I awoke the next morning to the sound of clicking.
Tick tick tick.
Tick tick tick.
I opened my eyes to find I had awoken in a completely different place. Confused, disoriented, and wondering why I was anywhere else but Guy’s room, I lifted my head to discover that I had fallen asleep at Guy’s desk and that it had been the Cradle that pulled me from sleep.
Though I was quick to question why I was here, it didn’t take me long to find out.
Last night—here, alone, without Guy—
The rain—
The weight of the situation came barreling down, dropping on top of me before bouncing back up like a comical piano in a children’s cartoon.
The ceremony—
It was tonight.
My expected reaction had been to freak out and immediately be filled with anxiety. Instead, I was surprisingly calm—a fact absolutely-mystifying considering my usual behavior.
I was good though.
I wasn’t freaking out.
I pushed myself out of the desk and wandered from the office with a sense of relief I wish I’d had the previous night. Though nearly blinded by the sun that streamed in through the living room windows, I stalked into the kitchen and pulled out a jug of orange juice, relishing the tang that slid down my throat as my body slowly began to wake up.
The day was to be relished.
The night would bring change.
I hadn’t been given any specifics as to when the ceremony would occur. I’d only been told that I would be escorted to the chamber in the early hours of the evening and to prepare myself. Beyond that, I was as ignorant as could be.
Dressing, though—that hadn’t been addressed.
The only clothes I’d brought with me were what Guy had bought in Fredericksburg. While I didn’t slight their quality, I highly doubted they’d be appropriate.
It was astounding how fast I had gone from being perpetually-terrified to only slightly-nervous.
While the hour had yet to come, I had more than enough time to reminisce on just how it might go.