AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The way she talks of my death so casually fills me with uncontrollable rage. Despite the cold, prickly heat flashes over my cheeks and chest. “Like the other girl?”
The two mortal boys that helped Reina in the cage stroll over. One of the boys whispers something to Reina, and then they all burst out laughing. But there’s no mirth in Reina’s eyes as they lock on me.
Her sprite, a dark-haired female with a dour face, hisses at me. My sprite, who I didn’t notice until now flying above me, hisses back. Her tiny pinprick teeth bare in a snarl as she hurls a string of what I assume are insults in another language at the dark-haired sprite.
She’s definitely growing on me.
“Too bad you didn’t take the hint and die too,” Reina purrs. “She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but you . . . you I definitely meant to drown. Your kind don’t belong here. You’re too weak, too ugly, too poor. Just like the dead girl. I say good riddance.”
Something inside me snaps.
Before I can think about what I’m doing, I swing my fist at her smug face, every ounce of my indignation concentrated in my right hook.
Obviously not expecting me to hit her, she doesn’t even try to defend herself as my knuckles catch her square on her perfect nose with a loud, satisfying crack. In shock, she crumples to her knees, her eyes wide and hand covering her nose.
Blood dribbles between her fingers.
“That’s for locking me inside the cage,” I snarl.
Holy Fae. I just punched her.
“You—you hit me!” she screeches, coming to the same genius realization. The two boys flock around her. One has already ripped off his shirt and is pressing it to her face. Inara and her look-alike male Fae are just staring at me in shock. As if, they literally cannot believe I hit her.
That makes three of us.
A wide grin spreads across my face as I shake out my hand, playing it cool. “Yeah, someone should have done that a long time ago.”
God that felt good. At least I get to leave this place with the memory of my fist connecting with her now-not-so-perfect nose.
Mack has come back to rein me in, and she finally succeeds in dragging me away. She plants us behind the Summer Evermore that helped me out of the boat. The Seelie and Unseelie react, the Seelie cheering while the Unseelie boo and hiss.
It’s only then that I realize how big our audience was.
I glance over my shoulder at Reina, who’s still on her knees, being tended to by her two male bodyguards. Inara has her arms crossed over her chest and a murderous look twists her face into something truly terrifying.
“That was crazy-wicked,” Mack whispers. “She’s had her nose done three times already; I bet she’s livid, along with half the Fae Courts. Now get ready.”
The panicky tone of her voice puts me on edge. “Ready? For what?”
Reina is the typical bully who can dish it out but can’t take it. She’s still crumpled on the ground in dramatic fashion. No way she comes after me in that state.
Mack shakes her head at me. “Inara has already unofficially chosen Reina as her shadow, so she’s under the protection of the Elite Six.”
The elite who? Nope. I don’t even want to know. The less I know about this pretentious school before I leave, the better. “I didn’t mean to piss off the Elite Six. I just thought, since I wouldn’t be here . . .”
Mack’s eyes go wide. “Who told you that?”
“You . . . did?” Uh oh. A pit of dread forms in my gut. “You said I had to be one of the first fifty students out of the lake or . . . they would kick me out?”
The Summer Evermore comes up beside me, one side of his mouth quirked. His gold ear cuff glints along his pointed ears. “That’s true, but we also have a bravery clause. If any of the participants show extreme and selfless acts of courage, a court may petition to have them stay.”
Shit. My mouth goes dry as Mack says, “Rhaegar petitioned for you to enter the Selection.” She nods at the Summer Evermore before turning back to me. “You’re still a shadow candidate . . . although anyone who chooses you now will risk the wrath of the Six.”
There’s that stupid name again. I barely keep from rolling my eyes as I say, “What’s the Elite Six?”
She lets out an exasperated sigh that blows her pink and brown bangs away from her forehead. “This school is ruled by six incredibly powerful Unseelie: Inara Winterspell, her twin brother, Bane Winterspell, and the Winter Prince, all Winter Court. And . . . see that girl?”
I follow her gaze to a beautiful Fae girl near the edge of the Unseelie crowd. She wears a gorgeous sable-black tunic embedded with diamonds in the shape of half-moons, her silver hair pulled back into an elaborate nest of braids. Half-moon earrings hang from her pointy ears, and a similar jewel sparkles from between her silver eyebrows.
