What if it wasn’t Carlo? What if I couldn’t escape next year because I met my soul mate this year? What if it was someone who didn’t have any of the same interests as me? Or, even worse, what if they were one of those Royals who looked down on Regulars? Then what? How would I live my life being tied down to a person like that—to have that sort of person reading my every thought and having to suffer reading theirs? Was I making the wrong decision being here?

My phone buzzed. Kris. I swiped to answer.

“Ave! I’m so nervous about this whole thing!” Her hair sparkled in the sunset coming through the window behind her, but she looked so worried. She pulled her phone away to show me her outfit—an elegant but kind of boring dress in green, her family’s signature color. “Do you think I should wear this or the orange one? You know, the dress with the spaghetti straps?”

“Orange! It’s your favorite dress and you look amazing in it.”

“You’re right. If my other half is at the party tonight, I want to make a good first impression—and look like myself, not like every other Ambrosia in the room.”

Sometimes I forgot how insecure Kris was. Sure, her platinum-blond hair and hourglass figure always drew stares, and she’d been scouted by modeling agencies, which she always turned down, not wanting to risk exposing our race to the Nescient. But, just like everyone else on the planet, she had her self-doubts. And with something as important as the Gathering, I could see those fears had multiplied.

“Kris, you’re beautiful. Inside and out. No matter what you wear, they will love you. Your soul mate will be the luckiest person on earth.”

“Thanks, Ave. You have no idea how glad I am that you’re here. I know this isn’t your thing, but it really means a lot to me.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I’m glad I’m here.” I hadn’t realized how true it was until I’d said it.

Kris told me she was going to change and would meet me in the lobby in five minutes. As I hung up the phone, my mom yelled for me to hurry up from the other side of the door, and I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself.

Kris and I met in the lobby, ready to join the ceremony. She had changed into her orange dress and had fastened the family crest that all Royals and Pure Royals had to wear on the left side of her chest.

We took the short trip to the Hyped’s Royal Hall. Kris’s nervous energy buzzed as she walked alongside me, and I linked my arm through hers as a gesture of my support.