The Faerie Pawn (Dark World: The Faerie Games Book 2)

by Michelle Madow

  “Most of the time?” The Earth Angel raised an eyebrow.

  “Yeah.” My cheeks heated. “I mean, sometimes rules are made by bad people. I suppose they have their reasons for those rules, although that doesn’t mean they should be followed. But you and Prince Jacen want to keep everyone on Avalon safe. I shouldn’t have questioned that. I’m sorry I did.”

  Much to my surprise, the Earth Angel gave me a hint of a smile. “You’re right,” she said. “When bad people put rules in place, it’s best to do everything possible to rebel against them. We should never be complacent. I wouldn’t be here right now if I’d ever been.”

  I knew she was referring to how she’d escaped her life as a human blood slave in the vampire kingdom of the Vale and become the powerful force she was today. Her story was a legend on Avalon.

  “I also have to take responsibility for my own faults,” she continued. “I’ve always believed that rules should be explained and understood by those expected to follow them. Unfortunately, because of my blood oath with Camelia, I was unable to do that for Selena. And it’s possible that when I was your age, if I were in your situation, I might have done the same thing you did.”

  I stood there for a second, stunned. “So… does that mean you don’t hate me?” I asked.

  “I never hated you,” she said sadly. “I just wish all of this never happened. I hate the situation. Not you.”

  “I hate the situation, too,” I said, glad the apology was done with so we could move on to more important things. “Have you heard anything from Prince Jacen and Aunt Bella?”

  “Not yet.” She glanced at the books spread out on the table. “But we’ve been checking in on them through the tracking rings we gave them before they left.”

  “So they’re safe.” If they weren’t, I assumed the Earth Angel and the mages would be panicking.

  “They’re still at the crossroads.”

  “But they left almost twenty-four hours ago.”

  Dahlia rolled her eyes. “We know that,” she said. “And if there was a problem, they would have texted us. Right now, our most important job is to research the fae, so we’re prepared for anything they might throw at us.”

  “There isn’t much written about them, so it’s a challenge,” Iris chimed in. “But we’re finding bits and pieces.”

  I frowned. That didn’t sound promising.

  “I want to go to the crossroads to check on them,” I said. “The five of us in this room are the only ones who know what’s going on, and you guys can’t leave Avalon since your magic is bound to the island. I’m the only one who can leave. So I’m going.”

  The four of them looked at each other in question.

  Waiting was killing me. Because the truth was, I was probably going to go to the crossroads whether the Earth Angel said yes or not. Which would be super hypocritical after everything I’d said about realizing that not all rules were bad. And I really had meant it. But I also hated sitting around when I could be doing something to help.

  “Good idea,” the Earth Angel said, stopping me right before I started to argue about why I should be allowed to go. “But on one condition.”

  “Anything,” I said, since at this point, I was just grateful to be given permission to help Selena.

  “We don’t know what’ll be waiting for you at the crossroads,” she said. “So I’ll be sending the Queen of Swords with you to protect you.”

  4

  Torrence

  My eyes widened. The Queen of Swords was as much of a legend as the Earth Angel.

  She was also the most powerful warrior on the island, and she was scary as hell.

  “Well?” The Earth Angel tilted her head. “Do you agree to the condition?”

  “I do,” I said. The Queen of Swords might be a fierce warrior, but I was the strongest witch born in decades. Sure, the Queen of Swords and I had only seen each other in passing, but I’d never been shy. I had this. “But does the Queen of Swords know what actually happened to Selena?”

  “Not yet,” she said. “I’m about to fill her in. Iris, you’ll come with me, since you’re the only one of us not bound to Camelia’s blood oath and can speak about what’s happening. Once we’re done, we’ll bring the Queen of Swords back to my quarters, and the two of you can head out. So… wait here. This shouldn’t take long.”

  The Earth Angel gave Iris a knowing look. Then the two of them flashed out, leaving me alone with Dahlia and Violet.

  I walked over to where the mages were sitting and plopped down in one of the chairs. “So,” I said, looking at the piles of books on the table. “What’ve you all learned about the fae?”

  Despite all the books, the mages knew practically nothing about the fae.

  No wonder the Earth Angel was so quick to jump on my offer to check in on Prince Jacen and Aunt Bella.

  The Earth Angel and Iris popped back in about forty-five minutes later. The Queen of Swords stood between them.

  Like mostly everyone else on Avalon, the Queen of Swords appeared to be in her mid-twenties, thanks to the anti-aging effects of the food and water on the island. She wore her black Avalon workout gear, and her long red hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Since she was a Nephilim, her eyes were the same sharp gold as the Earth Angel’s. Her gleaming sword—the Holy Sword, Excalibur—was sheathed at her side.

  I’d seen her fight with that sword before. It was incredible—like she and the sword were one and the same.

  “Hi.” She looked me up and down, as if appraising what she’d be working with. “You must be Torrence.”

  “Yep.” I squared my shoulders. “And you’re the Queen of Swords.”

  “I am.” Her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Although the title can be a bit of a mouthful. Just call me Raven.”

  My mouth nearly dropped open. The last thing I’d expected to happen today was to suddenly be on a first-name basis with the Queen of Swords. But here I was. So I might as well go with it.

