Reading had always been one of my favorite things to do back on Avalon. Books allowed me to escape my life where I never truly fit in, and they gave me the opportunity to live in the minds of so many different people. Despite having never left my home until last week, I felt like I’d visited so many places and so many times, all thanks to the magic contained in the pages of books.
I browsed the titles of the spines, reaching for one that sounded interesting.
It didn’t budge.
I pulled harder, but it still didn’t move. It was like it was superglued in place.
“We can’t access the books,” someone said from next to me. Cassia, the chosen champion of Ceres. She was soft-spoken and had a sweet look to her, thanks to her round, pink cheeks. “We’re not allowed to read during the Games.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Because it would be boring to the viewers if we sat around reading all day.” She glanced at the orb buzzing around us, broadcasting our every move. “They want us to talk to each other. The more we talk to each other, the more likely we are to stir up drama. So there’s a spell cast over the books so we can’t touch them.”
I nodded, since it made sense, although I was bummed I wouldn’t be able to read. “I don’t think I’ve ever gone a few days without reading,” I said, giving a final longing look at the untouchable books beside me.
“Me, too,” she said. “No matter how tired I was after work, I always fit in an extra fifteen minutes or so before bed to read.” She smiled, and I had an instant feeling that we could be friends.
It was a shame that by the end of the Games, one—or both—of us would be dead.
But I couldn’t let my mind go there. If I did, I doubted I’d be able to escape the endless loop of fear that threatened to take hold at any second.
I needed to take this one step at a time. My focus had to be on getting allies. Cassia seemed open to doing just that. And since she was the only other player interested in talking to me—the rest were flocking to Octavia and a few other strong looking champions in the center of the room—I needed to take this opportunity and roll with it.
“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced yet,” I said with what I hoped was a smile as warm as hers. “I’m Selena.”
“Cassia,” she said, although of course I already knew that.
We both raised our glasses in a toast, as if acknowledging the friendship forming between us.
It was amazing how a mutual love of reading could instantly bring people together.
“Your performance in the opening ceremony was impressive,” I said. “I’ve always loved flowers. We had a ton of them back where I’m from.”
“Are you from Earth?” She lowered her voice slightly when she said “Earth,” like it was a scandalous thing to talk about.
“Sort of,” I said. “I’m from Avalon—an anchor island connected to Earth. The island is technically in a realm of its own, but being anchored to Earth makes it easy for people living on the island to go back and forth as they please.”
“Fascinating,” she said. “We don’t know anything about Avalon here in the Otherworld.”
“Probably because Avalon was created after the fae left Earth,” I said, remembering what Bridget had said about the fae retreating back to the Otherworld in the fifth century AD. “The island was created in the sixth century—during King Arthur’s time. Although no one actually lived there until a little over sixteen years ago, when my parents turned it into what it is today.”
“But I thought Prince Devyn was your father?” she asked.
“Prince Devyn and I barely know each other.” I glanced at the orb buzzing around us, hoping Devyn was watching me reject him in front of the entire Otherworld. “My real parents are Queen Annika and Prince Jacen, the founders of Avalon and the leaders of the Nephilim army.” My parents never used their royal titles, but the fae seemed impressed by titles, so I made sure to use them now. “They took me in after I was born. They raised me, and that makes them my true parents.”
Cassia nodded, although she glanced warily at the orb. I understood why. It would be dangerous for her to say anything negative about the fae when they were listening in.
It was probably dangerous for me, too. But I didn’t care. I wanted the entire Otherworld to know about my parents and how powerful they were.
They needed to know what was coming for them.
“I want to learn more about this place you’re from—Avalon.” Cassia’s eyes glowed with excitement as she spoke the name of my home. “Here in the Otherworld, we don’t know much of anything about the other realms. Or at least, the half-bloods don’t.”
“I’ll tell you everything.” I leaned forward, as if sharing a juicy secret. “But I want to learn everything you know about the Otherworld in return.”
The more I knew, the more I could be ready for anything this realm threw my way.
“Deal.” She smiled. “I suppose that while we might not have books, we can still tell each other stories. And that’s almost as good.”
“Almost,” I agreed, since I could tell that like me, she thought nothing compared to the joy of reading.
Suddenly, someone moved away from the group in the center and toward the two of us. Tall, pink wings, and movie star handsome.
Felix.
“Ladies.” He shot us a winning grin, and his teeth were so white that I could almost swear they sparkled. “Why are the two most beautiful chosen champions hiding away in the corner of the room?”
“We’re not hiding.” Cassia looked up at Felix with eyes as round as saucers. “We were just getting to know each other.”
He pressed his hand against the bookshelf and leaned forward, like he was trapping her in a cage.
She smiled dreamily up at him, loving being close to him. It was like she was hypnotized.
“Do you want to get to know me, too?” he asked, his voice low and seductive.
It sounded so corny I had to stop myself from gagging.
“I’d love that,” she said, and even though half-bloods could lie, I could tell she meant it. “Wouldn’t you, Selena?”
