He cut his hazel eyes to me. “I’m sorry, Thorn. I wasn’t thinking how flippant that sounded.”
I shrugged while lightly pulling my hand from his. “No biggie. I think I’m just exhausted from pacing the floors all night, worrying about Raven.”
Several women called out to Cal. He waved and winked as we walked down the aisle that had hundreds of chairs on either side.
Micah stood up and waved us over. “Hey, I saved you both a seat.”
I gave him a friendly smile as I sat down next to him. Cal took the seat to my right.
Micah leaned back in his seat, his long legs stretched out in front of him, as he chewed on a toothpick.
Some pretty brunette sat beside Cal, flirting with him relentlessly.
Micah took the toothpick out of his mouth to say, “Let me guess, beautiful; the purple under your eyes is because you didn’t sleep much? Nervous about today?”
I looked at all the young people gathered in this one room, all excitedly talking. “No, I’m not nervous about today nor excited. Why are they so happy to be here?”
Micah looked bitter for a second. “Power. That’s all anyone cares about.” He nodded to somewhere behind me. “Your friend just came in.”
I turned to look. Leo had just walked through the doors, pulling Raven behind him. She was smiling as they walked toward some empty chairs in the back.
I twisted back to face forward. I didn’t know why I was shocked. Throw a cute, or even a barely average, guy in front of Raven, and she would forget what planet she inhabited.
Not wanting to think about her, I asked, “So, this is a big deal?”
“Yep.”
Just then, the room grew silent, and I took my eyes from Micah to see the Puppeteer had made an entrance. He walked down the aisle in his custom attire—black slacks and black silk shirt. He didn’t walk as much as prowled. He was the most powerful man in the world, and he knew it.
I scrunched my nose up in distaste as several women catcalled. At that moment, blue eyes swung my way and laughter danced in his eyes. I didn’t know why my disgust and anger seemed to always amuse him.
He went up to the front of the room and stopped.
Everyone was sitting up tall or twitching in their seats to get a better view. Not me. I slouched.
He clapped his hands. “Welcome to the celebrations for minors. I’m here today to show the bloodlines and compatibility with the new unrivaled who are making their debut into our world.”
I slouched even further down in my seat as he began to call people out like he would cattle to be auctioned off. Gross, gross, gross.
“And last but not least is the beautiful Thorn. Why don’t you come up here and join me?”
Everyone in the room immediately started looking for the person who he had called Thorn. Some were shrugging and some were pointing in my general location.
“No, I’m good,” I called from my slouched position.
There were tons of gasps before my knees simultaneously swung to the right. I felt myself lifted out of my chair, and then I was forced to walk on stiff legs. My arms were pinned to my side, and I couldn’t even turn my head to glare at the Puppeteer. I only regained control of my body the moment I stood in front of the man who had a mischievous look on his face.
He leaned forward and whispered in my ear, “It’s not nice to disobey, Thorn.”
In return, I just glared.
I moved to stand beside him then thought better of it and took a few steps to the side to put some distance between us. I heard his deep chuckle at my expense.
Addressing the group, he said, “I’m sure you all know that I wouldn’t make an appearance at a minor ball for just anything. It seems that our Thorn here was raised as an orphan, thinking she was human. After running her test last night, I can tell you that she is anything but. Her parents come from two different houses.”
I heard the words mixed blood being mumbled about.
“Yes,” the Puppeteer said, “but she’s also more than that. She is the offspring of a perfect match.”
There was collective gasp. Cal’s brow furrowed in confusion while everyone else looked shocked.
I made my eyes leave Cal’s questioning gaze as I gave the Puppeteer a look of boredom.
He closed the gap between us, touching my ribs with a warm hand as he whispered, “If you act like a bitter prude, no one will want to court you, no matter how beautiful or powerful you are.”
I continued to glare.
He sighed as he addressed his captive audience once again. “With Thorn here being born of a perfect match, I don’t have to tell you that she will be compatible with most. Of course, I’ll have to alert the majors about this. But until then …” He whispered in my ear, “Happy hunting,” and then I watched as he made a move to leave the room.
Smiling at the room that was gawking at me, I snagged his elbow. In a low whisper, I said, “You aren’t going anywhere. You are going to be my buffer.”
He peeled my fingers away from his arm, his eyes dancing as he leaned in close to me. “Oh? And how will you make me, my prickly Little Thorn?”
I batted my eyelashes at him. “I’ll agree to a match with the first guy who approaches me.”
His smile dropped.
“Also, I might know of where a vial of serum is. I will promise to give you the information on the condition that, when you go to collect, I can go with you.”
When he narrowed his icy-blue eyes in anger, it was my turn to smirk.
As clusters began to approach me, the Puppeteer cleared his throat. “Stop.” At his command, they all froze in place. “Let’s not try to get the girl’s affection by overwhelming her. In one hour, she will be seeing people in the grand foyer. Form a line, and she will spend a few minutes with each of you. In the meantime, I’ll leave her paper on the table by the door. Feel free to see how she matches up with your house.”
