Free The Other Side of Truth (The Marked Ones Trilogy Book 3) by Alicia Kat Vancil Page B

being awarded once in my life, and that had been when I was very little. It was an honor we didn’t just throw around like it was candy. It meant something.
    I looked down at the pendant a heartbeat longer, and then I looked back up to the crowd. “When I found out who we would be honoring with this pendant today, I asked my father, Chancellarius Galathea, if I could have the very great privilege to recognize this valiant soul. And he graciously stepped down so I could have this honor.”
    It was a complete lie, really. But only a select few knew I was performing this award ceremony because Alex was off gods-only-knows where.
    “I can attest firsthand that no other is more deserving of this award than Director Travis Centrina. I was beside him when he walked out into those halls knowing that his own death was fairly certain. And I know that without his actions, many more names would be engraved on the stones behind us. And it is for this that we honor him today.”
    I stepped over to the pedestal, and lifted the pendant from the pillow it had been resting on. And then I turned toward Travis, looking up into his eyes. “In recognition of the great sacrifice you were prepared to make in protection of the people of Karalia, and the countless lives you saved, we honor you with the Pendant of Valor, and the title of Viliyata.”
    Travis looked at me a moment after my words drifted to silence, and then bowed his head. I lowered the pendant over his head, and didn’t release it until my fingers brushed against the fabric of his midnight blue haori , and he finally raised his eyes to look at me. There were so many unspoken words captured behind those eyes. So much that you could never explain to people. So much you would only truly understand if you had been there with us, walking through those bodies. And this stupid piece of metal, no matter how beautiful, would never be enough to make up for what he had been willing to sacrifice.
    “By the power vested in me by She, Most Brightest in the Sky, I, Nualla Galathea, Arius of Karalia, name you, Travis Centrina, son of Joshua Centrina and Misaki Tashiro, Travis Centrina Viliyata,” I announced in as loud a voice as I could manage past the lump in my throat. And then I dropped slowly to my knees, and bowed my head. “May the gods reward your courage in this life, and the next.”
    “From the stars we are born, and to the stars we must, one day, return,” the assembled crowd called out loudly in unison before the sound of three thousand people dropping to their knees filled the courtyard.

    TRAVIS

    I had thought standing up in front of a room full of hundreds of people to accept the position of director of the Department of Technical Research and Development had been anxiety-inducing enough. But I don’t think I had ever felt more uncomfortable in my entire life as I did when over three thousand people dropped to their knees, and bowed before me.
    But it was Nualla dropping to her knees in front of me, in full chancellarius regalia, that really did a number on the already frantic beating of my heart. Because aside from this one honor, the chancellarius only bowed before one set of people. The gods. And as I stood there, stone still, waiting for them all to raise back to their feet, I wondered if everyone else who had received this honor had felt like a fraud. Or if it was just me.

Unidentified Species
    Monday, November 5th

    TRAVIS

    “D irector Travis Centrina Viliyata, director of the Department of Technical Research and Development,” KARA announced as I stood in the biometric scanner booth, watching the screen. The species section on screen flashed between Kalodaemon and Marked One before finally announcing error .
    “Error, unidentified species,” KARA stated loudly.
    “Dammit!” I cursed as I stomped back over to the computer.
    I ran through the code again, but nothing—absolutely nothing —seemed to be wrong, and yet the scanner array seemed to be