She nodded and started shuffling the cards again.
“That’s not how we learned to do tarot readings at Avalon Academy.” I pressed my lips together immediately after speaking, realizing too late that I’d probably crossed a line. It technically wasn’t my place to question the prophetess. But I’d never cared about technicalities. And besides, I did want to know why she was using the cards that way. So I didn’t apologize for misspeaking.
The prophetess continued to shuffle, looking unfazed by my curiosity. “You learned that you’re supposed to shuffle, then either I’d pick the cards from the top, or you’d pick them from a fan,” she said.
“Yes.” I nodded.
“That’s the traditional way to do a reading.” She stopped shuffling the cards, and she laid them out in a fan in front of her. “This is my way. Pick a card.”
I hovered my hand over the cards, waiting for one to stand out to me. When I got the same warm tingle in my hand that I’d had while shuffling, I removed the card and placed it on the table between us.
The Four of Wands.
The artwork on the card showed a man standing next to a woman on a white horse. In front of them were four tall, flaming wands.
The prophetess stared at the card intensely. It was kind of eerie. Like she was in another place, seeing something we couldn’t.
Finally she looked up from the card. “The future is never set in stone,” she said. “But there’s a possibility that you’ll be able to find your way to the Otherworld. And to do it, you’ll need the help of three others who live on Avalon.”
10
Torrence
An hour later, I was gathered around the fireplace in the Earth Angel’s quarters with the Earth Angel, the prophetess, Raven, and the three others the prophetess had seen in the tarot card.
Closest to me was Sage Montgomery, the wolf/vampire hybrid who was the alpha of the Montgomery pack. She wore all black, and her long hair was so dark that it nearly matched her outfit.
Next to her on the sofa was Thomas Bettencourt, the vampire/wolf hybrid who was gifted with power over technology. He was Sage’s mate, which was why they were both hybrids. He wore a tailored suit—he looked more like a high-powered businessman than a warrior. But I knew he could fight, because both he and Sage were legends on the island, too.
In the armchair farthest away from me was Reed Holloway. He was the only male mage on Avalon, and he was the younger brother of Dahlia, Violet, and Iris. But unlike his sisters, he’d stopped wearing the medieval style clothing from the mage realm of Mystica once he got to Avalon. Probably because with his jet black hair and intense jungle green eyes, our Avalon Academy training outfits made him look even more badass than he already was.
I’d tried getting to know him when he’d come to Avalon over the summer, but he wouldn’t talk to me—or any other witches at the academy. All we knew about him was that he was devoted to a princess back on Mystica. He wouldn’t say anything about her, but since he didn’t even look at any of the girls at Avalon Academy, I guessed she was really something special.
His loss. I wasn’t into the broody, silent type, anyway.
The Earth Angel filled them in on what was going on with Selena. Then the prophetess told them about their appearance in her tarot reading, and how the four of us needed to work together to find an entrance to the Otherworld.
“You know I’m down,” Sage said, her eyes sharpening at the mention of adventure.
“Same here,” Thomas said. “But the quest would be more efficient if we knew where to start looking.”
“I can try asking the cards.” Skylar took them out, shuffled, and laid them out on the coffee table. She picked one and laid it flat.
The High Priestess. A dark-haired, winged woman in a blue dress, with butterflies flying around her.
The prophetess stared at the card, lost in deep concentration. The rest of us were silent as we waited for her to finish. The only sounds in the room were the flames crackling in the fireplace.
Finally, the prophetess looked up from the card. “One of the most powerful witches in the world can lead you toward the answer you seek,” she said. “Unfortunately, I can’t see which witch that is. All I know is that she doesn’t live on Avalon.”
“So that leaves the entire world for us to search.” Sage held her head high, not looking intimidated in the slightest. “Great. We’re on it.”
“Not necessarily the entire world.” From the level way Thomas spoke, he was clearly the calm that balanced Sage’s fire. “There are a handful of places in the world where almost all of the most powerful witches reside.”
“The vampire kingdoms,” I blurted out.
“Yes.” He nodded. “The most logical way to go about this is to ask around the vampire kingdoms and see what we can find out. We already know the Vale doesn’t have any information about the Otherworld, since they’re our closest ally and we spoke with them yesterday. Which means we should visit the five other kingdoms first.”
“I thought you spoke with all of your allies,” Reed finally added something to the conversation. “Aren’t you allied with all six kingdoms?”
“We are,” the Earth Angel said. “And we did send Bella and Jacen to speak with them. But Skylar said this quest was for the four of you. Perhaps you’ll discover something that Jacen and Bella couldn’t.”
“We will.” I sat forward, glad to have something important to do. “Which kingdom should we visit first?”
“We’ll start with the safest one—the Haven—and continue on from there,” Thomas said. “We’ll save the most dangerous ones for last.”
With the decision made, the Earth Angel outfitted us with holy weapons—in case we ran into any demons on our journey. Then it was time to head out.
Reed barely said a word the entire time. He technically hadn’t even agreed to come on the mission. I just assumed he was coming because he hadn’t said he wasn’t, and because he’d taken a sword like the rest of us.
