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But Fletcher wasn’t with her, so she had to make do, the bath having at least been refreshing enough to help her feel somewhat human again.

After donning a fluffy white robe that was as soft as butter against her skin, she had been ushered into the communal living area only to find her friends already waiting. D.C. wore a similar robe, but the boys were all fully dressed, their attire having been alarming enough for Alex to do a stutter step on her way to the breakfast table.

No longer in the pure white colours of yesterday, Jordan, Bear, Kaiden and Declan wore black from head to toe. The design and material reminded Alex worryingly of Meyarin fighting gear, only instead of Myrox threading through the leather-like armour, there were hints of gold. Not enough to make the boys look like they were bedazzled, but just the right amount to make them all look like royalty. Warrior royalty.

The question of why they would need to be so deliberately dressed made it difficult for Alex to stomach the buffet breakfast. But despite her trepidation making everything taste like cardboard, she knew she would require energy for whatever they were about to face, so she forced herself to eat a moderately sized meal before pushing her plate away.

As Alex stood again to follow the stone-faced Zaylin back to her room, D.C. reached for her hand.

“It’s going to be fine,” D.C. whispered. “Don’t lose hope before we’ve even begun.”

Alex wished she could be so confident. Fear, grief, doubt— how could she maintain any kind of hope in the face of everything she’d so far seen? In the face of what Zaylin had said last night—words that were still repeating in her head, in her heart?

But, looking around at her friends, she didn’t see any of those thoughts on their faces, not even on Bear’s. They were all nervous, she could tell, but they were also determined. And like D.C., their eyes were clear and full of hope, like they truly believed in a positive outcome.

Alex had never given up before, not even when all the odds were stacked against her. Now was not the time for her to start. It didn’t matter what Zaylin had said—the Tia Auran didn’t know the first thing about Alex or what she’d overcome to get to where she was. And she wasn’t finished yet—she still had a mission to complete, and she was damn well going to do it.

As resolve settled over her, Alex shook off her negative thoughts. She refused to go down without a fight—even if part of that fight meant she was battling her own mind. She would get through the next six days. She would pass the Tia Auran’s Gates of Testing. She and her friends would return safely to Medora with an otherworldly army who would help defeat Aven. Then she would have the rest of her life to figure out what came next.

With a mental nod to drive her optimism home, Alex looked down at D.C. still seated at the table and squeezed her hand. “Thanks, Dix,” she whispered, before looking at the rest of her friends and mustering up a small smile for them all. It was as if they all breathed a sigh of relief, their tense bodies visibly relaxing at the sight. “See you all in a few.”

And with another small smile, she turned and strode towards her room, not allowing any troubled thoughts to occupy her mind. Even Zaylin’s icy features couldn’t sway her resolution.

Alex had been tested before, and she’d always survived. The next six days would be no different.

She would make sure of it.

“I feel like Wonder Woman,” Alex grumbled half an hour later when she reunited with D.C. in the common area. Thankfully, the boys were still in their bedrooms, which was a relief since she wasn’t sure how she would manage to keep the blush off her face otherwise, not with the Amazonian warrior-like dress she was wearing.

“I don’t know who that is,” D.C. said, tugging at the short hem of her own ridiculous outfit, “but these skirts are rather… lacking.”

That was one word for it. Borderline indecent was the phrase that came to Alex’s mind.

Like the boys, D.C. and Alex were both dressed in black with threaded gold highlights; however, the most coverage the girls had were the sturdy leather lace-up boots that went almost to their knees. With a tight waistline, low neckline and skirt that barely reached mid-thigh, Alex genuinely considered re-donning her dressing gown and remaining in it for the rest of the day. It, at least, covered everything that needed covering.

“We better not have to do anything physical while wearing these,” Alex said, also tugging on her skirt with one hand, while using the other to try and pull up the bodice. The leathery material was surprisingly comfortable and flexible enough to make it perfect for fluid movement, but it refused to stretch in the places she wanted it to.

“If we do, everyone watching will get an eyeful,” D.C. agreed, giving up on her own attempt at modesty to slump on the couch that had materialised near the piles of cushions overnight.

“I’m not sure anyone would mind, to be honest.”

Alex swung around at Jordan’s amused voice to find him walking towards them, his eyes roving over D.C.’s outfit. Behind him followed the rest of the boys, all of whom were trying much more valiantly to hide their humour as they took in what Alex and D.C. were wearing.

“Gotta say, I love this getup, Dix,” Jordan teased, pulling her up from the couch so he could get a better look. “We’ll have to ask if you can bring this home with you.”

D.C.’s face flamed but she rolled her eyes and said, “Sure. I’ll introduce you to my parents while wearing it, shall I?”

Jordan chuckled, unafraid. “I’ve already met your parents. At your birthday party, remember?”

“Just my dad,” D.C. corrected. “And I meant, as I introduce you to them as myboyfriend. I could even tell them you picked this dress out for me specifically, if you want?”

Alex had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing at the look on Jordan’s face, unsure if he was more worried about the outfit threat or the king and queen learning of their relationship status. She should have felt compassion, especially after having had her own unintentional ‘meet the parents’ experience with Kaiden, but it was too entertaining to watch Jordan freeze as panic overwhelmed him.

“Now that we have that sorted,” D.C. said cheerfully as she leaned forward to kiss him, “no more comments about our clothes. Got it?”

Jordan made a gurgled sound of agreement.

D.C. glanced at the rest of the boys. “That goes for all of you.”