Chapter 19 #2
His jaw works. “The first trial was in the Saltblood district, at the sea. I reason they will shift advantages each trial to spread them among us. Stonebound district makes the most sense for the third trial—Trial of Strength—because of the steep ranges. Are you in?” His attention feels like a stone sinking in my gut.
There is something calculating about him, not warm, not helpful, but chilling and determined. I don’t trust it.
“What would an alliance with you mean, exactly?”
“It means I help you with what I know. And in exchange you stop talking to him.” He tosses his gaze to the prince. Then, he narrows the distance between us and the hair on my skin stands.
Something feral stirs in me, but a reply sticks in my throat.
“And ask that Grainfolk friend of yours about the lay of their land,” he adds. “Bring it to the meeting.”
“What meeting? When?”
But he walks away, and I realize my fists are clenched. He’s not a giver, he’s a taker. Probably a petty thief. Smuggling takes a certain charm, of which he has none.
The masses have settled. Several gossip under their breaths about Finn disappearing. Others stand in groups awkwardly. A few linger alone.
“We can’t let Finn ruin it for the rest of us,” Jace speaks up, running a hand over his slick bald head. I don’t know much about Jace other than that he was willing to help the other contestants, but I wonder what the Mercyenforcers wanted with him the other day. They searched Rhythe then too.
“He’s right.” Talia tucks a strand of blond hair behind her ear. Since he’s helped her up on the shore, I’ve seen them talk a little. A glance here or there, a passing comment.
“This is a competition,” he says, walking over to Talia. “Eat with me. I want to hear about your village. And what kind of life you’d like to have as a Skyborn.”
Every eye in the place is on them.
She twirls her hair around her finger and Jace reacts, smiling. His smile makes Talia smile.
“You’re nice. But, no, I want to talk to him.” She points across the room at Caelus, who is sliding bread into his mouth. Some people glance in my direction. But Caelus takes another bite, ignoring them.
“You don’t want a prince,” Jace says. “They’re more trouble than they’re worth. Besides, you’re going to need to meet all of us, to make sure you get your best match, right?”
Talia’s mouth curves into a sly smirk. “Mmm, yes, you make a good point.” She follows him to a small bench shrouded in a hedge of roses. They sit close, bare arms touching.
The arena erupts with chatter, others pairing off, retreating to secluded corners of the arena.
Mae still sits alone, tending her wounds.
I look for Dorian but see Orrick, Stick Boy, hovering behind Lira, as if he’s trying to work up the courage to interrupt her conversation, suggesting he is here to win too.
Maybe the first trial shook some urgency into him. It shook some urgency into us all.
If being in love can actually make you stronger, there should be urgency.
But I don’t believe anything the Benevolent says.
Several who pair off walk together but noticeably apart. Others are more daring, touching fingers immediately. One couple is even holding hands already.
“The clock is ticking.” Ivy, Wraith Girl, sneaks up behind me, refilling her glass. She lingers like she wants to say more, and I notice her salt-drenched skin. Saltblood skin.
“Ticking until what?” I ask.
Her eyes are so pale they look silver. She slinks off to sit by Rhythe, who hasn’t moved from the fire. She hugs her knees, sitting closer to him than I think he likes. But when he glances over at her, he doesn’t get up or move away.
“Axira?” It’s Kade, his chest glowing faintly. “Could we talk?”
Veteran Kade isn’t here for love. There’s no way. But I still need to pick someone. I can at least start with a conversation.
“Sure,” I say.
“I found these cards in the basket.” He pulls the deck from behind his back. He’s more awkward than I expected. He tosses his blond bangs backward, and a tattoo of the Benevolent’s face flexes on his arm. “I guess we are supposed to ask the questions on them to get to know each other.”
“Alright.” I knot my fingers, following him to a small table flickering with candlelight.
On the table are two small glass bottles of Scents like the ones in my room.
Authorized Scent No. 6—Allure. Authorized Scent No.
