Free Candescent (The Opalescent Collection Book 1) by Isabelle Gallo

performing the Ceremony with Fitzray. Pete was so dangerous. Even I felt uneasy around him.”
    “I just hope the Trial goes well.”
    “You worry too much.” He stood up and took a leap into the pool. “Coming Mistress?” I followed him. He swam after me, his body nearly taking up the whole pool. I grabbed onto his neck and swam onto his back where I rested.
    “What ever happened to Jasper?”
    “Jasper? No one has heard from him.”
                  I dived back into the water. Minx joined me. Jasper was probably filled with shame and refused to return. When I popped up from the surface, Minx was attentive. His focus was on Fitzray who waded up to his knees in the pool.
    “Come on Chenille. We have to get ready.”                          
    “Ready for what?”
    “The time for the meeting was changed. We have to go.” He put out a hand to me. I looked at Minx.
    “I’ll still be here when you get back.”
                  I took Fitzray’s hand and he escorted me back to my room.
    “Did you catch up with Minx?”
                  I smiled. “I told him about our plans.”
                  When we reached my room, he waited for me as I got ready. When I was done, he looked me up and down and commented how I looked.
    “I have to get ready too. You can go to the dining room and I’ll meet you there.”
                  I did as I was told. The Allies were silent around the table. There was a sense of formality tonight. When Pete and Fitzray entered, our Allies rose to their feet and when Pete sat so did the rest. After everyone said their greetings, the reason for our travel had been brought up and so was the issue we had to address.
    “There have been rumors that the public knows about our system.” Rasha said.
    “There has been information spoken of, spreading through Catastrophe. This information was of what we spoke of at our last meeting. Our systems of ruling and the way things were handled after Chenille’s death were spoken of and for months the public criticized how we handled it.” Olend said.
    “Let’s get to the point,” Pete hissed.
    “Such information was only spoken of here in this building, meaning that the information leaked. The servants and attendants of the building have all been questioned, but we find them all innocent. It was someone else.”
    “This is what I came across the sea to hear?” Pete stood up and I was convinced he was about to leave.
    “This is dangerous,” Tassie protested.
    “If anyone finds out about this Ceremony thing between Fitzray and Chenille,” Rasha started quietly, “think of how you’ll be affected. For people to find out before anything is even done, could spell chaos. You will be shunned and pitied even before your plans are made to escape and hide before it all happens.”
                  Pete looked down. He didn’t like what he heard. He looked as though he actually believed that what Rasha told him was true.
    “What do we do then?”
    “We find the person responsible. From now on we will have to be more cautious of what we say…and what we do.”
    “Now from various parts of Catastrophe we can all listen for anymore leaking information. It will be reported back to the rest of the Allies if anything is heard.” Rallen said.
                  Pete stood up again. “Now that the main issue has been addressed, I will be leaving.”
                  I looked after him astonished. It was unlike him to leave a meeting. It was as if he was giving up his title as King already. Fitzray turned to me.
    “You can go too if you don’t want to stay.” Frankly, I did not want to hear any more. I should have felt joy to see Pete being stripped of his pride and dignity from one of our own Allies, but I didn’t. We were in no way equals anymore, not that we ever really were. I stood up and went to my room. He wasn’t there, though I