Page 21 of Chosen By the Fae King

“About King Nox?” she ventured.

“Unfortunately,” I admitted. “But also about the trials and what we've gotten ourselves into.”

Sofiya squeezed my hand. “We're in this together, Aeryn. We'll figure it out.”

Her words brought a small measure of comfort, but the nagging feeling that we were flirting with death remained. The dark stain drying by the door was proof of that.

“Was it worth it?” I mused aloud, my thoughts spilling out before I could stop them.

“Was what worth it?” Sofiya’s brow furrowed.

“Their tussle. Me trying to intervene,” I replied, struggling to put my thoughts into words.

“I stepped in for Mirrelle, but what impact will that have on the trials? What if I only made it worse? Someone is already dead and they haven't even begun.”

“Sometimes we have to make difficult choices, Aeryn,” Sofiya said softly, her amber eyes filled with empathy. “You did what you thought was right. It's in your very makeup. Just like you said, we can't fight our nature.”

“Maybe,” I murmured.

My decision to intervene had been driven by my desire to protect, but who had I been protecting? Mirrelle?

“Regardless of the outcome,” I continued, “we need to be prepared for anything.”

“Agreed,” Sofiya nodded.

As I looked at the blood on the rug, I only knew one thing for certain. I would fight with every fiber of my being to ensure our survival. I just hoped I wouldn't be punished for stepping into the fray after Nox had warned me not to.

As the fear and uncertainty started to settle, some contestants began chatting socially as though the room didn't look like a cyclone had come through and dumped a body on the floor.

I noticed Raina standing alone across the room. Her white-blonde hair shimmered like moonlight. Her navy dress clung to her small frame as she clutched at her skirts, pale violet eyes darting around.

I'd never seen a frost nymph before, but the stories of their beauty were accurate. Raina looked like she'd been perfectly carved from marble.

Lorne and Liam had both paid her particular attention, and not the kind anyone would want. The other contestants all ignored her. It was clear she needed an ally. So did we.

“Come on,” I tugged Sofiya's arm, drawing her over to Raina.

The nymph looked up at us with a mix of surprise and relief, as if she'd been praying for someone to break her isolation.

“Hello,” Sofiya greeted. “We thought you might like some company while we wait.”

“Thank you,” Raina said, her eyes flicking between us, gauging our intentions. “That would be lovely.”

“Sometimes strength is found in numbers,” I said, trying to sound reassuring and not pushy. “Especially when we're surrounded by those who mean harm.”

“Strength in numbers,” Raina repeated softly, her eyes narrowing with determination. “Very true.”

I wanted to know why Lorne and Liam treated her so poorly, but we didn't know one another well enough for me to ask such a thing.

Thankfully, Sofiya had manners and knew how to ease into conversation. I did my best to pay attention and participate but the worry gnawing at my insides wouldn't let me out of its hold.

Nox wouldn't want someone like Sofiya on the throne. He definitely wouldn't want someone like me. Wouldn't it be better for him to come to that conclusion sooner rather than later?

We'd been exchanging a few details about one another when Greer came to tell us the king would like everyone to return to their rooms. There'd been a change of plans and we needed to dress accordingly. We had one hour to prepare.

As we walked away from the blood-stained rug, a plan began to form in my mind.

I needed a word with the king.

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