3—Calm. Kade grabs the calm one and sprays it on himself.
His lashes bat quickly, his eyes squinting like just before a violent sneeze.
“I’ve already ruined my chances with you probably,” he says. “I’m sure you don’t want to deal with horrific allergies for the rest of your life.”
I smile tightly.
“That was supposed to be a joke.” He clears his throat, the pupils of his irises dilating. He exhales audibly, sinking back into his seat, and I realize the spray is already taking effect. He throws an elbow over the back of his chair, much more relaxed.
I grab one of the cards. It’s about kissing.
I discard it immediately. The next one has questions about our family.
Next. This one is about if we could do any kind of work on the island, anything in the world, what would it be?
No. Too personal. I shuffle them and grab a random one, hoping for something that isn’t too embarrassing to share.
But this card wants us to tell each other about the last time we wanted to cry and why. Absolutely not. Nope, no, not at all.
I put the stack down and rack my brain for a question instead. But the more I stare at him, the only thing I want to know is why he would come here. What is he after?
“You were a Mercyenforcer, right?” I ask.
He shifts in his seat, the gleam in his eye gone. “I was.”
“What made you enter the tournament?”
“To find love, Axira. Isn’t that why we’re all here?”
“How new are you at this love thing? I’ve heard stories about the things Mercyenforcers get away with,” I say. Half my Heartfiller clients were Mercyenforcers.
His mouth pulls up at one side. “Enough to know why it’s worth being here.” But Kade’s not talking about love. I haven’t seen him even try to bond with or touch anyone. I bet he is talking about citizenship. Sly, this one.
He leans across the table now, his confident smirk back. “You’ve never slipped off your gloves and held someone’s hand at a parlor?”
“Never.”
The rules are the rules, but in every lowborn district there are touch parlors, back alleys, dark corridors, and places in the thickest trees on the island where no one can hear anything for people who would break the rules, not caring if they live or die. I didn’t have that privilege.
Kade’s fingers walk across the table toward mine.
I shove my hands into my lap. The more time I spend with him, the less I like him.
Maybe that makes him a good choice. Talia and Jace are still talking a few seats down, holding cards as well.
But now, her hands rest on his shoulders.
He laughs at something she says. Their time is far more interesting than ours. Kade hasn’t made me laugh once.
Caelus has moved to the firepit, sitting by himself, fending off contestants who keep stopping by to talk with him.
He is polite, smiling at them, but they don’t stay long.
Jace and Talia catch my eye again. His hand slips behind her neck.
His thumb grazes her jaw, then traces her mouth. Heat flushes up my neck.
“Axira?” Kade says.
“Sorry, did you say something?”
“I asked what you are looking for in a mate.”
“Uh.” I glare at the fragrance bottles again, considering spraying myself. But no, I need to keep my wits about me. “I need it to make sense.” That’s a real answer.
“Make sense how?”
“I shouldn’t have said that. I meant, er, uhm…” My parents come to mind. I shove the thoughts away, and they’re quickly replaced by thoughts of Caelus. I blink hard.
“Are you alright?” Kade asks.
“I’m fine. I just, uhm, hate blond hair.
This isn’t going to work.” I get up. Kade’s brow furrows.
His gaze sticks to me as I walk away. That was awful.
Just awful. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I don’t trust Kade.
He and I definitely don’t have any connection. I couldn’t fake it if I wanted to.
Ivy is still near Rhythe, actually talking now.
Well, she’s talking to him while he looks in an entirely different direction.
Orrick has given up trying to talk with Lira.
Instead he’s tied all the licorice together on the table and is feeding it into his mouth like a long rope.
I consider him for a second. I honestly do. But no. That’s a definite no too.
Caelus hasn’t moved from the fire. Our cut-short conversation from earlier taps at my brain like an ice pick. I join him, trusting that everyone is sufficiently tied up enough so that they won’t notice us chatting. I sit down beside him, facing the opposite direction.
“You’re going to sit here all night, turning people away?” I ask.