Page 2 of Sparktopia
This morning there were three hundred and twenty-seven young women between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four on the tower stage. All of whom were calmly, but anxiously, awaiting the calling of names. All of whom were desperate to be Chosen.
After the ceremony was over there were only seventy-five Chosen left.
But over the course of the next three months that number will dwindle to ten. Then, finally, on Extraction Day itself, number one will be sent into the tower and my duty to the god will end.
The remaining nine Spark Maidens, in a normal Extraction period, do not enter the tower. They move into the Maiden Tower, get all the celebrity perks, and are generally just emissaries for the Extraction process itself.
I have spent the last decade speaking to young girls who dream of being Chosen, occasionally presiding over their spark training, supporting various political agendas, going to elite parties, and accepting gifts, and coin, and the attention of up-and-coming young men.
When the decade is over and the Maidens-in-Waiting leave their service, they are rich. We pay no coin for anything while we live in the tower. In fact, all our appearances and services come with a price. The coin is collected by the Matrons in our name and held in accounts until our duty has ended.
My time as a Spark Maiden came with all those luxuries. My accounts are overflowing with coin. Even with all the extra-stressful bell ringing, it was mostly good. And if the bells weren’t ringing, it was mostly fun.
But my heart belongs to Finn Scott. My heart has always belonged to Finn Scott. And our happy ending is so close, I can taste it. In three months, when the new Maidens are sworn in on Extraction Day, my status of Spark Maiden will finally be nullified, I will be free to take what the god has given me in exchange for being one of the Chosen, and I will start a brand-new life with the man I love.
I’ve been planning our wedding for over a year now. Nothing has been set up but as soon as I am free, those plans will be put into motion.
Finn leans in and kisses me again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I know you’re safe. Iknowyou are.” He touches my cheek as he says this, giving the words a little more weight.
He knows I’m safe.
Well, that must mean that Aldo—his father, who is the Extraction Master and in charge of this whole thing—must’ve said something to him.
I open my mouth to start asking questions about this, but Finn doesn’t give me a chance. He gets out of bed and holds his hand out to me. “Come on. Let’s get back. There is no way they’re not missing you and I don’t want to risk the wrath of the god, not to mention my father. This could be considered cheating, after all. I don’t wanna tarnish your record.”
I feel relieved that he gave me this assurance that I am safe. Normally, he does not talk about his father’s work. It’s forbidden. But his last point is a little ridiculous, so I scoff as well.
Spark Maidens are not permitted to have a committed relationship during our service time, but we are allowed to date. There is no rule about sex in the Extraction manual, but we are expected to represent the god, so all our actions are judged. If you’re sleeping around and people start talking, demerits are added to your Maiden record and the day we are set free from our obligations, these demerits are read aloud in public for all to hear.
We are not formally judged for them, but opinions are formed on that day. If you have a tarnished record, then your prospects suffer. And what is the point of giving up ten years of your life if you’re not going to collect the reward at the end?
I take Finn’s hand and allow him to pull me out of his bed, sighing as I do this. The spark inside me flares up and I look him in the eyes as I touch the tip of my finger to his chest, dragging it down his pecs, then over his abs, leaving a trace of cyan-blue light behind. Then I coo, in my most sultry voice, “I have zero demerits, Finn Scott. Even if I did get marked, it would not affect my future.”
He pulls me close until we are face to face and we kiss. It’s a nice, kinda long kiss. And when we pull apart, I look him in the eyes as the words flow out of him like poetry. “You’re my future. And the god can’t take you away from me, Clara Birch. Not ever. Our love is destiny.”
We stare into each other’s eyes like the stupid teenagers we haven’t been in years, and then giggle like those long-ago versions of us as well. He spins me around and slaps my butt. “Get dressed. Let’s go join the party.”
I scoot forward, squealing, and start picking up my clothes. His private quarters are bigger than most since his family has been running the Extraction for many generations now, but it’s still in the Extraction District so it’s got the same cozy feel I remember from his childhood apartments when we were kids. Smooth, slate floors, and river-stone half walls that turn into a warm gray plaster near the domed ceilings make up the most charming parts of it.
Just past the foot of the bed there is a half-circle fireplace made out of the same river-stone rock that lines the walls. And the wooden side tables are dotted with lit candelabras—powered by spark, not flames. All the fabric on the pillows, blankets, and rugs are neutral shades of cream, and tan, and blue. This soothing and cozy charm is multiplied when the round windows dotting both the ceiling and the walls allow rays of hazy sunshine to filter through from outside.
Everything about Finn’s quarters says… comfort.
Simple comforts though. Nothing like the luxurious rooms we have over in the Maiden District. But it’s nice and I can easily picture myself living here with him.
These quarters are new because his father has finally allowed him to start his apprenticeship as the next Extraction Master and this is my first visit, but now that I’ve seen it, I will be picturing myself sleeping in this bed next to him and living in this space with him every moment until I am free.
I know it’s only three more months, but when my gown is back on, my hair back in place, and I’m sliding my feet into my hand-embroidered silk slippers, my heart begins to ache and a sadness floods through me.
I look over my shoulder at Finn, who has been put back together as well—looking so debonair in his gorgeous cream-colored linen tunic and slate-blue vest, I actually sigh. His family always did have the best tailors—the Extraction Master is prettymuch the highest status one can have in Tau City. And one day, Finn will take his father’s place and I will stand by his side. We will rule the highest levels of society—in a benevolent way, of course.
Finn comes towards me, hands automatically going to my waist and pulling me close. “What’s got you sighing?”
I stare up at him, marveling at how handsome a man he’s grown into over the last decade. Same shoulder-length, but messy blond hair. Same deep and penetrating blue eyes. But his shoulders are broad and muscular now. His jaw set with that hard, squared-off chin and covered in just the right amount of golden stubble.
He was still a boy of eighteen when I was Chosen and now he’s a man. Did I miss something and not realize it? It didn’t feel that way as time was passing. Finn and I were never really apart, we just led separate lives. But we’re not kids anymore and it just right now occurs to me that we gave up something irreplaceable so I could be a Spark Maiden.
Our youth.
