Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
“Ihate angels,” I muttered to Mitt as I scowled at the ruined dress, days after the incident.
There was no coming back from the gaping wound in the bodice.
Maybe I could cut off the top and keep the pretty chocolate and pink scallop on the bottom, except now it was stained with so much blood.
It matched the cocoa cup. The one that had shattered as I fell.
“He kept you alive,” Mitt growled. “Pity he killed Mini, or we could have found out who hired her.”
I looked up at him, hesitating because I had an idea what he was going to say. “How would you do that?”
His voice was flat, golden eyes burning with rage. “Torture. She betrayed us. She played love until I became blind to her true motives. She’s lucky she’s dead.”
My stomach lurched. Had her crush on Mitt been a lie this whole time?
“But to attack me on live television? She must have had nothing to lose, or she would have done it subtly and made it look like an accident. She’s a goblin.
She should have done it better than that.
It’s almost like she didn’t really want me to die, not really. ”
He hmphed and turned. He’d been grumpier than usual ever since the cocoa fever dream.
I’d been more cold and achy. During the last week, I’d gone on a walk with each of the contestants, down a nice, protected path with Mitt directly behind me, but each conversation had been stilted.
The angel hadn’t bothered talking. What could he have to say after killing my friend?
And cuddling me on a couch in front of the fire for the whole world to see?
Sunrae was the only one to ask, Are you okay? Are you sick from his blood? I’ve never been so terrified! Don’t die, okay?
And then she posted a picture of the cutest broccoli cake, giving the broccoli guy on top a smile like she was trying to cheer me up. It was different from her usual background, wood counter instead of marble. Maybe she’d given up on pastry. Marble was best for pastry, or so everyone said.
The rest of the world was telling me how hot Richard the Lion was and sharing video clips of him carrying me to the couch with my face in his arm, all hyped about the most romantic moment in the history of television.
Why did he look so good? I couldn’t go online, and my own platform had started to feel like it had nothing to do with pastel princess cuteness, and everything to do with other hot guys.
Who cared about princess dresses when we had death, blood, and romance?
I shouldn’t have attacked Richard like that in public.
It was too stupid of me, too goth vampire core instead of pastel princess.
Also, and more importantly, I should have stopped Mini instead of being paralyzed because she was my friend.
I didn’t get to have friends. Not really.
I was the ward of someone terrifying, so people didn’t bother me except for now when everyone was trying to kill me, but we weren’t friends.
Even Sultry looked at me more as an assistant than a friend.
It was a good thing Sunrae kept her distance or we wouldn’t be real friends either.
I sniffled and tried to keep it together. At least today was the first voting day, and I’d get to vote the angel off and never see him again. Every time I saw him it was like a slap of my own idiocy. It hit hard.
I shoved the ruined dress in the bottom of the garbage can and went back to the closet, shoulders back and spine straight. After tonight, I’d never have to see him again. Eventually, people would forget about that moment of blood and stupidity.
I dressed in a sparkly gown, pink, with lace trim, the sleeves off my shoulders framing them.
I put on diamonds—necklace, tiara, bracelets—lots and lots of diamonds.
For the past fifty years, that’s what I got for my birthday from my vampire father.
Diamonds because that’s what vampires were supposed to be.
Eternal, dead, and lifeless. But so beautiful.
I should sell everything after this show and then disappear in the woods with my kittens. They were the only happy things in my life. All else was despair and misery. I sniffled again before I went to work on my perfectly pastel princess makeup.
Finally, it was time to head towards the monstrous castle I’d been avoiding all week.
At the door, I stopped and stared at the angel. She was tall, broad-shouldered, chapped-cheeked like she’d spent five weeks camping somewhere really dry and windy. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a sensible ponytail, and she wore light armor.
“The angels came after the show to protect their own,” Mitt growled.
I beamed at her. “So glad you can protect Richard. He’s dangerously annoying. Someone’s bound to kill him sooner or later.” I bit my lip. I shouldn’t have said that.
She only nodded. Her voice was low and monotone.
“If he wasn’t so difficult to kill, he’d already be dead.
