I bit down on my cheek to stop myself from chuckling. None of this was funny, but at the same time, it was so dark and twisted that I was constantly on the brink of snapping.
Angry whirlpools swirled in Octavia’s ocean blue eyes. “We had to make Cassia Antonia’s target,” she said, each word sharp and measured. “That little seed of doubt was enough. But there was still one final part of the equation.”
“Pierce,” I realized.
“He could have turned on you,” Julian said. “He was considering it.”
“He wasn’t,” she said smugly. “The two of you were so focused on each other that you missed something huge right in front of you.”
“And what was that?” I asked.
“Emmet and Pierce,” she said. “They were far more than just friends.”
My lips parted. Because the early morning workouts they did together, their time in the bathhouse afterward… it clicked instantly.
“They were lovers,” I said.
“That they were.” Octavia smiled.
Julian cursed. Apparently he hadn’t realized it, either.
“So you figured it out, and promised him you wouldn’t tell anyone else if he teamed up with you in the arena,” I guessed.
“I could have.” She smirked. “But I did something even better.”
Felix lowered his lips to her neck and smothered her with small kisses. “My beautiful warrior is so conniving,” he said, and she sighed from his touch.
My stomach twisted in disgust.
“Tell me, Octavia,” I said, since she loved gloating nearly as much as she loved Felix’s kisses. “What did you offer Pierce?”
She shrugged Felix off, but he kept his arm wrapped around her waist. From the glint in her eyes, I could tell she liked controlling him. “I offered to do what he couldn’t,” she said. “I promised him that when the time came, I’d be the one to take Emmet out. And that I’d do it quickly and painlessly.”
“You didn’t stick to your word,” I said, recalling how she’d carved her name all over Emmet’s skin until he passed out from blood loss. She’d waited until he was unconscious to shoot an icicle through his heart.
“I didn’t have to.” She shrugged. “Pierce was already dead.”
“Would you have kept your word if he hadn’t been?” Julian asked.
She took a second to think about it. “Probably,” she decided. “It wouldn’t have been any fun, but it would have kept Pierce from turning against me.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t jump into bed with Pierce and Emmet, too,” I said to Felix.
“I’m not attracted to men.” He shrugged. “Although I would have done it, if it was necessary to protect myself and Octavia. Just like sleeping with Cassia was necessary. I hated every moment that I had to pretend to be in love with her, but I did what I had to do. For Octavia.”
“Not for Octavia,” I corrected him. “For yourself.” I turned to Octavia, ready to drop what I hoped would be a major blow. “You weren’t the only person to volunteer to go to the arena,” I said. “Because Felix volunteered, too.”
32
Selena
“What?” Felix looked at me like I was crazy. “I’d never volunteer for the arena.”
“Lies.” My electricity crackled and popped, sparks of it landing on the rug near my feet.
“I’d never do anything that stupid,” he said.
“You’re the liar,” I said to him, refocusing on Octavia. “It was how he made the final four deal with me, Julian, and Cassia on the second week, when you were Empress of the Villa. He promised that if Julian, Cassia, or I won Emperor of the Villa, he’d go to the arena with you and Cillian so Cillian could take you out. It was his idea.”
“You seriously expect her to believe that I’d volunteer to be in the arena with a madman?” Felix asked. “He could have killed me! He would have killed me, if he’d managed to get out of those vines.”
“Wrong,” Julian said. “Octavia wouldn’t have fought you. She would have attacked Cillian. Cillian would have defended himself, and killed Octavia.”
“Those were your exact words,” I said. “When you offered us the deal.”
Felix’s eyes narrowed. “Your lies don’t even make sense.”
“They’re not lies,” I said.
“Of course they are!” he said. “If I wanted Cillian to take out Octavia, I would have told him how to escape the vines. But I didn’t. Because I wanted Octavia to kill him.”
“You didn’t because it wasn’t part of our deal!” Julian slammed his fist into the end table next to him, splintering it to pieces. “You couldn’t give away that you were working with us.”
“Because I wasn’t working with you.” Felix’s face turned bright red. “And I never volunteered to go to the arena!”
“YES, YOU DID.” Julian hurled himself at Felix. But he stopped at the marble game table, picked it up, and smashed it to the floor.
The pieces of marble flew into the air, and I had to move to the side to stop one from hitting me.
There was a deep dent in the floor where he’d thrown it.
I hurried to Julian and placed my hand on his forearm. He was so angry that I could feel the blood throbbing through his veins.
“Felix is lying,” I said to Octavia. “And you’re too blinded by him to see it.”
“You’re lying,” Felix said with so much conviction that I wondered if he actually believed it.
He repulsed me so much that I couldn’t even look at him.
“You’re just going to stand there and say nothing?” I goaded Octavia. “He’s lying. If you’re as close to him as you claim, you have to know it.”
Octavia remained perfectly still as she sized up Julian and me.
Then, she cozied closer to Felix.
“Felix would never volunteer to go to the arena,” she said. “He knows his strengths and weaknesses. He wouldn’t risk himself like that.”
