"No, I am looking at my friend, Hailey," Angela heard Taros say from the stage.
"Yes. Go, buddy," Hailey waved at him, jumping in excitement just to distract Tyler and pull attention away.
The elder ignored the exchange and continued speaking. "You must search for the chosen one and just as we discussed earlier, we will perform the rites."
Angela heard the boys respond in agreement. By the time she stood up straight to look toward the stage again, they were gone. Even so, she could still feel them nearby, close enough to calm her heart. The joy around her slowly pushed away the heavy words Miss Valois had spoken earlier, and for a moment, the fear loosened its grip on her chest.
"Let us go and join the dance," Hailey said, pulling her toward the open space where everyone was dancing. No one seemed to care about anything else. They were clapping, laughing, and moving freely to the music. "I have to try these steps."