Did he poison you with his blood? He likes to do that.
” She shook her head, disapproving. “He wishes he could be fallen, but he’s not tempted by any of the usual vices.
He should just become what he was born to be instead of fighting against it. ”
“Um. Right.” Shouldn’t she have more loyalty towards him instead of gossiping about him behind his back? Then again, he’d probably done something unforgivable, like kill her friend and make a spectacle of it on live TV. “Thanks for being here!”
She gave me an angelic smile. “Of course. I’m actually here to protect you, not him. He doesn’t need protection. Or he’d already be dead.”
Awkward. “Oh. Thanks. I hope you’re getting enough to eat. Mitt here’s really great at making things people like to eat, even if it’s something across the spectrum, like angelic to his werewolf.”
The woman looked at Mitt behind me, seeing him in the shadows. She nodded. “I would appreciate it, when you aren’t protecting the princess. The food here is all nutritionally deficient.”
“They’re focused on looks instead of substance,” Mitt said, the least growly he’d been in a week.
Did he like her? I glanced at him and then saw the way he was eying her light armor. No, he liked that she was here to protect me. Angels like her were incorruptible. He almost trusted her. Not that angels couldn’t fall, but they were much less likely than a goblin who started half-corrupt.
My chest panged as I went past them into the shadows of the castle corridor.
The cameras were there, videoing my entrance.
The two guards fell in behind me, framing me in my sparkles.
Look at me! So sparkly, so pretty, so idiotic!
I walked into the grand hall, the two staircases lined with my suitors, the red carpet under their feet reminding me of the velvet couch in the library.
I’d never gone back to get the blood out.
On the table between the curve of the two staircases, was a large, glass-cut vase, filled with red and white roses.
I’d gotten the memo. I would give a red rose to the contestant I liked best, and a white rose to the one I liked least. Richard was the top on the right side, behind the werewolf and the fairy.
On the left were the elf, the incubus, and the devil.
The devil grinned at me like I was playing into his hands. Pity I couldn’t vote him off along with the angel. I’d give the red rose to the fairy, and the white to the angel. That way I didn’t have to go around.
I stood there while Pearly White greeted the audience and then I took a white rose and a red one out of the vase.
It was deathly quiet as I turned and walked towards the stairs.
My heart beat faster and faster as I put my foot on the first step, up, and up, and up, until I reached the fairy, Monterose Fellicci.
I hesitated and then handed him the red rose, before passing him and Rafe to offer Richard the white one.
Pearly White and the camera people gasped.
Were we shocked that I’d vote off the person who had saved my life so romantically?
I didn’t care. This was my life, not a show!
Richard took the rose with a slight incline of his perfect head, mischief in his blue eyes, and then I turned and walked back down, as stately as I could, heart pounding so fast in my chest, I felt like it was going to break my ribcage.
“Well, Princess! That was unexpected. Why did you vote off the angel who saved you?” Pearly White asked, shifting us so the cameras could get a good line on my face.
“He never should have been here. I feel bad for him, stuck on a dating show when he’s not the type of angel who would ever marry someone who didn’t share his angelic blood.
I appreciate him saving my life, but I only want serious contestants on here.
I’ll always be grateful for what he did,” when I wasn’t hating him for killing Mini, “But it’s time to face reality. ”
“Ah. Well, you’ve heard the princess!” Pearly said, turning full on the camera with his disturbing smile.
“Now it’s your turn to be heard. Audience votes count for sixty-five percent of the results, so make your votes count!
We’ll be right back after a word from our sponsors.
” He winked at the camera, and then it was my turn to grab his arm.
“What do you mean, the audience votes count for sixty-five percent of results!? This is my life! The audience doesn’t get to choose my life for me!”
He looked down at my hand and then back at my face.
“It was in the contract you signed. You didn’t read it carefully enough, but people never do.
You should ask the Devil what other surprises are in the fine print.
Devils always read the contracts.” He took my wrist like it was a slimy snake, removed it from his arm and turned to yell at a camerawoman.
I stood there, feeling all nauseous and shivery until the devil came up, giving me a delighted smile.