Page 75 of Trials of Dusk and Dreams
Peablossom gives him a dubious look, clearly not believing him. “Are you aware of its unique properties?” His eyes widen. She looks at me and raises her brows, “Are you?”
“No.”
“Hm. You are lucky indeed.” She purses her lips, taps the acorn three times, and then claps her hands, ushering me forward to catch up with the others. Bodin escorts me through the decadent room of haughty, fine-dressed Radiants studying us with veiled curiosity. When we reach the mob of raucous exhibitors, he hands me to my friends with a regretful look, but he can do nothing for me now. All Radiants must gather in their House groups to assess the exhibitors and vote, so he leaves to join the rest of the House of Shadow.
Before I can ask if Peggy’s okay, elevated music takes on a suspenseful tone and brings goosebumps. Mustardseed flutters around the exhibitors and plucks Shadows out to stand in a separate line. I look back at my friends, worried, but Geraldine says, “Team Shadow for the win.”
In other words, don’t worry about them. If I win this stupid pageant, then we all win.
Chapter 31
Willow
The air thrums with anticipation as we line up beside the dais, facing the crowd. The rest of the exhibitors remain behind us and back toward the door like second-rate citizens. I find myself sandwiched between Dahlia and Irisa, feeling decidedly out of place in Bodin’s borrowed work clothes. At least it smells like him. When I’m bustled, I drop my nose to the shoulder and steal a whiff of his comforting scent. Instantly, I feel better.
Dahlia tosses her raven hair, the movement releasing notes of smoke and cinnamon. Her dress, a masterpiece of flame-colored silk, clings to her curves like liquid fire. Dark eyes rimmed with kohl regard me coldly, red lips curled in a perpetual smirk. She shares a look with Irisa on my other side, who examines her pearlescent nails with feigned disinterest. Her ethereal gown ripples like water with every breath. Her skin, the color of sun-kissed sand, seems to glow from within. I hate that she’s so beautiful. I hate that she’s the one Fox let dry hump him after he nibbled on her soul.
This simmering note of possessive jealousy is only getting worse. The urge to complete our mating bond crawls beneath my skin. I won’t feel satisfied until it’s done, until my Well-blessedmating mark is back, and I can sense each of my mates through the bond.
Alfie stands before Dahlia at the front of the line beside the dais, a vision in an iridescent suit that seems to capture and reflect every color in the room. He practically preens, his coppery hair perfectly coiffed, a dazzling smile plastered on his handsome face as he waves at the crowd like a king.
“How exactly does the point system work?” I ask, trying to keep my voice casual despite the knot of anxiety tightening in my chest.
Dahlia and Irisa exchange a look, their eyes glittering with malice.
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Dahlia sneers, her voice as sharp as her stilettos clicking against the marble floor.
Irisa adds with disdain, “Maybe if you’d bothered to dress appropriately, you wouldn’t need to ask such basic questions.”
I bristle at their tone, heat rising to my cheeks. “Women should be lifting each other up, not tearing each other down.”
They roll their eyes in unison and turn away, the subtle rustle of their gowns a whisper of dismissal.
From behind me, a deep, warm voice chimes in, rich as honey and just as smooth. “Don’t mind them. The point system is actually quite simple.”
I turn to see Heath, the tall, thin Never Shadow from the House of Moonlight, lining up behind me in a second row. He might have no capacity for magic, but his natural good looks are spectacularly exotic. His silver ensemble shimmers like starlight, his skin almost luminescent in the soft glow of the chandeliers. Beside him stands a new face—a muscular man with kind eyes nearly the same hue as his warm amber skin. This must be Corey, the new Shadow for the House of Stone.
Corey’s smile is genuine, revealing dimples that soften his strong jawline. His outfit, a masterpiece of intricate stoneworkpatterns, seems to pulse with an earthy energy. “Each Radiant has a certain number of points they can award,” he explains, his voice hinting at a lyrical accent. “The more influential the Radiant, the more their points are worth.”
Heath nods, the movement causing the light to dance across his blond hair. “The trick is to appeal to their fae nature. They love wit, beauty, and just a touch of chaos.”
“Exactly,” Corey agrees, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Show them something unexpected, and you’ll have their attention.”
“The only unexpected thing I can do right now is strip down naked,” I joke.
Heath blushes. “I wouldn’t call that unexpected. Most of us have already seen you nude.”
“Good point.” I chew on my lower lip. Guess I’ll have to come up with something else.
“Thanks for explaining,” I mumble to Heath and Corey, then face the front.
With nothing else to do, I scan the crowd idly and hopelessly wait for Peablossom to save the day. If she doesn’t help me, it could be a blessing. I’ll be in the same position as my friends. Receiving a false leg-up seems just wrong. It makes me feel like a puppet again.
A familiar flash of brunette hair and green grabs my attention. Further back in the room by the refreshment table, Briar is chatting away with his captain and a rotund fellow—a curly-haired member of the Folk who speaks with a dramatic, animated expression. From his illustrious blue and gold embroidered attire and lack of charms, I assume he’s a Radiant. The captain hangs on his every word, suddenly bursts out laughing, and claps him on the back. Briar smirks but is less impressed.
Could this be the infamous Trixie-Pixie-Glen, whose pranks once turned the entire Court purple for a week and whose favor can make or break a fae’s social standing?
“And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Let the revelry and rivalry begin!” Puck’s voice booms from resonance owl statues high in the ballroom rafters, rattling the ice sculptures. “Let us turn our ears to the enchanting whispers of our beloved Shadows!”
