“I do.”
“It was true,” he said. “My sister and I were young when our father was chosen for the Games. He died in them.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, since no matter how awful of a person Julian might be, no one deserved to suffer the loss of a parent when they were so young.
He nodded and pressed his lips together, obviously not wanting to think about his father. “Right afterward, Vita—my sister—got sick,” he continued. “A chronic stomach thing, just like I told you at the fountain. There’s no cure, but there are herbs that make the pain manageable. Expensive herbs. For a while, our friends and neighbors helped out, contributing what they could to make sure she got her medicine. But once they realized she wasn’t going to be cured, they stopped. We’ve been barely scraping by these past few years to afford them. Even then, we don’t have enough. She needs those herbs. Without them…” He shook his head and swallowed, unable to continue.
“So you decided to what—go into the business of trading people for money?” I stepped back, keeping my gaze locked on his. “You became some kind of hit man?”
“Sort of,” he said, completely unapologetic about it. “But I only hunt the people who deserve it.”
“So now you’re some kind of angel of death.” This wasn’t making him sound any better. In fact, he was only sounding more and more like a monster.
“I don’t kill anyone,” he said sharply—so sharply that I believed he was telling the truth. “But I do scare them. Make them realize that whatever they’ve been doing to make someone send me after them needs to stop, before someone far less merciful than me comes their way.”
“Fine,” I said. “But you said you only come after people who deserve it. I didn’t deserve it.”
“You’re right,” he said. “But the amount of gold coins that Prince Devyn offered me…” He trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck, like he was trying to think of the right way to phrase it. “I couldn’t turn it down. You see, in the past few months, rumors about a Wild Plague have been spreading throughout the Otherworld. It supposedly originated deep in the Western Wildlands. But if it exists, it hasn’t hit here yet. No one here has even seen anyone with the plague—at least not anyone I know and trust.”
I shifted my weight from one leg to the other, uncomfortable with how open he was suddenly being. “What does this plague have to do with me?” I asked.
“It has to do with Vita,” he said. “Our neighbors are starting to talk. They think she might have the Wild Plague.”
“But that’s impossible,” I said. “She got sick before the plague even existed!”
“That’s if the plague exists at all,” he said. “And yes, it’s ridiculous. But people love to gossip, and rumors of the Wild Plague terrify them. They want to keep the plague far, far away. With the way they’ve been talking, I worry it won’t be long before they kick Vita out of the citadel—or worse.”
His eyes darkened, and I shivered.
I didn’t want to think his own people would murder his sister for having a chronic stomach illness. But these were the same people who were watching us fight to the death for entertainment. They were capable of anything.
“If I win the Faerie Games, Vita and my mother will be protected by the Empress herself,” he continued. “They’ll be given enough coin to live in comfort for the rest of their lives. Vita will have her medicine, and she’ll be able to live a normal life. She’ll grow up, fall in love, and eventually start a family of her own. I’m the only one who can give that to her. So that’s exactly what I plan on doing.”
He stood strong and determined—like winning the Games was his destiny.
“I understand why you entered the Faerie Games,” I said, since I did. “And as much as I hate to admit it, I can kind of understand why you took Prince Devyn up on his offer. You needed to make sure your sister and mother were taken care of while you’re away.”
“Exactly.” His lips curved up into a small, hopeful smile.
“But by bringing me here, you all but sentenced me to death.” Heated rage burned through me, and his smile vanished. If he thought his sob story would make me forgive him for ruining my life, he had another thing coming.
“I know.” He reached forward, but pulled his arm back at the last second. “I’ve regretted it since we portaled into Prince Devyn’s courtyard and I saw you in your true form.”
“Seriously?” My mouth dropped open in disbelief, and I quickly closed it. “You’re saying that if I truly looked like Torrence, you wouldn’t have regretted what you’d done? You regret it because what… you think I’m pretty?”
It sounded absurd, but I couldn’t think of what else he might have meant.
He scowled. “You make it sound like such an awful thing.”
“Because it is awful.”
The orbs buzzed faster. I’d been getting used to their presence—but the entire time we’d been talking about the Wild Plague, they’d dimmed and had stopped circling us.
Apparently, whoever decided what the live viewers were going to see didn’t want them hearing about the Wild Plague.
“Maybe it is,” he said, and I looked away from the orbs, taken aback by the fiery passion in his ice blue eyes. “But it’s the truth. Something about you…” He paused to gather his thoughts, studying me like I was an enigma.
I was breathless as I waited for him to continue.
Does he feel the same pull to me that I feel to him? The conversation I’d had with Felix last week rushed through my mind. Could Julian and I be soulmates?
No. That was impossible.
What kind of cruel trick would the Universe be pulling on us by making us soulmates and then throwing us into a game to the death?
“I can’t explain it.” He threw his hands out in frustration. “But I know that no matter what, I wouldn’t be able to kill you. Which gives me only one option. I have to work with you.”
“You make it sound so awful,” I said.
