by Sofia Daniel
“No?” I leaned forward.
Flora placed her mug to her lips and took a long sip. Whether it was out of thirst or a need to create a bit of suspense, I wasn’t sure. She seemed trustworthy enough, but my first impression of her hadn’t been great, as she had appeared to dislike Helen for being a full-blooded fae.
“Faeries live long lives and have even longer memories,” she said. “Some slight that occurred a century ago could have repercussions just when you didn’t expect.”
I frowned into my mug. That didn’t even make sense, considering the attack on the Duchess of Nevermore took place mere minutes after Helen’s dad discovered his daughter’s fate.
“Anyway.” Flora stood. “Get into the shower, and I’ll make a bunch of the others wait to accompany you to the dining hall. Safety in numbers and all that, eh?”
Apart from a particularly dazzling ray of morning sun reflecting the white tiles, nobody attacked us on the journey across the courtyard. Whether this was due to the remedial teacher and students surrounding me or Lady Gala being too grief-stricken to concern herself with my assassination, I couldn’t tell. I was just grateful to be alive and free.
The horses nickered their good mornings from the stable block, and songbirds tweeted from the polished black roof tiles. It was the kind of perfect morning for an all-day picnic in Doolish Park, except for the taint of last night’s atrocities.
Mr. Whittaker pushed open the castle door to the sound of excited chatter echoing down the stone hallway. He stepped inside, holding the door open for the rest of the class.
“What do you think’s happening?” I asked.
He placed something papery in my hand and closed my fingers. “There was no mention of anything special planned in the staff room today.”
As I walked past, I opened my hand to find three sachets of salt. Turning around and mouthing a silent thank you, I placed the salt in my pocket. The next time something happened that was too good to be true, I would take a pinch. With each step, the noise became louder, and so did the hammering of my heart.
“Any guesses why everyone’s so excited?” Flora asked.
“Hopefully, it’s not about the death trial.”
“Hopefully,” she said, but there was nothing hopeful about her tone of voice.
Dread trembled the lining of my stomach, and I clutched an arm around my middle, trying to hold down the tea. Whatever was happening couldn’t be as bad as yesterday. Or the attack in the woods. Or the glamor that had tricked me into getting naked in public and sucking off Elijah.
A round of cheers and applause filled the air, and I quickened my pace. “What if they’ve announced the winners of the trial?”
Flora pulled on my arm. “What if they’ve also announced the penalty for losing?”
“It’s not like I have anywhere to hide.” I pulled out of her grip and broke into a run.
I passed the royal portrait, wondering how a female so bitchy could birth two relatively decent sons. Maybe Rory and Caulden took after King Oberon, and the other two were more like their mother. It made sense. I rounded the corner and dashed down to the wooden double doors that concealed the dining hall.
A loud voice boomed out into the hallway. “We’ll give the fifth candidate another few minutes to arrive before announcing the next trial.”
“Shit!” I picked up my pace.
“It’s better than what we originally thought,” said Flora.
“Huh?”
“You said they’d start without you.”
“Right.” I pushed open the door.
The dining room was rearranged into a semi-circle instead of the usual circle around the fire pit. On the wall opposite the floor-to-ceiling windows stood a podium with King Oberon and Queen Titania sitting on their thrones.
“There she is,” said the king. “A round of applause for the late Unity Quayle!”
Mr. Whittaker leaned into my ear. “Don’t worry, Unity. He only means that you’re a latecomer. Faeries don’t use the word late to mean deceased.”
“Good to know,” I muttered back, not believing a word.
“Take a seat.” The King gestured at an empty table at the far end.
I dipped into a low curtsey and smiled at the monarch. Queen Titania’s face twisted with disgust. The faerie never liked me before, and I guessed that she had gathered enough information about my antics to form a firm opinion.
As we walked around the back of the tables, we passed one that seated only a single student. She wore a gray smock and not the usual school uniform and dipped her head. It was only the platinum hair that indicated her identity: Lady Gala and she was sitting alone.
Flora gave me a nudge. “Did you see—”
“Yeah.” I hurried past, not wanting Lady Gala to overhear us, and took a seat.
“Very good,” said King Oberon. “The next trial is a contest of beauty.”
“Judged by me,” added the queen.
“Judged by the fairest faerie on the Isle of Fae, Her Serene Highness, Queen Titania!”
Everyone burst into applause, and I forced myself to place my hands together and clap. While the queen lectured the dining hall about the importance of beauty, poise, and virtue in ruling the four Courts, I glanced around.
The four princes sat on a table in the middle of the room, with three of the fated seated in the adjacent table. Lady Aster whispered something to Lady Salix, who turned to the table where Lady Gala sat and giggled.
My mouth fell open. “Did you see that?”
“What?” asked Flora.
“They’re laughing at their friend.”
Flora leaned forward and stared at the Fated’s table. “It’s to be expected in the Royal Courts. They consider any sign of weakness and opportunity to cull an ally.”
A pixie flew over to me and held up a tray containing gate-shaped waffles topped with melted cheese and a mix of chopped tomatoes, red onions, and avocados.
I peered down at the waffles. “Which one contains poison?”
