Page 37 of A Fate so Wicked

“Do you know what the king has planned?”

Talon shook his head. “I know as much as you do.”

I wiped my palms on my vest. “Well, here goes nothing, I suppose.”

He stepped aside, motioning for me to walk ahead of him.

The hall was empty when I stepped into it. My gulp audible in the piercing silence. “Where is everyone?” There were no maids or guards or echoes of whispers. Only the sound of Talons and my boots against the polished marble floor. The stillness threw me off guard further.

“They’re at the arena waiting for you to arrive. The king loathes tardiness, so I’m making sure you get there with one minute to spare,” Talon said and pulled his shoulders back, a phantom smile on his face, and my cheeks flushed. “You don’t wait for anyone. Not for the king, not for the other competitors, and surely not for death.”

He increased his stride, forcing me to keep up.

If that was supposed to make me feel better, it missed the mark. I wanted to dart into a nearby closet and scream. Throw up. Cry. Anything but continue down this cold, empty hallway into the unknown, but that wasn’t an option. I needed to keep going, keep moving. I couldn’t let anyone—Talon included—see me falter. Despite the aching, gnawing terror that dissolved my bones and turned them to jelly, I lifted my quivering chin and put one foot in front of the other.

Our steps were in sync—calculated—when we entered the foyer, the grand staircase to our right as dozens of fae of all species littered about. I recognized a few from the dining hall, the vibrant hue of their skin like a rainbow against the beige walls. The hum of wings purred in the background.

It was an opulent space. The dome-shaped skylight acting as a ceiling filled the space with golden light. Malevolence disguised as beauty. It made my skin crawl.

‘Don’t show any uncertainty.’ Talon’s voice replayed in my head, and I straightened, lifting my chin as we breezed through the crowd of servants and handmaidens—a few I, again, recognized from the dining hall. Prisoners, like me, paying their debt with indentured servitude.

I sauntered between them all until I made it outside—the bright sun blinding me instantly.

Gone were the neon and fluorescent colors. Golden, luminous accents that sparkled under the sun replaced them. From the cobblestone path and opulent bird baths to flower petals and the tips of trees, everything was gold-plated.

Nature in Faerway seemed to glow in the dark and glimmer during the day—as if it inherently enhanced the beauty of both the sun and the moon. However, while it was magnificent and breathtaking, it must’ve been magic reserved only for the castle grounds, as the land by the river didn’t seem to hold the same ability.

“Stop admiring the flowers and keep focused,” Talon demanded.

Whipping my head around, I turned to face him, only to be met with a knowing smirk. If only he knew that flowers were what’d lead me to his pleasant company in the first place. I shook my head in annoyance. “Bite me. It’s the only enjoyable thing about this place. Need I remind you I could be dead in a few minutes?”

He huffed a sadistic laugh. “Enough with the melodramatics and turn around before you draw attention.”

Biting the inside of my cheek to control my irritation, I focused my attention back in front of me—cursing him under my breath.

At the end of the cobblestone path, a pair of double doors appeared, distant but imposing, standing a hundred feet away. Squinting in an attempt to decipher the peculiar markings and symbols adorning the colossal granite slabs, I found myself unable to discern the meaning behind the intricate etchings. If I had to guess, it must’ve been the ancient language they’d chanted that day in the throne room.

The columns on each side of the door supported an invisible structure and wore opaque scales, complete with dragon statues at the base. My gaze wandered up to the golden crest floating above the doors—it was simple yet powerful, illustrating a lone image of a winged fae pulling a crossbow. Entwined around the base of the plaque and ascending its sides were two serpents, their forms coiled. Atop the plaque, a crown crafted from menacing daggers adorned the scene and added an ominous elegance.

There was no building attached to the doors—only a pocket between realms that opened on a breeze as we approached.

I faltered, unsure how something like it could exist. It wasn’t natural. If magic could create a realm within a realm, there was no telling the extent it could go. How vast and powerful it was.

“Keep moving, firefly. People will start to wonder,” Talon growled.

“I need a second to breathe, you damn busybody.”

Sadistic fae.

Talking animals.

Life or death trials.

It was all too much—I didn’t know how I could get through this—but there was no turning back now. I needed to focus on the reason I was there and fight like hell. My mother, the nightingale, saving her life, getting home.

I stepped through the doors and flexed my fingers. A cool breeze kissed my flushed cheeks.

Massive walls of mirrors lined the ground floor in a rotating maze as fae spectators filed into the coliseum. With a gulp, I descended the ivory stairs to where I spotted a few of the other competitors below. Kelvin and Aeron stood at attention as they awaited their orders. I took my time getting there, craning my neck up to take in the mirrors towering over us. It was dizzying. As were the rows and rows of fae that extended into the sky. I didn’t like the vibes I was getting.

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