Page 62 of Faking with the Fae King

“Yes!” Comes a piercing cry.

My magic surges inside me. I don’t wait for Varyn to give me permission to go. I scream, “Now!”

My hour glass tips over right as a bald eagle—a mother-effingbald eagle—dives from the tree, headed straight for the waterfall. Eight-foot wide wings snap open, and its feet plunge into the water, gripping the amethyst in wicked claws.

I sprint for Severin, yelling, “Here! Bring it over here!”

With another piercing cry of yes, the eagle dives again, swooping over our heads, the downbeat of its wings blowing my hair back as the gem falls into Severin’s hands.

“I did it!” I fist pump the air. “I freaking did it!”

The sand in my hour glass looks miniscule. My timehasto be better than Meloria’s. It just has to! Joy fills me. This is it! I’ve done it! I’ve saved Ferndale Falls.

Severin’s lips twitch, and he gives me a little nod. He thinks so as well.

I can barely breathe, bouncing from foot to foot.

The scroll pops into Varyn’s hands, and his face goes impassive as he glances at it. Oh, no. A spurt of doubt stops my triumphant jiggle. He’d look happy if the news is good, right?

The shadow fae clears his throat and holds the parchment spread open in front of him. “Meloria and Hannah are tied with a time of thirteen seconds.”

“What does that mean?” I look at Severin. “What does a tie mean? Do we do it again? I can probably get the eagle to go again.”

“No, that’s not how this works,” Severin says. “If Ruby wins, everything’s fine.”

“And if Rubydoesn’twin?”

He scowls so hard at Meloria I expect the other woman to turn to stone and crumple away into dust.

No such luck, more’s the pity. Instead, she stands there grinning and stroking the handle of her knife. It’s seriously creepy.

“If Ruby doesn’t win,” Severin growls. “You and Meloria must fight.”

I gulp, swallowing the stone lodged in my throat so that it drops into my stomach like a lead anvil.

Shit.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Severin

Hannah’s face blanches, going so pale my shadows leap outward, ready to catch her if she faints. Yet my betrothed is made of sterner stuff. She locks her knees and stays upright, whispering to me, “I promised the eagle lots of salmon. Make sure it gets them.”

“Stop worrying about the damned bird,” I growl.

Finn races over to her, yipping and jumping up to set his front feet on her thighs.

She rubs his head. “It’s going to be okay, little bud.”

He whines, licking at her hand, not believing the false cheer in her voice any more than I do.

Ruby must win.

Hannah is many things, stubborn, determined, resourceful, but she’s not a combat fighter. Unlike Meloria, who’s fought in many a battle. Even though the fight will beunarmed and only to the first strike, I know Meloria. She’ll make sure to land a punishing blow.

A growl reverberates from deep in my chest, my lips pulling back from my fangs. No. I refuse to allow her to touch a single hair on Hannah’s head!

I exchange a look with the gnome, bouncing my coin purse on my palm. I have no plans to marry her, but if she can win this trial, I’ll make sure she’s amply rewarded.

---