Electus (Regnum Series Book 1) (3 page)

Several times, Tia caught him watching her, out of the corner of her eye. She pretended not to notice, unsure of if it was all in her head. It wasn’t until three weeks prior to the Electus, when the air was warm enough to swim again, that her feelings were confirmed.

That afternoon, as Tia stripped down to her undershirt and panties, like she usually did when she swam, Quade noticed a difference in her body. She had curves that were not present before, and her breasts were firmer. Tia grew into a woman, and it was difficult not to stare. She turned to glance at him as he stood there, gawking.

“Are you going to swim or not?” she questioned him, letting her hair down.

“Ch’yeah, I just wasn’t sure if it was still too cold to take my shirt off.”

Tia raised her eyebrow as she ganderred his way. “It’s the warmest day we’ve seen this year, and we’ve been sweating for an hour.” She walked toward him and smacked his stomach. “Still afraid you are not in as good of shape as a girl three months younger than you?” she teased.

Quade lifted his shirt, not taking his eyes off of hers, revealing his chest and stomach. His body was more toned than Tia remembered. He had a small set of abs that were covered with drops of sweat. Suddenly, she felt her pulse in her throat and her mouth was dry. Quade proceeded to drop his pants, until he was down to his boxers. Tia noticed the muscles in his upper thighs and his calves. He was more than just her sidekick, suddenly.

Tia’s smile slowly faded, her mouth agape. Without giving her a chance to speak, he picked her up, flung her over his shoulder, and ran into the pond.

“Quade!” Tia half screamed, half laughed. With a splash, they submerged and parted. She closed her eyes, as she swam in the shallow pond. The water felt cool and refreshing against her hot, sun kissed skin. Tia slowly rose from the water after Quade. They laughed for a few seconds, catching their breath. A knot began to form in Tia’s stomach. She never felt this exposed to Quade before, this nervous. The air between them changed in such a short amount of time.

He gently swam toward her, until their faces almost touched. For the first time, Tia felt his breath against her skin. Quickly, he splashed her with water, catching her off guard. She laughed and proceeded to do the same to him. They continued swimming for a while, not saying much to each other.

Tia’s mind wrestled with the thought of running her hands through his hair. She swam close to him, then chickened out and swam back to the other end of the pond. Attempting to not appear like a fool, she circled around the pond a few laps.

 Finally, Quade decided to sneak up under her from below the water. He grabbed her legs with his arms and knocked her off balance. She wrestled free, and he swam up right in front of her. Their faces, again, inches away from each other. Quade decided to be brave and make a move.

He reached out and placed his hand under her chin, to lift her face towards his. She felt her heart beat in every limb of her body. Quade softly pressed his lips to hers, both of them unsure of what to do next. She followed the motion of his mouth, her hands wrapped around his neck. Every muscle in her body tense and uncertain, Tia pulled away.

Quade, catching his breath, looked at her with his eyes glowing bright red. Tia knew it could only be a sign of lust, unless the kiss upset him. In which case, she swore to never kiss a man again if it had that kind of reaction.

“You’re eyes are glowing pink,” he uttered. Tia was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn’t feel her eyes change like usual.

“I’m half human, remember,” she declared. “It’s a common trait of half humans to have a lighter color.”

He placed his hand on her cheek and leaned in again for another kiss. Tia felt heat rise in her body, as she allowed him to press his lips on hers a second time. His tongue invaded her mouth. It was foreign but delicious, causing her to tremble. Their bodies traveled towards each other, and Tia felt something hard, from Quade’s body, press against her hip.

Suddenly, reality hit Tia, and she released him from their embrace.

“What’s wrong?” Quade responded.

“Nothing,” she laughed, nervously, swimming towards the edge of the pond. “This was just... it’s a bad idea for us to get close, like this. We are weeks away from the Electus and may never see each other again.” She climbed out of the pond, and pulled her shorts back up.

“Why can’t we just enjoy our time now?” he asked, grabbing his shorts as well. “We can still at least make out. There is nothing saying we have to act on anything.”

