Because gods, did I love him. Now more than ever. This Contest was bonding me to him like nothing else could.
I moved my legs to make myself more comfortable. One of them ended up lying over Ethan’s. I felt the cold metal of his prosthetic press against my calf through his clothing.
His entire body stiffened with shock. It was like he wanted to cringe away— like he wasn’t ready for me to acknowledge that it was there.
“It’s okay,” I breathed. I tangled my legs with his, and Ethan relaxed. His arms drew me tighter to his form. My body ached as my thoughts weaved in and out of dreamland.
The King’s Contest didn’t have accommodations for disabled people. I needed to suck it up. Ethan had problems, too. I wasn’t the only one who had issues to work around. He was getting by just fine.
Ethan’s disability is a bit different. He’s missing a leg. You’re missing an immune system, functioning organs, and just about everything fucking else.
I was exhausted. And we were only two rounds into this thing. If we were going to win, we had two more to go— and the last one would be a literal fight to the death.
I didn’t think I’d make it that far. I was ready to collapse with the end of the second round. My body wasn’t going to let me go through yet another part of this competition. I needed rest. I needed a shower and a bed. I needed to go home and pretend this was all a bad dream.
But I loved Ethan. I was doing this for him. I’d used black magic for him without blinking an eye, and I’d do it again. I didn’t care about the cost. He needed me to hold on and make it through this thing.
So I would. I’d put that crown on his head even if it killed me.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ethan
Iwas terribly concerned about Emma. She didn’t look good.
Forget that. It was an understatement. She didn’t lookwell. In fact, if I had to put it into words, she looked like the epitome of walking death.
I hated myself for doing this to her. I’d put her in this situation. I wished I’d abandoned the throne and not gone through with the Contest at all.
And yet we were so close. We were halfway through. Our chances of succeeding had increased drastically. There were only a few more couples we had to beat. The crown was literally within our grasp.
We’d fallen asleep together in the tourney tent. She slept for far longer than I did. I wanted to remain in bed forever and listen to the sound of her steady breaths as they rose in and out of her gorgeous body. It was an enchanting rhythm that sounded sweeter than any music in the world.
I hoped that she didn’t care about my leg. Maybe she didn’t care there were parts of me missing. But I was too afraid to ask.
I shook her awake a half an hour before the third round began. She didn’t want to eat, but I begged and pleaded with her until I was able to force some bread and soup down her throat. It was late afternoon at this point, and she needed to keep her strength up.
Emma seemed a little better after the nap. Her eyes shone brighter, and clear. Emma stood tall and fastened the sword hilt around her, which I had taken off after the second round. We got our armor back on just before we were called to go.
Kiara entered the tent. “It’s time.” She glanced at Emma, then sent me a disapproving look that made me uneasy.
She didn’t need to drop hints. Kiara obviously thought that Emma was lying about the second round. Everyone in the audience had been stunned. The officials, too. An illusion like that had never been broken before during the Contest. It had taken several sorceresses to cast, and was exceptionally strong. Emma was a First Year Marked who barely knew her way around a spell. How she’d managed to break that illusion and end the blizzard was beyond me.
Yes, I knew Emma was lying, too. But I didn’t know what about, or why. She had help breaking that illusion. She had to. But for now, I didn’t think it wise to ask. The past was behind us now, and we had to keep moving forward.
Maybe I just didn’t want to know the truth.
Emma put a hand to her forehead and grabbed onto the table to keep herself steady. I immediately rushed to her side, my hands on her hips to keep her upright. “Emma. Steady now.” I hoped she wouldn’t faint again.
She grimaced. “Cast an illusion spell.”
“What?”
“Make me look pretty! I can’t go out looking like this. It’ll make me seem weak,” she said.
She was right. Her face appeared taunt, and dark circles had formed under her eyes. The officials wouldn’t consider her strong enough to go on.
I waved my hand, and violet sparks flashed out of my fingers. The dark circles faded, and color popped into her cheeks as her red hair brightened and skin smoothed. It looked like she’d just walked into a salon and gotten a complete makeover.