He placed a hand on my lower back and escorted me out of the room. I had noticed how he didn’t touch anyone ever, yet he had no problem manhandling me.
“How are we going to tell if anyone knows that their house has the serum?” I asked as he walked me toward my room. “Are you going to flat-out ask them or use your mind tricks?”
He looked at me from the side. “Why do you always make my powers sound less manly?”
I stuck my bottom lip out. “Aw … did I hurt the Puppeteer’s fragile ego?”
He trailed his hand up my back, making me shiver. Then he grabbed the ends of my hair and gently gave it a tug before he released my hair and placed his hand back where he originally had it.
“What are you? Five?”
He sighed. “You do seem to bring out the immature side of me.”
He stopped in front of my door and turned the knob. Then, without asking, he walked into my room. He took one look at Raven’s unmade bed and gave me a questioning look.
I shut the door behind us. “She stayed out last night.”
I could tell he wanted to say something, but he just went over to the window and looked out.
“In answer to your question, no, I’m not going to force them to answer my questions. I would like for everyone to go home this weekend and tell their parents and their house leaders about you. Let the word spread.”
I sat down on my bed and drew my knees up to my chest. “What questions do you want me to ask?”
Without turning around, he said, “Ask them why you should choose them. Why their house. What can they bring to the table. I need you to pretend you crave power, that you would do anything to be more powerful. Maybe one of them will hint at something.”
“This is crazy.”
His back tensed. “Your friend is coming. I’ll leave you, but know that I will get the info out of you … willingly about which house you’ve heard has the serum. See you in an hour.”
Before I could say anything else, there was a knock on my door. The Puppeteer opened it to reveal a shocked Cal. His eyes met mine then the
Puppeteer’s before he stepped around him and confronted me.
“Why is he in your room with the door closed?”
My mouth dropped open. “Um … We were talking about my results.”
The Puppeteer crossed his arms. “What we do is none of your business.”
“I might make it my business.”
The Puppeteer had Cal up against the wall and speechless in less than a fraction of a second.
Startled, I jumped from the bed and grabbed the Puppeteer’s arm. “Don’t hurt him.”
The Puppeteer smiled, showing beautiful, white perfect teeth. “Did you hear that, pup? She is begging me not to hurt you. Some protector you are.” He shook his head as he released the power he held over Cal, and then he was whistling as Cal slid down the wall.
Cal started to go after the Puppeteer, but I intercepted him.
“Are you crazy?”
Cal put both of his hands on either side of my face, and what happened next shocked me.
He crashed his lips against mine, coaxing my lips to open for him then sliding his tongue into my mouth.
Once the shock wore off, I leaned into him and kissed him back. This was my first kiss, something I have secretly wanted—needed—to experience. Thankfully, I was a quick learner.
Abruptly, he pulled back from me. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
I put a trembling hand to my lip. “Do you regret it?”
He smiled, the dimple in his chin becoming more prominent. “Not one bit. Do you regret it?”
I really thought about that question. I had spent my life avoiding the unrivaled, but now I found out I was one. More than that, I was being baited to attract the unrivaled. Did I want a relationship with Cal? I wasn’t sure. I thought he was a great guy, attractive, but I had just stepped into this world, and I wasn’t Raven. I couldn’t just casually have flings with people. I was too sensitive.
Cal again grabbed both sides of my face and tilted my head up so that I was forced to look at him. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“That was my first kiss.”
At my admission, his smile grew.
“I’m having a hard time getting all of my thoughts in order.”
“Understandable.” He placed a kiss on my forehead. “I just wanted to come check on you. I’ll let you rest before you have to be put on display, thanks to that jackass.”
I smiled. “It’ll all be over soon.”
He strolled to the door. “And not that you asked, but we are a fifty-nine percent match. I might have been your first kiss, but you’re my first match.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “We would make some pretty babies.”
I felt myself blush as he closed the door.
A silly part of me wondered if Cal was really attracted to me or if, somewhere in the back of his mind, he was thinking about securing his bloodline and house, which was crazy because he had told me that none of that interested him.
Here I was, second-guessing everything. Then again, would I truly know who cared for me in the future, or would I always wonder if they were just after power?
I sat in a huge, cozy room next to the Puppeteer, on a green velvet couch that was facing a fire. The walls had been wallpapered a dark grey, and the hardwood floors were dark and shiny. The room was open and huge, giving all the people lined up to meet me a view of how nervous I was.
I had heard people gossiping about me as I left my room to come here. It was a huge deal that I had been born from a perfect match. I was such a rarity that I had become extremely interesting to the male population and a source of bitterness for the females that had gathered to whisper about me as I passed them in the halls.
“Have you thought about what power your father gave you and what it is capable of doing?” the Puppeteer asked casually.
“Empathy? I think I’ve already figured out what it can do.”
He gave me a patronizing look. “You have no clue what you are capable of. Good thing, too.”
“Doesn’t work on you.” I shrugged. “Can we get this over with?”