“It is.” Darkness crossed over his face, and for the first time that night, he looked at me like I was the enemy. “Strategically, Octavia’s right that your magic’s a wild card. The smart thing to do would be to work with Bridget and take you out. But I can’t do that.”
“So you want us to team up against Bridget to take her out.” My throat tightened, and I could barely get the words out. “You want to kill her.”
“I don’t like it, either,” he said. “But it’s our only choice.”
“No,” I challenged. “It’s not my only choice.”
Sometime while we’d been talking, we’d inched so close to each other that I could feel the heat coming off his skin. His being so close did all sorts of crazy things to my heart, lungs, and head that I felt dizzy standing there.
I tried to force myself to breathe steadily, but it was impossible. My cheeks heated, and I knew they were betraying me by turning pink.
He actually had the nerve to reach his hand up and brush his thumb lightly upon my cheek. He took a sharp breath inward, like that small touch shook him to the core.
Sparks flew through me. Not the angry kind—the happy kind. And as much as I knew I should, I couldn’t move away.
“You wouldn’t be able to kill me, either,” he murmured. “Deny it all you want. But I know it’s true.”
Something wet fell down my cheek. A tear.
He caught it in his finger, and I wanted so badly to throw myself into his arms and let him comfort me. If a single touch made me feel like this, what would it feel like to be wrapped in his arms? To kiss him again?
Our lips were so close. Just a few millimeters more…
No. I pulled away, breaking the contact between us. Coldness swarmed my body. He’s using me, just like he did back at the fountain. We’re not soulmates. We’re enemies. And I can’t ever let myself forget that.
“You’re right. I don’t want to kill you,” I said, wiping another tear off my cheek. “I don’t want to kill anyone.”
&
nbsp; The lump in my throat refused to go away. If I didn’t leave now, I was going to completely break down in front of him.
I couldn’t let him see that. I couldn’t let him comfort me again. Who knew what would happen between us if I did?
Instead, I did the same thing I had last night.
I ran.
But not without hearing his final words before I made it inside the villa.
“I meant everything I said, Selena,” he said, his words following me as they carried through the yard. “And I’ll be right here tomorrow, waiting for you. Because we’re going to work together. It’s the best chance we have of making it through this week alive.”
30
Torrence
King Devin ordered us to remain inside our hotel rooms until we were fetched to join him at dinner. He said it was for our own safety. I didn’t believe it, but since we needed information from him, we did as he asked.
It was difficult to sleep that night, not knowing what he might have in store for us. I had to keep reminding myself that our kingdoms were allies. Any move against us would be a move against Avalon. And while King Devin was a snake, he wasn’t stupid enough to start a war he would most definitely lose.
The next morning, I did the best workout I could manage given the small space and no equipment. The workout was a challenge, because I hadn’t had anything to eat since that bite of bread in Utopia, but I managed.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
I sprung up from the floor mid push-up and glanced at my watch. There were hours before dinner.
What was going on?
Maybe King Devin had decided to be generous and let us break bread over lunch instead of dinner? I hoped so, but I doubted it.
“Who is it?” I asked, inching cautiously toward the door.
The person on the other side swung the door open, and I was overwhelmed by the metallic scent of vampire.
A beautiful woman with perfectly curled dark hair sashayed inside. She flaunted every curve of her body in a tight white dress that barely covered her butt. Her stilettos were so tall that they looked like they might snap at any second, and she was dripping in diamonds.
Behind her, a mini entourage of similarly dressed vampires rolled in carts upon carts of clothes, makeup, jewelry, and various other items.
“I’m Princess Daniela.” The woman appraised me, scrunching her nose at the sight of my Avalon training uniform, sneakers, and hair thrown up into a messy ponytail. “King Devin sent me to prepare you for dinner.”
“But dinner isn’t for a few hours,” I said.
“Exactly,” she said. “And now that I’m getting a look at you, I wish he’d sent me earlier.” She turned to her entourage, who stood quietly behind her, waiting for her command. “Let’s get started immediately,” she said. “Because we have a lot of work to do.”
“Getting ready for dinner” meant a manicure, pedicure, highlights, hair extensions, lash extensions, lip injections, a full face of makeup, and my hair styled with a weird apparatus that sucked my hair around it to dry it into curls.
Princess Daniela lounged on the settee near the window, sipping from a glass of blood as she oversaw the process. She was already on her third glass, which was nearly as much blood as a vampire needed to survive a day. She would be drunk on it if she had much more.
“Is all this stuff really necessary?” I asked after drinking the potion that healed my newly plump lips in seconds.
“Of course it is,” Princess Daniela said. “King Devin won’t stand for an ungroomed woman sitting at his dining room table.”
“Do you purposefully refer to all women like we’re horses?” I snapped.
“The women of the Tower are thoroughbreds.” She smiled sweetly, not missing a beat. “We’re the best of the best. A properly groomed woman is far more alluring than a man could ever be. Why wouldn’t we take care of ourselves and use our beauty to our advantage?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Maybe a little something called respect?”
