5. Thea
Chapter five
Thea
The Autumn Court
T he silk of my gown rustled as I toyed with the staff lying across my lap. My frustration at sitting on this throne-like chair before the masses was clear in the slight gesture only my twin sister saw. Our pair of handmaidens hiding behind the thick velveteen curtains hanging beside us were the only other people who might have witnessed my outward twitch. The gold of the staff was smooth in my palm, but the gemstones were rough under my fingertips as I traced the bulbous shapes.
Beyond us, the crowd murmured with the eagerness of the fights about to come. The blood lust was high amongst sirens. It was who we were. A race of exquisite creatures, with faces like angels and wings to match. Our voices lured any being to their death if we desired.
“Thea, must you insist on this farce?” Melanie patted the length of her hair as though the mere thought of two men wrestling for a chance to win a place beside her was beneath her. “You can sing and lure one of these men to you.”
It was true, our voices did more than command death.
I cocked my head as my gaze caught sight of a demon. He was tall with horns protruding from his head, but that wasn’t what caught my eye. It was the confidence in his stride. His entire body screamed look at me. I couldn’t make out the features on his face from here, but I longed to get close enough to study him. Instead, I studied the two warriors advancing into the pit. Each was as well-muscled as the other. The fact they were shirtless left nothing to the imagination. Their biceps bulged as they flexed their muscles and circled each other. My gaze kept snapping back to the demon while they stared their opponent down as though the strength of a look would thwart an enemy.
An audible snort escaped me.
Melanie scowled in the way a genuine princess regarded people beneath her.
“Melanie,” I said, not taking my gaze off the warriors. In particular, the demon. “A queen needs a king.”
“Mother ruled without a man by her side for years.” She all but pouted her pink lips.
If she wasn’t identical to me, I’d find her expression amusing.
“After she gave birth to us.” I reminded her. “We need heirs.”
“We’re immortal sirens. As if we need heirs.” Her chest puffed under the delicate ribbons on her corset.
If she was the oldest twin, then she’d be the queen, but she never saw it from my position as the ruler of our people.
“We’re finished with the conversation,” I said, releasing the staff and clapping my hands. The gold bangles clinked around my wrists. “Let the trials begin.”
The warriors in the pit lunged. Their bodies collided with a resounding echo throughout the stadium. Cheers exploded from the crowd of sirens and other immortal creatures who’d arrived for today’s event, but my focus was on the contest unfolding before me. Soon, the horned demon tackled the elf to the ground. As they wrestled on the damp ground, the terracotta-colored mud covered their muscled chests, arms, backs, legs, boots, and even their faces.
The horned beast head-butted the elf and the sickening crunch of bone incapacitated him as the elf flopped unconsciously in the mud. The victor stood. Flexed his muscles and stared directly into my eyes. The beast’s top lip lifted in a smirk. His red-rimmed dark eyes blazed into the very depths of my soul and lower, to the primal base of need thrumming through my body to take a lover. A man who was in my bed, because he would fight every threat in every kingdom and realm to stand by my side. Be my king. My warrior. My heart and soul. Father to the heirs of the siren throne.
The beast dipped a bow.
My lips twitched as I almost smiled, but it was too soon to choose a winner. Even if this warrior standing in front of me called to everything inside me.
“Your majesty,” he said.
Even his deep, rumbling voice affected me. Made my body respond as though he’d whispered sultry words in bed.
“Congratulations on your win—?”
“Call me Beast.”
He stroked his hands along his massive horns, wiping the mud clean and revealing their ebony glow. Almost as dark as his eyes. Rumor had it that horns were sensitive, and when a woman stroked them, she may as well be caressing his cock. My palms twitched to do both. My gaze dipped to the impressive bulge in his mud-soaked pants clinging to his thick thighs before traveling back up to his eyes. Somehow, his eyes were even darker. More alluring.
“Very well, Beast. Since you won your match, you may return to your cell or take a seat in the fourth gallery and watch the proceedings.”
“I’ll watch,” he said, as though I should have expected his answer.
The demon flared his leathery wings in a rippling display of power and launched himself upright into the flight, which took a great deal of strength to accomplish. It hinted at his age and his power level. My desire for him went up another notch.
A loud thump sounded from below, snapping me out of my lustful stare. The clean-up crew had wheeled a cart into the arena and thrown the elf onto the wooden platform. The immortal elf would heal in time, and our infirmary would hold him in a safe room until he was fit to travel back to the Spring Court. A shame, really, since he’d displayed a satisfying set of skills against the demon.
Melanie let out a loud sigh. “Ninety-nine more of these battles to sit through.”
“Ah, Mel.” I patted her shoulder. “It’s always good to have my sister by my side.”
She lowered her gaze to the ground and then peered at me through her eyelashes. I smoothed a smile across my face. Always smile, Mother had said. She’d taught me the importance of combining the sharpness of our tongues with a demure smile to lessen the sharp lashings. Plus, it confused people. Did we mean the words as we said since we smiled as we spoke? Or were our words laced with enough acid to strip flesh from bone? One could never tell with a smiling siren.
The next contestants entered the arena. Sparkling blue lined one contestant’s arms, signifying a water sprite, while the other trotted out in his wolf form. Melanie yawned. Neither man drew my attention, but I watched the battle as the water sprite flung his powerful energy of water at the wolf. The wolf snarled and lunged for the man. He didn’t move quick enough, and the wolf’s teeth latched onto his shoulder. The man screamed. His voice echoed from the walls and sent chills down my spine. He staggered to his knees. The wolf let go, leaving us with a view of the water sprite’s arm hanging precariously from his shoulder. Gaping wounds left flesh and sinew on display.
The wolf bounded up the stairs to the same level as the demon and settled before he even introduced himself. That was a mark against him. There was arrogant and then there was smug. I enjoyed a confident man, but not one who entered these trails and then decided he was too good to introduce himself.
I nodded to Raefa. She stepped forward, and I whispered in her ear what I thought of the wolf shifter.
“I’ll make sure the guards teach him respect with a lashing,” she whispered back.
She was flawless at her job. Even if combat and other tasks decided the trial’s winner, it didn’t mean I couldn’t tweak the results a fraction. I had to mate with the winner, after all.
A servant stepped forward with a platter of food and kneeled at my feet between Melanie and me.
“Good timing,” Melanie plucked a grape. “Boredom eating.”
I waited until she ate one before I choose a bright purple grape. After the unexpected death of my father, I was careful to let no one realize I didn’t eat the food first. I had my suspicions his untimely death was from poisoned food, but I hadn’t been able to prove it. Still couldn’t prove it.
Sirens were deadly. And beautiful.
A toxic combination.
Whoever won the trials would have to be strong enough to endure those traits.
And me.