The rest of the day was a blur of court politics and exchanged greetings. Layla could feel her pulse finally begin to relax when she returned to her room with Dara in tow, preparing for the evening event. The gathering of the Kings and Queens in the coliseum was the first of many displays that would be held through the seven long days she was stuck in this place.
"Do I have to wear another dress to this thing?" Layla said, throwing a rose gold dress that had been laid on her bed to the floor. The shimmering patterns died in the candlelight as she moved past it to sit on the bed.
"I know I'm supposed to be the queen, but sometimes I wish I could just be me without all of this political bullshit!" She laid back on the cool sheets, taking deep breaths as she let the chill in the room slip over her body.
"You are the queen," Dara said. "So technically you can do whatever you want. I mean, if you want to walk out there naked, there isn't really anything anyone can do to you."
"That would definitely be the talk of the next banquet. A naked queen entering that sacred space—I'm sure the Septines wouldn't find it that humorous." She clenched her fists together until her knuckles turned white.
"Do the Septines find anything funny? You see the way they walk around, and their words are like something out of one of those old scrolls we were forced to learn in school."
Dara laughed, folding her hands over one another and pulling her hood up over her head, her legs stiff as she attempted to glide around the room. Layla couldn't hold back any longer watching her, and laughter burst from her lips.
"I mean, come on, do they have to be so uptight? Ancient magic keeps this stick stuck up my ass," she said, just as a knock came at the door.
They both stopped and looked at each other, smiles still set on their faces as Dara walked to the door and cracked it slightly.
"Queen Layla's presence has been requested in the union coliseum," the Septine said, their hands folded into their robes, face barely showing from beneath the hood.
"Of course," Dara responded. "She will be right down."
She closed the door and looked back at Layla, whose face had gone white at the thought of standing in front of all those people. For a moment she had forgotten what tonight was, let herself just enjoy the company of her friend, but now it was time to begin the Long Night officially.
"Just breathe, Lay," Dara said, noticing the visible change in her. "What have we spent the last twelve months doing?"
Layla sat quietly, just staring into her eyes.
"Come on, Lay. What did we practice?"
She shook herself from the thought of the coliseum. "We practiced creating portals. Pouring magic into amulets and ward barriers. We practiced charging magic with artifacts and symbols."
"Exactly. You know these things. It's not about the amount of magic you can channel through the stone—it's about the ability to channel your specific magic through the stone. You got this. We have done it a thousand times. Just trust your instincts, and I'll be there watching you."
Dara grabbed both of Layla's shoulders and squeezed. "Let's get ready. Wear the leathers."
"But the dress?" Layla started, but Dara cut her off.
"Screw the dress. There is no rule about what you have to wear. Do you see Malachai wearing a dress?" Dara said, getting a chuckle from Layla.
"Wear the leathers," she said again. "It will make you more comfortable, which will make you channel better."
Layla nodded and dug the pair of fighting leathers they used to spar in from the bottom of her trunk. It was a sheer black and emerald fabric sewn into thick leather pieces and straps that fit tightly around her body—like wearing armor that felt as light as a gown.
"Here. Wear this with it."
Dara lowered a crown onto her head. It was the one she had worn when she was little, not heavy like the one she had to wear most days, but light and delicate, fastening onto the crown of her hair around the tight bun Dara had made for her.
"Thank you," Layla said, admiring herself in the mirror.
"Now let's show those bastards why you are the Queen of Auroris."
The walk to the coliseum was quiet until they hit the gates and the cheering started as the Sun King entered. Layla scrambled to take her seat on the west side of the pit, as Nimura and Malachai watched her enter and sit as if sizing her up.
"King Theron," the high Septine announced from the center of the pit, his voice radiating around the coliseum as if he was everywhere but nowhere all at the same time.
Layla had been forced by Lord Vermillion to learn as much as she could about the different Kings and Queens that would be in attendance. King Helian was the oldest of the monarchs, his reign spanning over six Long Nights. He had never fallen in a challenge before, but this year he was getting to the end of his age.
Though the Fae were gifted with long life, immortality still escaped them—they were still bound to the rules of the world: you are born, you live, you die.
He stepped into the pit, making his way to the power stone to stand by the Septine. His hands waving, an ivory white smile pointed towards the crowd. Though he still looked as if he was in his forties, it was his eyes that gave away his age—those tired eyes, the eyes of a man who had seen so much, perhaps too much.
"Queen Nimura," the Septine said, his head still bowed as the Queen of Constellations moved gracefully from her seat, gliding silently towards the stone.
She moved almost as effortlessly as the Septines, a tight black and ice blue dress wrapped around her, accentuating her elegant body and that face that spoke of nothing but true beauty. She didn't wave, but simply gazed into the crowd as if they were all beneath her—a cruel expression that sent a chill down Layla's spine.