“None,” he replied.
“Do you know for certain, or are you just saying that because you didn’t see anyone put the poison in?”
The pixie huffed. “I made these breakfast gates, and they are not poisoned!”
“They can’t lie,” said Flora. “I’ll even take a bite of one if you want.”
“It’s okay.” I took a waffle from the middle. “Thanks.”
The pixie raised his little nose in the air and flew to another table on bumblebee wings that moved so fast they became a blur of white. I stared after the creature, willing myself not to feel bad. One of them had tried to poison me before and laughed in my face when she’d gotten caught.
“Candidates have an entire day to dazzle us with their finery,” said the queen.
“Finery?” I asked.
“Some kind of gown,” said Flora. “If you ask a pixie nicely, they might make you something.”
I swept my gaze to the pixie I implied had doctored my food with poison. He hovered in a crowd of other pixies, who all turned to me with fury in their huge eyes. I doubted that any of them would make me a gown, the bloody hypocrites.
We spent the rest of breakfast listening to King Oberon talk about the importance of not falling to the temptation of dark magic to achieve shortcuts in life. It was a good speech, one that he could have given in Doolish Town Square.
When he talked about the dark ones who were willing to bargain for terrible prices, a pang of sadness lanced through my chest. If only Sicily had heard that on the fateful day she had decided to visit the bargain circle. We’d had a plan—to escape to Balley Chashtal. Why did she think I would want a grander life than that?
The door to the kitchen opened, and Elijah stepped out, clad in a white janitor’s uniform and holding a mop and bucket. A mix of fury and disgust rippled up my throat. All the time I had known that faery, he had given me the impression that he was a supervisor with several employees working underneath him.
> Flora leaned into my side. “Is that the guy who—”
“Yes,” I snapped, my skin flaring with prickly heat.
She wrinkled her nose. “Look at his wings. Why would you consort with such a lower being?”
“The same reason why high faeries consort with humans, I suppose.” The words tumbled from my mouth. “Did you ever ask your father?” My mouth clicked shut. Why the hell had I said something so nasty?
Flora’s eyes widened. “You’re no better than me.”
“I know.” Guilt tightened my throat. “Sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
Flora’s dark eyes hardened. “The princes?”
I winced. Ouch. I deserved that. She probably thought I was being stuck up because I was in a contest to win an opportunity to mate with one of four members of the royal family. Or it was a reference to having won one of the rounds by being the only candidate wanton enough to give a blowjob.
She twisted around with a huff and bit into her waffle. My shoulders sagged. I knew why I’d made that bitchy comment. I wasn’t even a half-blood but the lowest of the low: a human. Hearing her imply that Elijah was inferior because of his dragonfly wings set a nerve on fire.
I blew out a breath. At the rate I was pissing people off, there wouldn’t be a single person on my side left.
My gaze wandered back to Elijah, the male who had been an important part of my life for three years and no longer remembered me. It still didn’t excuse playing along with the Fated’s humiliating plan for my disqualification.
As he walked to the double doors, a male student rushed after him and placed a hand on his shoulder. They chatted for a bit, and then the male student took off a bracelet and placed it in Elijah’s palm. Elijah flashed the faery a grin and strolled off, still holding the mop.
“I still think he’s vile,” said Flora. “Even if you feel the need to justify sucking on his manhood.”
“There’s no doubt that he’s a low-life,” I said. “But not because he has dragonfly wings. That’s all I meant to say.”
“Well, you didn’t,” she snapped.
“I know, and I’m sorry it came out that way.”
Flora huffed out a long, exasperated breath. “Apology accepted.”
My shoulders relaxed, and I picked up my waffle. “Thanks.”
“Did you know the princes are looking your way?”
“Who?” I turned to the table opposite the throne.
Prince August glowered at me with such a look of intense hatred, it made my stomach shrivel. I dropped my waffle and grabbed a glass of water. “Bloody hell.”
“He’s burning with passion,” Flora drawled.
“You could call it that.” I took several long drags of the water, letting the cool liquid slide down my dry throat. It was the softest thing I’d ever drunk, reminding me of the taste of snowdrops melting on my tongue.
“He’s coming over,” Flora whispered.
“No,” I moaned.
“May I take you for a walk?” asked a deep voice.
My heart rolled over and died. What did he want? “I’m still eating breakfast.”
“You’ve had ample opportunity to eat that breakfast gate. Stand up, or I’ll heat the wood of your chair and make you shoot out of that seat.”
“Fine.” I clenched my teeth and pulled myself to my feet.
Prince August offered me his arm, and I shook my head. He leaned into me and growled, “Everybody, including the king and queen, is watching us. Do you really mean to show them your unworthiness for becoming a royal mate?”
“I’d be delighted to walk at your side,” I squeaked.
He inclined his head in a gentlemanly manner, but there was nothing gentle about his glare. Those terrible blue eyes looked like they could scorch a girl from the inside-out, and I wasn’t looking forward to being alone with Prince August.
I placed my hand on the crook of his elbow and accidentally brushed against his biceps. Prince August stiffened, and his eyes flashed with unbridled horror.
Whatever.
