Page 21 of These Dangerous Fates

“So,” I ask, grateful to be able to break the silence, “what’s Pops have to say?”

Kai snorts and sits next to me on the couch. “The usual bullshit. No new missions, though.” He grabs the last beer off the coffee table and twists off the top.

Ellis tenses next to me, and I quickly change the subject. “Does he know you’re doing this contest?”

“Yeah, and he’s pissed, but fuck him,” he shrugs. “And speaking of, I text the number in the email and said Ellis is safe. So, now we wait for the announcement of the first challenge.”

“Do you have any idea what these challenges may be?” Sterling asks Ellis, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

She sets her empty plate on the coffee table and shakes her head. “I don’t. I’m sorry.” Her eyes remain on her lap, where she fiddles with the lid to the bottle of water.

Kai clears his throat and leans around me to look at her better. “I know this is probably hard for you to answer, but can you tell us why your dad started this contest? It might help us with our planning.”

The blood drains from her face, her usually tan complexion turning ghostly. Moving slowly enough to give her time to back away, I set my plate down and reach for her hands, trying to ignore my magic that rushes to the surface as our skin touches.

“If you can’t tell us, that’s okay,” I say. “We just want as much information as we can get to keep you safe through this.” I see Kai and Sterling nod in my peripheral vision.

Ellis swallows and closes her eyes, visibly preparing herself. “I did something bad.” Her voice trembles as she speaks. “It’s a way for my dad to punish me, while also solving the problem of finding someone who will marry me even though I’m only human.”

My jaw clenches at her bitter words. I’ve heard her saying something to that effect before. That she is just human. It doesn’t sit right with me, but I let it go for now. Instead, I gently ask, “What happened?”

Wide amber eyes open and latch onto mine. I keep my face relaxed and encouraging. Still, she hesitates. Uncertainty and fear line her features. She doesn’t trust us, understandably.

“We won’t tell anyone,” Kai says next to me. “All three of us have our own secrets. Yours are safe with us.”

She looks to me for confirmation and I nod my head, squeezing her hand gently.

Her shoulders rise as she takes a deep breath. “I hurt someone. I almost killed him. It was self-defense, but my dad doesn’t see it that way. He thinks I should have let the guy do whatever he wanted to me.” She shudders and closes her eyes again. When she speaks next, it’s barely a whisper. “I just snapped. I couldn’t take it anymore, and I had to do something.”

Her hands tremble in mine, and tears cling to her lashes. Was this the same person who broke her ribs and gave her the bruises? Was this the guy who makes her flinch any time someone tries to touch her? I have to fight to keep my expression neutral, even though all I want is to get the information from her and pay this bastard a visit.

“So he set up this contest to punish you for defending yourself?” Kai asks incredulously. “And I thought my dad was an asshole. That’s some serious bullshit.”

“I thought you were engaged to someone in your dad’s company?” I’m cautious with this question because in the cave, she avoided it.

“Not by choice,” she whispers. The pain is evident, even in the hushed volume.

When she looks at me with haunted amber eyes, my heart stutters and cracks. She looks so small and sad sitting on the couch. Like a lost child desperate for someone to care for her. I can’t stand that look. Again, moving slowly, I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her to me, tucking her in close. She holds herself still, barely breathing with muscles tense, before relaxing just a bit. I take it as a win.

Silence settles throughout the room again as we process what she said. It’s not really a surprise to any of us. Kai and Sterling are the only ones born to privileged families, but because of my friendship with Kai, and having more power than other mages, I get to enjoy the privileges of living an elite life.

Of course, with those privileges, come disadvantages as well. Like Kai’s arranged marriage and our jobs. We all know too well the kind of people who rule our world and the things they do to remain in power. People like Ellis, humans and weaker magicals, get shafted.

Sterling clears his throat and breaks the heavy silence around us. “I have a list of everyone competing in the contest.” He rattles off a list of ten names, all of them we’ve heard of—few will be true competition for us. “And Samuel Morris,” Sterling ends the list.

Ellis stiffens under my arm, and a startled noise escapes her lips. “No,” she whispers.

She pushes away from me with jerky movements and walks around the couch, arms clutched around her middle. Tremors work their way through her body, despite how she tries to control them by squeezing herself tighter. Her eyes are wide and terrified, and her breath comes faster and faster, just like it did in Kai’s room.

“Fuck.” I hurry around the couch, grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face me.

While she looks at me, I can tell she isn’t really seeing anything. It’s more like she’s looking right through me. Her eyes move from side to side as tears build along her lashes. Under my palms, the skin of her arms has gone clammy and cold.

“What the hell?” Kai says as he comes up behind her. “What’s wrong? Do you know Samuel Morris?”

When he says the name, Ellis flinches—actually flinches—and the dots connect in my head.

“Sam works for your dad,” I say slowly. “He works really closely with him.”

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