Page 52 of When Wishes Bleed

I could tell by her expression that she didn’t believe me, but it didn’t matter. My appointment with Tauren was just before lunch, which meant that I could check his meal before returning to my room.

I’d slept most of the morning away, and eleven A. M. – my scheduled time with Tauren –approached too quickly. When I emerged, Brecan was already waiting in the hall for me and escorted me down the steps. “You don’t have to come. There will be cameras and crew scattered all over the place.”

He grinned. “I don’t want to miss out on the nonstop entertainment your nonexistent archery skills will provide.”

Guards let us out the front doors and instructed us toward the archery range. It was on the southern grounds and apparently, we’d passed it in the carriage when we first arrived. I didn’t recall it, so it was either unremarkable, or I was too busy looking at something else.

Brecan wore his dark suit. The wind stirred his fair hair. “What is it?” he asked, catching me looking.

“I’m just not used to seeing you in black.”

“If you resurrect your House the way I believe you will, perhaps you’ll allow me to wear it permanently.”

I stopped abruptly, gasping. There was no way. “You would never leave the House of Air.”

He raised a brow in response.

“You love your affinity,” I argued.

“Would you bar me from practicing it?”

“Of course not, but –”

“Then it’s settled. Here we are,” he announced, waving toward a grassy area where two targets were being erected.

Tauren waited patiently, surrounded by guards and cameramen who were readying their equipment. My palms began to sweat at the thought of being telecast, especially to the Circle and to my peers.

“Calm down,” Brecan whispered.

My heart thundered in response. I felt so out of sorts, almost like my body was screaming for me to run. Was it Fate or nerves? I couldn’t tell.

I sucked in a shallow breath. Then another. “I can’t do this.”

“Just be you. It’ll be fine.”

He’d obviously forgotten about the small fact that everyone in my own sector hated me. There was no way that being myself would win the hearts of anyone in the Lowers. But I couldn’t bear to be anyone else, or even attempt to pretend to be something I wasn’t.

Then there was the fact that Tauren was obviously playing some silly, boyish game with me. He knew I was attracted to him and used that fact to his advantage, it seemed. He certainly had no problem kissing Leah last night.

I steeled my spine. “I can do this.”

“That’s the spirit,” Brecan encouraged. “And if you legitimately can’t do it, use magic.”

“On telecast…” I deadpanned.

“Yes. I mean, don’t use all your powers and soar the arrow all the way to the Thirteenth Sector, but you know… hit the target.”

I could do that. It would take just a slight shift in trajectory.

Tauren’s eyes darted between me and Brecan. A cameraman clipped a small black device to his lapel, handing Tauren a black, rectangular box. The cameraman strode to me, holding an identical device.

“What is that?” I asked as he got close.

“A microphone, Miss Sable. No one will be able to hear your words without it.”

I was okay with that, to be honest. More than okay.

Tauren appeared behind the man, who still held the device as if he wasn’t sure what to do with it. “May I have a moment with Miss Sable, John?”

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