  “Hi, Raven.” I did my best not to sound mind-blown about addressing the Queen of Swords so casually, although I totally failed.

  “Annika filled me in on what’s happening with Selena,” she continued, jumping straight to the point. “We both trust that Jacen and Bella have the situation under control. But it can’t hurt to check up on them. Although we’ll have to do so undetected, since we don’t want to interrupt anything important that Jacen and Bella might be doing. Which means we’ll put on cloaking rings and drink invisibility potion before leaving. Sound good?”

  “Sounds good,” I said, relieved to finally be doing something to help Selena.

  “Great.” She smiled, looking surprisingly friendly for someone so lethal. “Let’s get ready, and then we’ll head out.”

  5

  Selena

  I could barely eat the next morning at breakfast. The anxiety swirling in my stomach took anyway any appetite I might have had. Luckily, Octavia and her friends did most of the talking, so I was able to sit back, study everyone, and weigh my options.

  After the meal, Cassia and Julian followed me up to my suite. We didn’t even have time to start discussing my conversation with Pierce before someone knocked on the door.

  Felix.

  Curious about what he wanted, I let him in.

  Every muscle in Julian’s body tightened the moment Felix entered. He looked like he wanted to punch Felix in his unnaturally handsome face.

  Felix ignored Julian and hopped onto the bed, situating himself between me and Cassia. His pink wings shared space with both of ours, sending a spark of unease through my body.

  Cassia pulled her hair over her shoulders and scooted closer to Felix.

  I inched away until I was as close to the edge of the bed as I could get without falling off.

  “What do you want?” Julian asked Felix, not bothering with pleasantries.

  “Just some time with the two most beautiful ladies in the villa.” Felix crossed one leg lazily over the other, not looking like he w
as going anywhere anytime soon. “It isn’t fair that you’re getting them all to yourself.”

  I rolled my eyes and crossed my legs away from him.

  Felix turned to me and moved closer. “So,” he said. “Any chance I can get some time alone with you to chat?”

  I shuddered at the request, even though I should have asked Julian and Cassia to step out so I could hear whatever Felix had to say. It was normal for the Empress of the Villa to have one-on-ones with every player before selecting who was going to the arena.

  But I could tell that Felix expected me to easily give in to his request. And I hated the way he stared down at me, like I was a puppet that would bend to his will.

  I wanted him to know I was stronger than that.

  But before I could say no, Julian cracked his knuckles and stood up. “Go for it,” he said. “I was about to head to the courtyard to work out, anyway.” He marched out of the suite and slammed the door shut so hard that a crack formed down the middle of it.

  One of the golden orbs buzzed straight through the door to follow him. Once it was gone, the crack quickly repaired itself, thanks to Vesta’s magic.

  “You should go with him,” Felix said to Cassia. “I’ll come down and find you in a bit.”

  Cassia stared up at Felix, entranced. I had a feeling she was about to do whatever he asked. But then she turned to me, her green eyes questioning. Like she was asking if I wanted to be left alone with Felix or not.

  Relief coursed through me the moment she resisted his magic.

  “Go ahead,” I told her, since whatever hold Felix had on others didn’t seem to affect me. “I’ll join you guys once we’re done up here.”

  Cassia nodded and headed toward the door, although she did give Felix once final longing look before leaving.

  That was not good. But I’d chat with her about Felix later. Right now, I had to focus on the conversation at hand.

  “So.” Felix smiled at me mischievously. “What’s gotten into Julian?”

  “I have no idea.” I stared at the sofa where Julian had been sitting, as confused by his outburst as Felix. For someone who’d claimed there was no bad blood between them, he sure wasn’t acting like it.

  “No matter.” Felix moved closer to me. “Now that it’s just us, I’m looking forward to hearing who you’re intending to send to the arena this week.”

  I balked at the forwardness of his question—like he expected me to answer without hesitation.

  What an arrogant jerk.

  “I’m still thinking about my options.” I studied my nails, making it clear that I intended to tell him nothing.

  “Come on.” His eyes were playful now, his voice more musical than ever. “You can trust me not to tell anyone.”

  “Not even Octavia?” I challenged. “Because the two of you looked awfully close when she pulled you up onto that horse with her.”

  “Don’t be jealous of Octavia,” he teased, brushing his finger against my forearm. “She has nothing on you.”

  I yanked my arm away, glaring at him for having the nerve to touch me like that. “I’m not jealous of Octavia.”

  He looked startled by my resistance, but only for a second. “Good,” he said, his eyes soft and understanding. “Because there’s nothing going on between me and Octavia. I simply took what was offered when she pulled me up to share her horse. Can you blame me?”

  He might have been an arrogant jerk. But he did have a point.

  “I guess not,” I said. “But even once I decide who I’m sending to the arena, I’m not telling anyone until the Selection Ceremony. I don’t want to worry anyone unnecessarily.”

  He studied me for a few more seconds, like he was waiting for me to change my mind.

  “Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?” I asked.

  His face hardened, and he sat back so there was a normal amount of space between us.

  Finally, I could breathe again.

