“This isn’t over yet.” I spoke to my reflection, feeling stupid but needing the lifeline.

  My comms charm buzzed to life with magic, and Aeri’s voice came through. “Mari? You all right?”

  “Could you sense I was freaking out?”

  “I don’t know, maybe. What’s wrong?”

  “The man who knows what I am—he’s the Fae king. He lied about his name and he’s actually the Fae king.”

  “Shit. Get out of there.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Of course you can.”

  “No. This job is important. You heard what Agatha said.”

  She didn't say anything, but I could almost see her scowling. “Let me do it. I can replace you in an hour.”

  “We don’t have an hour. The games are about to start, and there’d be no way to get you here in time. You’d need a medallion to enter the Fae realm.” And if it really was as dangerous as the little hobgoblin had said, I didn’t want my sister competing.

  Sure, she was immensely powerful, but she was still my sister. I couldn't live with it if she died in some crappy competition because of me.

  And I had to do this. I had bigger reasons for coming here. And it’d been fine when I’d thought he was just some Fae.

  As the king…

  The one I was spying on….

  I couldn’t let him recognize me. It would complicate everything. I needed my answers first, then I’d deal with the rest.

  But could I hide?

  My reflection gazed back at me. Big hair, black eye makeup, and my tits half out because my zipper was partially pulled down.

  So easily recognizable.

  My disguise—which wasn’t so much a disguise as one side of my personality—was so loud and in your face that a person wouldn’t miss me coming. I hid in plain sight by being so visible they couldn't look away.

  I reached up and rubbed at the eye makeup.

  “Mari? What are you doing?” Aeri asked. “The silence is freaking me out.”

  “I’ve got a plan.”

  “What is it?”

  “I’m going to hide what I am. But I need you to do something for me.”

  “Anything.”

  It was a long shot, but I had to ask. “Go to the bookshelf. See if there is a potion or spell for hiding a fated mate.”

  “A fated what?”

  Quickly, I explained about the man. Who happened to be the king.

  “Oh fates, Mari. You’ve gotten yourself into it this time.”

  “Seriously. Now just go look.” I didn’t know if he’d recognize something about me—my aura or something—or if touching me might trigger it, but I didn’t need him recognizing me as his fated mate. That’d blow my cover as quick as anything.

  “I’m on it. Hang on.”

  I cut the connection with the comms charm and dipped my hands under the running water.

  Two minutes later, I was makeup free, my hair was slicked back into a sleek ponytail, and my top was zippered up almost to my neck.

  No makeup, no hair, no tits.

  Perfect. The king wouldn’t even see me.

  I looked totally different.

  And I felt totally naked.

  I drew in a shuddery breath. I hadn’t gone out into the world without my disguise in years. Ever. It definitely made me look different.

  I had to risk it. Because this was my opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. I’d figure out what the king was up to with the demon energy that filled this place, then I’d make him forget what I was—or I’d kill him.

  “Mari?” Aeri’s voice came through the line. “There’s a potion. It’ll create a mark on you but it should work. However, if he figures out who you are through other means, it will fail.”

  So I wouldn’t let him find out. “Complicated ingredients?” I hadn’t packed much in my bag that I’d stashed in the ether.

  “No, normal stuff. The key is how you use them.”

  “Perfect. What is it?”

  She explained the spell, then I hung up and got to work, taking the ingredients out of the ether. Thank fates I had them all.

  As quickly as I could, I found the switch to turn the sink water off and plugged it up. My heart thundered as I mixed the ingredients in the basin, then dipped one of my knives into it. Once the blade was coated, I raised it to my chest. Slowly, I drew the blade down from the base of my throat to the start of my cleavage, leaving a shallow slice. Pain flared, and I embraced it.

  A line of blood welled, and the potion seeped into my skin. I spoke the spell that Aeri had told me. “Hide me from his sight, his will and might. Forever free, my will it be.”