We walked around the dining tables, through the now silent dining hall with me trying to keep my legs from collapsing under the weight of everyone’s stares. Prince August clenched his hard jaw in the kind of expression the people made in Survivor when they had to endure something disgusting for the team.
I could have sworn I saw Queen Titania try to rise from her throne, but King Oberon either restrained her or I was having a bad daydream. As we approached the Fated’s table, Lady Aster pushed back her chair with a loud scrape of wood against marble.
“August, why are you spending time alone with this creature?”
He took her hand and placed it to his lips. “Just a warning to comport herself in a manner that doesn’t bring shame to the woman I admire. A dirty job, but as the eldest, the foul duty falls on me.”
“Don’t strain yourself,” I muttered. “I got the message loud and clear. Can I return to my seat, please?”
Prince August ignored me, but Lady Aster’s face twisted with recognition of my words. Her confused expression seemed to ask why he still needed to speak to me after having uttered the warning indirectly.
My heart sank. I couldn’t remember if there was anything in the rules that said the princes couldn’t assassinate unworthy candidates. The way his muscles tensed under my arms, I got the feeling that Prince August wanted to murder me with his bare hands.
Chapter 4
With long, rapid strides, Prince August swept me out of the dining room and into the hallway, remaining silent while we rounded the corner, and making me sprint to keep up. After a tiring dash through the castle’s interior, he stepped outside into the middle of the courtyard that linked the castle to the remedial building and stables.
The sun shone down from a cloudless sky, bright and unforgiving, much like the sneer marring Prince August’s handsome face. It reflected against the white paving stones, making me squint.
He pulled his arm out from under my hand and wiped away imaginary fleas. “Disgusting.”
I folded my arms across my chest, trying to calm my breathing. The last thing I wanted was for this wanker to think I was excited to be in his presence when I was just out of breath from running. “If you’re angling for a blow job—”
“Silence,’ he snarled. “And keep your horrible halfling hands off me!”
A burst of anger flared across my cheeks, making them itchy and hot. Baring my teeth, I said, “You were the one demanding that I cop a feel.”
Once again, Prince August ignored my words. It was becoming a recurring habit whenever he lost an argument. “What did Helenium tell you about losing her magic?”
The irritation pricking across my skin calmed. “Are you investigating the Fated?”
“It is of no concern of yours,” he said with a sniff.
I took that answer to mean yes. A cool breeze meandered across the courtyard, bringing with it the scent of hay and the sound of horses nickering in the stables. Maybe it reminded me of the wingless beasts that pulled carriages down in Doolish, but the scent calmed my frazzled nerves.
“Alright, then.” My tongue darted out to lick my lips. “Helen only confided in me once, but it’s just as she said last night.”
“Go on,” he rocked forward, impatience lacing his voice.
“Last Samhain, she lost her magic, and her wings went blank. Then the next day, she discovered that her four best friends had become fated to you and your brothers.”
Replacing the expression of arrogant disgust for curiosity, Prince August nodded. “What’s this about the hag?”
“Helen took me to the Mound two days ago—”
“Why?” he asked.
“My sister is missing,” I said.
He loomed over me with his eyes narrowed, and the sun shone down on his golden hair, making the ends glow like white fire. With eyes that resembled a dark, summer sky, and that strong jaw, high cheekbones, and kissable lips, he looked like an avenging summer d
eity. Too bad he was also a complete asshole.
His lips pulled back, exposing the straightest, whitest teeth I’d seen outside an episode of Extreme Makeover. “How can you have a sister with no memories of your previous life?”
“I have a sister.” The words tumbled from my mouth in a rush of anger. “And a past. Helen took me to the mound to see if my sister was in any of the auction houses.”
“And?”
“She must have bumped into a seeing-hag down on her travels, who told her she had been a victim of dark magic.”
He sniffed. “You weren’t there?”
I shook my head. “Buying weapons from a blacksmith.”
Prince August rubbed his chin. “And Helenium paid, I presume?”
Heat rose to my cheeks, as I remembered Prince Rory rescuing me from the blacksmith’s indecent proposal. And more importantly, what happened next. If I told him that his brother had paid for my weapons, it would only lead to another summer tantrum.
I muttered, “Someone else did. Look, have we finished, because I’d really like to have my breakfast.”
“Do you know what I think?” He leaned down, so his eyes were level with mine.
A jolt of excitement shot through my heart. Or it might have been panic. Right now, with him so close, filling my nostrils with the scent of summer meadows, I couldn’t tell. My body temperature rose, and sweat broke out across my skin, making the luxurious fabric of my uniform suddenly too tight.
My nipples tightened. My wings flapped extra hard. I couldn’t tell if they were trying to help me escape or signify that I was ready to mate. Prince August continued staring at me with eyes that grew darker with each passing second.
Oh, right. He’d just asked me a question. “Um… What do you think?”
“Whoever is controlling you is the one who leached Helen’s magic.”
My eyes bulged. “What?”
He moved even closer. “They wish to pass you off as a fated mate to taint the throne. And last night, when you were in peril and at risk of ruining their plans, they created a diversion—the theft of the Duchess of Nevermore’s magical core.”