I didn’t get it. Sure, Felix was attractive. Someone would have to be blind not to see that. But he seemed so sleazy. How was Cassia captivated by his “charms” so easily?
I certainly wasn’t.
But the Games were just starting. It was too early to make enemies. So I needed to play nice.
For now.
“Sure,” I said, although I stepped back from Felix. He was trying to state his dominance by towering over us, and I didn’t like it.
He tilted his head and studied me quizzically, as if I’d said something wrong.
Could he tell that his charm—which had to be part of his magic—wasn’t working on me?
I had no way of knowing if that were the case. But if it were, I didn’t want him to know.
If he didn’t know, I could use it against him later.
“I mean yes,” I corrected myself, throwing in a sugary sweet smile for good measure. “I’d love that, too.”
He nodded, apparently pleased by my change in tone. “I see why Jupiter chose you as his champion.” His pupils dilated as he gazed down at me, so intense that he looked utterly captivated by my presence. “You’re a fascinating creature.”
I flinched and backed away, like he was a snake trying to bite me. “Did you really just call me a ‘creature?’”
Who did he think he was? God’s gift to every female in the universe?
Well, since he was Venus’s chosen champion, I supposed that was exactly what he was. And while I didn’t know why his charm magic wasn’t working on me, I was grateful for it.
“Apologies,” he said, although his clenched jaw gave away his inner frustration. “You have me so entranced that my words are coming out all wrong.”
For some reason, I highly doubted that.
But just then, the last person I expected to join our little circle came walking o
ver, giving Felix an icy stare of death.
Julian.
39
Selena
I froze in Julian’s presence. It was the way I thought Felix had expected me to react to him. But as long as Julian was around, I was convinced that all other guys would just blend into the background.
“Selena,” Julian said my name with familiarity and moved to stand closer to me. “It looks like you’re settling in well.” He gave Felix another death stare, like he was telling him to back off his girl.
I’d seen shifters on Avalon behave this same way after imprinting on a potential mate.
The only problem here was that I wasn’t Julian’s girl. And we certainly hadn’t imprinted on each other. That was a shifter thing, not a fae thing.
But I needed to refocus on the conversation. Settling into the villa. Right.
“I am.” I steadied myself, refusing to look weak around Julian. Especially since after kissing him in LA, being around him made me feel bare and exposed, like I’d given him a part of myself I could never get back. “Cassia, Felix, and I were just getting to know each other.”
Julian glanced over at Cassia, as if just now noticing her. “Sorry for interrupting,” he said. “But I’ve had something I’ve been wanting to ask Selena, and this is the first moment I’ve had a chance to speak to her.”
Cassia raised an eyebrow, looking back and forth between Julian and me with intrigue. “We’ll leave the two of you alone then.” She stepped back to go elsewhere, touching Felix’s arm to get him to go with her.
“No need to do that.” Julian’s hard tone stopped her in her tracks. “It won’t take long.” He focused on Felix again, as if daring him to stay and listen.
What was going on between the two guys? Because the longer I watched, it truly seemed like Julian was behaving like a shifter who’d imprinted.
But Julian only cared about one person—himself. He’d proven it after the way he’d tricked me.
Perhaps there was some past beef between Julian and Felix that I didn’t know about.
“Cool.” Felix met Julian’s gaze with pure confidence, as if accepting his challenge. “Because Selena and I were enjoying getting to know each other.”
I couldn’t help it—I rolled my eyes. Because ew. If Felix thought I was enjoying getting to know him, he was delusional. Or I was a better actress than I realized.
Julian turned to me, and from the way he looked at me, it felt like we were the only two people in the room. My breath caught, taken off guard by his intense ice blue gaze. “I keep thinking about the time we spent together on Earth,” he started, his voice low and hypnotizing. Just the sound of it cast a spell on me. “When we were eating ice cream.”
I watched him coldly, since the last thing I wanted to think about was all the lies he’d told me during our date.
The person I’d thought he was didn’t exist.
The sooner I could accept that, the sooner I could stop feeling like every cell in my body was urging me closer whenever he was near me.
“Do you remember our conversation?” He looked at me like the world depended on my answer.
“Of course I do,” I said quickly, purposefully not replaying the conversation in my head. I didn’t need to torture myself like that.
“Good.” He nodded, although he still looked troubled. Like he could feel the wall I was putting up between us, and he wanted to break it down. “There’s something I’ve been wondering, and I haven’t stopping thinking about it since that night. So I figured I’d ask you now.” He ran his hand through his dark blond hair, looking nervous. Then he refocused on me and asked, “What did you wish for?”
I jumped back slightly, since I hadn’t expected him to ask me that.
Then I thought back to my wish.
I wish I’ll get to continue seeing Julian after tonight.
I took a sharp breath inward at the irony of it all, since my wish had come true. Just not in the way I’d expected.
It was like the universe was playing a cruel trick on me.
“Aren’t wishes supposed to stay secret?” I asked, since there was no way I was giving in and answering his question.
“No.” His eyes burned into mine, so intensely that it was like he could see straight into my soul. “Especially if they’ve already come true.”
