The Faerie Mates (Dark World: The Faerie Games Book 3)

by Michelle Madow

  That last phrase caught on, and it wasn’t long before the crowd was chanting it in unison. The fae with soulmates—which was about three-fourths of them—held their clasped hands up in the air as they repeated the words over and over again.

  I reached for Julian’s hand and held it tight. The support of the crowd gave me hope, and I stared up at Juno, praying for mercy.

  She slammed her staff onto the ground. “SILENCE!” she said, and the entire arena hushed. She glared over her shoulder at Bacchus. Then she returned her focus to me and Julian, her eyes hard. “This is an… unexpected surprise,” she finally said. “However, I’m not the one who marks soulmates. That honor goes to Venus. So it’s only fair to consult with her before making a decision.”

  I expected Juno to float back up into the sky and leave Julian and me waiting as she spoke with Venus.

  Instead, Venus descended down in an iridescent pearl clamshell. Her long blond hair was perfectly curled, and she wore a sheer nude dress with beads covering her more personal areas.

  “Venus,” Juno scolded her. “What is the meaning of this?”

  “The meaning of what?” She smiled demurely, since they both knew exactly what the other was talking about. This performance was for the crowd.

  “Of marking two players in the Faerie Games as soulmates.”

  “I don’t simply decide who’s going to be soulmates on a whim,” she said, pulling her hair to the front and pushing out her breasts. “I innately sense it. The soulmate bond is holy, and it’s one of my jobs to make sure soulmates can find each other.”

  “You heard her!” shouted a fae in the crowd.

  “The bond is holy!”

  “They can’t kill each other!”

  Juno eyed them angrily. “Hush,” she said, and they did. “I called Venus down to listen to her. Interruptions are nothing but a hindrance.”

  They shuffled around as they took their seats.

  Juno turned back to Venus. “As you see, the citizens of the Otherworld are less than thrilled about pitting soulmates against each other,” she said, her tone laced with annoyance. “And the Games are designed for entertainment. The soulmate bond between these two puts us in quite the predicament.”

  “That it does,” Venus agreed. “But like I said, the soulmate bond is holy. Pitting soulmates against each other is unnatural, to say the least.”

  “I could smite them and send them straight to Elysium.” Juno shrugged. “That would solve the problem.”

  “Please, don’t,” I begged. “There’s no rule in the Games regarding soulmates.”

  “You can make a new rule that allows both of us to live,” Julian said, motioning to the crowd. “After all, it seems to be what they want.”

  The crowd clapped in approval.

  Juno gave them a spiteful look, and they silenced once more.

  “They make a good point,” Venus said, and then, she winked at us. “There’s no rule in the Games that says you can’t create a new rule. And this is the first time in the history of the Faerie Games that soulmates have been chosen to compete. It makes sense that a new circumstance deserves a new rule.”

  “Perhaps,” Juno said, and I could practically see the wheels spinning in her mind as she continued to study Julian and me.

  “Would you ever be able to kill your husband?” Julian asked. “Jupiter?”

  Juno scowled, and Julian’s grip around my hand tightened. He was pushing this. But even though we’d sworn to fight the gods before fighting each other, I knew it would be futile. We might be powerful, but we had nothing on the gods. And I was so depleted of magic that it would be silly to even try.

  We needed to convince her with our words.

  “Mars’s chosen champion asks a fair question,” Venus said. Given her light tone, it was clear she was enjoying this. “Every time Jupiter has been unfaithful, you’ve taken it out on the women who caught his eye. Never on him. Why is that?”

  Juno pressed her lips into a firm line. She held her intimidating gaze with mine, and I did my best to stand steady and strong.

  “Jupiter’s appreciation for alluring young women is certainly an annoyance,” she finally said. “Of course, when he finally chose a champion, it was a beautiful maiden. I hated you for that.”

  Frustrated tears welled in my eyes, and I swallowed them down. “I don’t know why Jupiter chose me,” I said. “But Julian’s my soulmate. I love him. I’d never betray him.”

  “I believe you.” Juno rested an elbow on her throne and smirked. “And knowing this makes me hate you less. I might even go as far as saying it makes me like you.”

  I froze, stunned.

  I didn’t know what I was expecting her to say. But it certainly hadn’t been that.

  “Why’s that?” I was treading on thin ice, and I needed to do it carefully.

  “Since you have a soulmate, my husband can never win your love, even if he tried,” she said simply. “This amuses me greatly.”

  Hope rose in my chest, and I felt Julian’s pulse quicken.

  Did our plea actually work?

  “Therefore, I’ve come to a decision.” Juno sat straighter and held her staff firmly by her side. “I’m going to grant your request, and create a new rule for the Games.”

  46

  Selena

  The crowd stood and erupted into cheers.

  My heart leaped. I turned to Julian and wanted to kiss him right there, despite the fae and the gods watching us.

  But he still looked worried.

  Why?

  Juno raised a hand, and the crowd sat down again. “Not so fast,” she said, and I turned back to her, trying to push down the pit of worry growing in my stomach. “I still need to announce what this new rule is.”

