Chapter 25
“You’re still … alive?” Daisy looks at me like she has just seen a ghost the next morning when I walk into the hall for breakfast as if I slept here last night—when I just woke up in Kieran’s arms for two mornings in a row.
“Unfortunately, for you.” I smile sweetly, dropping into the nearest chair with grace.
“Where have you been?” Leon asks, frowning at me.
In short—heaven.
Full story?
On a deathbed. Then on a love bed. Under Kieran. On top of him. In front of him. Up in the moon, as he carried me in his arms and flew around the mountain last night just to make me laugh.
One human.
A Fae King.
Two extremely horny, hopeless, can’t-keep-hands-off-each-other, doomed romantics.
I simply sip my tea and say, “Recovering.”
Lucas huffs a laugh—then immediately chokes.
Karma travels faster than the speed of light in this Court.
I roll my eyes behind my teacup, then pause, realising I never even checked if my tea was poisoned. Kieran would be annoyed, since he gave me this magical potion. One drop of it turns any poisoned drink or food red like a warning flare.
Technically, it doesn’t break any rules, since this is about the rebellion, not the trials.
Kieran argued that point with his Council yesterday. That’s what the meeting was about.
Now, if anyone in the trials tries to poison me and the potion catches it—well, unlucky for them.
So far, I haven’t choked yet, no blood dripping from my ears, so I’m going to assume the tea is safe to drink.
“Hello, my lovely participants.”
Why is it that Aurora always has to interrupt my happiness?
She glides in, draped in black today, gown sweeping the marble floor, looking elegant like she’s hosting a masquerade the rest of the Court hasn’t been invited to.
Laia trails behind her like an underpaid apprentice whose only job is to keep the hem from catching anything unfortunate.
Her eyes drop to mine.
“Good to have you back, Cassandra.”
I’m surprised she didn’t clench her teeth when she said it.
“Good to be back,” I say sweetly—a little too sweet, because I’m in a rather good mood, and if Aurora can see through Kieran’s glamour, she’s going to love how he’s repeatedly branded me across my neck.
Her eyes narrow, gaze dragging pointedly to my neck.
Okay, that’s a little creepy.
“You look like you enjoyed your time away, Miss Thorne.” Aurora blinks, a cold, deliberate smile brushing her mouth.
Oh, she really can see through glamour.
I grin like a cat. “Yes, I did. A lot.”
Her smile widens, but it doesn’t reach her pretty eyes. “Perhaps you should get stabbed more often.”
Lucas chokes on his drink—again.
My smile falters, but I hold her gaze. The whole room is quiet like everyone is holding their breath. With a neutral tone, I ask, “Why? Did you plan the first one?”
Aurora laughs, light, airy—perfectly performed. Her expression remains unreadable, her smile bright as day.
“I didn’t,” she says sweetly. “Though I wish I did.”
And how can I be so sure that it really wasn’t her?
She called Kieran away right before that Fae came up to me.
“Didn’t know the trial host can be involved in plotting to remove a contestant,” I drawl. I’m tired of the fakeness. Perhaps it’s a good thing Aurora admitted she wishes she was the one holding the knife.
“This is a rather heavy topic for breakfast, don’t you think?” Oliver laughs awkwardly.
Aurora doesn’t even turn to him.
“It’s not usually on our to-do list, but I might consider it … if a contestant is a threat to the Court,” she says, voice still laced with syrup, like she’s inviting me to an afternoon tea.
I frown. “How exactly, am I a threat to the Court?”
She scoffs, shaking her head like she can’t believe I even ask. “You know what, Oliver is right—I can’t be bothered to discuss this in the morning. How about we keep it professional, and you stay out of the Court’s business?”
“I work with Kieran. I can’t stay out of the Court’s business.”
“Well, some things are simply none of your business. So, it’d be wise for you to know your place,” she says flatly. Then, with a bright smile, she turns to the rest of the table. “I do apologise for my behaviour, lovelies. Now, shall we move on and announce the winner of the mini-game?”
Just like that?
I blink in confusion.
Was she talking about my involvement with Kieran? How is that the court’s business?
But Aurora doesn’t seem interested in explaining anything further. She just takes a golden envelope from Laia, who’s been so quiet I almost forgot she existed.
“Oliver,” Aurora calls, finally turning to meet his eyes. “You found most of the eclipsed coins—congratulations!”
Jordan snarls. “How couldn’t he? He’s been digging around the Court like a deranged landscraper with all those gardening tools of his.”
So, that’s what people have been doing while I was gone for a week?
They must be pretty happy the Fae almost did their job for them.
“Yes, when you were busy plotting to take me out,” Leon says from the end of the table. “If Lucas hadn’t saved me, I’d be dead. So, shut the fuck up and be very scared of everything edible from now on.”
Woah.
Jordan tried to kill Leon?
And Lucas saved him?
My head snaps to Lucas, who shrugs like he’s saying, “Well, you weren’t here.”
Jordan doesn’t even bother to deny it. He just laughs. “Poison? Really? That’s a girl’s weapon. I could snap your neck with one hand.”
“All right, all right,” Oliver cuts in, his voice a little too high-pitched for comfort. “There’s no need to be this violent. You mind your business. We’ll mind ours. End of.”
I almost laugh.
Oliver still lives in that cute little world where he believes good will defeat evil, doesn’t he?
In this Court, if you don’t strike first, you’re dead meat.
I know Jordan will never stop. And if they don’t do something, sooner or later, Leon’s going to end up floating belly-up like some overfed goldfish in a tank.
Aurora takes a deep breath, still all smiles as she says, “Anyway.”
She gets off on this, doesn’t she?
“Here’s your prize.” She hands Oliver the golden envelope. “A little advantage for the next trial. It’s enchanted so that only you can read it. But I do have to warn you—it catches fire the moment you do. So … maybe don’t read it in bed.”