When I took Sage’s hands, Reed took Thomas’s, and we teleported to the vampire kingdom of the Haven.
11
Torrence
I’d been to the Haven before. All witches on Avalon had been to the rendezvous locations for all the vampire kingdoms, so we could successfully teleport to each one of them.
The Haven was located in the lush southwestern Ghats mountain range in India, and it was positively beautiful.
We arrived right outside of the boundary. Two tigers and one girl who looked to be a few years older than me waited inside, directly across from us. She wore the white flowing pants and matching top donned by all residents of the Haven.
Because of the boundary, I couldn’t smell what type of supernatural she was.
“Welcome to the Haven,” she said with a warm smile. “I’m Leena. How may I help you today?”
Thomas stepped forward. “I’m Thomas Bettencourt,” he said. “I’m a friend of your leader, Mary, as is my mate, Sage Montgomery. My companions and I are here on a mission from the Earth Angel, and require an immediate audience with Mary.”
Before he could say any more, a woman with long brown hair riding on the back of a tiger ran to meet us. Mary. She was yet another legend in supernatural history. We learned all about her at Avalon Academy.
“The Earth Angel sent a message that you’d be arriving,” she said, as four witches in Haven whites teleported beside us. “We’ll bring you in, confirm your identities, and then we’ll sit down for a chat.”
The witches brought us to a secure room in the main building, where they took our blood to make sure we weren’t demons who’d taken transformation potion to breech the kingdom.
Once our identities were confirmed, they led us to a colorful tearoom. Mary waited there with drinks and plates featuring an array of small bites. There was jasmine tea for me and Reed, and animal blood for Thomas, Sage, and Mary.
“Come, sit.” Mary motioned to the red patterned cushions around the short table. “Tell
me what you need.”
We removed our shoes, placed them next to hers near the door, and sat down on the pillows. It was far more comfortable than it looked, although Thomas looked pretty out of place in his fancy suit.
We quickly broke bread together—as was customary when visiting a vampire kingdom—and Reed and I introduced ourselves. Then we told Mary everything that had happened since the night Selena was kidnapped.
“We’re here to see if any of your witches is the one who knows how to get to the Otherworld,” I concluded.
“If one of our witches knew how to get to the Otherworld, she or he would have told me,” Mary said. “And if they chose not to tell me, I can’t force them. Truth potion—or any potion that makes a resident of the Haven do anything against their will—is forbidden here.”
“We understand,” Sage said. “In that case, we were hoping for an audience with Rosella.”
The vampire seer Rosella was another legend. Her visions had helped lead the Earth Angel and the Queen of Swords on their paths so they could become who they were today. I couldn’t believe I’d be meeting her, too.
“I’m afraid Rosella isn’t here right now,” Mary said.
“When will she be back?” Sage asked.
“I can’t say. Rosella often disappears for days at a time to help supernaturals in need of her guidance. You must remember that, from when she first appeared to your friend Raven.”
“Is there any way you can reach her?” I asked. “We only need a few minutes of her time.”
“I’m afraid not,” Mary said sympathetically.
“She has to have a cell phone. Or one of your witches can send her a fire message. Please?”
“If Rosella needed to be here right now, she’d be here,” Mary said. “I’m afraid you’ll have to look elsewhere.”
Thomas placed his teacup of blood down on the table. “Thank you for your time,” he said. “Now, I don’t mean to be rude and cut this short, but we need to decide which kingdom we’re visiting next.”
“I understand.” Mary stood up, and the rest of us did the same. “I wish you luck on your mission, and I’ll be praying for Selena’s safe return to Avalon.”
12
Selena
On the night of the Selection Ceremony, the fireplace in my suite flared, and Vesta stepped out of the flames. She wore the same orange gown as the first day I’d met her. Apparently, that was her uniform during the Games.
“Selena,” she greeted me. “I hope the past few days have been treating you well.”
“They’ve been challenging,” I said, since it was the truth.
Vesta nodded, since as the goddess of the home, she saw everything that happened in the villa. “I’ll be helping you get ready, and instructing you on what you’ll be doing during the ceremony,” she said. “The dress your stylist sent over is stunning. He has exquisite taste.”
She waved a hand at the two golden orbs in my room, orange magic releasing from her palm and toward them. Her magic surrounded the orbs, and they both zoomed out through the door.
“We can’t have anyone watching you get ready,” she said with a warm smile. “That would ruin the surprise.”
I didn’t smile in return. Vesta was one of the gods, and no matter how caring she seemed, she was no better than the rest of them.
Then I remembered Bryan’s warning about not getting on the bad sides the gods. If the gods liked me, they’d be more likely to create competitions in my favor.
So I forced my lips up into a small smile, hoping it was convincing enough. “We wouldn’t want that,” I managed to say, trembling as I spoke.
But I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I couldn’t afford to show any weaknesses. Not to Vesta, not to the other players, and not to the citizens of the Otherworld watching through the orbs.
Staying in control was what would keep me alive.
“No,” she agreed. “We certainly wouldn’t.”
With the initial pleasantries over, she walked over to my wardrobe and opened both doors at once. As expected, my gown was light blue. That was my color for the Games, since it was the color of my wings. She removed it from the wardrobe and helped me put it on.