  “My magic doesn’t work on you at all.” He stared at me like I was some sort of anomaly. “Does it?”

  “It doesn’t,” I admitted, since there was no point in hiding it anymore. Unlike Felix, I had no intention of flirting my way to the end of the Games. “It never has.”

  “So you fancy women then?”

  “No.” My thoughts immediately went to the kiss I’d shared with Julian back on Earth—when I’d thought he was just a regular human. “Definitely not.”

  “Hm.” Confusion passed over Felix’s eyes. “That’s strange. My magic works on anyone who fancies men. Unless…” He paused, a light looking like it had gone on in his mind.

  “Unless what?”

  “Unless you’ve met your soulmate,” he said simply.

  I laughed, since that was the last thing I’d expected him to say. “Half-bloods don’t have soulmates,” I said. “You know that.”

  “Half-bloods rarely have soulmates,” he corrected me, as sly as ever. “But it’s happened before. And it’s the only explanation for your immunity to my magic. So that has to be it. Tell me. Who is it?”

  Wow. He was a bigger gossip than Torrence. And she loved to gossip, so that was really saying something.

  “I don’t have a soulmate.” I laughed and waved away his idea, despite the pit of worry growing in my stomach. “There are tons of other possible reasons for why I’m immune to your magic.”

  “Like what?” He crossed his arms in challenge.

  “Like my biological mother being a witch instead of a human,” I said quickly, continuing before he had a chance to argue back. “Or the fact that I grew up on Avalon instead of in the Otherworld. Or it could be a side effect of being chosen by Jupiter. Who knows? But I don’t have a soulmate. I’d know it if I did.”

  Each explanation sounded logical as I said it.

  But the clawing feeling in my gut made me wonder if Felix could be right. Which was ridiculous. Because the only person I’d ever felt that way about was Julian.

  And Julian had betrayed me in the worst way imaginable when he’d kidnapped me to the Otherworld.

  He couldn’t be my soulmate. He wouldn’t have done that to me if he were.

  Felix simply sat back and waited, like he knew I was about to crack.

  Luckily, a knock on the door brought me back into focus.

  “I should get that.” I jumped off the bed and opened the door, not even bothering to look out the peephole first.

  Bridget stood in front of me, holding an overflowing plate of cheese, bread, and fruit. Her gray eyes were big and innocent, but it had to be an act. Bridget was Minerva’s chosen champion—the goddess of wisdom and strategy. One of her gifts was prophecy.

  She must have known I needed this interruption.

  “I noticed you didn’t eat much at breakfast,” she said. “I thought you might be hungry.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled, and my stomach growled. I wasn’t sure what I was more grateful for—the food or the interruption. “Perfect timing. Felix was just leaving.”

  Felix stood up and circled close to me, as smooth and graceful as a cat. “Good chat,” he said, placing his hand on my shoulder with a friendliness we definitely didn’t share. “But yes, I was just heading out. I don’t want to leave Cassia waiting for me for too long.”

  He waggled his eyebrows and breezed out the door, leaving both me and Bridget scowling in his wake.

  6

  Selena

  Bridget placed the fruit on the coffee table and sat down on the couch. I moved over to the chair next to her and put a piece of cheese on top of a small slice of bread to make an open-faced sandwich.

  “So.” Bridget popped a date into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “What are you thinking of doing this week?”

  I quickly told her the idea about sending Emmet and another player to the arena as pawns to take down Octavia.

  “Smart.” Her eyes glinted with approval. “As long as he knows he’s a pawn, Emmet will most likely be happy to have everyone watching him so he c
an show off his strength.”

  “That’s what I was hoping,” I said, relieved at Bridget’s confirmation that my gut feeling was correct.

  “Guys can be so empty headed like that.” She rolled her eyes, and I smiled, since that was definitely something we agreed upon. “The third player you send in should be Pierce.”

  I froze at how confidently she said it, and the comfortable feeling between the two of us disappeared in an instant. “I’m not so sure about that,” I said, lowering the cheese sandwich and summarizing the conversation I’d had with Pierce last night. I purposefully left out the part where he’d offered me safety, since there was no need to share everything with her. “He’s dangerous and I don’t think I should send him to the arena yet,” I finished. “Not when there are other options.”

  “It should be Pierce.” She leaned forward, her intense gaze locked on mine. “Trust me on this. Put Pierce in that arena, and you’ll get what you want.”

  “You know that for sure?”

  “Well, the future’s never set in stone,” she said, which I already knew, since she wasn’t the first prophet I’d met. “But it’s a highly likely outcome.”

  “That’s good to know.” I continued eating my food, thinking about it. Because she might be right that if I put Pierce in there with Emmet and Octavia, the guys would work together to take Octavia down.

  But after my conversation with Pierce, I didn’t want to send him to the arena. There had to be a better option.

  “Putting Pierce aside,” I said. “Who else do you think would be willing to work with Emmet?”

  Her gold wings fluttered with panic. “With everyone else, the future’s up in the air,” she said. “It has to be Pierce.”

  I gnawed on a fig, since the only person I truly trusted in the Games was Cassia. Despite my three-week deal with Bridget, I couldn’t fully trust her.