The second day of Solyerian. The day of Sacrifice.

The tribal grounds were decorated in arrangements of gold, black, and red hues, the tribe leaders dressed in arrangements of jewels and bright colors.

They stood outside once again, this time in the middle of the tribal grounds. The tribe leaders surrounded them in a daunting way, their straight expressions rather threatening.

For the second day, Rheynoak was suited in a traditional tribal red and gold long shirt that stopped at his knees and matched his red pants. A gold crown sat on his head, the gold cloak clasped over his shoulder.

Beside him on his right was Lucien, wearing a near identical outfit but in a beautiful shade of emerald green. His long hair flowed over his shoulder, a gold cloak shimmering down his back. But Draco shimmered in between them, wearing a velvet blue emperor suit with a silver cloak that enveloped him.

Onyx refused to stand next to Rheynoak for the second day, deciding to get dressed with Venix and Alesandria. With the help of her friends, she wore a more comfortable statement piece. A long red dress with lace straps and a slit.

Venix wore a white floral wrap dress, her white hair wrapped in a bun and Alesandria wore a long yellow dress with a plunging neckline, her dark locks tumbling over her shoulders and her ever-changing siphon marks exposed on her shoulder and back.

The Siphon has yet to speak to Rheynoak, simply avoiding his gaze. After going through the usual traditions of blood sacrifices and drinking sacred wine, Rheynoak introduced the next tradition.

The Dance of the Holy Sun.

"The Dance of the Holy Sun is a very special tradition celebrated in Solyerian" he explained, looking among the tribe leaders that surrounded him. "It was a dance shared with one tribe leader and a member of their choice. You will dance in unison under the sun rays until it has chosen who it wants to bless. After that, we will descend into the ballroom where we will complete the rest of the tradition."

A smile lit his lips, his hazel eyes sparkling. "And the pair has to have no history of previous relations. Simple, platonic, and pure."

Onyx humphed under her breath. Three words that would never bless their relationship in any way.

"What music are we supposed to dance to?" Venix asked, raising her brows. Lucien directed his gaze over to the BloodBone, his blue eyes capturing hers. "It will come to you" he reassured with a nod, a blush overcoming his face. The Bloodbone smirked in return, challenging him with a raised brow.

Excitement rose around the tribe members, whispering of what great joy they would be blessed with if a tribe leader would offer their hand for a dance. The tribe leaders themselves looked excited, their eyes looking over the crowd for a pick.

The first few tribe leaders stepped up, offering their hand to a few members who happily took them. Onyx wasn't expecting anyone to approach her, much less a royal tribe leader who would dare dance with her.

The first of the trio to be offered a hand was Venix. Leader Arsen Regbay of the Oshwin Tribe approached her, outstretching a heavily toned and tattooed arm out to her. "Care to share a dance, dear?" he asked, his handsome face breaking into a smile.

Venix humphed but nodded, placing her hand in his and allowed him to whisk her away.

Leader Eneseme Brakin of the Sonswey tribe was the next to whisk Alesandria away in her arms, the lost queen of Crojesian smiling as she danced with the leader.

Onyx frowned, letting herself shrink into the crowd as one by one, members were plucked and whisked away into royal arms. Even Rheynoak had picked a tribe member, a fragile but sweet ShadowReaper to dance with.

Feeling a bit burdened, the Siphon crossed her arms, taking in a deep breath and closing her eyes to settle the nausea that built in her stomach.

"Care to dance, Onyx?" A raspy but sultry voice spoke to her and her eyes flew open to see Draco standing in front of her, his tattooed fingers extended out to her. "I thought you had to choose someone you had no prior relations with" she stated, raising her brow.

"Technically, we are acquaintances at the least. Nothing to break the rules" he clarified. Casting a look down at his inviting hand, the Siphon hesitated, flickering her gaze back up to his face.

He seemed intimidating, almost devilish but his emerald and sapphire shattered eyes smiled at her so gently and all of a sudden, he seemed almost angelic. Gladly taking his hand, the Siphon allowed herself to walk with him, stopping in the middle of the tribal grounds to face him.

