The Faerie Games (Dark World: The Faerie Games Book 1)

by Michelle Madow

  But I’d do whatever it took to stay alive. So if a confession was what they wanted, then that was what they’d get.

  “All my life I’ve been powerless,” I continued, gaining confidence as I spoke. “Helpless. Weak. I was a disappointment to everyone around me, and I hated it. Now, I finally have my own magic. But the crowd was disappointed with my demonstration of it. They started calling me all those things I spent my entire life hating about myself. They wouldn’t stop. And I just… well, I got angry.”

  “You got so angry that you disintegrated Bacchus’s magical orbs with bolts of lightning.”

  When she put it like that, it sounded pretty crazy.

  “The orbs were buzzing in my ears, and it felt like they were mocking me, too.” I shrugged, continuing before she could respond. “I’m sorry. I promise it won’t happen again. Just give me the chance to continue in the Games. Please.”

  “And why should I do that?”

  “Because as the first champion ever chosen by Jupiter, I’m still discovering what I can do.” Determination rose in me as I held her gaze, refusing to back down. “It’s a learning process. But it’ll be entertaining to watch. Don’t you think?”

  The words shocked me the moment they came out of my mouth. Because I never thought I’d be begging to be in the Faerie Games.

  Now here I was, doing just that.

  It was funny how the threat of sudden death could result in such desperate measures.

  Well, it would be funny, if it wasn’t completely terrifying. Especially since Bacchus was glowering at me like he wanted to smite me on the spot himself.

  So much for trying not to anger the gods. I was already failing at the Games, and we hadn’t even entered the villa yet.

  Juno glanced at Bacchus, smirked, and turned back to me. “It was rather entertaining,” she said, moving her focus farther ahead, to the attentive crowd gathered before us. “Don’t you all think it was entertaining?”

  The faeries in the crowd exploded with applause. They clapped and screamed louder than they had for any of the other chosen champions. They were so loud that I could feel the vibration of their excitement all over my skin.

  Juno let the cheering go on for what felt like minutes.

  With my life on the line, they were the longest few minutes ever.

  Finally, Juno raised her hand, and the crowd silenced. “This half-blood doesn’t seem like anything special to me,” she said. “But my husband chose her as his champion for a reason. So despite her transgression, Selena Pearce will be allowed to play in the Faerie Games.” She turned back to me, staring down at me like a falcon eyeing its prey. “I look forward to watching you try to show me—and everyone else in the Otherworld—what you’re made of. That is, if you’re truly made of anything at all.”

  A massive weight lifted from my shoulders. All at once, I could breathe again. The world around me became sharper, clearer.

  It didn’t matter that the queen of the gods had just insulted me in front of everyone. Because I had a second chance. And I wasn’t going to mess it up.

  “Thank you, Your Highness.” I smiled sweetly, giving her another polite curtsy. “I’ll do my best not to let you down.”

  Outwardly, I remained calm. But adrenaline coursed through my veins, and I was more ramped up than ever.

  Juno might think I was “nothing special.”

  But I couldn’t wait to show her—and everyone else in the Otherworld—how wrong they were.

  36

  Selena

  Juno disappeared in an orb of swirling light as quickly as she’d arrived.

  With her gone, Bacchus stood straighter and held his scepter strong beside him. “Well, that was an exciting ceremony!” he said, back to his upbeat, loud self. “Now, the chosen champions will enter Vesta’s Villa in the order they arrived. And once they’re all inside… let the Faerie Games begin!”

  The crowd erupted in applause again. And just as instructed, the other players stepped off their chariots and lined up in front of the wide stone steps.

  Octavia glared at me, like she didn’t think I deserved to be there. Julian gave me a single nod—of respect, it seemed like—although he looked away a moment later. The others didn’t acknowledge me at all.

  I took my spot as the last person in line. Once I was there, Bacchus slammed his scepter against the ground. The giant doors to the villa swung open, and Octavia led the way inside.

  Upon entering Vesta’s Villa, I looked around in awe. The ceilings were high, both them and the walls engraved with intricate patterns of vines and flowers. A sparkling, crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. Gold-framed artwork lined the walls, each one a portrait of a fae. Although when I got closer to one of the paintings, I noticed that the man portrayed in it wore fake silver tips on his ears, similar to the golden ones Bryan had put on my ears this morning.

  He was a chosen champion. And not just any chosen champion.

  The plaque on the bottom of the frame said: Hugh Flanagan, Chosen Champion of Neptune, Winner of the Faerie Games, Year 497 AD.

  Someone moved to stand next to me, watching me examine the portrait.

  It was Bridget, a girl with gleaming gold wings, sharp features, and blue eyes lacking so much pigment that they appeared gray. She was Minerva’s chosen champion. Bridget could see the future, which she’d demonstrated earlier by accurately predicting what number would fall when we all rolled a dice, and what cards we would pull from a deck Bacchus supplied for her.

  “Do you know him?” She motioned to the man in the painting.

  One of the golden orbs that had followed us into the villa zoomed over, buzzing around us. But I did my best to ignore it.

  If I ignored the orb, I was less likely to get irritated at it and do something rash, like disintegrate it with lightning.

