Page 7 of Luna Rising

Here we go again…

We Need a VIP List

I found myself standing in King Orrin’s throne room along with six other girls from the games. Diana was next to me, shifting nervously from foot to foot. She wore a gorgeous emerald gown with pearls sewn onto the bodice.

I glanced down at my own purple dress with crystals adorning the neckline and empire waist. Not something I would’ve selected, yet I liked it. Dark curls fell around my bare shoulders, and I didn’t need a mirror to know my face was heavily painted.

“Hey.” I touched Diana’s hand. “It’s going to be okay. Whatever happens. I promise.”

Her lips quivered, green eyes pooling with tears. “Only one of us can advance.”

This had been the issue from the start. No two female competitors from the same village could win the games. That was part of our initial disdain for one another, among other issues. We were obvious enemies and unlikely allies.

I squeezed her fingers and repeated, “It’s going to be okay.”

It was both the truth and a lie. There were no winners in the games, only varying degrees of losers. The prize for getting to the end was only slightly better than the punishment for early elimination. In a few short days, we would all sacrifice a part of ourselves, for the good of the entire fae kingdom.

King Orrin entered the room. We all bowed our heads as he made his way to the throne, heavy robes lined with jewels trailing in his wake. The royal council came next. They stood at the foot of the king’s throne, facing the female competitors left in the games.

The challenges were done. Six men and seven women remained. This was the final elimination ceremony. Scores no longer mattered. It came down to Diana and me. One of us would move forward with honor and the other with shame. I honestly didn’t know which scenario was worse.

King Orrin cleared his throat. “Congratulations on making it this far. It is a testament to your strength and prowess. Each of you has demonstrated tremendous courage and proven you are worthy.” His gaze landed on Diana and me. “Particularly the two of you.” He crooked his finger. “Zosia, please come forward.”

Diana crushed my fingers in her grip. I smiled at her, even as I steeled my nerves. We had started this competition as enemies. She’d said and done awful things, as had I. Yet, now, we stood here as allies, as friends.

I held my head high as I walked toward the king, dress making a swishing noise as I moved. Iliana snickered as I passed. Traitorous bitch, I thought. She’d pretended to be my friend, and then sabotaged me at every turn. If not for Diana, I wouldn’t have made it this far.

“As you know, there can be only one winner from your village.” King Orrin leveled me with a hard gaze.

His Majesty and I had enjoyed several private talks, where he’d made it very clear that I needed to stay away from his son. He knew about our secret trysts in the gardens, and that I’d given all of myself to Stavros. My cheeks burned as I remembered the humiliating conversation.

This was the king’s chance to be rid of me. Of course, he had no cause for concern, as I’d told Stavros it was over. Just as His Majesty wanted. In exchange, he’d allowed me to continue in the games.

“It should be Diana, Your Majesty.” I twisted my hands in front of me and met his eyes. “She will make the better mate.”

“No!” Her cry echoed in the throne room. Diana rushed forward, putting herself between the king and me. “Zosia is the stronger fae. She will be the better defender. Your Majesty, I beg you. Please.”

This was not how I had imagined this encounter going. I had made peace with my decision. Diana deserved her place in the winner’s circle. She had all the traits the king wanted in his defenders, his wolves. I, however, did not.

“Diana is the right choice, Your Majesty.” I elbowed her out of the way. “You and I both know that’s true.”

The king’s advisors bristled, bothered by my audacity to speak so openly to our monarch. Maybe it was bold of me, but not so long ago, he’d looked me in the eye and forbid me from fucking his son. So, yeah, he and I had crossed the normal boundaries of ruler and subject.

King Orrin remained silent for several long moments, though it felt like an eternity. Diana grabbed my hand. Her green eyes pierced my soul. There were no more tears, either. Her jaw set in her hard line, and she stood up a little straighter. In her emerald gown and jeweled hair clips that fasted atop her head like a crown, she looked like a queen.

“You deserve this,” I whispered.

Diana shook her head and mouthed, “No one deserves this.”

The king folded his hands over the slight paunch in his midsection. “It had always been my intention to have a thirteenth winner, one not bound to a mate. I had assumed the lone wolf, so to speak, would be a male competitor.”

His eyes lit up when he said, “lone wolf”, as if the truth of these games hadn’t reached all the contestants. We all knew the prize. Some embraced the idea, excited to become alphas. Others, like me, were not so keen on the idea.

Magic was our life source. It defined us. Giving that up felt like the worst punishment ever. Bettina had tried to save me from this fate. I understood why she’d thrown a fit. Had our roles been reversed, I would have done the same in her position.

“You, Zosia, have proven yourself a true leader. While your wins in these games have been many, your sacrifices have been greater.” His gaze bore into mine. “You have faced difficult decisions that many far older and wiser will never need to confront. I know you question the choice you have made. You ask yourself whether it was weak or selfish of you.”

I squirmed in my dress, suddenly extremely uncomfortable because I did wonder if giving up Stavros in exchange for remaining a contestant in the games was weak of me. I had caved to the king’s pressure and betrayed the prince and my own heart. So, yeah, I felt pretty weak and more than a little selfish.

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