Page 25 of Shadow Witch

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah. I mean, when we first met him, he was a total idiot, don’t get me wrong. He cried when Paige knocked him down. But now…it’s like suddenly he’s morphed into the very definition of a knight. You, on the other hand, are only deceptively capable. He’s going to give you a real run for your money.”

The rattling of the balls ceased and one slid into the slot next to the bin. Dominic picked it up and held the pulsating red ball before the crowd. “The riddle of hearts!”

Applause broke out at the challenge as Paige wrinkled her nose. “What’s that?”

“I’ll explain later,” Dewey whispered as Dominic spun the bin again.

The balls rattled around until one popped out, and he read it. “The Gauntlet of Trust.”

Paige frowned. “Oh, that sounds awful.”

“And now, the final challenge for the women.” After another few turns of the bin, Dominic read the final ball. “The Duel of Shared Memories.”

“Oh, no. Not a duel.”

“And now we shall select challenges for the men,” Dominic announced as the balls magically changed colors, pulsating with a new energy.

Devon sucked in a deep breath, his chest puffing out as he lifted his chin. The first ball dropped from the container, and Dominic stared at it before he shifted his gaze to the crowd for the announcement. “The Feat of Valor!”

Paige slid her eyes sideways to gauge Devon’s reaction. His jaw tightened slightly at the words, but he remained otherwise stoic.

The balls rattled in their container again before another popped out. Dominic arched an eyebrow as he read off the second battle. “The Duel of Devotion.”

Devon snorted a laugh. “Oh, it’s so over for him. I’m winning this hands down.”

Paige rolled her eyes at him. “Right, because you are so devoted to me.”

“Are you serious? I am. Obviously.”

“Whatever,” Paige shot back.

“Seriously? I’m not going to get into an argument about it during the picking ceremony. You’ll see when I win this easily.”

“Wow, I can’t believe you two are fighting just before your wedding,” Dewey said with a shake of his head.

“My fake–”

“Shh,” Devon said, clasping a hand over her mouth. “No one’s supposed to know that, remember?”

The rumbling of the balls in the tub stopped and silence came over the crowd as Dominic read the last challenge for the men. “The Test of Selflessness.”

Dewey burst into laughter. “Oh, no. You’re done, dude. You’ll lose that one. Actually, you both might lose that one. Neither of you is selfless. Henry whines all the time, and you are…well, you.”

“I am selfless. I have risked my life over and over to save Paige. I’m being selfless right now, marrying her so she can find her mother.”

“Oh, hardly,” Paige shot back. “You’re getting me out of the deal.”

“Oh, right, because you are so wonderful that it totally makes up for the loss of my pretty awesome bachelor life.”

Paige’s jaw unhinged, and she curled her hands into fists. “Are you serious? You asked me to marry you, remember? You were willing to give up your bachelorhood, duh.”

“Point taken, but then it was for a real marriage, not a fake one so you could find your mom.”

“You offered!” Paige shot back.

“Problem?” Dominic asked as he shuffled toward them.

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