Four
Aeryn
The following morning, as I entered the common room for the second time in as many hours, I could feel the tension crackling in the air like a live wire. It put me on edge.
Magic and aggression mingled, leaving a bitter taste on my tongue as I scanned the room. A hushed murmur of whispers floated through the air, only adding to the unease that settled in my chest.
“What a difference a day makes,” Sofiya quietly observed, her eyes wide with concern.
“Day? We were just here having breakfast an hour ago. It was quiet and uneventful.”
“That”s true. Now it looks like they”re ready to duel. They also seem to be forming groups.”
“Of course they are,” I muttered, clenching my fists. “It”s every female for herself in these trials, but there”s safety in numbers. Trust me, there”s no true loyalty among most, if not all, of them.”
I steered us along the wall, away from the others. Together, we stood to the side, observing the contestants. I”d assumed they would have had some degree of loyalty to their own sect, but it didn”t appear that way.
Zoriyah, who I suspected had powerful fire magic, was holding court in the far corner with several others. One of them, Dori, was talking animatedly, her arms moving about fluidly to emphasize words. The din of the room made it impossible to hear what she was saying.
Dori”s long, flowing, blue-gray hair reached nearly to the floor. The bluish undertone of her pale skin marked her as a water fae. In fact, the way her satiny silver dress billowed with her movements, she looked as though she were floating underwater.
Fire and water typically didn”t mix. As soon as I had the thought, Zoriyah shot me a quick look. Unlike yesterday, her rose-gold curls were pulled up in an intricate braid, making her face look more severe.
Dori continued with her theatrics and rudely pointed to someone sitting on the couches not fifteen feet from her.
A short maniacal laugh drew everyone’s attention. Mirrelle, who I”d met this morning at breakfast when she”d asked me to pass something across the table, rose to her feet, as poised and regal as any royal.
When the fabric of her black skirt fell to either side of her hips, I realized she was actually wearing fitted pants with an attached train. I”d heard blood fae made interesting fashion choices.
But really, I was envious. Why hadn”t I been given trousers?
While we waited to meet the king last night, a few things had been added to my wardrobe. I assumed it was the same for the others.
Their outfits seemed to fit their styles. So why wasn”t I given something I would have chosen for myself?
Except for the underthings, of course. Those I would definitely choose for myself. In fact, I might steal the lot to take with me when I returned to Greenhollow.
Mirrelle”s scarlet irises glimmered like rubies in the light. “Careful, Dori, or I”ll start to think you don”t like me.”
Dori”s upper lip lifted. “I don”t like you, demon spawn. You disgust me. Your kind are more animal than fae. In fact, I think I”ll kill you myself to keep you off the throne. Nox will thank me for the favor.”
The corners of Mirrelle”s dark red lips stretched. “Oh, I think Nox likes me just fine. If I were you, I”d worry less about my dietary needs and more about that rotten fish smell you project.”
Nervous gasps and a few snickers filled the stunned silence. Dori”s pallid face turned puce.
“Perhaps,” the blood fae continued, “that”s why the king didn”t partake in anything you had to offer last night. I”d say you were out of the running before it even began. How disappointed your brother will be. Tell me, is it true Derrin threatened to turn you out because he worried no one would want to marry such a malodorous wisp of a female?”
All around, subtle shifts in body language and furtive glances were telltale signs of the brewing storm. A number of fae moved away from the angry pair.
As if on cue, Dori approached Mirrelle with a sneer, her voice dripping with venom. “You”ll be dead by morning, whore,” she promised, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
“Watch your tongue, sea witch,” Mirrelle shot back. “I won”t be so easy to eliminate.”
While blood fae didn”t have much in the way of offensive magic, they did have extreme strength and an uncanny way of protecting themselves from attacks.
My heart pounded in my chest, torn between stepping in and keeping my distance. If I intervened now, I”d risk drawing unwanted attention as well as physical harm. But how could everyone just stand idly by while these two tore each other apart?
“Let them fight,” a cold voice interrupted my thoughts. “It”s what they”re here for, after all.”
Magic cocooned around me as shadows formed into the shape of Nox leaning against the wall near my shoulder. His flint-colored eyes danced with amusement, a distinct contrast to the last time I”d looked into them.
My mouth opened and I promptly shut it. I”d be doing myself no favors confronting the king in front of his constituents—or at all.
“Speak freely, little hellion. Your king insists.”
My brow furrowed. Was he trying to trick me into getting myself into trouble?