Roman in style, the dress had a tight strapless bodice with a line of gold down the center. The skirt flowed to the floor, although there was a slit cut up to above my knee. The “sleeves” were put on separately, as they were light blue pieces of lace that started below my shoulders and ended above my elbows. Sheer fabric that matched the skirt flowed out from the end of the sleeves as well, so long that they touched the floor.
The sleeves covered the fake red tattoo that circled my right bicep. All half-bloods were given the tattoo at birth, with enchanted ink that bound their magic. It was apparently an excruciating process. Since I wasn’t born with any magic, my “tattoo” was an illusion so the fae wouldn’t view me as a threat.
Next, Vesta helped me accessorize. She placed thick gold cuffs around my wrists, a necklace to cover my bare chest, and earrings that dangled to my shoulders.
The entire time, she told me what to do during the ceremony. I was glad that all I had to do was listen. Because inside, my lungs were tight, my body numb. I was too anxious to talk, let alone form a complete sentence.
“Now, for the final touch,” she said, placing the golden empress wreath on my head. “Take a look.”
She took my hand and walked me over to the full-length mirror.
I stared at my reflection, my chest hollow. I barely recognized myself. The outfit was fit for an empress—or a goddess.
I looked like someone who was confident and in control.
Someone who was ready to announce the three champions I’d be sending to the arena to fight to the death.
Vesta led the way to the library, where the ten other champions waited on the sofas and chairs surrounding the fireplace. They were all dressed in their semi-formal training gear, so I stood out in my long gown. All the orbs in the villa were in the library, too. There must have been forty or fifty of them in all.
Vesta motioned for me to enter first. When I did, a few orbs zoomed over to buzz around me, and everyone turned to look at me.
My eyes met Julian’s first. He took a sharp breath inward, as if the sight of me left him breathless.
It was the same way I felt every time I looked at him.
My cheeks heated, and everyone else blurred into the background. I was trapped in his ice-blue gaze. Every bone in my body urged me to go to him.
But, of course, I held back.
He’d lied to me, kidnapped me to the Otherworld, and sold me to Prince Devin for money, I reminded myself. He feels nothing for me. It’s all an act so he can try to wrap me around his finger, just like Felix intends to do to every female in the villa.
Why couldn’t I just hate him, like anyone else would in the same circumstance?
I didn’t know, and that was a question for another time. Because I had a ceremony to lead.
I forced my eyes away from Julian’s. I’d only been looking at him for two or three seconds, but it felt like my emotions were on display for everyone to see.
Hopefully no one had noticed.
Vesta walked—no, glided—over to the fireplace and faced all ten players. She was the total opposite of Bacchus. The calm to balance his chaos.
I followed in Vesta’s wake and stood slightly off to the side, like she’d instructed me to do. I made sure to remain focused on her. I didn’t want to risk accidentally staring at Julian again.
She smiled at the golden orbs floating right behind the champions. “I’m Vesta, the goddess of the hearth and the home. Welcome to the first Selection Ceremony,” she said, clearly speaking to the viewers watching through the orbs and not to us. “Selena Pearce—the chosen champion of Jupiter—won the Empress of the Villa competition for the week. Now, it’s her job to select the three players she’s sending to the arena to fight for their lives. Two will come out victorious and will return to the vi
lla to continue playing in the Games. The other will move on to the Underworld, where he or she will live on for eternity in Elysium alongside other heroes and mortals related to the gods.”
My insides churned at the reminder that everyone in the Otherworld believed the chosen champions were given an automatic spot in Elysium—the paradise of the Underworld. Maybe the gods were telling the truth about that, or maybe they weren’t. I didn’t know. It didn’t matter. Because even if they were being truthful, the life we lived before passing on was meaningful and important. It shouldn’t be cut short—especially in the name of a twisted form of entertainment.
Octavia, Cillian, Emmet, Pierce, and Cassia sat straighter at the mention of their destiny in the Underworld. Julian’s eyes went as hard as steel. The others remained blank, impossible to read.
The ones who looked less than enthused were probably playing in the Games because of the generous lifetime stipend that would be given to their families in their honor.
Vesta aimed her orange magic toward three of the orbs off to the side. She brought them forward to float in front of her, right below chest level.
“Selena will now take my place in the front of the library,” she said. “Where she’ll perform her duty as Empress of the Week and announce the three champions she’s sending to the arena.”
13
Selena
Vesta moved aside, and I took her place at the front of the library. As I walked, I didn’t feel like I was actually there. All I saw were the three golden orbs floating in front of me. Everything else blurred into the background. My mind drew a blank.
“Selena,” Vesta said with a hint of warning in her tone. “Please go ahead and announce your selections.”
“Right.” I cleared my throat, remembering her instructions from earlier. I looked around at the other players, trying not to pause when I got to the three I’d chosen. “This decision hasn’t been easy,” I started. “It’s the hardest decision I’ve had to make in my life. But as Empress of the Week, I have no choice but to send three of you to the arena.” I stared extra hard at the orbs recording me, speaking straight to the viewers.
The Faerie Pawn (Dark World: The Faerie Games Book 2) Page 4