Tia pondered it for a moment, staring at his body as her eyes traveled down his chest to the front of his shorts. “Let’s just focus on preparing for the erectus...I mean the Electus.” Her face turned red. “We will just act as though nothing happened. When the time comes, if we both end up in the same capitol, we can move forward with whatever just happened, in there.” She stared down at the ground, waiting for him to respond.

He gently kissed her forehead. “I think I can handle that,” he mumbled. They walked home in silence, neither one knowing how to handle a friendship after it’s been questioned by sexual intentions.

They stopped at Tia’s house. Quade waved goodbye and Tia nodded. That was the last time Tia saw him, until the Electus.

**********

“Tia!” Mina wakes her from a trance. “It’s time to go. They expect us to be on the platform in five minutes.”

“Oh yeah, coming.” She starts to run. The stage of the arena is all the way at the other end of the building. The first day is usually the easiest of the Electus. It is just an announcement of the candidates and the leaders. Still, Tia knows she cannot be late. Her pins begin to fall as she runs.
I hope Fera’s work is not in vain,
she thinks, as she reaches the other candidates, waiting backstage.

“Two minutes, everyone!” some woman, dressed in a grey suit and stiletto heels, calls from the stage. Each candidate decides to cram in front of the mirrors available to them in the back. Tia gently pulls out the pin and fixes it in the corner of the one mirror, where three girls from Novo stand. They are adjusting their hair and applying more blush. Tia is amazed how long Fera’s lipstick lasts on her. Aside from appearing a little flushed, she is just as beautiful as she was this morning.

The woman hollers, “Everyone in your place! There will be a marking with your name where you will stand! I suggest you look now!”

Tia walks over to the platform. There are fifty candidates this year. She finds her spot carved into the linoleum platform, in gold it reads
Conscientia Trumble.
Tia stands in place, watching other candidates file in around her. Mina is the first to find her spot and stand proudly down in the front row. Of course Tia figured Mina would be in front, since they go alphabetically by last name, and Mina’s family name is Bellus. She is fourth in line.

Tia knows Mina is the perfect type of person to stand up front. Her confidence is unwavering, unlike Tia’s. Out of all the stages, this one frightens Tia the most, because it is about grace and poise. Those are two things she is not bred for.

“One minute!” the woman bellows.

It does not take long for every space to fill up, except the one to her left. She gazes at the name carved in gold,
Quade Tendo.
She lifts her head, just in time, to catch Quade inching in around the other candidates. Tia just now notices his attire. It’s a black suit with a white dress shirt underneath, finished with a red tie. He leaves his jacket unbuttoned and stands next to her with his hand in one pocket. Her eyes move to his face, where she notices his clean shaven chin and combed hair, that is usually tousled.

“Tia,” he greets, cooly and stares out at the curtain. For the first time in two years, he appears calm and collected.

“Quade. Didn’t realize no other Regnumian child of eighteen years would have a family name that fits between us,” she remarks, with a taste of distain in her voice.

“Small planet, eh?” he smirks and his hazel eyes fall on her, and she feels exposed again. Tia is close enough to smell him. It is the scent of summer air, and suddenly, the memories of their times together floods her mind.

“Thirty seconds and counting!” The woman startles Tia, and she turns her attention ahead, focusing on anything but Quade.

A girl in a green silk dress stands to his left. She is tall and tan with a mature body and long blond hair.

“Hi, I’m Quade from Vetus,” he greets the girl, extending his hand.

“Kira.” She smiles and shakes his hand. “Nice to meet you, I’m from Otium, myself. Are you nervous at all?” Her eyes follow him up and down. Tia feels a twinge of anger rise inside of her.

“Not really. I know today is not a huge deal. It’s all for show,” he yammers.

Tia begins to feel faint.
Why do I care?
she asks herself, trying to regain composure.

“Ten seconds!” the woman yells again.

“Maybe I can show you around the town a little once we are done here. I know Urbi pretty well,” Quade offers to Kira.

“I’d love that,” she replies with a polite smile, her eyes doing all the flirting.

“Five seconds!” The woman is now staring at her watch.

Tia kicks Quade in the shin. He turns and glares at her.

“Four!”

“What was that for?” he snaps, rubbing his leg.

“Three!”

“You know why, Quade,” Tia retorts, brows furrowed.

“Two!”