  I stepped closer to Julian, and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

  Please be a rule in our favor, I prayed.

  I couldn’t bring myself to look at Julian’s family, but I was sure they were praying, too.

  “If soulmated champions are the only two left standing in the Games, they won’t be required to fight to the death,” Juno said, eliciting more cheers from the audience.

  Every cell in my body froze, in both excitement that Julian and I wouldn’t have to fight, and in anticipation of what Juno was going to say next. The crowd must have felt the same way, because instead of standing again, they sat anxiously on the edges of their seats.

  Bacchus drove his chariot down to the center of the arena and settled himself next to Juno. “The Games can only have one winner,” he said, leaning lazily back in his plush seat. “It’s one of the rules. It would be boring to have two.”

  Juno narrowed her eyes at him in a lethal death stare. “As Jupiter and Mars’s champions pointed out, there’s no rule saying I can’t change the rules,” she said. “And besides, I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

  Bacchus opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it.

  Apparently satisfied, Juno turned away from him. “As I was saying, the soulmated champions won’t be killed, at least not immediately,” she continued, and my heart stopped. Not immediately didn’t sound positive. “They’ll be sent on a challenging, dangerous quest to prove they both deserve to win the Faerie Games. Succeed on the quest, and they’ll live. Fail, and they’ll die.”

  My heart pounded as a myriad of emotions ran through me at once. Relief that Julian and I wouldn’t have to fight today. Gratefulness to be shown mercy. But also, worry that we’d be sent on an impossible quest.

  I wouldn’t put it past the gods and the fae to toy with us like that.

  But Julian and I were strong on our own, and even stronger together. We’d complete whatever they threw at us.

  We had to. There was no escape. The gods would hunt us down and smite us if we tried to run.

  Julian stood strong beside me, and I knew he was thinking the same thing.

  Bacchus sat up in his chariot, his eyes lighting up again. “I suppose there are worse things than hosting a
quest,” he said, sipping from a glass of wine that he’d pulled from the ether. “They’re always entertaining.”

  “There will be no need for a host.” Juno smiled knowingly. “I want the champions to have their best chance at completing the quest without outside distractions. Which means no orbs, and no broadcast. You’ll be sent on your way to do… well, whatever it is you do.”

  He scowled at her, but didn’t argue.

  “I want the quest to benefit the Otherworld,” she continued, and people in the audience murmured in approval. “Therefore, I won’t be selecting their task. That honor will go to your Empress, Sorcha.”

  All eyes went to the Royal Box, where Sorcha sat proudly on her throne. The orbs buzzed around her, and her expression was serene, as always. As if she’d expected this.

  Prince Devyn also appeared calm.

  Had he known this would happen? Had he warned her?

  “Empress,” Juno said to her. “Do you require time to decide their task, or do you already know what you want them to do?”

  Sorcha tilted her head, her pale eyes glimmering in the conniving way of the fae. “I can take as much time as I’d like?” she asked in her childlike voice.

  “Of course not,” Juno said. “One month will be sufficient. Shall we reconvene when you’re ready?”

  “No need. I already know what I want them to do.” She stood, and everyone in the audience stood, too. Juno and Bacchus were the only ones who remained seated. “Upon exiting the Coliseum, Julian and Selena will be exiled from the citadel,” she said, looking straight at us. “They can only return by bringing back the First Queen’s Holy Wand.”

  The crowd took a collective breath inward.

  And then, uproar.

  “A death sentence!” someone screamed from the back.

  “The plague is out there!”

  “They won’t survive it!”

  “They’ll be eaten alive!”

  “The Holy Wand is a myth! It doesn’t exist!”

  As they argued, I turned to Julian, my eyes wide.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “There’s a prophecy on Avalon,” I said, unsure where to begin. “It’s too much to explain now. But it involves a Holy Wand.”

  His forehead creased, and I could tell I’d caught him by surprise. “Interesting,” he finally said. “We’ll have time—and privacy—once we’re outside of the city’s walls. Tell me then.”

  I nodded, too awestruck to say any more. Because the people in the audience saying that the wand didn’t exist were wrong. Our prophetess’s vision from all those years ago would be too much of a coincidence otherwise.

  Sorcha stared at the audience as they bickered amongst themselves, letting them continue until they quieted on their own.

  Once they were silent, she turned her focus to Julian and me. “My decision is final,” she said, giving us a small, encouraging smile. “I wish the two of you the best of luck.”

  47

  Sorcha

  As always, I’d gathered my closest friends and advisors to celebrate the end of the Games at my country villa.

  I lounged on the largest settee in the yard, sipping my drink as I watched the musicians play and the nobility dance in the moonlight. Everyone wore their finest silks and gems, and most had gotten drunk hours ago. Those not dancing relaxed at the banquet tables, enjoying overflowing spreads of fruit, cheese, jams, and sweetmeats. Everyone’s wings sparkled brightly after watching such an exciting finale of the Faerie Games.

  At some point in the night, most of the guests had approached me to toast in Selena and Julian’s favor. I’d happily raised my glass and returned their well wishes.

