answer it herself.

“Good morning, ladies,” Lady Glennis said. She was dressed in her wedding finery as well, an elegant deep purple gown with shimmering silver detailing. In her hand she carried a white box.

Lady Glennis stepped over the threshold. She smiled and sighed, pleased, when she saw me. She almost seemed relieved. Surely planning this Choice wasn’t easy for her—she was probably just as glad as I was that it was all coming to a close.

“You look beautiful, Lady Reyna,” she said. “The king is truly lucky to have had a Choice with such fine contestants.” She nodded at Fina and Adora, too. “The Court of Nightfall is pleased you’ve chosen to stay.”

Both Fina and Adora nodded gratefully.

Lady Glennis stepped closer and opened the lid of the box. “This is for you,” she said. “The ceremonial crown. Of course you will have a simpler one made for everyday court duties.”

“Oh, Lady Glennis,” I murmured. “It’s gorgeous.”

The crown was pale white-gold, inlaid with moonstone and diamond. It was so intricate, like a spiderweb—I couldn’t imagine the skill necessary to spin the metal into such fine, careful shapes.

Lady Glennis lifted it from the box and placed it carefully into my hair. It was subtle and sparkling. “It suits you,” she said. She smiled again, kinder than I’d ever seen her. “Are you ready?” I nodded. My heart pounded in my chest. I was ready as I’d ever be.

Lady Glennis led Fina, Adora, and me out of my quarters, with Amity and Rue following behind in their wolf forms. The stone floor was smooth and polished under my bare feet. Glennis led us toward the back of the castle where the doors opened to the back gardens. A small path led to the tree line. The garden was so quiet, absent of any guests, servants, or citizens. It was empty and silent, save for the rustle of the wind through the branches, and the occasional chatter of the birds.

Lady Glennis led us into the tree line. We walked single file on a path so narrow I could hardly see what she was following. The rich, earthy scent of the woods filled my nostrils, making my wolf perk into alertness in my chest. The trees were so tall overhead, topped with green despite the cold weather, and the sun fell in golden columns through the overhead branches, dappling the earth in light. The dirt was soft under my bare feet, save for the winding, knobby roots. I held the hem of my dress up just enough to keep it from the ground, though from what I could tell, none of the Nightfall wolves would’ve been displeased to see a bit of dirt on the hem. It might even be expected. “Where is everyone?” I whispered.

“Shh,” Glennis said.

I saw no one, but I felt them. My wolf knew there were other wolves nearby. A lot of wolves. I could feel them, their presence prickling over me and making the hair on my arms stand up. Where were we going? I’d run through these woods once, but the woods as a human and as a wolf were very different places.

Finally, after walking for what felt like nearly a half hour, we reached a small, unfamiliar clearing. It was not a natural clearing—it had been grown this way, with the trees planted in a halfcircle around the open, mossy space dotted with mushrooms.

It was in a half-circle because it was on a small cliff, no taller than a two-story building. Even from where I stood with Glennis, Fina, and Adora behind the tree line, I knew where the sensation was coming from. The wolves were under the cliff. It felt like all of Efra was here, the same crowd that filled the stadium for the challenge, but this time they were in their animal forms.