Page 86 of Taking Jenny
A harsh laugh escaped me. “You know me too well. But I’m surprised it took you this long to get here. The jem’hora calls, that was you, right?”
He rolled his eyes. “As if those majestic birds would come anywhere near this sewage pit.” He shook his head. “They have standards.”
“Good thing we don’t.”
“True.” He laughed. “Now, come on. We need to move fast. The others are already heading to the hunting ground.”
I nodded, refining my focus. “Before we go, there’s one more thing we have to do.”
CHAPTER 25
Jenny
“They expect me to run Illiapol in a ballgown and high heels?” I asked, blinking at the servant woman like maybe she’d admit it was a joke.
But she didn’t. She just curtsied and walked out, leaving me alone with a dainty cup of tea and a rising tide of fury.
I had been taken to a garden room that exited to the path of the hunting ground, and every breath there felt like someone standing on my chest. The room was white and green and had all sorts of exotic plants which, under any other circumstances, I would have admired. But I had run out of fucks to give.
I tipped my head back against the sofa and groaned. There was nothing I could do. The high heels alone were enough to get me killed—high heels were not hiking boots. And the gown? Not built for survival. There was so much tulle and fabric that it would be hard to run, or even hide. I was nothing more than glittering prey.
I’d do better to strip the dress off and cover myself in mud. Maybe rip the dress to shreds and wrap my feet to protect my soles once I kicked off my heels.
I desperately tried to block out the panicked stutter in my chest. I tried to think of what my new friends would do in this situation, which made me think of Tiger and Mal and my eyes filled with tears. I could not afford to lose my composure—Longshot said that was the fastest way to die.
Mal will be fine. He’s in prison but he’ll get out. Justice likes him. Tiger is with the others. They’ll keep him safe. Clear your mind, clear your mind—
The door opened again, and a small man walked in. Short for a Ladrian, though not as short as me. Thin, almost painfully so. His black hair had begun to recede years ago, and his violet eyes were dull. He wore the same uniform as the other servants—beige, covered neck to wrist to ankle. But he had a faint smile that was comforting.
"Good morning, Avatar,” he said, inclining his head. “I am Frost Resaber. I will be your handler for Illiapol.”
“A handler?” I asked, both surprised and hopeful. “Does that mean you’ll be with me on the hunting ground?”
He gave me a sad smile and shook his head. “I am afraid not. I will be taking you to the starting line and walking you through some of the finer details of the event. There is a box beneath the sofa. If you would prefer, you can dress in that. I will step out for your modesty and return in ten minutes.”
He left promptly and I immediately pulled the box out, checking the contents. Profound relief surged through me as I withdrew cargo pants, a black tank, a brown jacket, and matching boots. All in my size. I quickly stripped down and put on the more practical clothing, not wanting to give them any reason to change their minds about me running the trial in my gown and heels.
I kept Discord’s necklace on, in case I could use it somehow. Thankfully, her work on my braided bun stood up to the quick change, keeping my hair out of my way. All those pins she’d used, I assumed.
When Frost returned, his expression remained soft, almost apologetic. “Ready?”
I exhaled a deep breath and straightened my shoulders. “As I’ll ever be,” I said, and meant it.
He nodded, unlocked the exit, and we left the room for a small onworlder that looked like a golf cart. It was dark outside, and the cool night breeze had become colder. I guessed it was two or three in the morning—no light from the horizon yet.
As he drove past trees and rocks, he said, “Illiapol is a time-honored tradition among the Ladrian. Has anyone told you about it?”
“Too much, actually,” I sniped.
My harsh response seemed to startle him. “Are you not honored by your elevation to avatar?”
“Frost, I’m sure this will sound rude to you, but I did notvolunteer as tributefor this. My participation is purely against my will, so telling me about what an honor this is will only serve to piss me off further, and you seem like an otherwise decent man. I don’t want the last thing I am known for in this life to be a raving bitch screaming at a nice man, so can we drop it?”
He stopped the vehicle to stare at me in disbelief. “I thought you had volunteered. That’s what they’ve told everyone.”
“No. Not at all,” I said, the knowledge that the palace was force feeding their population a blatant falsehood only increasing my ire. “Whoever said that is lying to you.”
His shock remained. “You wereforcedinto this, then?”