His arm wrapped around her waist gently but steadily, his fingers digging into the material of her dress. She rested an arm on his shoulder, intertwining her other hand with his. Their eyes raised a met, a genuine smile shared between the two.

Slowly, they danced to a song the wind seemed to sing. They danced as if they had heard it a thousand times, moving in sync with each other. Their steps matched with one another, the long silk of her dress, swaying around his feet.

"You're not too bad" Onyx commented, feeling herself smile. Actually, smile. Inside and out.

The Emperor chuckled, ducking his head to their feet. "I would say the same for you, Onyx" he replied back, looking back up to meet her eyes. "In fact, I might just have to make you my new dance partner."

"Don't count on that Draco" she warned him, shaking her head. "I'm not always up for a dance."

A glimmer shimmered in his eyes. "I find that hard to believe."

A simple sentence seemed to stop her heart and her senses. All she could do was smile and ignore the sudden change of behavior towards him. She just kept her mouth quiet, dancing with him under the sun's rays as if they were the only two people the Gods had created to exist in Asxairo.

Onyx didn't seem to realize Rheynoak's wandering eyes towards them or Venix's happy smile as she danced right past them. She didn't even bat an eye towards Lucien who casted an uncertain look their way.

And Draco didn't seem to realize how all the other tribe leaders stared at him with shock and anticipation, even Heather Leader Heather Faylik of the Batchete tribe.

The same leader who had warned Onyx of great and impending danger.

Together as one, the two danced in the heat until they could no longer distinguish what was real or simply imaginary. They didn't even notice that the sun's rays had danced among, casting a ray of gold light that blessed them in more way than one can imagine.

It was only when the tribe exploded into applause did they seem to fall back to reality and stop in sync. Onyx looked up, blinded by the gold light that was reigning upon them. She quickly ducked her head down, feeling her entire body grow warm.

Sparkles of sunlight danced on her fingers, traveling over to Draco who now wore a shocked expression on his face. He gazed at his fingers then back at the Siphon, his cheeks colored rose.

"The sun has made a fine choice" Rheynoak spoke, his voice dull and unimpressed. "The finest of them all, especially for you, Draco Vaolcris" Leader Opais Eqiun commented, a smile brightening her dark face.

"It's an honor that the sun's rays have shined down upon us," the emperor said, nodding over to Onyx who smiled back. She pinched the skirt of her dress and bowed down in front of the emperor, the silk kissing the sand. "And it was a true honor to have danced with one of Asxairo's finest leader."

"Don't inflate my ego too much, Onyx" Draco teased, watching as she straightened herself.

Rheynoak passed a weary look between the two, feeling the bond between him and the Mind Siphon waver ever so slightly. A frown pulled at his lips, casting an icy look towards the flirty emperor. "Congratulations to you both. We shall seal the blessings in the ballroom."

His words sounded forced, almost dry but the tight smile on his lips was something to question for later.

Draco looked over at Rheynoak. seeing the anger burn in his eyes but said nothing but, "Lead the way, dear friend."

The barrier surrounding the castle had been momentarily broken to allow everyone in before it was thrown back up again for protection.

The ballroom resided in the lower levels of the miniature castle that stood in the middle of the tribal grounds.

Spiraling stairs led down a dimly lit hallway and opened up into a large and beautifully exquisite ballroom completed with diamond chandeliers that lit up with magic and white columns intertwined with dazzling lights.

The ceiling was pure glass, high raised and looking outward into the ocean blue sky. The sun was positioned directly in front of the glass ceiling, its rays shining down and spilling into the ballroom.

Onyx looked up, stunned that Rheynoak had never shared this part of the castle with her. She had wandered around every corner, every crook, every shadow of the castle but somehow has never stumbled upon this part of the building.

The thought angered her for a second before it disappeared.

