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The passage exit ended at the steps to the platform that would take us back inside the tower. Curry and Rowan were already gone, and there was no sign of the other competitors.
Quinley looked down her nose at me, her disgust evident. Kaley tilted her head, staring at me as if she wasn’t sure what she was seeing. Eamon had a grin on his face like he was privy to a joke I wasn’t a part of, while the Winter siblings flicked their eyes from me and back to each other, coming across as if they were talking telepathically.
Skin crawling, I stared straight ahead, pretending their assessment didn’t bother me. I’d made it out alive. That was what mattered.
Kieran—no, King Kieran. I needed to reinstate that formality between us. He walked out behind me, and the cool spot on my neck pulsed. It hadn’t bothered me in the maze, but now that we were around other people, it reminded me that something was off with me.
“It seems you are one of the last to make it back.” Quinley ran a hand over her flawless wavy hair. “Five contestants will take part in the next trial. One contestant squeaked through and is coming down the way now.”
My breath hitched. We’d started with twenty contestants, and within a week, fifteen had died. I swallowed the sour taste in my mouth over so much needless death. I already knew that only two Summer Fae had completed this trial—Curry and myself—and I’d seen only Rowan and Kieran on the Winter fae side, which meant someone had gotten out before Kieran and I had made it to the canopy.
I gritted my teeth. I’d never been super competitive when it came to tests and things, but knowing someone had outsmarted us annoyed me.
“Come,” Kaley said, looping an arm with mine. “You should go to your room and rest. We have a huge celebration tonight.”
My feet stopped. “A celebration? I’m caked in dirt, I’ve seen multiple people die, and I had to face my biggest regret. All I want to do is take a bath and sleep.” What exactly were we celebrating? That we’d survived, only to die the next time? Even though the thought of killing didn’t bother me as much anymore, the whole concept of the Comortas did.
“Princess Alina.” Kaley laughed awkwardly. “You made it to the final round. You’re one of the strongest fae in Talamh.”
“She’s tired.” King Kieran’s voice boomed behind me, sounding condescending, and he snorted. “She’ll be fine once she freshens up and has some time on her own.”
Now he was speaking on my behalf and poking fun at me. He was sending all sorts of mixed signals, but I refused to react. My opinions wouldn’t end this tournament; they would only make my time here less bearable with all the nasty expressions tossed my way.
I felt like I was losing a part of myself, which infuriated me more than anything.
Forcing myself not to glance back, even to glare at him, I marched up the stairs. My boots thudded gracelessly on the stone.
Kieran distancing himself from me was the main reason for my foul mood, and that pissed me off. I should have been more upset over everything I’d had to do and what might have happened if Rowan hadn’t been there to help me.
I marched to the door, threw it open, and continued into the lobby. Curry, Rowan, and another Winter fae competitor I had barely noticed stood at the base of the stairs. The man arched a brow, observing me, his overly rosy cheeks reminding me of a clown.
Curry sneered, and the corners of his mouth tipped up maliciously when his gaze landed on Kaley.
I didn’t have to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking. He’d seen Kieran and me in the stairwell, and he was enjoying the fact we’d distanced ourselves in front of the others.
Maybe that had been Kieran’s plan. He’d promised to protect me, and he had. But at what cost? I feared it was the largest price of them all.
My heart.
The one thing I tried to protect.
A cold void formed inside me. I felt more alone than I had ever before.
My skin tingled, and I knew that Kieran had entered the room as well and was watching me. I hated how attuned I was to him. If Quinley could create the illusion spells, maybe that whole canopy experience had been an act … another way to lure me in.
Kaley guided me to turn toward Kieran and the High Court members.
Kieran took the spot next to me, catching me off guard.
Releasing my arm, Kaley went to stand next to Quinley, with Eamon on her other side, while the siblings flanked Quinley. Caden was at the end, and I realized the lineup was separated by courts, with the oldest in the center and the youngest at the ends.
“Well done.” Quinley clasped her hands. “All of you have proven yourselves to be the strongest of the fae and worthy of the final trial, even our reincarnated princess.” She gestured to me as if no one wouldn’t know who she meant.
Holding her stare, I didn’t flinch. I was tired of every single one of them acting like there was something wrong with me. These trials not only turned people into ruthless monsters, but they also built animosity between the courts. No wonder the two courts despised one another.
“Everyone, go to your room. Clean up and rest.” Kaley stepped forward, her smile so warm it almost made me forget that so many of us had killed our peers as if they were nothing. “Tonight, your families will dine with you in celebration of your monumental victory and, in most cases, to say goodbye.”
A goodbye dinner. Even better.
