Page 124 of Vicious Princess
Once we finally reach the fence, there’s nothing behind it yet. A couple of Caligos scurry around, and one petite fae with white-as-snow hair that reaches the middle of her back barks orders.
“We made it in time. They’re just setting the stage,” I say to Roman, eyes on the white-haired fae.
She looks barely older than fourteen.
“Perfect,” Roman says. He glances around. “You know where to sign up?”
I shake my head.
“Ah, I see,” Roman says, pointing a finger at a man standing farther away, right where the stairs to the hovering platform are. He holds an open leather book in his hand, scribbling something in it with a piece of chalk. “He looks like he knows what he’s doing.”
“Let’s see if you’re right.”
We stalk over to the man.
He wears a crisp white shirt and a bloodred vest over it. He’s definitely a Caligos—I can see the art covering his chest through the opening at the top of his shirt. He’s bald, but as we approach, he glances up at us and I’m startled by the long, thin eyebrows that curl at the ends and are the color of the rainbow.
My heart skips a beat right before I open my mouth to speak. “Who are we betting on today?”
The bald fae gives me a look up and down as I have grown accustomed to getting here in Ekios and then arches one of those peculiar eyebrows at me. “On whoever you desire, sweetheart. Today’s the archery show.”
Of course it is. Just my luck.
“We want in,” Roman says, and the bald fae glances at him. “Not betting, but participating.”
The bald fae looks back at me. Not me precisely, but at the bow secured to my back. “It’s good to want things. Don’t mean you always get what you want,” the bald fae says and returns his attention to the journal.
Roman and I exchange a glance.
He has that look on his face. One that screamstrouble.
“We can make you a lot of money,” I say.
The bookie’s gaze flicks back up, a corner of his mouth curling. “I hear that a lot, believe it or not.”
Roman slithers closer to the guy and places his large palm over his shoulder. “You may hear that a lot, but how many faedeliver on the promise? My friend right here, though… You don’t wanna miss out on that.”
“I’ll pass.” The bald fae jerks his chin at me. “Look at her. Her bow is half her size. Unless people bet on a little human woman making fun of herself in the ring, I won’t make any money on that one.”
My temper rises like a storm in the sea, fast and vicious. I bite the inside of my cheek and count to ten.
Not the right place nor time to lose my shit.
Roman flashes his most dazzling smile. “She may look harmless. But that only adds to the appeal.” His voice changes. If I didn’t know him, I wouldn’t have noticed. Immediately, I open up my senses. Roman’s working his way into the complex emotional network of this bald fae. “Imagine how much frade will line your pockets when everyone bets on the other participants and my friend right there annihilates them in the blink of an eye. Nobody will see it coming from a little human woman. You can use that to your advantage and encourage higher bets on others.”
Want, desire, greed… It’s dense, heady, and clings to you like the hands of an obsessed lover who’s afraid to lose you.
A shiver runs down my spine. The bald fae watches Roman, still guarded, but his eyes twinkle.
All he needs is a little push.
Carefully, I connect with Roman’s pathway to strengthen the grip he has on the bald fae. I’ve never done this before, so the first instance of my senses merging with Roman’s makes the base of my spine tingle.
“Come on now, you’re a smart businessman. How much profit will she make if, let’s say, people bet double on all the other four contestants and they lose?”
We have him in an ironclad grip. His desire and greed are so thick, it makes me dizzy with my own darkest, deepest needs.
The bald fae blinks, then looks at me with newfound confidence. “You want to make some money for me and you, honey? You better get ready to give the folks a good show.” He pinches the corner of my cloak that’s wrapped tightly around my frame with two fingers, tugging on it. “And shed the clothes. Some of the freaks here will lose their minds at seeing a human chick in the cage. We don’t get the likes of you often.”