The rest of the tribe had filled the room to create a large circle, still leaving a large amount of space left to fill in a second tribe. The visiting tribe leaders stepped inside the circle and formed a smaller circle, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Rheynoak, Lucien, Onyx, and Draco stood in the middle of it all, settling the gold cauldron in between the two. Rheynoak, very hesitantly, reached into the pocket of his shirt and pulled out a dagger. He handed it over to Onyx, his hazel eyes flickering to meet her gaze.

Except she wasn't looking over at him. She was staring at the dagger in her hand, turning it around in her fingers. "The ceremony is a very short but very simple one" Lucien explained. "Each of you will sacrifice your blood into the cauldron while chanting an ancient hymn that is said to contain the blessing. The sun's rays will then purify it and both of you will mark your skin with the purified blood before drinking to complete the ceremony."

His blue eyes flickered between the two magical beings who nodded at him. "Okay, take the dagger and repeat the phrase: "Deam sole nitidus pulcherque. Imple hebdomadam vota nostra ad se fructificant. Pilae currit sanguis vobis benedictionem tuam, et veritatem tuam."

He spoke in an ancient tongue that had not been spoken in thousands of years, a language that was forged by the Gods and spoken by priestess long before Asxairo existed. It was language extinguished from tongues even though many uttered phrases here and there.

Taking a deep breath, Onyx edged the cold point of the dagger to her palm, not thinking twice before she slit her palm open and allowed her blood to splatter into the cauldron."Deam sole nitidus pulcherque. Imple hebdomadam vota nostra ad se fructificant. Pilae currit sanguis vobis benedictionem tuam, et veritatem tuam."

Her blood seemed to boil and her tongue burned as she uttered the words but she completed what she had to do, wiping the blood on the dagger on her arm and wiping it clean before passing it over to Draco.

He smiled, taking the dagger in his hand and cutting his wrist open without hesitation. "Deam sole nitidus pulcherque. Imple hebdomadam vota nostra ad se fructificant. Pilae currit sanguis vobis benedictionem tuam, et veritatem tuam."

He didn't even flinch as the blood spilled onto his skin, merely handing the dagger back to Lucien who passed it on to Rheynoak. The tribe leader took it with a cold, hard expression, tucking the dagger back into his pocket.

The gold cauldron was positioned so that the sun's rays were aligned with. There wasn't much blood in the cauldron, a puddle's worth but it seemed to be enough. The rays of the sun burned strongly of an amber hue, shimmering down and blinding everyone else around it.

The blood crackled and simmered before merging together and creating an abundance more. It was a demented magic, a dark one that worked until the cauldron was filled to the middle with a burgundy colored wine. Onyx held her breath, glancing a look towards Draco who seemed surprisingly calm.

The other tribe leaders watched with anticipation, whispering among themselves and passing her glances of intruigment and wonder. She ducked her head, refusing to meet anyone else's gaze as Lucien walked to the back of the ballroom and returned with two large gold goblets with wide mouths.

He gave it to the both of them. Draco allowed Onyx to go first, watching as she hesitantly reached in and emerged out with her goblet filled all the way to the top. Her face was trying to hide its disgust, the color draining from her cheeks. He couldn't help but chuckle, emerging his goblet in the blood wine and filling his cup.

"Mark each other" Lucien simply said.

Dipping her fingers in the blood wine, Onyx reached out and pressed her thumb against his forehead, creating swirling designs with the wine. She did the same to his arm although his tattoos made it a bit hard for her to see.

When she was done, he did the same to her, his soft touch against her skin freezing parts of her she never thought was possible. the emperor looked her directly in the eyes as he did so, a smirk playing on his skin as his fingers danced on his forehead and down her arm.

Goosebumps sprung on her arm. Something about his touch, a toxic feeling, surged her body with energy and left her electrified, finding herself missing it when he pulled away.

Composing herself and taking a deep breath, Onyx cleared her throat and held the goblet to her lips. "Wait," Lucien said, cutting her off sharply. He casted his look up to the glass dome, waiting patiently as the sun's rays aligned once again, raining down on both of them.