  “I don’t know him.” I chuckled, although her question wasn’t completely ridiculous, since half-bloods became immortal the moment we were chosen by a god. “Is there a portrait in the villa for every winner of the Games?”

  “Yes,” she said. “Over fifteen hundred of them.”

  That explained why the walls were covered in portraits. “When exactly did the Faerie Games start?” I asked, since she seemed like the type of person who’d know the answer.

  “The Faerie Games started in 476 AD.” She stuck her nose in the air, as if I should already know this. “The year Romulus Augustulus, the last Emperor of Rome, was killed by the demon Odoacer.”

  I snapped my gaze away from the portrait to look at her. “You mean a demon was responsible for the fall of the Roman Empire?”

  “Of course.” She scoffed. “Odaecer wanted to be king, and he allied with dark witches to make it happen. But he feared the fae, so he worked with the witches to create the spell that made all fae allergic to iron. After the spell took hold, the fae couldn’t live on Earth anymore, so they retreated back to the Otherworld. But even though they had to retreat, they wanted to continue the culture they’d loved on Earth—the Roman Empire. And with that, the Faerie Games began.”

  “Not much is known about the fae on Earth or Avalon,” I explained, since I didn’t want Bridget to think I was dumb for not knowing this important piece of history. “There are stories, of course. But all written history of the fae was destroyed centuries ago.”

  She studied me and nodded, as if accepting my explanation. “That makes sense, since civilizations on Earth plunged into the Dark Ages after the fae retreated back to the Otherworld,” she said. “No one realized what a positive impact the fae had on Earth until they were gone and cursed to never return. A lot was lost in those centuries.”

  “You know a lot about the history of the fae,” I said, already sizing her up. Because if she knew as much as she seemed to know—especially if that knowledge extended to what had worked and what hadn’t worked in previous Faerie Games—she could be a good ally.

  “I love history—especially war history.” She gave me a sly smile. “Minerva cho
se me as her champion for a reason.”

  From the hungry way she was looking at me, I had a feeling she was considering me as an ally, too.

  But before I could respond, the giant fireplace on the other side of the room lit ablaze. The fire was so hot and bright that all eleven of us turned to look at it at once.

  The fire popped, and a beautiful woman in a flowing orange gown stepped out of the flames. She wore a stunning gold necklace and a matching headpiece with pearls that dropped over her forehead. Her eyes were such a light brown that they were basically orange, like fire.

  The flames continued burning behind her, although not as intensely as before.

  “I’m Vesta, goddess of the hearth and the home,” she said, her voice warm and soothing. “Welcome to my villa. I can’t wait to get to know each and every one of you.” She looked around, meeting each of our gazes.

  When she reached me, she paused for a second longer than she had for everyone else. Her eyes gleamed brighter with intrigue. But then she looked away, focusing on the group as a whole once more.

  “To ease into the introductions, a feast has been prepared and is waiting for us in the dining room,” she continued. “It’s time to break bread together and celebrate the start of this year’s Faerie Games.”

  37

  Selena

  Most everyone scrambled after Vesta as she led the way to the dining room.

  Octavia knocked into my shoulder as she shoved her way past me. “Watch it.” She glared at me before continuing to push forward until she was right behind Vesta.

  She clearly had it out for me already. I needed to keep an eye on her.

  It didn’t take long to reach the dining room, which was just as elegant as the foyer. Like in the foyer, the walls were covered with portraits of previous winners of the Games. A beautiful marble fireplace along the interior wall already burned with warm, crackling flames. On the other wall was a large window providing a breathtaking view of the flowering gardens. But the gardens were surrounded with hedges that looked to be twenty feet tall—like they were keeping us in as much as they were keeping the general public out.

  A long dining table made of polished wood sat in the center of the room, with twelve chairs around it. It was set with delicate chinaware, and in the center was an overflowing abundance of meats, cheeses, fruits, juices, and wine. The smell of all the food made my mouth water. But only one chair was at the head of the table. The rest were along the sides, although unevenly, with five on one side and six on the other.

  The golden orbs followed us into the dining room, buzzing above our heads.

  Vesta walked to the chair at the head of the table and placed her hand on the top of it. “Please seat yourselves,” she said. “I imagine you’re all hungry after your impressive performances in the magic demonstration ceremony.”

  This time I definitely didn’t imagine that she looked at me for slightly longer than she looked at any of the others.

  The extra attention I was getting from being Jupiter’s first chosen champion was already getting old, and the Games had barely begun.

  Octavia, Bridget, Felix, and Antonia rushed to grab seats near Vesta before anyone else had a chance. Most of the others followed suit, until only three of us remained. Cassia, Julian, and me.

  I walked with them to the three seats at the far end of the table.

  Julian claimed his seat first—the one with another seat next to him. He looked at me steadily, as if daring me to sit next to him.

  I ached to do just that. The thought of being near him gave me a rush of comfort that I couldn’t explain.

  But my feelings were betraying me. I shouldn’t want to be near Julian. He was the forbidden fruit, and as much as I wanted to take another bite, I also knew that would be a terrible idea.