  Magic swirled around me and the wound on my throat glowed. The potion spread out across my skin, forming a swirling tattoo that was really quite beautiful. It disappeared inside my skin and the wound closed.

  I shivered.

  There. It should work.

  I packed away my ingredients, cleaned the sink, then drew in one last breath and walked back out into the competitors’ waiting area.

  A pretty girl about my age stood near the door. She looked vaguely familiar, and I realized that it was the same one who’d given me directions to the bathroom. Now that I wasn’t panicking, I got a good look at her. She had blue hair and pointed ears, along with pink eyes that were just slightly too big. Her wings were an ephemeral white.

  A Fae from earth, if I had to guess. She didn’t quite have the otherworldly glow of the Fae from this realm.

  Her eyes ran up and down my form, lingering on my face. “Felt the need for a makeover?”

  Shit, she’d noticed. “Wasn’t working for me.”

  She stuck out her hand. “I’m Luna.”

  “Mari.” It was weird to use my private name, but the king knew me as Mordaca, so I couldn’t use that here. I nodded at her but didn’t reach out. I wasn’t really into touching. “Nice to meet you.”

  I strode away from her without another word. It wouldn’t do to become attached to the other contestants.

  I found a spot in the middle of the room and waited, sizing up my opponents. They did the same to me, and I felt naked without my mask.

  “It is time!” The voice carried over the crowd of people, though I couldn’t make out the source. “Advance to the arena.”

  Contestants began to flood back to the main doors through which we’d entered. Apparently they’d gotten some memo I hadn’t, so I followed along.

  We flowed out of the waiting area and into the night air. The sun had fully set and the sky was a deep midnight navy. Stars sparkled above, and night birds sang.

  Luna joined my side. “We’re headed to the arena now. It’s huge apparently. Right behind the castle.”

  “Where’d you learn this?” I followed behind the supernaturals in front of me.

  “Competitors meeting. Happened right before you came in.”

  “You noticed me come in?”

  “Yeah, you looked like a sexy raincloud.”

  “Uh, thanks?”

  “Not a compliment.”

  I laughed, liking her.

  We walked alongside the castle wall, through the side courtyard, and out a massive gate on the west side. There had to be at least two dozen of us, and Fae guards surrounded us on all sides. They rode enormous winged stags like the ones that had pulled the carriage.

  Every minute, it seemed like I sensed more demonic energy. In some places, it looked like a black fog rolling over the ground. It reeked of old cheese and fish, but no one else seemed to notice.

  I nodded toward the guards. “I guess they don’t want us wandering off in their realm, huh?”

  “No.” The girl sounded bitter.

  “That’s one of the reasons you came?”

  “My mother took us from the Fae realm when we were kids. Not this one—another one in Norway—but I want to be with my own kind again.”

  “They won’t have you back?”

  “Not the Norse Fae. And these ones? Maybe if I win the competition.”

  “They’re really secretive, aren’t they?”

  “Wouldn’t you be, if you had a place like this to protect?”

  I looked around, taking in the beautiful, ornate houses built of pale wood. The air smelled fresh and clean, and a faint sense of magic sparked in the sky. There was a general aura of contentment, if one ignored the slightest tinge of demonic energy that reeked of brimstone.

  “Does this place smell a little funny to you?” I asked.

  “No, it’s amazing.” She answered so quickly that I wasn’t sure whether or not to believe her. “I could definitely live here. Couldn’t you?”

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged. “No cars. TV. Cell phones.”

  “I could do without all those things.”

  I couldn’t. At least, I didn’t want to give up my Mustang. Or my regular life. Especially not to live some weird enchanted one with a bunch of glowing Fae who were surrounded by demon energy that they didn’t seem to notice.

  Finally, we reached the arena.

  “Whoa.” The girl tilted her head back and looked up as we passed between two enormous trees.

  “I do like the trees, though.” I inspected the huge ring of them that created the arena.

