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I headed toward the feast again, absently pondering just who—aside from the contestants—could be so interested in the outcome of this tournament that they'd risk harming others or ending up in prison. It was possible that one of the teams in the competition was trying to eliminate their competitors. But somehow, I doubted it was that simple. Especially with the way the king and queen were acting. Was the perpetrator a local? Or was someone from Larkwood or one of the other territories trying to influence the outcome? If they were trying to influence who became my co-stewards, that could mean that they knew the identity of the Prize….
My thoughts trailed off when I finally caught sight of Bach's tall, broad-shouldered form. His long black horns were a dead giveaway amongst the milling crowds of people, the long, arched appendages giving him added height. And once I located him, I was able to pick out the others at his side. There was Adder, Mirri…and in the middle of their little circle, Fife's petite silhouette. My guards were still at my side, and I stopped to glance at them in frustration.
"Look," I said tiredly, "there are city guards scattered all around here. There are wards. No one is going to pull anything dangerous in a crowd like this. You can't honestly expect us to go around all night attached at the hip."
Currant stared me down for a moment, unflinching and stern. She might have a sense of humor, but the woman could be hard as stone when she needed to be. There was good reason she was in charge of this little protection detail. "Lady Rina, we are not abandoning our post."
I rolled my eyes. "Of course not. But can't you just…get some food? Mingle? Enjoy yourselves a little?" I gestured at the tables of food, the wild boars roasting on spits, and the gathering of musicians that was forming a little way away, in an area that had obviously been cleared for dancing.
Currant's lips twitched, and I thought she would hold her ground. But eventually the smile won over, and she relented. "We will compromise, my lady. Janis and I will accompany you wherever you go. But the others can fan out and partake in the festivities—as long as they keep their eyes on us at all times."
Her words were more for her underlings than for me, but I nodded along anyway, as if she needed my agreement. "Fine."
The others dispersed toward the food while Currant and Janis fanned out on either side of me. They mingled with the crowd, but still kept pace with me just a few feet away, giving the illusion of space. I wanted to protest, but I knew this was the best I could hope for. I smiled and nodded to the people around me as I angled toward where Raven team stood off to the side in their little group.
Adder put his arm around Fife's shoulders as I watched, and pulled him in against his side, while Bach ruffled the cleric's shiny black hair. Mirri joined in whatever teasing was going on, grinning over something that was said. I moved toward their happy little group without paying attention to my surroundings, overjoyed to see them all alive and well.
I was so focused on Raven team that I nearly collided face first with a solid wall of muscle when someone stepped in front of me. My gaze snapped upward to find Talon of Lion team looking down at me with a confident smirk on his face. "Mistress," he purred, all golden charm and self-proclaimed alpha male confidence. "Please pass my salutations to your employer."
I nodded absently, impatient to be done with this over-inflated brute and reach my destination. My eyes flitted past him toward Raven team, and he caught the direction of my gaze.
Turning to stand at my side and regard the other team, Talon let out a huff of scoffing laughter. "Ah, noticed that, did you? Probably for the best you let you’re the queen and the Prize know, just in case. I mean, Raven’s so far behind there's not really much chance of them winning this little game, but it's still good to have all the information, right?"
I glanced at him in confusion. "What?"
He nodded toward the men of Raven team, who were all laughing at something while Fife glared at them. "It's no secret why they brought the pretty one along," Talon said in a conspiratorial tone of voice. "Little guy like him is useless in a tournament of real men. But we all know they pass him around their tent at night like a party favor."
I forced myself to close my mouth and stop gaping at him, but I was still astounded at his words. For a multitude of reasons. "What?"
He shook his head sadly as he watched Raven team's antics. "I know, disgusting, isn't it? I feel sorry for our Prize. If, by some weird twist of fate, Raven team were to win this tournament and become her bonded, well…imagine thinking you were getting a bunch of devoted new mates, only to find out they're already obsessed with some scrawny, doe-eyed waif of a male. It would be a tragedy for a woman to have to compete with her own bonded mates for attention." He turned away, giving me an eyebrow waggle and a leer. "The men of Lion team, on the other hand…I assure you, we'd be extremely devoted to her. And to her pleasure."
I clenched my teeth together. Clearly, the man had already spent most of the afternoon drinking. Did this imbecile honestly think he was being subtle right now? That it wasn't blatantly obvious he was trying to start rumors to make the other team look bad and make his team of chest-thumping cretins seem superior?
And aside from all of that…he clearly believed the thought of a relationship between two males was offensive somehow. I was taken aback by that alone. It was such a rare, disgusting way of thinking. Especially among fae, who were usually so open and accepting of nature's beautiful variety.
He thought he was making Raven team look bad by spinning these rumors. But all he had done was reveal how utterly loathsome he was.
"I'll be sure to pass that on," I ground out, somehow pasting a smile on my face.
Talon gave no indication that he sensed my irritation. He probably just assumed that any woman would be entranced by him, and that any smile from said female must mean panties were about to drop any moment.
"I'm sure she'd be grateful," he told me with a smarmy smile. "You're such a loyal little thing, aren't you? I think you deserve a reward for your dedication to your employer." When he reached out to touch my face, I jerked backward to stay out of reach, every ounce of my being screaming in revulsion.
He thought the Prize should be disgusted by the rumor that some of Raven team might be lovers, but making advances toward a royal employee, a woman who he hardly knew was somehow acceptable.
If I ended up bonded to this asshole, I would kill him before a single day had passed. "Good evening, sir," I bit out, moving around him and toward the feasting area once more. He probably tried to follow me, but I didn't look back to see. I was more than confident that my guards would keep him from getting close to me again after that little display, and my obvious rejection.
I felt like I needed a bath now, like he'd gotten his foul slime all over me just by looking at me. It was a bit of an overreaction, probably. Sure, he was a dung ball, and I really didn't care for him. But for some reason, my entire body was violently rejecting that whole interaction. Wrong. Our culture was all for flings and finding pleasure where you would. Another female might have used the big male's body for her fun, regardless of how much she loathed every other thing about him. And that was fine. But…the thought of that male touching me was just wrong.
The thought of any male in my bed, except for a certain four, felt wrong. And that was… disconcerting, given that there were still plenty of contenders for the Prize.
My sudden realizations and concerns fell away when I finally reached my target. I had planned on approaching Raven team in a calm, polite, logical fashion and inquiring after their wellbeing the way any acquaintance might. But my interactions on the way here had thrown me off balance.
That's the only excuse I could think of for how, instead of a polite greeting, I simply threw myself at Bach the moment he turned toward me and attempted to squeeze the life out of the giant of a man. I breathed in the scent of him, felt his aura of crisp sea air and rocky heights as it wrapped around me. And something settled, the sense of wrongness that lingered from my previous encounter with Talon falling away like magic.
Bach froze in surprise for a heartbeat, then wrapped his thick arms around me and hugged me back, not freaking out or pushing me off him the way I might have expected if I had thought any of this through. I realized what I was doing just a moment too late, and released him, pushing away from his broad chest as a furious blush heated my cheeks.
"I'm sorry," I blurted out, flustered by whatever that had been, my eyes darting around the circle to take in the surprised and amused faces of Raven team. "I was just so worried about all of you. I heard that you nearly died! Are you truly well?"