He smirked at my remark then asked, “Do you want me to ask the questions?”
“Yep.” I was so glad he volunteered, because I didn’t think I could pull off the whole wanting power bit.
I forced myself to relax against the cushions as the Puppeteer waved over the first guy. He was around my age and had shaggy brown hair that fell over one eye. He looked nervous as he sat and faced us.
I gave him a small smile, and then I sat unbelievably still as the Puppeteer went through his spiel. He told the guy—Allan—that I craved power and asked what he thought him, along with his house, could bring to the table.
Poor Allan shifted uncomfortable in the chair. “Um … Well, I come from the House of Chaos. We are one of the lowest minor houses—”
“You are ranked tenth,” the Puppeteer interrupted.
“Y-yes,” Allan stuttered.
“Does your house wish to be of a higher rank?”
Allan bobbed his head up and down. “Of course.”
“Would your house do anything for my kind of power?”
Allan drew his brows together. “I would think so, yes.”
“Do you have anything that would help your house to gain more power?”
He shook his head. “No. Not unless Thorn would agree to accept our match and be mated with me.”
I swallowed a lump of disgust and knew the Puppeteer had picked up on my feelings when he released a deep chuckle.
He waved the guy away. “Thank you for your time. Send the next one over.”
As soon as Allan was halfway across the room, the Puppeteer said, “He was being truthful that he didn’t know of anything that would make his house more powerful, but rest assured, he will be telling everyone in his house about you. If they have the serum, they will find you. Only two hundred and forty-nine more to interview.”
I groaned out loud as I looked over at the Puppeteer. He had his head resting on the back of the settee, his eyes closed, and his hands were covering those rock-hard abs that I had personally felt. The flames of the fire danced over his perfect features as he lay there, relaxed.
I shook my head in disbelief. How could anyone be so relaxed and carefree when looking for something that could potentially kill us all?
He popped his blue eyes open and met mine. “Something wrong, Thorn?”
I narrowed my eyes. “So many things.”
He closed his eyes again, but this time, a smile lit up his handsome face.
When the next guy, or suspect, came over, the rude Puppeteer didn’t even bother opening his eyes as he asked his questions.
When he sent this one away, I asked. “Was he lying?”
“No,” he replied.
“Does this drain you?”
He yawned. “No. I just had a late night.”
My mind immediately went to: with who? However, I forced myself to quit looking at his relaxed self. It was none of my business who he was with.
Halfway through the interviews, I grew tired until I noticed the way the Puppeteer’s eyes cracked open and he slowly sat up. He still looked casual, but I could tell by the way his leg muscles tensed and his arm came to rest on the settee behind me that something was off.
I looked at Leo, the man who Raven had been with, and wondered how far away she was.
“Why are you here?” the Puppeteer asked.
“Because, when there is new blood welcomed into the minor houses, we all must greet and offer ourselves if the blood aligns with ours.”
“But you don’t want Thorn?” The Puppeteer asked this as a question, but it was more of a shocked statement.
“No,” Leo said, then gave me an apologetic smile.
In return, I smiled back. Finally, someone realized how bonkers this was.
He seemed to relax when he saw that I wasn’t upset with him.
The Puppeteer leaned forward. “She’s beautiful and powerful. I know she has an unfriendly temp
erament—”
I glared at him, and he gave Leo a look like See? I told you so.
“—but still, you can ignore that. You come from the lowest house of minors—the House of Joy. You literally cannot kill your enemies with laughter. You cannot win a war with humor. You need her to survive. Why would you not want her?”
Leo shifted in his seat, and I could tell he didn’t want to answer.
Leaning forward, I said, “I promise he won’t hurt you. You can answer truthfully.”
The Puppeteer scoffed. “Again, don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
I reached over and tugged on his skin. Or I tried to. Did the man have no belly fat at all?
He looked startled. “Did you just pinch me?”
I rolled my eyes. “It was a poor attempt on my part.”
Ignoring the wide-eyed man next to me, I focused back on Leo, who looked like he was twenty seconds away from fainting. His freckles stood out in his pale face. The poor guy was in shock. “Leo, you can be truthful with us.”
“I’m in love.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
He nodded. “I’m in love with Raven.”
My mouth dropped open. “But … but we only came here yesterday!”
“I know, but when you know you know.”
I rubbed a hand against my forehead. Unbelievable. The way these two fell in and out of love, maybe they were meant for each other.
The Puppeteer sat forward. “You mean to tell me that you don’t want to welcome Thorn into your house because you want to marry a human, specifically Raven?”
Leo’s eyes lit up. “We haven’t got that far in the relationship. You know, marriage.”
“You think?” the Puppeteer said under his breath.
“But I hope that’s where this is heading,” Leo said. “My house frowns upon us mingling with humans, but since we are the lowest ranking house, it’s not unheard of for some of us to marry humans. Until I can figure out a way to tell my parents and house leader, I would appreciate it if we pretended like we never had this conversation.”
House of Deception: The Unrivaled Series Page 17