The Seer's Selections and a Vicious Vow

My heart thundered in my chest as a line of unbonded males formed before me, their faces a mixture of curiosity, hope, and trepidation. I recognized several from my brief time at the academy, but my focus kept drifting to Ronan, whose copper hair gleamed in the morning sun. He stood with his shoulders slightly hunched, as if trying to make himself smaller despite his muscular build.

"Silence," Sage commanded, her voice carrying across the field.

The assembled students became utterly still. Even their breathing seemed to quiet. Sage closed her eyes, her translucent lashes fluttering against her pale cheeks. When she opened them again, they glowed with that eerie white light that made me shiver.

"I follow the threads," she intoned. "The threads never lie."

She began to walk along the line, her movements fluid and graceful. I could feel the tension radiating from the males as she passed each one, their hopes rising and falling with every step she took.

Then she stopped.