They glare at each other.

“One! And queue curtain! Everyone stand straight and look ahead,” the lady calls for the last time.

Quade leans into Tia’s ear, as the curtain rises, and whispers, “You look beautiful today, by the way.”      

Before she can answer, the curtain is up, revealing the crowd. She no longer feels the knot in her stomach. Her whole body goes numb.

Chapter 3

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of humans stand, clapping continuously as Carmen Flame enters the stage, in front of the platform. She is a slender woman with short, red hair and a bright smile. Her dress is floor-length and covered in sequins with a deep v-neck, reaching past her large bosom. For the past four years, Carmen hosted the Electus.

Her undeniable beauty and booming voice, make her an excellent host.

“Thank you for joining us as we celebrate the one-hundredth anniversary of the Electus!” she announces. The crowd goes wild and stands for a lengthy amount of time, in honor of the milestone. Carmen waits for the applause to die down and the audience to settle in their seats, before speaking again.

“What a wonderful group of candidates we have this year!” she declares. The audience begins their applause once more.

The arena is set up in a large dome, with the stage on one end, and the seating curved on the other. There is a section, in the center of the arena, open for other events, throughout the Electus. It appears similar to a stadium. During the rest of the year, in Urbi, they hold concerts and sporting events. Both are luxuries that most Regnumians do not participate in.

Along the wall of seating, in the arena, are flags from all the capitols. Tia recognizes Urbi’s flag. It has a black background with the outline in white of two hands, cupped around a lit match. The flame on the ignited match is orange. The flag from Urbi is in the center since it is the host this year.

All five flags are present, along with the flag for the Electus, which hangs above the stage. It is a circle surrounding a triangle which represents the three categories of the Electus. Inside the triangle is the plus sign that marks the back of Regnumians’ necks.

“Before I introduce our stunning selection, allow me to announce our leaders, who without them, this event would not be possible.” On the right side of the stage, sit five leaders from five capitols.

“Our first leader is Mr. Anscom Avery, head of Urbi in Vetus.” Mr. Avery stands, collecting his applause from the audience, before returning to his seat. He is a plump man with thinning hair and a thick mustache. The buttons on his suit jacket are straining to hold it around him. His beady eyes move along the platform, performing a quick survey of the candidates.

“Next is Mrs. Mana Pusillus, leader of Ignosco in Otium.” An extraordinarily petite woman stands up and smiles politely. It is difficult to tell if she is standing or sitting, due to her tiny stature. She is dressed in a lavender skirt with matching jacket and has coarse auburn hair that is placed in a bun.

“Next, Mr. Javan Leporem, who is a new leader from the capitol Elatus in Novo.” A very young man stands erect, from his seat. He is a clean cut gentleman with dark hair and a charming smile. He dons an all black suit with a white tie.

Carefully, Tia examines him through the rest of the introductions. She feels a strong connection to this man, for some reason. Sensing the presence of someone watching, he returns her gaze, neither of them moving their eyes for a few minutes. He appears to be studying her, just as much as she is him.
But why?

Her regards are, once again, on Carmen, as she is finished with the rulers of the capitols and is ready to announce the candidates.

“Our first Regnumian candidate is Nathan Adams, son of Angela and Bradley Adams, from Elatus in Novo.” A boy with dark skin and hair, in a grey suit and purple tie, leaves the platform, walking across the stage to stand next to Carmen. He waves at the audience and smiles. “Nathan is full blooded Mediocris. His magical strength in which he will present in the third stage is mind infiltration.”

The audience continues to applaud for each candidate as they leave the platform for the stage. When Mina is announced, she smiles and blows a kiss to the audience, then to the leaders. Tia swears she sees Mr. Leporem roll his eyes.

As the row empties, the platform shifts, and the first ten candidates, already announced, form a line, walking to the top of the platform. This continues for each row. Before Tia knows it, Quade is up for introduction.

“Our next candidate is Quade Tendo, son of Charles and Nina Tendo, from Urbi in Vetus.” Quade strolls across the stage, to stand next to Kira. He grins and bows.
What a ham
, Tia thinks. “Quade is full-blooded Pruden. His magical strength, in which he will present in the third stage, is potion mastery.”