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I wrapped my arms around myself, and something cool trickled down between my breasts. I glanced down and wished I hadn’t. As suspected, someone had spat on me.
Acid burned the back of my throat.
Schooling my expression, I kept my head high as Maeve and I joined the others on the platform. The worst thing I could do was react to the blatant sign of disrespect. That was one thing having foster parents had taught me—bullies loved to see their victims squirm.
I was done making people like that feel more powerful.
“She has reached the tower.” King Kieran scanned the crowd, taking in each section slowly. “Not only is she now the Summer Court Princess but an official competitor in the Comortas. No one outside of the contestants can harm her from this point forward.”
“We can’t wait to see you kill her, my king,” a man with luxurious pale-blue hair exclaimed.
My brows furrowed, and I stepped closer to Maeve. “They mean Prince Nolan, right?” That was the name of the man they all expected to beat me.
“That’s part of what the early morning meeting was about,” Maeve murmured. “Prince Nolan was injured last night during a training exercise. King Kieran is taking his place.”
My breath caught. This had to be a joke. Even being close to him made me feel funny.
“The first trial begins tomorrow morning when the moons take their rest.” Kaley spread her arms. “We will introduce the twenty contestants before the lute thrums.”
I had no clue what that meant, but I would find out soon enough.
“Let’s go inside and allow the contestants to meet formally and have sustenance before settling in for the night.” Quinley gestured at the gigantic door.
King Kieran was the first to move, and when Orla took a step to walk beside him, he shook his head. He then extended his arm toward me.
My heart leaped into my throat at the thought of touching him. A part of me was desperate to feel each curve of his muscles, while the other side knew he posed an immense danger to me.
“Please, join me,” he said and smiled.
My head went foggy.
“Don’t trust him,” Maeve whispered in my ear. “He’s the most ruthless of them all and a competitor.”
Unsure what to do without causing more issues, I slid my arm through his, and a weird energy churned inside me. I was fairly certain it wasn’t magic, but I didn’t know what else it could be.
The two of us stepped inside the building—fortress?—and I took in the golden walls and stairwell that circled the entire center space of the lobby to the two floors above us. At the top of the ceiling hung an enormous icicle chandelier that stopped at the bottom of the second floor. Four green couches surrounded the chandelier, and a large pink rose plant grew in the circle.
More modern than Orla’s castle, the room seemed designed for royalty. But my chest ached. I missed the flowers that had surrounded me in the Sambradh Castle.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kieran’s hands slide under his charcoal black suit, and Maeve’s warning replayed.
We were competitors … and he could kill me at any time.
Chapter Ten
My breathing hitched as I reached under my skirt and removed the green-vine dagger. As I straightened, prepared to stab, he swung his sword under my chin, stopping with the blade against my neck. Not wanting to be the only casualty, I pressed the point of my dagger against his chest, ready to strike.
There was a faint sting where his blade had nicked my skin, and warmth trickled down my neck.
My blood.
His gaze homed in there, his brows furrowing as if he were debating how to end my life.
I needed to strike first.
But something prevented me from finishing him.
A low growl escaped me when his gaze locked with mine. For a moment, his icy irises thawed, and I became uncomfortably warm. Then, the corners of his mouth turned down.
