Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Daisy looked at their arms, not seeing the same lines. “Did they not want to participate?”
The Fallen looked between them, many flaring their elbows. “When Equilas stripped our wings,” the redhead said, “she also stripped away the proof of what we are. Except for the scars. Those you can still see if you look hard enough.”
“Or, in Gorlan’s case, if he constantly shoves his arm in your face so you can’t help but count all fifteen of his rings,” Niall said, pushing a darker-skinned male with thick black lashes.
“Well?” Gorlan replied. “Besides Tarian, I got more than all but one of the royal family, whom I tied. That’s kind of fucking awesome. You’d shove it in everyone’s face, too.”
“Besides the king, too,” said Darryn, Niall’s similar-looking brother. “He has sixteen.”
“He doesn’t count. It was easier back when he took the trials. He made them harder so no one could match him.”
“Joke was on him.” Niall smirked.
Daisy looked at Tarian’s arm, counting the rings. Ten down to his elbow on his right arm, ten on his left. “How many trials are there?”
“Twenty,” one of the Fallen said. “No one alive, save for Tarian, has mastered them all. Any others are recorded in ancient scrolls. They might as well be myth.”
The others puffed up in pride at Tarian’s achievements, except for Tarian himself. He ran his fingers through his unruly hair.
“What is your advantage?” she asked him.
His gaze hardened. “My advantage turned into a curse, and the trials helped solidify the Diamond Court’s wariness about the possibility of my taking the throne forcefully.”
“And your family’s wariness that when the king passed on the throne,” Lennox said in a slow, deep drawl, “he’d pass it to the most qualified of his heirs. They all knew it would be you—not because of your magic, but because of all you’d done within your few short years—”
“Enough!” Tarian barked, his command crisp and effective. Everyone fell silent. “It doesn’t matter now. My so-called advantages landed me—and all of you—in this position. It ruined our lives. All of us, including this innocent human who has to suffer because of the gods’ ill humor. Who has to fight a battle she has no part in. There’s no point in discussing it further. It won’t do any good. That advantage can’t help me now. Equilas made sure of that.”
Daisy wanted to ask again what the advantage was. She wanted to judge for herself if it helped or didn’t. The Fallen didn’t seem to think so, but it was clear they thought the sun shone out of his ass. She wondered if she’d be so generous.
His pain kept her from prying, though. The raw misery she could see before her tightened her chest in sympathy. She pushed aside the empathy threatening to overwhelm her and tucked away the gnawing curiosity. She’d delve another day when he might be more inclined to share.
We are ready. Stratow’s mental voice was like a boom of thunder.
“I thought you said he was too far away to hear,” she whispered as quietly as she could.
They are. They have the ability to push out their mental voices to be heard a long way away. It’s necessary as a flier.
So you can do it, too?
He took her hand and pulled her with him. Once. I’m not a flier anymore. That magic is lost to me.
Forever? She hadn’t meant for that question to sound so crestfallen. Before finding out what he was, she couldn’t imagine a way for him to be more attractive. Those beautiful wings, though, and that beautiful, well-cut outfit that Celestial had worn would really round him out.
He gave her a strange look. That remains to be seen. Come on, we’ve stalled long enough.
It wasn’t really an answer, but then, what did it matter? If he was to be believed, and she had a sinking feeling he was, she wouldn’t be around long enough to enjoy it anyway.
“What’s a champion of the court?” she asked, tugged along to the great beasts.
Lennox shot her a guarded look as he also started forward. The others wouldn’t look at her at all.
“A great distraction for the court,” Tarian said gruffly, “and the way I will explain your presence. The way I will hide your importance.”
“I do love me a good riddle,” she replied. “But what is it?”
The stormbacks waited in a half-circle, now facing northeast. Stratow stood in the middle, at the top of the arc. His mane ruffled around his face as the wind picked up speed, blowing in the direction they were all facing.
Tarian stopped beside Stratow with her hand still in his. “The royals call it games. The gentry call it entertainment. It’s actually a blood sport. Each member of the court puts forth their champion of choice to participate in these bloody games. The entrants might be servants, some are pets, and many are slaves bought or abducted specifically for the games. In addition, the throne puts forward a collection of captured fae and prisoners to attempt to win their freedom. The goal is—”