“He would,” I said. “And he did.”
“Lies.” Felix let go of Octavia and threw his hands in the air. “Lies, lies, lies. All of it is lies! I know it, Octavia knows it, and the entire Otherworld knows it.”
I shot a bolt of lightning inches away from Felix’s feet. He jumped straight into Octavia’s arms.
Weakling.
“You knew Felix could get out of those vines,” I said to Octavia, since Felix wasn’t worth the effort. “You had to have seen it. So why didn’t he free himself? Why didn’t he help you fight Cillian?”
“Because I didn’t need the help.” She smirked. “If he’d dropped, I would have had to worry about keeping both of us safe from those wild beasts while I was taking out Cillian. His dropping would have only been a hindrance. By staying up there, he was helping me.”
“Because he’s weak.” I scoffed. “I’m surprised, Octavia. For someone so strong, I’d think you’d want someone better than a twerp like him.”
Crystals of ice spread from her palms and up to her elbows. “Felix might not excel in the arena,” she said with a twisted grin. “But trust me—he excels in places far more important.” She reached down and stroked the inside of Felix’s thigh.
He shuddered in pleasure, like he wanted to take her then and there.
“He also excels in lying.” Julian’s eyes were locked on Felix’s.
“You’re the one who’s lying!” Felix said, pulling away from Octavia’s touch. “You’re grasping at straws, saying things that don’t even make sense!”
“You wanted Cillian to kill Octavia,” I said darkly. “And when he didn’t, you scurried over to her like the rat you are.”
“I couldn’t have scurried over to her, because I’ve been with her since the beginning!”
I let go of Julian’s arm and shot another bolt of lightning near Felix’s feet. “Just admit it!” I shot another bolt, and then another, so he was cowering in Octavia’s arms. She didn’t even flinch. “You’re using her. Just like you were using Cassia. Just like
you use everyone.”
I went to shoot another bolt, but Julian reached for my arm, stopping me. “Selena,” he warned. “Don’t.”
I nearly flung him off of me.
Instead, I called my magic back inward. Because Julian was right.
We needed to get out of there before either of us did something we’d regret.
Felix relaxed and smiled smugly. “We played the two of you, and we played Cassia,” he said. “Get over yourselves and just admit it.”
“You’re a slimy piece of shit,” Julian raged. “I can’t wait to kill you.” His skin heated. Every muscle in his body was taut.
“He’s not going to budge.” I urged Julian toward the doors. “Let’s go.”
Julian stayed put and clenched his fists tighter. “The entire Otherworld’s laughing at you, Octavia,” he said to her. “You won’t win the Games. But I hope you can watch the recordings in Elysium, so you can see how badly you were played.”
He gave Felix one final fiery look, spun around, pulled me out of the room, and practically dragged me up with him to the suite.
33
Selena
The moment I closed the door to the suite, Julian picked me up, pressed me up against the wall, and kissed me.
This kiss was hungry. Hot. Intense. And I didn’t even care that the orbs were watching us, broadcasting us to everyone in the Otherworld.
Let them watch us.
Let them know exactly what they were destroying by pitting Julian and I against each other in the Games.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed him back with pure, raw passion, until the entire fight from downstairs was gone from my mind. All I could think about was Julian. His strong arms around me, the heat of his skin, the taunting pressure of his hips moving against mine.
He spun around, his hands under my thighs as he carried me to the bed and threw me down onto it. He lowered himself until there was only an inch of torturous space between us. His eyes burned with need, and desire, and maybe even with love.
I love you. The words were on my lips, aching to come out.
Instead I stared at him, breathless, my heart pounding so loudly that he must have been able to hear it.
He kissed me again, his tongue probing against mine. The hardness in his breeches brushed against my leg, and his hand caressed the inside of my thighs, teasing me with the promise of more.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. “Julian,” I begged, my back arching up to close the space between us. “Please.”
Finally, when I didn’t think I could take it for a second longer, he slipped his fingers inside of me and gave me the release I so desperately needed.
I wanted more. But I also wanted him to lose himself in me like I’d just lost myself in him. So I reached into his breeches, my fingers lingering over his birthmark that matched mine before I moved downward and took his hardness in my palm. As he rocked against me, he moaned and said my name over and over, his cries getting more and more desperate until he came apart in my hand.
We wrangled ourselves fully out of our clothing, smothering each other with kisses as we crawled our way under the covers. His skin was hot against mine, and he held me against him, snuggling me into a cocoon of warmth. I’d never felt as safe as I did in Julian’s arms. I may not have been home in Avalon, but I’d found a different type of home, here with Julian.
I closed my eyes, promising myself to always remember this moment.
“Selena,” he murmured into my hair. “I love you. You know that, right?”
I pulled back to gaze into his beautiful ice blue eyes. They were open and vulnerable. His soul was mine. I wasn’t sure what I’d done to deserve something so pure and perfect, but I was going to appreciate every single second of it.
“I love you, too.” A weight lifted off my shoulders after saying the words I’d known were true for longer than I cared to admit. “You’re the only one I’ve ever loved. The only one I will ever love.”
