Awakening (Book One of the Eklektos Series)

Chapter Thirteen

Light drifted through the curtains, the first glimmer of sunlight cresting over the forest that surrounded Camelot. A smile was on Kali's lips as she sat up. As warm and comfortable as her bed was, she was already buzzing with nervous energy. Her life had always been boring and predictable; she always knew what each day had in store for her. But now? Anything could happen. For the first time in her life, she had no idea what to expect.

Kali teetered on the border between excitement and terror as she went through her morning routine. The normal activities helped steady her, but she was still jittering when she left her apartment. She had donned her uniform and grabbed a bag, and she was ready to face the day. Her optimism dwindled somewhat as she began heading towards the Colosseum for her first class.

There was still plenty of time before Weapons Training, so Kali took a detour and wandered to the lake. It made more sense to her, knowing her mother's heritage, that water always had a calming effect on her. Biting her lip, Kali thought about her phone. Out of habit, she had thrown it into her bag before she left her room. But she had put it on silent mode and hadn't looked at it since she left her mum's house.

Taking a deep breath, Kali braced herself for the guilt. She dreaded to think how many times her mother had called. She must have been worried sick. What must she have thought when she found an empty house? She hesitated but she couldn't put it off any longer. She pulled it out of her bag with a stone in her stomach and unlocked it.

Nothing. No calls. No messages. No sign that anyone had noticed she was gone.

The silence was worse than any hurtful message she could have received. Staring at her empty inbox, Kali felt all of her energy just drain away. It was for the best, she knew. She had to be careful that no one found out who her mother was, or she'd be in danger. That had to be why there had been no calls.

Kali dragged herself out of her spiralling thoughts as more demigods started rushing through the camp. They were all so loud, moving around in their packs, and she felt like she was in slow motion. It was dizzying, watching them all scurry about. She slipped silently in line behind a group, turning off her phone and putting it back into her bag as she walked. She did her best to put it out of her mind; she would have enough to think about with her new lessons.

The air was cold in Camelot, even for early October. But the skies were clear, and a pale sun winked down at her as she stepped into the arena. The chill bit into her bare arms, but Kali didn't mind. That feeling was the only thing keeping her focused.

Kali hadn't quite taken in the sheer scale of the arena when she had first arrived. The Colosseum. She couldn't fathom how many seats there must be up in the stalls, overlooking the arena floor. As she wandered through one of the grand archways, her hand found a pillar to her right and she leant against it to steady herself. It was a simple smooth pillar, solid stone, but it buzzed with life. The excitement of the spectators had seeped into it over the years. Kali could almost hear cries echoing through the stonework.

Unnerved, she stepped away and dropped her hand to her side. She couldn't put it off any longer. Lifting her chin, Kali strode into the arena and towards the group of demigods about her age that were chatting near the centre. She only managed to take four steps before a hand closed around her wrist and a voice called "This isn't a social club. Get moving."

Ares' grip was strong on her arm, and he pulled her against his body and pinned her in place. He laughed quietly in her ear and murmured "Good morning, sunshine."

"It was." She growled, keeping her eyes on the floor. Struggling slightly against his forced embrace, she tried to test his grip but there was no give.

"Don't be like that. I'll start to think you don't like me."

Kali looked up at him, keeping her face blank, and mocked "Heaven forbid I hurt your delicate ego."