"King Malachai," he said, as the King of Umbra rose from his place among his people.
He walked silently, darkness seeming to latch itself onto him. The light blue of his tunic almost disappeared into shadows that formed around him like a cloak.
"Queen Layla," the Septine announced, and Layla took a deep breath, her palms sweating again as she rose and looked into the crowd to find Dara's face, who was now standing and clapping for the young queen.
Layla walked with grace, putting on a face of stone as she moved toward the others. They all stood around the stone staring her down. Nimura was the only one to crack a knowing smile as she arrived next to them.
"Tonight we join the four kingdoms under the first moon of the Long Night. We join our magic to signify our bond to this world, old and new," the Septine said to them, raising his pale hands from under his robe.
"We are here to preserve our way of life." His voice rose as the crowd went silent. "We are here to pay tribute to the old ways that have carved a path to a new world that exists in delicate balance."
"Place your hands upon the stone of power," he said, waving his hand over the stone as runes appeared, signifying each kingdom.
Layla placed her hands over the stone, as did the other rulers, and the Septine took a step back as they closed their eyes. The crowd fell into hushed anticipation, thousands of eyes watching this ancient ceremony unfold.
Layla could feel the buzz of magic in her palms, feel the others like they were beginning to move through her, as a blue stream of energy shot straight up into the sky, followed by a pulsing golden ray and then a purple light that fell right in line with the others.
Layla pushed her magic forward, willed it to appear, and for a moment nothing happened, an emptiness filling her. The silence stretched, becoming uncomfortable. She could hear whispers rippling through the crowd, feel the weight of their expectation pressing down on her. Her palms grew slick with sweat against the stone.
Come on, she thought desperately. Please.
She closed her eyes tighter and focused on her breathing—one breath, two breaths, three breaths—and then she felt it. The familiar heat that surrounded her muscles flowed like liquid fire through her veins until it burst from her fingertips into an emerald green line that shot straight into the sky.
The crowd erupted in cheers and gasps of awe as the four lines of magic twisted into one, all the colors mixing into a brilliant braid of power that came back down from the sky and wrapped around all four rulers. The combined magic was breathtaking—a living aurora that painted the entire Convergence Coliseum in shifting light.
The magics flowed from each ruler in one color and flowed back into them in that multicolored strand. When it hit Layla, it felt like lightning coursing through her bones. She opened her eyes to see the others standing perfectly still, as if this overwhelming sensation was nothing to them. But she could feel it radiating through every part of her being, awakening something deep within.
Then something else happened. Her birthmark started pulsing—not pain, but a throb that seemed like it was trying to crawl out of her skin. The sensation was so intense she had to fight not to gasp, to keep her face serene as the magic continued to flow through her.
After a few moments, the other rulers opened their eyes and pulled back. The ritual was over, and Layla reached for her shoulder, her fingers finding the raised lines that felt more prominent than before. The crowd was still cheering, still caught up in the wonder of what they'd witnessed.
King Malachai was the first to step away from the stone. His ice-blue eyes swept over her with complete indifference, as if she were nothing more than a piece of furniture. Without a word, without even a nod of acknowledgment, he turned and walked away.
Queen Nimura approached with that knowing smile curving her lips. "Beautiful display, young queen," she said, her voice carrying just loud enough for nearby observers to hear. "Simply radiant."
As Nimura began to walk away, her two ravens appeared as if from nowhere, landing gracefully on her shoulders. The birds fixed their mismatched eyes on Layla for a long moment before their mistress glided back toward her section of the Convergence Coliseum.
That's when something golden and winged scratched at the edges of Layla's memory, trying to surface. The sensation made her breath catch—
"Queen Layla."
King Helios materialized beside her, his warm smile interrupting her thoughts completely. "That was magnificent. Truly spectacular magic." His tone was genuine, but there was calculation behind his eyes. "I was hoping we might have a moment to speak about our kingdoms' future relations. Perhaps my son could join us? I believe you two have much to discuss."
Layla forced her most diplomatic smile, even as her birthmark continued its subtle throbbing and her mind reeled from whatever had just tried to surface. "You're very kind, Your Majesty. However, I'm quite overwhelmed by the evening's events." She inclined her head gracefully. "Perhaps we could arrange a more formal meeting tomorrow?"
"Of course, of course," Helios said, though his disappointment was poorly concealed. "The ritual can be quite taxing. We shall speak soon."
"I look forward to it," Layla lied smoothly, already taking a step back toward the edge of the ring. "If you'll excuse me."
She moved towards where Dara waited, her body still buzzing with the other ruler's power, her smile never wavering even as relief flooded through her with each step away from the center of attention.