That couldn’t happen.
But I felt like a ticking time bomb, just waiting to explode. That terrified me. Would I end up getting myself eliminated from the Games because my magic had more control over me than I had over it?
I refused to let that happen.
Which meant tapping into my feelings, but not giving in to them. If I did that, then I should be able to control the bolts.
I kneeled back down and took a deep breath. I could do this.
But before I could call on the electricity again, a twig snapped behind me.
I stood and spun around. My eyes instantly connected with Julian’s ice blue ones.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, hiding my hands behind my back. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”
“Shouldn’t you?” He raised an eyebrow in challenge.
“Why are you so frustrating?” I stomped my foot into the ground.
He tilted his head, studying me. “Did you just stomp your foot?”
“Ugh.” I groaned, glancing up at the aurora lighting up the night sky before turning my attention back to him. “Stop answering my questions with questions.”
“Why?” The corner of his lips lifted into a smirk.
“You’re annoying,” I said. “And I’m going inside.”
“Wait.” He reached out, his hand wrapping around my arm to stop me.
I froze and stared at him at the same moment as he realized what he’d done and pulled his hand back to his side.
“Sorry,” he muttered, glancing down at the ground. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
I just stood there, stunned. Was the illusive chosen champion of Mars embarrassed?
No way. It was just an act. He was good at acting.
He’d proven that to me when he’d tricked me into trusting him so he could pull me through that portal.
At the reminder, I clenched my fists to my sides, glaring at him like he was the spawn of Satan.
If only he wasn’t staring back with those captivating, intense eyes that looked so vulnerable. Damn Julian and his eyes. If he wasn’t looking at me like that, maybe I could have hated him like I should have.
Instead, I hated myself for not hating him.
Talk about confusing.
“I came out here to practice,” he said all at once.
I stepped back, jarred by his sudden admission. “Practice what?”
“Sword fighting,” he said simply, like I should have figured it out on my own.
“But you’re the chosen champion of Mars,” I said. “You’re a natural at sword fighting. You don’t need to practice.”
“Everyone needs to practice.” He smiled, and his stupid smile was just as hypnotizing as his eyes. “Even the chosen champion of Mars. And apparently, the chosen champion of Jupiter, too.” He nodded at where I was standing, like he’d just called me out.
“I’m not practicing,” I lied. “I just came out here to… get some air.”
From the amused way he looked at me, I could tell I was as terrible of a liar as I suspected.
And I just stood there like a mute idiot, unable to think of anything to say to make the lie more convincing. I cringed inwardly at how painfully awkward this entire encounter had been.
“Great timing, then.” He broke the silence between us, and I felt like I could breathe again. “Because it’s always better to practice with a sparring partner. You game?” He pulled two gleaming swords from the ether and held one out for me to take.
I kept my arms firmly to my sides, my eyes locked on the sword. Part of me wanted to take it and get my anger out with the satisfying clash of the blade.
Another part of me worried that I’d continue fawning over Julian and make more of an idiot of myself than I already had. Being around him made it hard to think—and to speak. It was way too easy to get lost in his magnetic aura.
I’d already fallen once.
I didn’t plan on being that naive girl that fell for him again.
“You do know how to sword fight,” he said. “Right?”
“Of course I do.” I kept my gaze level with his. “I grew up on a magical island, and I had no magic. Learning how to use a sword was the only thing I could do to have some way of defending myself.”
“Well, this is working out perfectly.” He held the sword higher, clearly expecting me to take it. “Let’s do this.”
But as I looked at the blade, suspicion rose in my chest. “Why do you want to practice with me?” I asked. “You know Octavia is probably sending us both to the arena. Right?”
His motive popped into my mind a second after the question left my mouth. He wasn’t trying to help me.
He was trying to discover my weaknesses.
I was such an idiot for standing there talking to him for so long. Sure, Julian and I had been in an alliance last week. But now that Octavia was Empress of the Villa, everything had changed.
I couldn’t trust anyone. Especially not Julian, given the amount of frustrating, annoying power he had over my stupid emotions. Not only had I kissed him back on Earth, but I still turned into a bumbling idiot around him. Clearly, he realized his effect on me.
He had to be using me to ensure his survival in the Games.
“Octavia’s probably sending us both to the arena,” he agreed. “Which means we need to learn how to work together so we can take out whoever’s in there with us.”
My heart jumped into my throat.
I wanted to believe that he was offering to practice with me so we could both stay alive.
But he’d reeled me in like this before, only to turn on me quickly afterward. There was no reason why he wouldn’t do the same thing again. No—he definitely would do the same thing again. He was ruthless. A true chosen champion of the god of war.
The only person I could trust in the Games was myself. I couldn’t forget that.
I stepped back from the sword, my decision made. “No way am I showing you my cards,” I said. “I’m tired, and I’m heading back inside. Have fun practicing with yourself.”
“Oh, I will.” He flashed me a knowing smile that hinted of something dangerous. Like he was positive that this wasn’t over.
I shook away the butterflies fluttering in my stomach as I hurried back to the villa, forcing myself not to turn back to look at him.