“I prefer honesty over posturing,” he shrugged. “Pretend I”m a soldier or a guard and not a king. Like you did yesterday, when you didn”t seem to have any problem with your tongue.”
My skin flushed at his double meaning. I looked down, concentrating on the scuffed toes of my boots, so out of place under the lacey fringe of my sky-blue dress.
“If it helps, they can”t hear us. They don”t even know I”m in the room.”
I glanced around. No one was paying any attention to Nox. I called Sofiya”s name and nothing happened. She was less than four feet away.
Nox gave me an I-told-you-so look.
Anger flickered in my chest. He”d treated me like a toy to be played with then threw me out. Now he was watching two females argue over him and enjoying it. It was repulsive.
“Is that all you see us as? Pawns in some twisted game?” I challenged.
“Isn”t that what this is?” he countered, his lips curling into a wicked grin.
Our eyes locked, and for a moment, the rest of the room faded away. A shiver ran down my spine.
No, I snapped at myself, turning back to the brewing conflict between Dori and Mirrelle. “We can”t let this escalate.”
“Stay out of it, Aeryn,” Nox warned, his voice low and dangerous. “You have enough to worry about without involving yourself in their petty squabbles.”
“Petty? This could end in bloodshed!”
“Then let it,” he replied icily, leaning closer to me. “It”s not your concern.”
“Everything that happens in this room concerns me,” I retorted, my resolve hardening. “I don”t have any magic with which I can protect myself or anyone else, but I can”t sit here while they tear each other apart, risking more than twenty-something lives.”
“Have it your way, little hellion,” Nox sighed. “But don”t say I didn”t warn you.”
As if on cue, the tension between Dori and Mirrelle snapped. The water fae lunged, vicious snarls tore through the air. My pulse raced as I watched them fight, fists and magic flying in a deadly dance.
I knew I had to find a way to stop them before someone got hurt, even if it meant standing against Nox and the others.
Nox disappeared into the shadows and his magical shield dropped.
“Stop!” I yelled, stepping forward as Sofiya made a grab at me. But my voice was lost in the chaos. My heart sank as the fight spiraled out of control.
I grabbed a vase from the closest table, emptied the flowers, and charged at the duo, dousing them in water. Neither reacted, too intent on harming one another.
I threw the vase at their feet. It shattered, glass crunching under the soles of their expensive shoes. I yelled again, trying to break through to them before something terrible happened.
The door flew open and slammed into the wall. Lorne stormed inside, followed closely by Liam and a line of other guards. Their faces were thunderous, their eyes assessing the bedlam unfolding before them.
Furniture was overturned, contestants scattered. Some were enjoying the spectacle, others on high alert, dodging strikes and orbs of magic thrown about.
I had another vase held above my head about to break it on Dori”s head to knock her out since she seemed to be the one most determined to take a life.
“Enough!” Lorne roared, his voice emulating a clap of thunder.
I dropped the vase. Luckily it landed with a dull thud on one of the sofa cushions.
The fight between Dori and Mirrelle seemed to slow, but not stop completely. I saw Sofiya flatten against the wall as they circled closer to where she was standing.
“Get away from there,” Lorne barked as he grabbed Sofiya”s arm, pulling her away from the fray.
I was surprised to see the worry in his charcoal eyes, even as he maintained his tough exterior.
“Lorne. Sire,” I corrected, “please don”t hurt her.”
I watched Lorne handle Sofiya with surprising gentleness. He pointed to an area out of the way and she obediently jogged over to it.
“Stay out of this, Aeryn,” Lorne snapped, his gaze narrowing as he turned his attention back to the fight. “You”ve caused enough trouble already.”
“Me?” I scoffed, feeling a flash of anger despite the fear that still coursed through me. “I didn”t start this.”
Dori conjured a murky, misshapen orb.
Zoriyah finally got with the program and clapped to get her associate”s attention. “Don”t do it, Dori,” she cautioned. “You”ll be finished here.”
Dori threw it directly at Mirrelle”s chest and Zoriyah shouted.
A piercing scream filled the air. My blood ran cold as I watched Dori–not Mirrelle–crumple to the ground, face down. A pool of crimson spread onto the rug beneath her. Her breaths came in shallow gasps as she clung to life.
Liam rolled Dori onto her back. I covered my mouth. Several others wretched.
The water fae”s torso had an open cavity. Where her heart should have been was nothing more than sludge and viscera.
Dori had thrown an actual killing spell. There was no coming back from that.
“Guards!” Lorne shouted and a group of them rushed into the room.
They grabbed Mirrelle, whose angry tears mixed with blood as they ran down her face. She struggled against their grip, her eyes wide.