He smiled—pure, radiant happiness. “You’re the only one I’ve ever loved, too.”
I bit my lip and glanced down, only for a second.
That second was all he needed to reach for my chin and raise my eyes to meet his again.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice brimming with concern.
“Nothing,” I said, heat rushing to my cheeks. “It’s nothing.”
He watched me, waiting. He knew it wasn’t true. He wasn’t going to force it out of me, but at the same time, I wanted to ask. I needed to ask. Because now that I knew he loved me, and he knew I loved him, there was only one thing holding me back from being with him completely.
“You said I’m the only one you’ve ever loved,” I started, anxiety building inside me with each word I spoke. “But what about the princess who nominated you for the Games? Princess Ciera?”
“You saw that,” he muttered. “Of course you saw that.”
I nodded, but he was barely looking at me, refusing to meet my eyes.
“It was before we knew each other,” I said, each word coming faster. “And she’s beautiful. I understand why you’d…” I trailed off, unable to say that he wanted her. “I saw the way she looked at you. And I just wanted…” My cheeks heated again, and I cursed myself for bringing it up at all.
“Selena,” he said my name, steady and true. And as I stared up at him, I realized that no matter who he’d been with in the past, his heart had always been mine, just like mine had always been his. “You’re my soulmate. We were literally made for each other. I love you. And I’ll always be honest with you. So yes, Princess Ciera and I were intimate with each other. But nothing more than what the two of us have done together so far. I told her that…” He lowered his eyes in shame, the same way he’d looked after bringing me to the Otherworld.
“It’s okay,” I said softly, tracing my finger along his cheekbone. He closed his eyes, relishing in my touch. “Whatever it was, it’s okay.”
“But it’s not.” He opened his eyes and focused on me once more. “She wanted me, and I went along with it, since only princes and princesses can nominate half-bloods for the Games. She was my ticket in.”
“But that doesn’t make sense,” I said. “If she cared for you, why would she put you in so much danger?”
“Because I was a half-blood, and she was a princess,” he said. “I told her I wouldn’t fully give myself to her until I was her equal. And the only way to become her equal was for her to nominate me for the Games, for me to get chosen, and for me to win.”
“And after you won?” I didn’t know why I’d asked, when I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.
“After I won, I’d be able to give my family security for the rest of their lives,” he said. “That was all I cared about. Princess Ciera gave me the chance to do that for them, so I took it. But by nominating me for the Games, she also gave me a chance to get to know you—to learn that we’re soulmates. It wasn’t the most noble way to get here, and I’m not proud to admit it. But I wouldn’t change a thing. Because in the end, it brought me to you. I love you, Selena. And if all we have is this final night together—“
“Don’t talk like that,” I interrupted. “We have a plan. It’s going to work. You believe that, right?”
“I hope it works,” he said. “But if it doesn’t, I’ll fight the gods before ever laying a hand on you.”
His eyes were so fierce—burning with all the intensity of the chosen champion of Mars—that I knew it was true. But tonight, I didn’t only want the chosen champion of Mars. I wanted Julian. All of him.
I wrapped my leg around his waist and kissed him, our hearts beating in time together. “I love you,” I said between kisses, my heart swelling each time he said the same. These kisses were softer than the ones before—gentle and full of love.
He rolled on top of me, his body hovering above mine as he looked down at me in question.
I nodded, and he smiled as he lowered his lips to kiss
me again, threading his fingers through my hair as he slid himself inside of me.
I gasped, and he paused to make sure I was okay.
“Yes,” I said breathlessly, pushing my hips up so he could fill me completely.
We moved perfectly in time together, losing ourselves in each touch, each movement, each time we said we loved each other. Every nerve in my body lit on fire. Desire built in my core, until I was on the edge of exploding from the ecstasy inside of me.
And when I did—when we both did—I knew down to my soul that my love for Julian was everlasting, from this world and into the Beyond.
34
Torrence
“Three weeks,” I said to Sage once she came to my room to get ready for breakfast. “That’s how much time has passed for Selena since we got to this island. And in our three days here, we’ve done nothing.”
“We figured out that Circe can’t hear through the sound barrier you put around your room.” She looked around at the walls that were gilded with gold—and infused with my magic. “So at least we can speak freely. It’s a start.”
I stood up and started pacing around. I’d been doing a lot of that in the time that we’d been there. “We should have already killed her, gotten the staff, and been out of here,” I said. “And if she touches me one more time…” I wrapped my arms around myself and shuddered at the thought of Circe’s advances.
It was only a slight brush of the fingers here and there, and sitting closer to me than was comfortable. But it was happening more and more each day. Not just to me, but to Sage, too—although Sage was much better than I was at playing her part and flirting back.
Each time Circe set her predatory gaze on me, it felt like she was undressing me with her eyes. From the way she smiled at me—like I was a challenge meant to be conquered—I assumed she was taking her time because she had a year to toy with me. And she was enjoying every single second of it.
The Faerie Mates (Dark World: The Faerie Games Book 3) Page 13
