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The guys make amused sounds as I plop my ass down on the floor close to the food, and practically inhale it. Ignoring them entirely.

∞∞∞

The next day we spend resting, all of us are absolutely exhausted from the whole ordeal and really fucking hungry. Fortunately, Mabel and the others had absolutely no problem letting us eat in our room, and that’s pretty much all we did. We stayed in comfy clothes for the first time since we arrived, since we realized that we weren’t going to get called at any time, and everyone took really long showers for the same reason.

Then we piled into the front room, ate, slept, and just recharged. It was fucking amazing. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if Coen were with us.

We did emerge from the comfort of our room at one point because I wanted to go and find Ribit, but no matter where we looked, she wasn’t there. Raiden said that there’s a chance that because she used so much power to put the ghost mark on Kylen’s face, she needed to recharge and rest for a while. I’m still hoping that I’m going to be able to find her before we go.

Waking up this morning surrounded by my men, and without the fear of being pulled into a trial, was pretty fucking awesome, but nerves soon took over and now I’m just a wreck. I know that we’re a good team, and I know that I belong with the guys, but there’s a small, terrified part of me that’s telling me that I’m going to be put on the Draconian team, and filling my head with thoughts of all that could entail.

It's fucking terrifying.

There’s a knock on the guy’s door, and River pulls it open to find Mabel and a couple of other people standing there holding trays of food.

“Eat up, it’s almost time to go to the chamber for the scroll reading,” she says and then grins. “You’re dressed, that’s good, only one of the other team was even up.”

Three guesses who that was.

“What can we expect from today?” Doc asks, and then adds, “I know that you won’t be able to tell us a lot.”

Mabel nods, “I will take you to the chamber, which is in a separate building on the castle grounds, along with the Draconian team. You will all enter it together. Inside, someone will read the scroll out for you. The team that doesn’t get Neith will then exit the chamber, and the team that is then a bonded Warrior team will receive their extra gifts. There is a silencing spell placed on all who enter, and no one will be able to get around that.”

“Whatever happens in the chamber cannot be discussed with anyone outside of it?” Evander clarifies.

Mabel nods, “Yes, but more than that, the losing team will not be able to discuss or write down, or anything similar, any of the events that happened in the chamber. It’s for safety reasons, as the losing team or teams, in some cases, tend to harbor ill will toward the winners. It was a problem in the past, so it was implemented a few hundred years ago.”

“That’s a really good idea,” Griff says.

“Definitely, the Draconian team would definitely spout shit if they were given the opportunity,” Ransom says.

Mabel nods, “Exactly. Now eat up, you haven’t got very long, and I will be back for you.”

We all nod and thank her again before we take our seats and start to eat.

I have a heavy feeling in my stomach, something is going to happen, I can feel it. I have no idea whether it’s going to be good or bad, but maybe that’s because it doesn’t know yet.

I don’t know who it is, maybe the universe, maybe the Gods, who knows, but something more than what we think is going to happen.

Hell, maybe it’s nerves, I am quietly panicking that I won’t be put on the guy’s team. In fact, my nerves are beginning to get to me, so much so that I can’t eat very much at all.

After pushing my food around my plate for a while someone finally knocks on the door.

“Let’s do this,” Griff says, as we all stand up.

Doc pulls open the door, and Mabel smiles at us, “The Draconian team will meet us down in the main hall by the front door. Freddy has gone to get them.”

Evander nods, “Great. We’re ready.”

Mabel smiles again, and we follow her through the castle. She doesn’t seem tense or nervous, but then again, why would she be? She’s probably seen hundreds of these. This is just a normal workday for her. Hoping to distract myself from the swarm of butterflies in my stomach, I look out for Ribit on the way. I was really hoping that I would be able to find her and say goodbye.

I should get a chance to say goodbye after the whole scroll thing, but I’m not sure how long we’ll have before we have to leave. No one’s told us that, and I’m not really in the mood to ask.

When we get to the main hall, the Draconian team is already there. Kylen looks pissed, but the rest of them all look apprehensive, and Coen looks absolutely exhausted. If possible, he looks even more tired than he did when we finished the last trial. He doesn’t look at me as we all follow Mabel and a couple of others out of the door, and through the grounds, but I notice that he’s moving stiffly.

Far stiffer than he should be moving, considering he’s just had an entire day of rest. I don’t like it, and judging by the frown on Doc and River’s faces, they have noticed as well and don’t like it either. There is fuck all that we can do about it right now, we’re surrounded by the Draconian team, and if I remember correctly, Sully said that they film this bit, but not inside the chamber. Not that we could do anything about it anyway, I think bitterly.

“Here we are,” Mabel announces with a smile.