“Take her,” he pointed to Dori, “to Beatrice so she may preserve the vessel for transport to her family. And take her,” he pointed to the blood fae, “to the king. He’ll likely want her executed immediately.”
“No!” Mirrelle cried out as she was dragged across the room. “I had no choice!” Her kicking and screaming grew quieter as they disappeared down the corridor.
The remaining soldiers spread out, alert, and the severity of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks.
“Look at this mess,” Lorne hissed at me, his eyes cold and unyielding. “Care to explain yourself?”
“I didn”t start this,” I repeated, voice trembling but resolute.
“Maybe not, but you joined in with it, so you bear at least some degree of fault.”
“No. The fault lies with the king for forcing us into these trials, pitting us against each other like animals fighting over a bone. Of course, something like this happened. I tried to stop it. Obviously, I failed. I”m sorry. Sire.”
Though the king”s brother eyed me critically, his head slanted, as if considering my words. He nodded and went over to one of the guards, leaving me to process what had just unfolded.
“Be careful, Aeryn,” Liam warned unexpectedly, his gaze lingering on my frown before he followed Lorne out.
I glanced over at Sofiya, who looked as shaken as I felt. The weight of my decisions pressed down on me, and I couldn”t help but wonder if I had made a mistake by intervening. One I”d have to pay for.
My heart thudded as I stared at the empty space where Mirrelle had been dragged away, feeling the remnants of her terror hanging in the air. The room seemed to close in on me, and for a moment, I was overwhelmed with the knowledge that I was out of my depth.
Movement caught the corner of my eye and I shook off my musings. My friend was approaching Lorne, looking halfway determined.
“Please, my lord,” Sofiya implored, her voice shaking. “Don”t kill Mirrelle. It wasn”t her fault.”
“It”s not your place to request such things,” he admonished.
“Sire, are we expected to act like females that we are not?” I asked, stepping forward.
“Wouldn”t it be better to show who we truly are? I would think King Nox would rather see our true natures. And hers,” I nodded to Sofiya, “is one of mercy and kindness.”
I could tell he was annoyed, but he waited patiently for Sofiya to continue.
“It was self-defense,” she said. “The only reason Mirrelle killed Dori was because Dori attacked first. First with taunts, then with threats. She told Mirrelle she”d be dead by morning then she began attacking with both claws and magic. The spell that brought Dori to the ground was her own.”
A feminine snort came from behind us.
“It”s true,” Sofiya insisted. “That”s what happened. You saw the end of it and know Mirrelle didn”t throw that spell. Blood fae don”t have that kind of magic. I don”t know how, but it bounced off of her and went back to Dori. Dori had meant to kill Mirrelle from the start. I don”t think it was an empty threat.”
Lorne lifted his head and looked around, settling on Raina. “Is that what you saw, as well? Did Dori threaten Mirrelle then attack her?”
She blinked. “Yes, my lord.”
Lorne pursed his lips, presumably thinking. I could have told him to ask Nox, but the king hadn”t wanted the contestants to see him in here. It wasn”t something for their ears.
“The king has set the rules, and they will be enforced,” he pronounced. “But I”ll make sure my brother hears all the facts.”
My teeth bit down on my tongue. Nox already had an opinion on the so-called facts and didn’t care.
“Thank you, Sire,” Sofiya said, but Lorne acted like he didn”t hear.
When two servants entered with cleaning supplies he stepped in front of them. “Leave this until they retire for the evening. Let it be a reminder of what happens when one doesn”t follow the rules,” he said without sympathy.
“Everyone shall remain here until I”ve notified the king,” Lorne stated before leaving the room.
The heavy silence that filled the common area felt suffocating. The scent of copper made it worse. I didn”t want to think about Dori on the ground, about her family getting word of her death.
My thoughts turned to Nox, of his unexpected appearance, our exchanges, and the undeniable tension that lingered between us. I couldn”t help but wonder if I”d be able to handle him in the future, or if my weakness would put Sofiya and myself in even greater danger.
“Are you okay?” Sofiya asked quietly.
I forced a smile for her sake. But inside, I couldn”t shake the feeling that I was playing with fire, and it would only be a matter of time before I got burned.
“Seems like the little farmer doesn”t understand the concept of competition,” Zoriyah taunted from nearby, her voice dripping with false concern. “It”s a shame, really.”
“Indeed,” one of her companions chimed in. Jade, I thought her name was.
