Page 30 of Fae Games

The princes turned to each other, seeming to have a silent conversation. I held my breath, waiting for their verdict. If they forced me to choose, I wouldn’t know which to pick. They had both annoyed and delighted me in equal measure.

“Alright,” said Prince Rory. “I can share you with Caulden. We will make our offer before the king and queen at the end of the beauty contest.”

After straightening his blazer, Prince Caulden held out his hand and helped me to my feet. Prince Rory stood and handed me the boxed up dress in a shopping bag.

Before we could step out, a strong wind tore open the wagon’s exit, revealing a furious Prince August.

“I’ve just heard from Her Majesty, and she says, if Unity Quayle doesn’t return that Emporium dress, she will personally have her executed!”

Chapter 8

My mouth dropped open, and I stared through the wagon doors at Prince August, whose nostrils flared like a bull the morning after a blue moon. The summer prince’s shoulders broadened into the same fighting stance as his brothers when they had jostled over me in the store, but there wasn’t anything seductive about his intentions.

Prince August looked like he wanted to flay me alive. Worse. The boxes piled on the left of the wagon trembled with the force of his anger.

My heart stuttered unpleasantly. I drew back, my shoulders hunching around my ears, and my hands clasped to my chest. What was the big deal about that dress? Moxie had said she’d adjusted it to fit me, implying there was at least one other in stock.

Prince Rory stepped forward, blocking my view of his eldest brother. “I don’t see why Unity can’t keep a dress I lawfully purchased.”

“With treasury funds,” growled Prince August.

I clenched my teeth, feeling like some kind of undeserving wretch. Prince August hated me because he thought I was a half-blood discarded by some noble fae lord, but he would probably strike me dead if he knew the truth.

Prince Caulden wrapped an arm around my shoulder, bringing me into the protection of his large, muscular body. “There’s nothing against the rules that states we can’t purchase gifts for any of the contestants.”

“There’s nothing much in the rules at all,” muttered Prince Rory.

The tenseness in my shoulders released, and I exhaled a long breath. Maybe all that stuff about Queen Titania wanting me punished for obtaining an Emporium dress was just a bluff. Perhaps this was only Prince August being a dick and continuing where we had left off after breakfast.

Prince Caulden gave me a comforting squeeze around the shoulders. “Don’t worry, Unity, we’ll resolve this matter, and you’ll win tomorrow’s trial.”

I raised my head and smiled into his warm, gray eyes, my heart filling with appreciation at the reassuring gesture. Some guys would balk at seeing a girl suck him and his brother off and call her a slattern or something equally as shaming, but not these two. I loved that they were protecting me from their awful brother.

Prince August laughed, the sound harsh and bitter. “Her Majesty also said she would have you both castrated for the duration of the trial if you didn’t stop assisting that horrendous halfling.”

The warmth swelling in my chest deflated, and irritation fizzled across my skin. The Fated could collude with the princes to banish me to the Dark Fae Prison, disobey Queen Titania’s command to have me banished, and steal an innocent faerie’s magic, but I was the one in the wrong for accepting a dress?

Thinking about the unfairness of my situation only fueled my anger until it popped and crackled against the edges of my wings. What was the point of these games rigged to favor girls who had cheated their way into becoming Fated?

I broke free from Prince Caulden’s embrace, walked around Prince Rory, and jumped down from the wagon’s high platform. Prince August stepped back, as though breathing the same air as me would be toxic.

My hands curled into fists, and I spat, “What does Her Majesty have against me? I’m not the one who ruined a girl’s life with dark magic to steal her sons.”

Prince August sniffed. “That remains to be seen.”

White-hot anger flashed across my vision. “What?”

His gaze swept down my uniform, and he made a massive show of tightening his lips. “You comport yourself like a fae in heat, using a form of allure that is distasteful and nefarious.” His perfect nose twitched in an expression of disgust. “It’s an unfair advantage over those who remain ladylike.”

“Do you mean frigid?” I snapped.

The sound of two sets of footsteps jumping down filled my ears, and I felt two large bodies at my back. One of the other princes placed a hand on my shoulder. I guess they were trying to tell me to calm down, but Prince August’s lack of reaction spurred me to continue arguing. He always remained silent when he had no counterargument because I was right.

“This is supposed to be a contest about mates,” I snarled. “What’s wrong with spending a day with two of the princes? Are you jealous because you didn’t get your cock sucked?”

Prince August’s nostrils flared, and he glowered down at me with a fury brighter than the afternoon sun. “I wouldn’t permit a creature as wretched as you to lick my chamberpot!”

The words hit like a slap, making me flinch.