  It had to be the size of two or three football fields, with the huge redwoods shooting toward the sky. The branches grew over the arena to form a dome, and fairy lights sparkled among them, creating a blanket of light overhead.

  High in the trees, viewing platforms nestled amongst the branches. Each one was filled with a Fae family, and it didn’t take me long to find the king’s platform.

  He wasn’t there, but it was the fanciest of the lot—built of the pale branches that were so common here. Silver ornamentation decorated it, twisting through the branches. A massive silver stag’s head was mounted to the front of the platform, the horns curving up and around the back.

  “He’s into stags, huh?” I asked.

  “All of these Fae are, not just him. Glorious creatures.”

  “Sure.” I was more a dog and cat person, but I’d never met an animal I didn’t like.

  There was nothing inside the circular arena except grass. Around the edges were two dozen small platforms situated equal distances apart.

  The girl pointed. “I bet we’re supposed to stand on those.”

  From what I could tell, none had a tactical advantage over the other, so I chose the closest one and headed toward it, saying over my shoulder, “Good luck.”

  “You too.”

  The girl picked a platform farther away. I turned my attention to the rest of the contestants. There was a lion shifter with the trademark wild golden hair and cunning eyes. Something about the face was always distinct. It wasn’t easy to recognize them, but I’d dated one for a while. A decent guy, besides the faint animal smell.

  Next to him stood a vampire—that one would be fast. She had a slender, eerie beauty and long fangs that she didn’t try to hide. They normally stayed up in the mouth when the vampire was trying to appear normal, but not this lady. She was ready to show the world what she was.

  In fact, most of the people here were posturing. Trying to look tougher than they were. I preferred for people to underestimate me before a fight.

  A gong sounded, loud and clear through the forest. Birds chirped and the fairy lights at the roof of the dome zipped around more quickly.

  I looked up toward the king’s platform. He was there.

  Impassive, cold.

  He looked just as he had when he’d come to my shop, only somehow more regal now. His bearing was straight and his shoulders broad. He was bigger than the figures who surrounded him, who weren’t small either.

  That had to be his Court.

  There were at least eight of them, Fae of both sexes standing slightly behind him.

  The king’s gaze traveled over the contestants, bored.

  If he’d seen me, I couldn’t tell.

  I watched, my breath held, as his gaze moved from platform to platform. When it finally fell on me, he tilted his head. My heart leapt into my throat and my skin chilled. Heat followed, the memory of the kiss blasting into my mind.

  Shit.

  Did he recognize me?

  No. My makeup and hair went a long way toward disguising me. Not to mention my tits. He’d looked at those quite a bit, though subtly. I looked totally different now. And the spell was working. I’d seen the tattoo on my chest. Could feel it inside me. He couldn’t sense that I was his Mograh.

  Interest seemed to flicker in his gaze.

  No. That had to be my imagination.

  I looked away from him, determined not to show my interest.

  At the top of the arena, a blue light glowed. A woman appeared, a beautiful Fae with pale blue and black hair. She floated high on gossamer wings of deep blue, her dress sweeping down around her form in a swirl of silk and sparkles. The glitter seemed to be made of light and magic. She lowered to the ground.

  With a sweeping gesture, she spoke to the crowd. “Welcome to the Trials of the Fae. A competition of strength, wit, and magic that is sure to delight your senses. For the first time in five years, we gather together to watch the best of the supernatural world compete for glory and honor.” She smiled. “And prizes.”

  Her gaze dropped to us, and she spun in a graceful circle as she spoke to the contestants. “You have come from all over the magical world to compete in a competition that will require the best of your magic, strength, and cunning. Some of you will die. Some will be maimed. Such is the cost of competing for the honor of victory within this realm. But if you win! Oh, if you win…” She smiled mysteriously, and I just wanted to shake her so she’d spit it out. “You will win the Wish Stone, an ancient carved stone ball that will grant you one single wish. Anything you desire will be yours, short of eternal life.”

