Page 106 of Daughter of Garnet

He's ushered off the stage and out the door, where he struggles against Professor Hayes as he tries to show him out. Once we realized they weren't allowing the Betas to return to their seats to watch the rest of the ceremony, I had to accept that the only person I know who would witness me touching the garnet was Dominic. He sits at the front, right beside his father, and though I can't see the expression, his shoulders are so tight that I cannot imagine his face is placid.

The Director works his way through the alphabet, letter by letter, and the crowd around me continues to disperse.

I'm not expecting anyone to be Blessed. I don't think the Gods would do that to us at this point.

"Zoe, if you can't hold back the shift, I want you to fly the fuck out of here. Destroy the building. Light everyone on fire. Let them all fucking burn to protect yourself." Viv grabs my hand and squeezes tight. "Whatever you need to do to be safe. Fly to Eatolis and find my parents. They'll protect you until Ray and I can get there."

Could I do that? Could I shift and flatten this place, killing who knows how many people, just to save my own skin?

I wish I could say I would, but I won't really know until I'm in that situation.

"I don't even know if I have fire." I know I'm focusing on the wrong thing, but it's better than outright denying Viv.

"You have fire. Just because you haven't tried yet doesn't mean it's not there."

I change tactics. "I've only shifted twice. What if I don't know how to fly?"

"Are you trying to convince yourself not to leave? Forget about everyone else, Zoe. You have to take care of yourself, okay? I don't give a fuck if you bond with Ray or not. We're sisters now. You have to stay safe."

The Director calls for a woman named Nicole, and my chest tightens a little more.

Every name feels like another step toward my funeral.

"Okay, Viv. I'll try."

It's all I can promise her.

We sit there, hand in hand, as the room's occupants dwindle. There are so many people here that they're all blurring until⁠—

"Vivian Park."

She stands, holding onto my hand until the last possible moment, and when our fingers slip out of each other's, I get this overwhelming feeling that I will never see her again.

I can't allow those negative thoughts to consume me.

The Gods picked me for a reason. They won't allow something to happen that will ruin me.

Unsurprisingly, her small hand on each stone reveals no new Blessing. She doesn't take her eyes off of me as they guide her out of the room.

And now I am alone.

These last few students feel like they drag on forever, until Warren's name is called.

As I watch him climb onto the pulpit, there is a pang in my chest at how much has changed since we sat beside each other at our ceremony. We may as well be different people.

I don't know why, but I try to catch his eye. Do I expect him to give me a reassuring look? Probably not. But if I can't control my shift, this may be the last time I see him. There is no love lost with this version of Warren, but when I look at him, I can still see the blond, blue-eyed boy who bandaged my knee when I fell. I see the kid who would share his snack with me, the teenager who held me during my first heartbreak.

If the night of my heat spike was the death of our friendship, this is the funeral.

As he's being guided out the door, he looks over his shoulder, and our eyes clash. I can't read the emotion in the clear blue depths, not like I used to. He nods and ducks out of the chapel without so much as a smile.

By the time my name leaves the Director's lips, I am the only Beta left in the chapel. There are three pews filled with older Alphas, not students, and I can hear my peers chattering through the open doors behind me. I feel like I am walking through molasses as I make my way to the pulpit.

Despite the issues I have with him, I don't look away from Dominic as I place my hand on the first stone. I'm going through the motions, knowing they will reveal nothing, and praying to Ilota that she and the necklace will give me the strength to withhold my shift.

My hand hovers over the garnet, and because I know what is coming for me, I can't bring myself to lower my hand. I send up a final prayer. Not just to Ilota, but to whoever may be listening. Maybe the other Gods, maybe the Fates, but whoever hears it, it doesn't matter, as long as they listen.

"Protect the ones I love. If this is my last moment in this realm, take care of my family. Protect Viv. Give my scent matches the strength to heal. And please, don't allow my bond to take Cliff. Let him forget me."