“That’s … good to know. Thank you.” Oliver takes it from her and carefully puts it down on the table like it might explode.
“Now, I hope you all have a wonderful day,” Aurora says. “The second trial starts in a few days. I can’t wait to find out who teams up with who.”
There’s a chance Aurora might be a sociopath.
Or she’s just cold-blooded.
And Kieran loved her for a decade.
Ugh.
“I have decided on my prize,” I chime in before she can turn. Aurora doesn’t even bother pretending my voice isn’t an offence to her ears.
“And?”
“I’d like to have magic for a day.”
Her face doesn’t flicker. She’s already halfway out the door the next second. “Go to Kieran. He’ll give you a ring. Once you put it on, the power will hold for twenty-four hours.”
Kieran and ring in the same sentence?
Jordan bursts out laughing like the air itself tickles him. All heads whip towards him.
“That’s hilarious.” He shakes his head, wheezing. “It’s like these trials are made for you, Cassie. Everything always goes your way. Now you’re getting magic and a ring from your beloved.”
I raise a brow. “Jealous much?”
“Yeah … whatever,” Aurora murmurs, then just walks away, footsteps echoing louder than they’re supposed to on the marble floor.
Lucas massages his temples, exhaling sharply.
“This is all ridiculous.” Daisy stands, her chair squeaking on the floor. “She’s going to win it all, and you are all sitting there, doing nothing.”
Ah. Here we go again.
“How exactly am I supposed to win it all?” I gesture to myself. “Believe it or not, Kieran isn’t helping me with any of this. He swore an oath centuries ago not to interfere with the trials.”
“Oh, please. It’s his Court. His rules.”
“Well, it would be good if that was the case.” I blink at the delusional group of people in front of me.
Yes, not a lot of people dare to object to Kieran, but their oaths are sacred. I don’t think even he could break one.
“You know, I actually respect you.” Jordan offers an opinion no one’s asked for. “I mean, sure, it’s fucking annoying. But this is a game. You do what you have to do to survive. At first, I thought of getting rid of you—but maybe it’s smarter to be your ally.”
And now I’m the one laughing. Everyone seems to want something from me.
First, Daisy wanted to team up with me. Now, Jordan wants to be my ally.
“You’ve got nothing to offer but annoyance,” I say. “So, no.”
Daisy exhales like she’s lost faith in humanity, then leaves without so much as a goodbye.
Oliver and Leon leave a moment later—probably off to tend to someone’s garden. Sounds like their side business is thriving. I wonder what Leon would have been like had Oliver not taken him under his wing.
“I need to meet with Atticus,” Lucas says, nodding his head to the last person left in the room. “Are you going to be okay with him?”
I glance at Jordan, who’s chewing his toast. My daggers are strapped on my thigh and my ankle. Stinger ring on my right hand. Charm hairpin blade nestled in my curls.
If he does attack me, I won’t go down without a fight.
I nod. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?” he asks again.
“Brother,” Jordan says. “I’m sitting right here. Besides, I want to be friends with your girlfriend now.” Then he pauses, correcting himself. “Oh, wait—is she your girlfriend if she also has another boyfriend?”
Lucas sighs, loud and sharp. “Shut up, Jordan. Touch her, and I don’t care what anyone says, I’m going to convince one of Virgil’s creatures to eat you from the inside out in your sleep.”
I really hope they don’t actually have that kind of monster in their army.
Gods, what the hell is in Virgil’s army anyway?
“And I’m not your brother,” Lucas adds as he walks towards the door, stopping just long enough to place a hand on Jordan’s shoulder—then squeezes. A little too hard.
Jordan curses, twisting himself out of Lucas’s grasp.
Lucas just glances back at me and offers me a smile before disappearing through the door.
“Your friend has changed a lot. Have you noticed?” Jordan mutters, rolling his shoulder like it’s still in pain.
“Or maybe he’s always been like that with dickheads.” I return to my own breakfast. I don’t want to be alone with him longer than I have to.
“I know I haven’t exactly act like a saint, but I didn’t try to kill that Leon kid,” Jordan says, tone shifting slightly. “Someone knocked him on the head. I found him in the corridor, but Oliver and your friend saw me there and assumed it was me.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Sure, whatever you say.”
“This is exactly why I don’t bother being nice.” He scoffs. “You guys won’t believe me anyway, so what’s the point?”
“You’re telling me this whole time you’ve been acting like a jerk on purpose?” Because that’s not pathetic at all.
“No, I didn’t say that. But we all came here for the trials. Why bother making friends?” Jordan replies, sipping his juice.
Honestly, I think this is the first time I’ve talked to him for longer than a minute since we arrived.
“You have no idea what fucked-up shit I’ve been put through since your precious King took my eye.
And yeah, fine. I probably deserved it. I was drunk, and I already apologised to Laia.
But this”—his voice sharpens—“this double-standard treatment and the hell you and the whole Court put me through after that is just bullshit.”
Is that how he sees it?
Because I think it’s rather deserving.
“You can’t exactly expect me and the others to treat you nicely, Jordan. I seem to remember you threatening me just before we went into the woods during the first trial.”
He scoffs but doesn’t deny it.
“Still, it’s not me. I didn’t hurt Leon.”
I don’t reply right away.
This is interesting. A man like Jordan likes to brag. And for him to keep denying something that sounds exactly like the kind of thing he’d do is a bit weird.
Either he’s scared shitless of Lucas, or he’s telling the truth.
But Atticus thinks he’s working with Florence and the rebellion.
“I’m telling you, dodgy stuff is going on in this Court,” he says, leaning back in his chair, arms folded. “If I were you, I wouldn’t trust anyone. Not even Lucas.”