Because if I did, I wasn’t sure I’d have the strength to turn him down again.
28
Selena
Today was the day.
Octavia’s Selection Ceremony.
We gathered in the library, the hearth burning brightly in front of the semi-circle of sofas and armchairs. I sat on a sofa between Cassia and Bridget. Cassia was as fidgety as ever. Bridget was as still as a statue.
Earlier that morning, I’d asked Bridget if she’d had any visions telling her who Octavia would select for the arena. She’d said no. But from the stiff way she was sitting—like she was ready for what was coming—I couldn’t help but suspect she’d lied.
Julian was in the armchair across from me. He didn’t look my way. Instead, he was chatting with Antonia and Felix, of all people.
Doesn’t Julian hate Felix?
Finally, the doors opened. We all silenced and turned around, watching Octavia and Vesta walk inside.
Octavia looked like a queen in a gorgeous ocean-blue gown. She wore loads of gold jewelry, similar to what I’d worn last week. Her straight dark hair hung perfectly down her back, and the golden wreath sat on her head.
The orbs floated behind her, recording every move.
She and Vesta reached the front of the room, and Vesta introduced her to the viewers. It was all for show, of course, since the viewers already knew who we were. But it was the tradition of the ceremony.
“Octavia,” Vesta continued. “Please take my place in front of the hearth and make your selections.”
With her chin held high, Octavia stepped to the front of the room and faced us. Three of the orbs followed her, settling down to ho
ver in front of her waist.
“I’ll touch each orb and toss it into the air,” she said the line that all Emperors of the Villa were required to say during the ceremony. “The face of the selected champion will appear in the orb, locking in each decision of who I’ll be sending to the arena.”
My chest tightened, and time felt like it was standing still. Unless a strange miracle happened and Octavia suddenly decided I wasn’t enemy number one, I expected to see my face in one of those orbs.
Octavia reached forward, grabbed the first orb, and tossed it into the air.
In floated above her head, my face appearing as a hologram in the center.
My head buzzed, and every background noise in the room became muffled. I couldn’t move. I could barely think.
All I could do was stare in horror at my face in the orb looking back at me.
“Selena, chosen champion of Jupiter,” Octavia said, her eyes full of glee as she looked at me. “I’ve selected you because as the first ever chosen champion of Jupiter, you’re a wild card with your magic. I don’t like that. I also don’t like you.”
Electricity buzzed through me, bringing me out of my shocked trance. “The feeling’s mutual,” I replied, somehow sounding much more in control than I felt.
She smirked, reached for the next orb, and tossed it in the air.
Julian.
I glanced over at him, but he stared straight at the orb. His entire body was tight. He moved his focus to Octavia, holding her gaze with a lethal, challenging glare of his own.
“Julian, chosen champion of Mars,” Octavia said. “You made it clear in the Emperor of the Villa competition that you’re coming after me. It would be stupid of me not to send you to the arena this week.”
He nodded, like he’d expected nothing less.
She looked away from him and grabbed the final orb. But instead of throwing it immediately into the air, she held onto it and stared at it.
Was she still undecided about the third person she was sending to the arena?
Please don’t choose Cassia or Bridget, I thought, clenching my fists in my lap. Or Cillian.
Obviously I didn’t want to fight against either of the two other people in my alliance. As for Cillian… he was more of a wild card than me, as far as I was concerned. With his strength and magic, he could be more dangerous than Julian and me combined.
After a few tense seconds, Octavia tossed the final orb into the air.
It settled next to the others above her head, and I gasped at the face staring out at us.
“Bridget, chosen champion of Minerva,” Octavia said, and Bridget didn’t move next to me. I glanced over my shoulder at her, but her gray eyes were blank. “You’re the only champion who didn’t come up to my suite to try making a deal with me. Minus Selena, of course, since I told her not to bother.” She smirked at me again, and returned her focus to Bridget. “You’re not my target. But if you don’t want to work with me, I assume you’re against me. Maybe that can be mended as the Games continue, or maybe not. But I hope you’re able to use your gift of prophecy to figure out how to beat either Selena or Julian in the arena this week.”
Bridget said nothing in return. Julian and I stayed silent, too.
Why didn’t Bridget talk to Octavia after Octavia became Empress of the Villa? She could have tried making a deal with her. Something to ensure that Julian and I wouldn’t have to face off against anyone in our alliance.
Before I could think of a possible answer, Vesta stepped up to stand beside Octavia. Her dress was the same color as the flames dancing behind her, and she held her hands delicately in front of herself, the ends of her sleeves draping down like an angel’s robe. “Does anyone have anything to say?” She looked us over, focusing specifically on the three of us selected by Octavia.
“This is gonna be one hell of a match,” Emmet jumped in, grinning when the orbs buzzed faster around him.
“Yeah it will be!” Pierce gave Emmet a high five. “It’s about time we saw the full force of Selena’s magic in action.”
Everyone except for Julian, Bridget, and Cassia nodded and murmured in agreement.
