Page 63 of A Match Made in Error

But watching him now, I don’t think he’s bitter anymore.

I think he’s sad for her.

The realization settles strangely in my chest.

Because that softness—hidden beneath all his swagger and filthy jokes and careless grins—is the exact thing that makes him dangerous to me.

Beside me, his knee brushes mine, and I shudder.

Fate, this fake relationship is going to kill me.

“Someone should probably tell her,” Riven mutters finally.

Aoife’s expression softens. “The Moirai will.”

“After the final ceremony,” Noah explains. “They won’t allow matches to continue under false pretenses. Once the last roll happens, every secret comes out.” That’s nice of them. I guess I never made it far enough to see that happen.

Riven whistles low beneath his breath. “That sounds emotionally catastrophic.”

“It absolutely is,” Aoife says cheerfully.

I laugh, sunlight warming my skin as the sea breeze tangles my hair, and Riven glances at me like the sound caught his attention against his will.

For a heartbeat, the entire island seems to blur at the edges.

And not for the first time since arriving here, I have the terrifying thought that maybe the most dangerous thing on this island isn’t Fate.

Maybe it’s him.

I huff a breath that is almost a laugh.

But before any of us can change the subject⁠—

The air shifts. The breeze unnaturally still.

“Do not get too comfortable in your seats.” The Moirai appear between one blink and the next, the glitter of magic settling around their ankles. The Crone smiles. “We would hate for you to sit with the wrong person.” Silence crashes over the beach club, and suddenly, every empty chair and fruit tart feels like a threat.

“Surprise challenge,” the Mother croons, voice echoing into the warm wind. “Today, you will test not strength nor skill…but restraint.” A pause follows, and the crowd hangs on the silence as it did on her words.

“You claim devotion,” I swear the Crones' eyes pass over Riven and me and pause as she says this, “you claim connection. Very well.” Her eyes gleam. “Each of you will dine at this midday…escorted by a former love.”

A ripple of gasps follows as my throat feels like it’s being strangled. Aoife and Noah stand, stepping closer as if they’ve misheard.

“Survive jealousy and resist temptation,” the Maiden says scandalously. “And return to your chosen partner unchanged…or maybe you won’t return at all.” She winks, and a few guys in the back high-five. I’m glad someone is excited about this challenge, because I am not.

Beside me, Riven snorts. “Avoid being jealous of an ex of yours?” He threads his fingers behind his head in a show of cocky posturing. “Easy. I don’t get jealous of losers.”

“Fair,” I sigh. I wonder who it’ll be. Another past contestant of the Festival? The Moirai would love that, I’m sure. Why not embarrass the poor witch who’s been rebuffed by love not once but thrice in their presence? “Maybe jealousy won’t get you, but temptation might.” Despite my intelligence, jealousy twists in my gut, making the croissants on the table look utterly vomit-inducing. “If memory serves, you were very…” I pause, looking for the right word that won’t make me sound like a raging, jealous maiden after his heart, “enamored with some of your beguiling exes.” I tried, and somehow, it still sounded bitchy. Well, A for effort, I suppose.

“I treat my exes like Vikings handle funerals,” Riven says cryptically, eyes locked onto the closed doors the Moirai are slowly making their way to. I can only assume that once they open it, the ex-lovers will appear.

“Meaning?” I ask, causing him to snap his eyes to me. His arms are still laced behind his head, causing his shirt to lift up and reveal a sliver of tanned, toned abdomen. A smattering of hair and pulsing veins decorate the space.

Slut.

Me. Not him. Coven curse my thoughts right now.

“Burn their ashes and give them to Poseidon. What’s done is done.” I blink one time, slowly, and twist my head away. That’s cold. “I can’t help if they fall for my charm again, but I can assure you, neither temptation nor jealousy will get me today.