  So I pushed my feelings for him away, burying them deep down inside myself where they belonged. And instead of sitting next to him, I hurried to the seat across from him before I could change my mind.

  Once I sat down, I realized my mistake. Because it was going to be impossible to keep myself from looking across the table at Julian throughout the meal.

  How had it only been a week ago that his lips had kissed mine? So much had happened since then. The person I’d been when I’d kissed him felt worlds away from the person I was now.

  His lips curled into a knowing smirk, and the moment I met his amused ice blue eyes, I knew he’d noticed me staring at him. My cheeks heated with embarrassment.

  I needed to get my focus where it belonged, which was anywhere but on Julian. If I couldn’t manage that, then this was going to be one torturously long meal.

  No—it was going to be a torturously long competition.

  Especially since only one of us could get out of it alive.

  With Juno nearly sentencing me to death, the Games felt more real than ever. Before, I was holding out hope that my parents and their army would rescue me and put an end to this. But even though it was still a possibility, I couldn’t have that attitude anymore.

  Which meant treating the Games like I was playing until the end.

  And like Bryan had said, I could make it to the final three without killing anyone. Once I was there, I’d have no choice—it was either kill or be killed. But until then, I didn’t want to kill anyone if I didn’t have to.

  I needed to play the best social game I could to get as little blood on my hands as possible.

  “Before we eat, I want to explain my role in the Games,” Vesta said from her seat at the head of the table. “I’m the ‘house mother.’ I’ll provide you with food and drinks, like this lovely feast I’ve readied today. If you need anything specifically, ask me and I’ll decide whether or not to give it to you. Most importantly, I know life is difficult for chosen champions in the villa, because in the Faerie Games, no one truly knows who they can trust. So if you need an unbiased party to talk to, you can come to my private quarters. Everything we discuss in there won’t be repeated to the other players in the Game.

  “But I can’t tell you what moves you should make,” she continued. “In our conversations, I’ll help you think through the pros and cons for the options you have. What you decide to do from there is up to you, and you alone.”

  Having an unbiased confidant inside the Games sounded too good to be true.

  When things sounded too good to be true, it usually meant they were.

  I’d have to watch what I discussed with Vesta. Because sure, she seemed nice and caring. But she was still one of the gods.

  I didn’t trust the gods. We were pawns to them—nothing more.

  “There’s one final rule you need to know, and then we can eat.” She eyed the food, like she was hungry, too. Did gods even get hungry? I wasn’t sure. “You’re not allowed to use your magic to physically injure other players inside the villa, or on its grounds. If you do, you’ll be eliminated from the Games immediately.”

  “Good.” Octavia scoffed. “Since Jupiter’s player can’t control her powers, it sounds like she’ll get herself eliminated on her own. Like what should have happened when she broke the rules by attacking the orbs.” She glared at me so intensely that her hatred was like a living, breathing thing.

  An orb buzzed closer to me, apparently waiting to broadcast my reaction to everyone watching this go down.

  “Juno created the rules of the Games.” I spoke calmly, despite the storm brewing within myself from the anger at Octavia’s calling me out in front of everyone. “What ‘should’ happen is whatever she decides. And she decided to let me play.” I held Octavia’s gaze, daring her to argue any differently when we both knew that all the gods—including Juno—were watching our every move.

  Juno didn’t seem like the type of woman who’d appreciate a half-blood telling her they disagreed with her decision.

  Octavia must have thought the same thing, because she grabbed her knife, braced it on top of the table, and glared at me. “You better watch your back, Blondie,” she snarled. “Becaus
e I’m coming for you.”

  My heart stopped in my chest.

  But I couldn’t let Octavia see that she’d intimidated me. So I took a deep breath and got ahold of myself.

  “Game on,” I said coolly, and then I checked my nails, as if they were far more important than anything else Octavia could say to me.

  The orbs glowed brighter and buzzed louder, as if the drama entertained them.

  Vesta brought her hands together in a dramatic fashion and looked back and forth between Octavia and me. “This has been an eventful start to the feast,” she said brightly, looking at the rest of the players sitting quietly around the table. “Does anyone else have any grievances they wish to air at this time?”

  A few of them eyed others, but no one said a word.

  I focused on the plate in front of me. No need to bring any more attention to myself after all the events of today.

  “Wonderful.” Vesta smiled, although her smile didn’t look genuine. The Games were truly on, and I couldn’t trust anyone—not even our house mother. “In that case, let’s eat.”

  38

  Selena

  After dinner, we retreated to the library with our glasses of juice or wine. Most of the players—myself included—chose juice. According to Bryan, Devyn was just being a jerk during our first breakfast together when he implied that faeries only drank wine. Juice was perfectly acceptable, too.

  One of the mantras of the Faerie Games was to expect anything at any time, and to always watch your back. So it was smart to stay sober.

  The library, like all the other rooms I’d seen in the villa so far, was gorgeous. Books lined the shelves, and portraits were displayed on the walls between them. A crystal chandelier hung from the engraved ceiling, a plush Turkish rug cushioned my feet, and big comfy chairs sat in the center of the room, facing each other so people could chat around the blazing fireplace.