“Why do you assume we don’t respect ourselves?” There was an edge to her voice, like she was warning me to watch my mouth.
But after being poked and prodded by brushes, tweezers, and needles, my patience had worn thin a while ago.
“You prance around this place like candy on display, waiting to be devoured,” I said. “You let the men treat you like objects instead of people. That’s lack of self-respect if I’ve ever seen it.”
“On the contrary,” she said. “We use our beauty to entrance men into catering to our every whim. And you best take a lesson from us, if you want King Devin to provide you with what you’ve come here to get.”
“Who says we’re here to get something from him?”
She downed the final sips of blood from her glass, not bothering to answer the question. “Let’s pick your dress.” She stood up and strode over to the rack full of tiny dresses, perusing them and sizing me up. “The more it shows off your figure, the better. Because if you can distract the king with your beauty, he’ll barely notice when he gives you whatever it is that you desire.”
31
Torrence
Princess Daniela walked me to King Devin’s quarters, and I pulled at the bottom of the skintight red dress she’d insisted I wear. Not that there was much on the bottom to pull at. It felt like my butt was hanging out. The hair extensions literally made my hair longer than the dress.
The top of the dress wasn’t much better. It dipped so low that my boobs—which were bound in a push up bra so tight that it might as well have been a corset—were about to pop out. They were accentuated with a diamond drop necklace that fell right between them.
The only things I liked about the outfit were the ankle boots. They were black with red bottoms, and covered with silver studs. I’d insisted on wearing them the moment I’d seen them, since pumps so weren’t my style. And after enspelling them with the charm Aunt Bella had taught me to make any shoe comfortable, their stilettos were as easy to walk in as sneakers.
As I walked down the hall, I straightened my shoulders, pretending I was on a runway. All I needed were fluffy wings to feel like a Victoria’s Secret model. I’m wearing this outfit, whether I like it or not, I told myself. I might as well rock it.
Princess Daniela led me inside King Devin’s quarters and down the hall, stopping at a closed door. “This is where I’m leaving you.” She pulled some of my new, long hair over my shoulder and gave me a small smile. “You look stunning. I have no doubt that whatever you’re searching for, you’ll succeed in getting.”
“Thanks,” I said, shell-shocked. Had the ice princess just given me a compliment?
“King Devin will be arriving in ten minutes,” she said. “Good luck.” With that, she opened the doors to the dining room and motioned for me to enter.
Reed, Thomas, and Sage were already sitting at the long table. They all turned to look at me as I stepped inside. I barely heard Princess Daniela close the door behind me.
“Wow.” Reed stared at me, his eyes wandering over every inch of my body like he was seeing me for the first time.
It was the longest he’d looked at me, ever.
Irritation coursed through me, and I balled my hands into fists. It shouldn’t have taken a tight red dress for Reed to finally notice my existence.
Even more irritating was that maybe Princess Daniela was right, and all it took to get a guy to fawn over you was a tight dress, a push-up bra, and a pair of tall, flashy heels.
“Why don’t you take a picture?” I said with a fake-sweet smile. “It’ll last longer.”
“Sorry.” He opened his mouth and then closed it, apparently speechless. “You just look different. That’s all.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t get used to it,” I said as I strutted over to the only empty chair at the table that wasn’t the one at the head of it. My long hair swished behind me, making every movement feel bigger and bolder. “I’ll be back in my normal clothes th
e moment we leave this god-awful place tonight.”
“Me, too,” Sage said from across the table. Her makeover wasn’t nearly as extreme as mine. Her black dress was as tight and tiny, but other than that, she looked the same. No insanely long hair extensions or plumped up lips. “I’ve always loved heels, but these feel like they might break my ankles.”
“I have a spell to fix that,” I said.
“Bella’s spell?” She perked up.
Right. Sage and Aunt Bella were friends.
“Yeah,” I said. “It’ll only take a minute. Put your feet up on the table.” There was a lot of space between each of our seats, so she could easily avoid hitting her place setting.
“Reed—turn away,” Sage said as she swung her feet up onto the pristine marble table. “Because this dress is short, and I’m not wearing much under it.”
Thomas gave Reed a warning look, and Reed did as asked.
At least the arrogant mage knew how to show a bit of respect. Although it was probably more out of respect for Thomas than for Sage.
But I was done thinking about him. It was time for a bit of fun.
“All right.” I rubbed my hands together and focused on Sage’s tall, silk stilettos. “This won’t take long.”
I kept my voice low as I chanted the Latin, my power rising and swirling within me. The purple magic released from my hands, forming into two orbs that floated in my palms. I continued chanting, weaving the details of the spell into the magic in preparation to push it toward Sage’s shoes.
Just then, the door swung open, and King Devin stood at the entrance wearing a suit jacket that looked like it was spun from pure gold. I jumped, and the magic flew right out of my hands.
It ricocheted off the window and sunk into King Devin’s chest. His entire jacket glowed purple, and the magic disappeared into it.
The Faerie Pawn (Dark World: The Faerie Games Book 2) Page 12
