Page 98 of Rite of Unity

I sat up, hand going to my head.

No one spoke to me or acknowledged my presence.

My heart was slowing, my breathing calming.

I stood, staggering to the door and leaning against it.Mama.My vision blurred, a silent tear sliding down my cheek.Suddenly, I desperately wanted to be home.

***

Outside the Rite house, I stood beside Phoebe waiting for our car to arrive.Her fingers were laced together, twisting and untwisting, but she stared silently ahead.

“Good luck tonight,” I said.

She glanced at me.Her neck was splotchy, her cheeks stained pink.

The car arrived, and we both slid inside.Our chaperone sat across from us.

Had Phoebe been through the same ordeal as me in trial six?Had she let someone she loved die?Or was she only thinking about who would be eliminated tonight?Suddenly, I wished I could write to Ruth, warn her.But sharing Rite secrets with other women after Trial Four was a crime.Not that I was allowed to contact her anyway.

The car stopped; I’d been so lost in thought, I hadn’t realized we’d arrived.

I climbed the wide stairs to the second floor and stopped.While nothing could compare to that rooftop view, this was something magical.

A soft blue glow slipped from low-hanging lights mounted at each corner of the dance floor, illuminating the water beneath our feet.I stepped back as a dark shape glided under the floor.

“Do you like it?”

I jumped, spinning around.

Elias took a step back and held out a hand.“You look lovely, Maryn.”

I curtseyed and extended my arm.His lips brushed over the fabric of my glove, and my cheeks warmed.

“Will you dance with me later?”

Heat crept up my neck.“Yes.”

He smiled, but it wasn’t anything like the warm, genuine one he’d shown me on our last date.A reminder that the eyes of the Elite, and the nation, were on us tonight.

He backed up; I watched him go.

Nami appeared by my side.“Isn’t this amazing?”

I glanced around at the space quickly filling with couples, and my stomach dipped.“It is.”

Nami leaned closer, whispering in my ear.“I heard Sera say Elias built it for her.”

My gaze shot up in time to see Elias stop in front of Sera.Her smile was sultry as he took her hand and led her onto the dance floor.Mydance floor.The thought landed before I could stop it.

If it were true, I’d been foolish.If it wasn’t, Sera was playing a game I couldn’t afford to lose.

“I need punch.”

I spun around, leaving Sera, Elias, and the rest of the crowded room behind.

A soft buzz sounded above my ears, and I looked up.The drone had followed me.Was it watching for my reaction or just filming each of Elias’s matches?I straightened, lifting a ladle and spooning punch into my glass.

Nami stepped up beside me.“I didn’t mean to offend you.”