“I’m not going to tell you.” I stood my ground, unwilling to give into him even though my heart urged me otherwise. “Especially because I know you’ll never tell me yours.”
“That’s not true.” His eyes flashed with hurt. “To prove it, I’ll tell you right now. My wish was that you’d find it in your heart to forgive me.”
I stared up at him for a few more seconds, battling with my conflicting emotions. Because my heart did want to forgive him.
But my brain told me that would be naive.
If I wanted to survive the Faerie Games, I couldn’t be naive. Which meant controlling my feelings for Julian. If I let my feelings take over—which I knew they would, if I let them—I risked getting distracted from my ultimate goal. Winning the Faerie Games.
And since only one of us could get out alive, giving into my feelings and falling for him was a terrible idea.
Cassia backed away, twisting her fingers around the stem of her glass. “I’m going to get some more juice,” she said brightly, forcing a smile. “Felix, are you coming?” She gave Felix a look that clearly said he needed to follow her lead and go with her.
Panic rushed through me. They couldn’t leave me alone with Julian.
“I’ll go with you.” I downed the final sips of my juice, giving Cassia a sharp look that meant she should wait for me. Then I took a deep breath, composed myself, and turned back to Julian. “I’ll never forgive you,” I said, each word like a stab to my heart as I forced it out. “And I won’t tell you my wish.”
From the pained way he looked at me, I could tell he felt like he’d been stabbed in the heart, too.
But it was an act. It had to be an act. Anything else meant his feelings for me were real.
I shook the thought away. My emotions were deceiving me. I was trying to believe what I wanted to be real instead of what was actually real. And that would only get me into trouble.
Worse—it would get me killed.
“Felix.” I placed my hand on his arm and gave him a flirtatious smile, batting my eyelashes for extra measure. “Do you want to come with us to get more juice?”
Felix smiled down at me, like he’d won whatever game the guys were playing. “Of course.” He linked his arm with mine, giving Julian a wolfish grin before returning his undivided attention to me. “It will be my pleasure.”
I didn’t look back at Julian as the three of us walked away.
Because I knew deep within myself that I’d hurt him on a level I didn’t fully understand. I knew because walking away from him hurt me, too.
And if I saw that grief on his face, I worried I’d stop listening to my brain, and give into my traitorous heart.
40
Selena
The moment Cassia, Felix, and I returned from getting drinks, a bunch of the orbs grouped together to create a large golden sphere above the fireplace. It was about the same size as an average television. A few of the small orbs continued buzzing around us to record us, but the majority of them were now part of the sphere.
The sphere pulsed with light, and an image of Bacchus reclining on a chaise lounge appeared on the “screen.” He wore a purple toga that cut across his chest, and a wreath of leaves and grapes on his head. A bunch of grapes sat on a golden plate by his side, and he held a matching golden goblet that I assumed was full of wine.
“Champions!” he said, raising his goblet in a toast. “Please take a seat around the fireplace.”
We all walked over and situated ourselves in the chairs. Octavia sat in the center, surrounded by her new friends. Julian sat near the end with Antonia and Bridget. I led the way to the only remaining seats—the ones across from Julian
. Felix and Cassia followed at my heels.
Vesta stood off to the side of the room. No orbs circled anywhere near her.
Bacchus looked us over once we were all seated. “I trust you’re finding the villa comfortable?” he asked.
The majority of the players chorused a resounding yes.
Once it was quiet again, Octavia sat straighter and arranged her hair in front of her shoulders. “The villa is lovelier in person than it looked on the orbs,” she said with a winning smile. “And the welcome feast was delicious.”
What a suck-up. It took all of my self-control not to roll my eyes.
“The feast was certainly entertaining to watch.” Bacchus laughed and popped a grape into his mouth. Once he chewed and swallowed, he continued, “And I hope you got your fill of food and drinks during the feast. You’re going to need it. Because the first competition starts now.”
My mouth nearly dropped open. The other players looked as shocked as I felt.
Bryan and Finn hadn’t prepared me for this. In all past Faerie Games, the players had at least one night in the villa before the first competition took place. It allowed us time to get to know each other and form alliances.
No official alliances had formed yet. At least not any that I knew of.
Which meant for this competition, we’d each be on our own.
“I know this is a first,” Bacchus continued, quieting the murmurs that had started among us. “But this is also the first time we’ve had eleven players at the start of the Games. And not including the bed in the Emperor’s suite, there are only ten beds in the villa. We couldn’t have one of you sleeping on the floor tonight, could we?” He laughed this off as ridiculous, raising his wine glass in jest.
As if sleeping on the floor was the worst of our problems.
“The solution is simple,” he continued. “We’ll hold the first Emperor of the Villa competition now, so the Emperor of the Week can move into his or her suite tonight.” He smiled wickedly, clearly entertained by this curve ball he’d thrown at us. “From there, the week will proceed as planned. The Emperor of the Villa will choose three champions to send to the Coliseum. At the end of the week, those three champions will fight in the arena until one of them is dead. Simple enough, right?”
The Faerie Games Page 13