The Siphon hissed, feeling her skin burn up but held her scream. "Now you may drink," he said, snapping his fingers.

Closing her eyes, Onyx drank the wine, feeling the sweet liquor pour down her throat. It was weird, tasting something sweet that he bad birthed from something so bitter. Her whole body convulsed, her blood boiling and her soul shaking. Everything spun for a minute, warmth flushing her face and her fingers twitching. Even the magic within her veins seemed to hum, sensing the high she was on.

After a minute, everything dimmed and crashed and reality came back to her, a sudden fatigue overcoming her. "The sun has chosen you and shined its acceptance on you. Let the blessings of the sun be with you for the rest of your immortal life" Lucien said, bowing his head down between the two. Rheynoak pursed his lips, growling under his breath but bowing his head too after a minute.

The rest of the tribe and visiting tribe leaders bowed as well, showing their respect. Onyx got up, clearing her throat and smiling despite the faint feeling that overcame her. Draco bowed down in front of her, smiling. "Thank you for sharing your blessings with me, dear Siphon," he said.

"It was my honor" the Siphon responded back, bowing back as well. Applause went all around and the whispers began, Rheynoak by her side before she could even take a breath. "We shall celebrate this glorious occasion with a special tribal dance featuring Leader Irene Amashnov, Leader Carin Esdrew, and Leader Caldwin Tundris as they start off the day's festivities."

"Just to let you all know, we were dragged into this. We had no choice" Irene said, glancing over at Rheynoak. "He didn't want to burden his poor little feet out as if that was a proper excuse."

"Don't forget the fact that he has two left feet, making it impossible for him to dance" Caldwin said, smiling over at Rheynoak. "I don't think anyone will ever be able to forget his legendary moves," Carin said, humor lingering in his voice.

Small chuckles broke out, dispersing among the huge crowd. As the group left the ballroom, chuckling amongst themselves, Onyx kept quiet, letting Rheynoak lead her with his arm around her waist. Something she would have objected to after the way he has been treating her became a simple, little thought she wasn't bothering with.

She was more focused on how different she felt. Lighter, freer. As if someone had found the key to her heart and mind and exposed all her hidden truths and confessions to every kingdom known. Something felt unbalanced within her soul as if she was missing a piece of own personality.

The Siphon ignored and paid no attention to all the little signs of affection the tribe leader showered her with as they climbed up the spiraling stairs, instead drawing her attention to the arm Draco had marked. It was numb, buzzing and shaking.

A gold streak of magic within her body illuminated her skin and zipped down her arm and through her fingers. Little sparks of gold ignited from her fingertips, glittering before disappearing.

A small gasp left her lips, tucking her hand away before anyone noticed. Her heart lurched in her chest, pounding so hard against her chest, she thought her ribs would crack open. Her breath caught in her throat, a shaky sigh escaping her lips.

She knew that since she was a demi-hybrid, her other magic would flood in slowly but surely.

But this magic was intense, raw and drained her dry.

And no one could know what she possibly possessed.

Not Venix. No Alesandria. Not Lucien. Not Rheynoak. Not Draco or any of the other visiting tribe leaders.

None of them could know what she had just witnessed.

Unless it would be her blood on each of their daggers once more.

A/N: And that is the end of Chapter Fourteen!

OOOO, I can't contain my excitement! I just want to spill all the beans but I can't!

I dropped so many hints in this chapter about what's to come and I wanted to drop more but I legit had to contain myself before spilling the entire plot of the book and all the secrets and then I would have nothing to write XD

*Takes a deep breath* OKAY, I AM CALM!

....Not really

Okay, you know what, tell me what you guys think is going to happen? Questions, issues, conspiracies! Tell me!

 At this point, I want to hear what YOU guys think of this very important and critical chapter! PLEASE!

Okay... I'm calm.

I love hearing your opinions

*****

So tell me what you guys thought of this chapter.

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Until next time Lovelies!

With love, May