  Little did they know that I was drinking lychee juice instead of wine.

  A few of the younger fae who’d yet to find their soulmates cozied up around me, flirting and competing for my favor. I appeased them, smiling at all the expected times and giving them an equal amount of attention. I’d even granted a fae boy’s request for a taste of my magical gift. Bliss, they called it.

  He was now lying in the grass, his eyes half-closed as he gazed at the stars.

  I was braiding a young fae’s golden hair when a shadow stopped over us. I paused my braiding and looked up into the familiar gray eyes of Aeliana. She was the first chosen champion of Minerva’s to ever win the Faerie Games, and one of my most trusted advisors.

  She bowed her head. “Your Highness,” she said.

  “Aeliana,” I replied, and only then did she meet my eyes again.

  “May I have a word?” she asked. “In private?”

  I sighed, as if I couldn’t bear to be pulled away from the revelry. “If you must.” I returned my attention to the fae surrounding me and shooed them off. “Go, have fun,” I said. “I’ll find you when it pleases me.”

  I stood up to walk with Aeliana, and everyone who was seated in the yard stood as well—even the drunkest of them. I heard them shuffling to sit back down once I’d entered the villa and closed the door behind me.

  I brought Aeliana to my bedroom, since it was the most private space in the villa. Once inside, I sat in my armchair next to the blazing hearth. She sat in the chair across from me. There was a platter of colorful fruit on the table, but I made no move to take anything. Therefore, she didn’t, either.

  “I had a vision,” she said once we were both settled.

  “I assumed so,” I said.

  “I was going to wait until tomorrow to tell you, but it seemed as though…”

  “As though I needed a break?” I smiled to let her know it was all right.

  “Yes.” She cleared her throat, back to business. “I saw the afflicted fae crossing the western mountains and leaving the Wild Lands.”

  I clasped my hands in my lap and maintained a cool exterior, despite the concern weighing on my chest. “I feared as much when we lost contact with the town of Trajan,” I said.

  “If they continue on this path, they’ll cross the central plains and continue toward the citadel.” Aeliana lowered her eyes, clearly not enjoying being the messenger of such unwelcome information.

  “At least they’re still on the other side of the continent,” I said brightly. “Do you know how long it would take them to make their way here?”

  “At the rate the plague is spreading, we likely have a few weeks,” she said. “But since we’ve never seen anything like this, it’s impossible to say for sure.”

  “This complicates matters.”

  “It does,” she agreed. “I advise that you gather the strongest royal fae to fortify the magical boundary around the citadel. I can’t ensure that it will keep out the afflicted, but I doubt it will hurt.”

  “Defensive measures this early on will cause unnecessary panic and chaos,” I said. “We still have contact with the town of Hadrian. If they go dark, I’ll strengthen the boundary. Until then, we’ll keep everyone calm until we find a cure, or at least until we learn how to immobilize the afflicted fae.”

  She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “The show must go on,” she said.

  “Yes.” I paused to listen to the quickening violin music outside. “Did you see anything in your vision regarding those we sent to investigate the plague?”

  “Unfortunately not,” she said. “They’re still missing. Our best hope remains in Selena and Julian finding that wand.”

  “Then let’s pray they succeed.” I gazed into the flames, thinking back to a pivotal conversation I’d had with Prince Devyn over a millennia ago. “The fate of our realm may depend on it.”

  Will Selena and Julian complete their quest to find the Holy Wand? What is this mysterious plague, and what will happen if they stumble upon it?

  Find out in the penultimate book in the series, The Faerie Wand, coming winter/spring 2020!

  Pre-order The Faerie Wand on Amazon ➜ CLICK HERE

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  Are you new to the Dark World universe?

  Then I’m excited to share that I have two other series’ set in this world—The Vampire Wish and The Angel Trials. Read on to learn more about them! (You may have to turn the page to see the covers and descriptions.)

  Annika never thought of herself as weak—until vampires murdered her parents and kidnapped her to their hidden kingdom of the Vale.

  As a brand new blood slave, Annika must survive her dangerous new circumstances—or face death from the wolves prowling the Vale’s enchanted walls. But sparks fly when she meets the vampire prince Jacen. She hates the idea of falling for the enemy, but her connection with the mysterious prince could be the key to her freedom.

  Because if she can convince him to turn her into a vampire, she’ll finally have the strength she needs to escape the Vale.

  Grab The Vampire Wish on Amazon ➜ CLICK HERE

  She thought magic didn’t exist. She was so, so wrong.

  Raven Danvers was a typical student… until a demon attacks her on the night of her birthday. Luckily, she’s saved by Noah—a mysterious, sexy wolf shifter who appears and disappears before she can ask him any questions.

  Then Raven's mom is abducted by the same demon who came after her. And who turns up at the scene of the crime again? Noah. He’s hunting the demons who are taking humans, and he’s ultimately heading where Raven needs to go to save her mom—the mystical island of Avalon.

  Now Raven’s joining Noah’s demon hunting mission whether he wants her there or not. Which he doesn't. But nothing stops Raven, so she and Noah will have to learn to work together—if they don’t kill each other first.