Valiance

Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Sephy left the hidden room discreetly and made her way down the lit up hallway. No one was there to swarm her like they would have been if she hadn't been dragged into the small room. She took a deep breath and walked slowly, listening for any on-coming footsteps. The hallway was bright and decorated with beautiful art pieces that she barely noticed. It seemed that the longer the Tournament went on, the flashier it was getting with it's crystal data rails and marbled floors in place for the 'behind-the-scene' people. Sephy didn't want to even think about how a ballroom would be designed if one was to be in place at this stage of the competition.

Her stomach twirled and flipped as she rounded a curved corner in the room, nothing sharp about the hallway, and faced Gage, head on. He was dressed in his usual interview attaire; trousers, a white shirt and a suit jacket. His shoes matched his suit and he had a small tie on.

A wash of relief flashed on his face and he took a moment before speaking to her. She began to panic, what was she supposed to say to him about her disappearance?

“I thought you were with Eragon bu-”

“I was.” She blurted out, her voice a little louder than she had meant it to be. At Gage's confused expression, she tried to back track.

“But he said-” Sephy shook her head. Of course Gage would have gone to find her if he thought Eragon had....kidnapped, her.

“I mean, I wasn't with him. I was with my mother. And Faith.” She offered. He raised a brow and regarded her for a moment.

“There is something you aren't telling me.” He muttered and she shook her head trying to be nonchalant with a sigh.

“Nope.”

“What did your mother want?” He questioned, a speculating tone in his voice.

“She wanted me to stop the riots. To break away from our alliance.” She told him the truth...sort of. Her mother had told her that, but she left out the part where she told her before the last Arena. With no reason to doubt her, Gage nodded.

“And what happened?” Sephy shrugged and walked past him.

“What do you think happened? I told her there was nothing that could make me try and stop the rising and that my loyalties are in place for a reason.” She held her breath until Gage's gaze drift away from her back and she was inside the security of her prep room.

They primed her face and powdered her nose before dressing her in a gown and sticking gladiator heels on her scrubbed feet. Sepy resented the heels as they dug into her feet everytime she took a step, her dress getting dangled at the same time. The fabic flowed long enough to cover the red beginnings of chill baines on her calves.

Sephy followed directions from the people around her, getting on stage to smile and wave for the cameras just before she was enveloped in the loud applause from the audience. This time, she noticed, the audience no longer had teenage girls screaming for Gage, except for a few, but was not full of anger and hatred like the riots were. This crowd seemed as if they had been chosen for a very sepcific reason- to cheer on Eragon instead of try bash him down like the riots had been doing with great effect on people all over Bowland.

As they left the stage, Gage crossed over the platform and onto Sephy's. He followed her off the stage. When she looked over her shoulder at him, she clenched her jaw and smiled quickly.

“Gage, shouldn't you be-”

“Aren't going to go get checked out by Galen?” He asked her. She tried to get out of pace with him, but he quickened his to match her brisk strides. She stumbled a little before Gage caught her and she gained her balance as she passed a man with an earpiece.