  Hmm. Not a bad prize at all. I could use one of those. No wonder so many people were here. They’d have their greatest wish granted.

  Maybe I could find the identity of my mother with it.

  No. I’m fine without it.

  I just needed to stop her; I didn’t need to know her.

  “Survival is only part of the competition,” the Fae announcer said. “You will receive points for physical skill and showmanship—both with your daring and your magic.”

  Shit.

  My magic wasn’t that impressive.

  Sure, I could create any kind of magic I wanted, but if anyone saw me do it, they’d know what I was.

  I could not let that happen.

  In a pinch, I could create temporary magic, but I’d have to really need it. Otherwise, my innate talents weren’t all that showy. I could transport, amplify other magic, and appear as a vision inside someone’s mind. Not to mention my slight seeker sense and increased speed and strength. But none of that was the flash-bang stuff that got you extra points in a competition like this. The only cool-looking power that I had was my ability to make a lightning whip that joined with Aeri’s. Without her, I couldn’t do it.

  So I’d just have to be clever. And daring.

  Done and done.

  The Fae announcer floated a bit higher into the air to make sure that she had everyone’s attention. “Because of the risks involved in such a competition, we request that you sign your life away.”

  Huh. Even the Fae were afraid of litigation.

  A heavy piece of parchment appeared in the air in front of me, along with an impressive quilled pen. The glowing text on the paper was minimal.

  Should I die during the Trials of the Fae, I vow that I will not haunt this realm or seek vengeance for my death. Nor shall my family, friends, or acquaintances.

  Well, I couldn’t speak for Aeri, but it wasn’t like I was going to not sign and not compete. This wasn’t any more dangerous than my real life. Hell, just by being born as a Dragon Blood, I’d pretty much signed my life away to a gruesome death one day.

  But I didn’t want to sign my real name. They might be able to track me with that. And if the king really was that interested in me…

  I glanced up at his box, trying to be subtle.

  His gaze was still on me.

  Shit. Double shit.

  I picked up the pen and started to sign another name—Elizabeth Keane. But the pen wouldn’t move.

  Ohhhh, tricky Fae.

  Tricky, tricky.

  I tried a second fake name just to be sure—Katherine Torrence. The pen glowed red.

  Crap. It was going to tell on me.

  Hastily I scribbled my real name. Mari.

  The pen glided smoothly.

  Well, that was bad news.

  Hopefully the king wouldn’t inspect the contract. He might not even know me as Mari—Mordaca was my public name, after all.

  After I signed, the pen and paper disappeared. I looked up.

  The announcer grinned widely, raising her hands high above her head. “Your first challenge will be to collect as many glowing prizes as you can.” She held out her hand, and a goblet appeared, hovering over her palm. It glowed with a golden light. “And remember, showmanship counts! So if you want to make it to the next round, be entertaining.”

  There was a rumble of excitement through the crowd. I shifted, getting ready for whatever was to come.

  Survive. Big magic. Get points.

  “And let the games begin!” She rose up toward the trees, spinning as she went. Her hand swept low by her side, magic flowing from her fingertips. The arena in front of me filled with trees and plants, then with a few ponds and rock outcroppings. The people in the stands still had a good view because they were up high, but down here, there was plenty of cover and terrain to work with.

  Then the monsters came.

  First, I heard the roar.

  A half second later, an enormous beast appeared in the middle of the arena. It was a wolf-like creature, with black spikes for fur.

  To the left, three banshees appeared. They hovered in midair, their ragged dresses floating around their ephemeral forms. Black hair hung in their faces, and their eyes glowed with a blazing fury. They shrieked, and I slapped my hands to my ears.

  Banshee cries came before death.

  They were announcing it.

  It was a given that one of us would die here. Maybe more.

  On the other side of the arena, a huge tree monster grew up from the ground. It was made of pieces of wood all bound together with vines and moss. Long pointed claws tipped each finger, and fangs descended from the mouth. It had to be at least ten feet tall.

 

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