I stared down at my hands, every part of me numb. If my practice session last night was any indication, they were in for a major disappointment.
Especially because I couldn’t see myself turning on Bridget or Julian. Revulsion twisted in my stomach at either option.
Even after what Julian had done to me, the thought of hurting him made me feel sick. He couldn’t die. He just couldn’t. The mere possibility of a world without him in it made me feel empty all the way to the center of my bones.
How am I supposed to do this?
“Thank you, Octavia.” Vesta’s warm voice broke through my fear, bringing everything back into focus again. “This Selection Ceremony has come to a close. The selected champions will remain in the villa until we all go to the arena.” She looked away from the orbs and focused on me, Julian, and Bridget. “I wish the three of you the best of luck.”
29
Selena
That night, I waited till everyone was asleep again. Then, I went to the back yard for another practice session.
The only things around me were the annoying golden orbs. Other than them, it looked like this time, I’d be free to practice in private.
My sticks were all lined up in the row I’d placed them in last night. Interesting. No one else ventured this far back in the yard, but Julian had to have seen them. Why had he left them untouched?
I didn’t know, and I tried not to care. Because I had some serious practicing to do.
I tried, and tried, and tried to call on bolts and shoot them toward the sticks. I felt the magic inside of me. But it wasn’t going any better tonight than it had last night. I even stared at the orbs to try calling upon the anger I’d felt during the Magic Demonstration Ceremony. It didn’t work.
Probably because there wasn’t a crowd around me screaming about how much of a disappointment I was. And as much as I tried imagining that the crowd was around me saying those same things, it wasn’t the same as actually being there.
After thirty minutes of trying and failing, I picked up one of the sticks and threw it onto the ground. This was hopeless.
“Having trouble harnessing your magic?” a familiar voice said from behind me.
Julian.
I spun around and saw him leaning against a tree.
How long had he been watching me?
Apparently, long enough to realize what I was doing.
“How do you keep sneaking up on me like this?” I asked. “I should have heard you.”
“You were focused,” he said. “And being so quiet that I can launch silent attacks is part of my war gift.”
“Oh,” I said. “That’s… convenient.”
It was also another thing I needed to be aware of when we faced off in the arena.
“It is,” he said. “But now you’re the one avoiding my questions. You can’t harness your magic, can you?”
He was right, and we both knew it. But why did he have to be so smug about it?
“What’s it to you?” I asked.
“I know you don’t believe me,” he said. “But I don’t want you to die in the arena at the end of the week.”
“You’re right. I don’t believe you.” I wanted to mean it, but a part of me wanted him to be telling the truth.
That part of me needed a serious reality check.
“That’s fair.” He stood straight and walked toward me. With each step closer, my breath grew more and more shallow. He stopped when there were only a few feet left between us, and then, I could breathe again. “Would you believe me if I said I wanted to help you learn how to create your bolts at will?”
I studied him, unsure what his motives were. He had to be toying with me.
Maybe he didn’t believe I could do it, and he wanted to tear at my confidence before we entered the arena. Maybe he was trying to learn my strengths and weaknesses so
he’d know how to best launch an attack.
As I contemplated his offer, he held my gaze, like he was daring me to say no.
“I want to help you.” He held his hands up in a peace offering. “I swear it.”
He was too skilled at lying for his own good.
“Why would you help me when we’re pitted against each other?” I clenched my fists, my magic crackling and sparking under my skin. “I’m nothing to you. I’m just another champion in your way. And I have the best reason out of all of us to hate you, since I’m only here because you tricked me, stole me away, and sold me out. You should be protecting yourself against me. Not offering to help me.”
My magic burned bright, my hands and arms glowing with spider webs of electricity surging through my veins.
Harness it.
I opened my palms downward and pushed my magic through them with everything I had.
Two tiny bolts shot out of my hands and struck the ground.
They flashed out after a split second, leaving tiny scorched craters in their wake. Thin tendrils of smoke rose up from where they’d struck.
I froze, shocked that I’d actually done it. Then I relaxed and took a deep breath, relishing in the smoky smell of victory.
“Look at that.” Julian beamed at the craters. “I’m already helping.”
“Only because your mere existence pisses me off.”
He smirked, like I’d proven his point. “Then I’m the perfect person to help you master your magic,” he said.
I stared at him, waiting for a catch. There had to be a catch.
“You’re doing this because you want to make some kind of deal in the Games with me, aren’t you?” I asked.
“I’m not here to make a deal.” He looked at the ground and shuffled his feet, like he was nervous. Then he raised his gaze to meet mine again. “But I’m hoping you’ll accept my help as an apology for what I did.”
“Seriously?” I balked. “You kidnapped me and traded me for money. I’ll never, ever forget or forgive you for that.”
“You’re right.” He ran his hand through his hair and glanced up at the waxing moon, like he was looking to it for guidance. “I wish I’d gotten those coins a different way. But do you remember what I told you back at the fountain? About my sister being sick?”
The Faerie Pawn (Dark World: The Faerie Games Book 2) Page 11
