CHAPTER 4: A Prince in Transition

“Do not move,” I whisper into the absolute darkness, my heart slamming against my ribs as heavy breathing echoes off the mirrors.

"You do not tell me what to do,” Genevieve snaps from somewhere to my left. Her voice shakes badly, but she sounds like she’d rather die than admit fear.

"I am not telling you what to do,” I say quietly. “I’m telling you that moving in a room full of mirrors in the dark is how you walk into glass and bleed out. Just stay still.”

 A pause follows, filled only with shallow, uneven breathing.

 "Fine,” she mutters.

 Heavy footsteps reach the top of the gallery staircase and stop.

 The silence that follows is worse than the sound.

 I stand still in the center of the circle, dust settling on my shoulders, darkness pressing in from every direction. Beside me, a girl breathes too fast, on the edge of panic. Someone else is praying under their breath.

 Then the torches come back to life.

 All at once, the flames erupt, flooding the gallery with orange light. I blink against the glare.

Then I saw a huge figure, he walked into the light and I saw him.

He towered over everyone, his powerful build, his beautiful silver eyes and sharp, handsome features making him look as dangerous as he was intimidating.

He kept walking towards me, he wasn't looking at the rest of the girls, he was looking at me.

I stumbled back until I realized I was trapped between him and the walls.

"Stay back!!" I cried out.

He only chuckled and it was then I realized that the other girls weren't moving, it was like they were frozen in time.

"What did you do to them?" I asked while trembling.

"Shouldn't you be worried about yourself?" He finally spoke "But if you must know, I simply controlled their thoughts making them stay at a place".

"Why would you do that" I cried out at the verge of tears.

"Don't cry my love" He snickered, " I simply wanted a private conversation."

"I do not want to speak with you, release them."

"Feisty, I like it" He chuckled.

I said nothing

"I look forward to seeing you more often, My Lunaria." He said pushing a hair strand away from my face.

I pushed his hand away

"Do not call me that" I spat.

He only chuckled and began to walk away.

"What do you want from us?" I called out.

He turned and said, "Time will tell my love, time will tell" and then he vanished all of a sudden.

It was after he left that the rest of the ladies began to move again, it seemed they did not know that they were unable to move.

The Matron stood at the opposite entrance, silver rod in hand, face unreadable. She looks up at the cracked ceiling, then at us, at me standing calmly against the wall while the others crouch at the center of the floor.

"Gallery dismissed,” she says. “Return to your quarters immediately.”

 "What was that, what just happened?” Genevieve demanded, pushing herself up.

 "That is not your concern, Miss Ashford.”

 "Someone was here.”

 "Return to your quarters. I will not repeat myself.” The Matron barked.

Genevieve hesitated, then looked at me. Something on my face makes her look away quickly. She straightens her dress and walks out like nothing happened.

The others follow in a rush.

 I do not move.

 "Miss Lunaris,” the Matron warns.

 "Was that him?” I ask, staring at the empty staircase. “The prince?”

 A long silence.

 "Go to your room, Aylin.”

 "What do you want from us? What is an anchor?”

 "You are dealing with what your family signed you up for,” she says flatly. “A prince in transition. That is all.”

 I turn and leave.

 Kaelen is already inside the Spire when I return.

 He stands by the glass wall, arms crossed, watching the jagged mountains. He turns as I enter, like he already knows what happened.

"That was him,” I say.

"Yes,” he answers quietly.

"He was terrifying"

"That's because he is in transition"

"How much time?” I ask, sitting on the bed.

The Blood Moon is in four days,” he says. “That’s when the tether activates. That’s when you become his anchor properly. Until then, we keep him contained.”

"Contained,” I repeat.

His silence is answer enough.

My gaze drops to my hands, then lifts again.

"The other girls,” I say.

Kaelen watches me.

"Genevieve, the others. If I’m the A-Prime, why are they still here?”

"I cannot say.” Kaelen says going quiet.

"We're here to die aren't we?"

He studies me for a long moment saying nothing.

"Dinner is at seven,” he finally says turning toward the door. “Don’t leave the Spire tonight.”

He pauses at the frame.

"Whatever you hear,” he adds. “Stay inside this room.”

 The door shuts. The lock clicks.

 The light fades into grey.

 I sit on the edge of the bed, thinking about the girl in the gallery, hands clasped, praying silently, trying to survive something she never agreed to.

Then it starts.

A sound rises from deep below the palace.

 Screaming.

 Raw, Endless, Not fully human.

 The glass walls tremble.

 And the palace breathes back.