Page 90 of Chosen By the Fae King

Hope sparked as the words echoed between us. I looked away, unsure how to respond. Before I could think of a suitable retort, Nox tilted my chin up, lowering his head to slant his mouth over mine.

The kiss was hungry, devouring, leaving me breathless and wanting. I clutched at his shoulders. Nox gentled the kiss, even as it deepened, coaxing rather than demanding.

A low sound rumbled in his chest and he lifted his head, amusement lighting the stormy depths of his gaze. “We seem to have trouble staying away from one another, do we not?”

“You can't keep your hands to yourself,” I said, but there was no venom in the words. Only a strange ache I didn’t want to examine too closely.

Nox's smile turned wicked, making my pulse leap in response. “Not long now, I think. You've given me a taste, little menace, and I crave more. Once the trials have ended, I'm locking you up for weeks.”

He winked and disappeared, leaving me staring at the empty space where he'd stood. I cursed roundly, ignoring the trembling in my knees.

Was he implying he planned to choose me? Assuming I made it through the trials?

I was playing a dangerous game, one that would end in heartbreak if he only meant to bed me and send me on my way.

The irrepressible spark of hope flared brighter, refusing to be quenched, and I bit my lip until I tasted blood. It scared me more than anything the trials could throw at me.

Nineteen

Aeryn

Contestants lined the perimeter of the room, sizing each other up as the king took his seat at the center of the long table. Lorne was standing guard with Liam closer to the doorway.

Nox's penetrating gaze swept the room. “The trials today will test both wit and grace. If we have a winner, a single winner for both, she will be rewarded.”

The last time he'd offered a prize, I'd won an evening of companionship. I recalled the evening fondly, the night I'd been injured and he brought me soup.

“First, a test of intellect.” His lips curled. “You are to solve a series of riddles. If you get one right, you remain. Get it wrong, and you're out.”

The first one was simple enough, and everyone remained in the running. The riddles grew progressively more complex. With each incorrect answer, another contestant was dismissed.

Though I shouldn't have been, I was surprised at the amount of pouting and glares. The tension rose like smoke, choking and thick, until only two of us remained.

I’d made it through to the end, and so had Raina. She glanced at me, then at the floor.

Nox leaned forward, steepling his fingers. “For this last task, there are three logic tests on the tables to my left and to my right. Choose a table. You have two minutes to complete as much as you can.”

Raina went left and I went right. The tests were actual puzzles. The first of which was a large square divided into smaller ones. Symbols were drawn on each small square. The bottom right square was missing.

There were seven pieces laid out. I scanned them, biting my lip. Time was ticking so I went to the next without touching the first.

The next one was a three-dimensional puzzle made of wood blocks. This one I completed in seconds. Sofiya's father spent down time in the winter making similar puzzles and I had passed many hours racing Sofiya to solve them.

I was just about to finish the third when time was called. This one had been trickier with its bent nails and odd-shaped blocks. Regretfully, I put the final piece on the table without completing it.

Lorne checked Raina's then mine. “We have a winner,” he announced.

“It has to be Raina,” someone whispered loudly. “Neither finished but Aeryn didn't even attempt the first.”

Nox joined Lorne at my table, pointing down. “Lady Aeryn, please explain to the others why you didn't place a piece on this one.”

“Because the solution wasn't on the table.”

One of his eyebrows lifted.

Damn it. “Your Majesty,” I quickly added.

Nox's lips curved. “Well done, Lady Aeryn.”

---