“But what does a farmer really know about anything except how to lace her dirty boots?” Jade glanced down at my feet, smirking at the sight of the well-worn leather.
I fought the urge to snap back at them. Their ally had just been killed and they weren’t affected by it in the least. It was reprehensible.
“Quiet,” Liam barked, silencing the snide comments. “Sit down and shut up. We”ll wait for Lorne to return after he speaks to the king.”
The unpleasant gaggle went back to their corner. The room fell quiet, tension thick as everyone took seats.
I sat down beside Sofiya, who offered me a reassuring smile. But it did little to ease the disquiet that churned within me.
As we waited, my mind wandered back to my thoughts of Nox. The way his lips had pressed gently against mine, only to leave me cold and alone moments later. The kiss had been tender, but his dismissal had cut deep.
Why was I obsessing? Or even care? He”d kissed practically every contestant, yet my body still betrayed me with its reaction to him. I was just one of many.
He was cruel. He”d have me fighting for my life soon enough. No way was I going to fight for his affections.
I shook my head, trying to clear it of thoughts of Nox. It didn”t matter. I needed to focus on the trials and protect Sofiya. But doubt gnawed at the edges of my resolve, whispering unpleasant reminders of my shortcomings.
“What are you thinking?” Sofiya whispered, her concern evident.
“Things I shouldn”t be.”
“About King Nox?” she ventured.
“Unfortunately,” I admitted. “But also about the trials and what we”ve gotten ourselves into.”
Sofiya squeezed my hand. “We”re in this together, Aeryn. We”ll figure it out.”
Her words brought a small measure of comfort, but the nagging feeling that we were flirting with death remained. The dark stain drying by the door was proof of that.
“Was it worth it?” I mused aloud, my thoughts spilling out before I could stop them.
“Was what worth it?” Sofiya’s brow furrowed.
“Their tussle. Me trying to intervene,” I replied, struggling to put my thoughts into words.
“I stepped in for Mirrelle, but what impact will that have on the trials? What if I only made it worse? Someone is already dead and they haven”t even begun.”
“Sometimes we have to make difficult choices, Aeryn,” Sofiya said softly, her amber eyes filled with empathy. “You did what you thought was right. It”s in your very makeup. Just like you said, we can”t fight our nature.”
“Maybe,” I murmured.
My decision to intervene had been driven by my desire to protect, but who had I been protecting? Mirrelle?
“Regardless of the outcome,” I continued, “we need to be prepared for anything.”
“Agreed,” Sofiya nodded.
As I looked at the blood on the rug, I only knew one thing for certain. I would fight with every fiber of my being to ensure our survival. I just hoped I wouldn”t be punished for stepping into the fray after Nox had warned me not to.
As the fear and uncertainty started to settle, some contestants began chatting socially as though the room didn”t look like a cyclone had come through and dumped a body on the floor.
I noticed Raina standing alone across the room. Her white-blonde hair shimmered like moonlight. Her navy dress clung to her small frame as she clutched at her skirts, pale violet eyes darting around.
I”d never seen a frost nymph before, but the stories of their beauty were accurate. Raina looked like she”d been perfectly carved from marble.
Lorne and Liam had both paid her particular attention, and not the kind anyone would want. The other contestants all ignored her. It was clear she needed an ally. So did we.
“Come on,” I tugged Sofiya”s arm, drawing her over to Raina.
The nymph looked up at us with a mix of surprise and relief, as if she”d been praying for someone to break her isolation.
“Hello,” Sofiya greeted. “We thought you might like some company while we wait.”
“Thank you,” Raina said, her eyes flicking between us, gauging our intentions. “That would be lovely.”
“Sometimes strength is found in numbers,” I said, trying to sound reassuring and not pushy. “Especially when we”re surrounded by those who mean harm.”
“Strength in numbers,” Raina repeated softly, her eyes narrowing with determination. “Very true.”
I wanted to know why Lorne and Liam treated her so poorly, but we didn”t know one another well enough for me to ask such a thing.
Thankfully, Sofiya had manners and knew how to ease into conversation. I did my best to pay attention and participate but the worry gnawing at my insides wouldn”t let me out of its hold.
Nox wouldn”t want someone like Sofiya on the throne. He definitely wouldn”t want someone like me. Wouldn”t it be better for him to come to that conclusion sooner rather than later?
We”d been exchanging a few details about one another when Greer came to tell us the king would like everyone to return to their rooms. There”d been a change of plans and we needed to dress accordingly. We had one hour to prepare.
As we walked away from the blood-stained rug, a plan began to form in my mind.
I needed a word with the king.