Chapter30:

The crowd was alive with shouting and laughter, a raucous pulse that seemed to fill the space in front of the castle with a festive vibration, and there was no doubt those that had gathered that early morning had come for one reason, and one reason alone; they wanted to see the spilling of blood. Kit stood next to her mother on the dais, the same place she’d occupied for the better part of the last two weeks, though the pleasant feeling associated with greeting those who’d come to be a part of her Choosing was long gone, replaced with a dread that threatened to overwhelm her. Had it not been for the encouraging glances of her Representatives positioned right in front, below the dais, she might’ve shriveled up and lost all of her nerve. It also helped to know that her father, Avinia, and Isla were behind her, and though she could not see them, they were giving her every ounce of their support. Her cousins had been quite helpful as she’d spent most of the day before arranging her thought