Page 47 of Edge of Wonder

Alice turned in my arms and interlaced her fingers around my neck. The mallet dropped to the ground as I went still beneath her mischievous gaze.

“I have a confession to make.”

“What's that?” I rasped.

“Don't be mad, but I'm actually brilliant at croquet. Before I drank Tessa's potion, I would play for hours outside the cottage. I even know how to do a jump shot.”

My brow creased. “I don't understand. You acted like you didn't know how to hold the mallet. You said you needed to practice.”

“Yeah, I wanted to practice—” She looked around to make sure no one else could hear. Then she whispered, “Practice flirting. I thought it was going rather well until you interrupted.”

“What?” I barked. The entire camp grew quiet and looked our way. With a snarl, I grabbed Alice's arm and dragged her behind a grove of trees.

She leaned against an oak, and this time when I caged her in, it wasn't what my original thoughts had in mind. Instead of ravishing her against the tree, I wanted to throttle her.

“Are you out of your mind?”

Alice frowned. “Not especially.”

“Why would you want to practice flirting?” I spat the last word like it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Why do you care? You're leaving.”

“I–I don't care.”

“Then don’t drag me out of camp. I was just testing the waters a little. Peter is a nice guy, and as embarrassing as it is to admit, particularly to someone with your amorous experience, I need the practice. I was a ghost during all my formative years. It's perfectly natural for a woman my age to want to experience mutual desire.”

“Mutual desire?” Had the air thinned? My head spun, and I ground my fist into the bark until it bit into my knuckles.

“Yes, exactly. It's when two people want the same thing from each other. Now, if you'll excuse me, we've been traveling for days, and I'm exhausted. I want to take a nap before it's time to head to the arena.” Alice ducked under my arm and headed back to the camp.

My head dropped to the tree trunk, and I let out a weary breath. What the hell had just happened? Alice should focus on the challenges, notPeter.And who cared if he was a nice guy? How was nice going to keep her from getting killed by mercenaries? Nice wouldn’t help her through the brutal challenges. I pushed away from the tree in disgust. Mostly at myself for getting involved, and partly because I’d acted like a fool thinking our history dictated she’d only be interested in me.

Yeah, fate had some explaining to do, even if I’d been avoiding its clutches for years. Wasstillavoiding, if my planned trip home had anything to say about it. Just a few more days and everything would go back to normal.

Needing to burn off some steam, I walked through the trees, heading toward the edge of the forest. After about a mile, I came to a worn trail leading to the croquet grounds. Wagon wheels rumbled over the rutted path, the conveyances carrying spectators to the arena. There would be hundreds in attendance, all vying for the chance to witness Alice take on the first challenge.

So far, we’d been lucky and hadn’t encountered any trouble from the queen and her soldiers. We had traveled light with a select group of rebels—nice guy, Peter being one of them. But it felt like we were waiting on tenterhooks for the next attack. Not knowing where it would come from or from who.

The other missing player hadn’t made it this far, and even though Alice believed he might still be out there, I knew it was wishful thinking.

I followed the caravans until the trees thinned and the trail became a grassy field that held the massive arena. In the distance, the thorny wasteland crept closer. Dark clouds raged overhead; a never-ending storm that made the land inhabitable. But the arena still stood in full sun. Built mostly out of beige stone, the circular structure rose four stories from the ground. Gargoyles watched the procession from their balcony perch, grinning diabolically at the people traveling through the iron gate. Banners fluttered in the warm breeze and horns blared, mingling with the suspenseful buzz hanging in the air.

I shielded my eyes from the sun as a wagon rolled past. The back of the cart was lined with bars, and a group of five crude and disheveled men rode inside the cage. I locked eyes with one of them, watching as the wiry man picked something from his teeth and spit between the bars.

“Local riff-raff,” Shire said, floating to a stop next to me. “I’ve been looking for you. Figured you might come to check out the grounds. We’re getting ready to decamp.” The cart continued across the path, then before it reached the gate, it changed direction and wheeled around to the side of the arena.

“What are they doing here?” I asked, still surveying the spot where the cart had turned. “Those can’t possibly be spectators.”

Shire made a face and tossed up her hands as if in defense. “Well, you’re not going to like the answer. But Alice can’t play the game by herself. Usually, there are six royal players for the first challenge.”

Dread twisted my stomach, and I asked the question, already guessing the answer. “Who will take their place?”

“Those men. One of them will be paired with Alice. She’ll be fighting to win the key, they’ll be fighting to win their freedom. It’s a bleak twist, but the crowd will love it.”

I turned on Shire. “And you didn’t think to tell us this information?”

“It wouldn’t change anything, and I thought it might make Alice more nervous. Who wants to gamble with their life alongside criminals? I certainly wouldn’t. The good news is it’s not winner takes all. Anyone who survives the challenge claims victory. So, yes, while there might be a little bloodshed between the players if they get in each other’s way, they’re not fighting to the death. It’s a small consolation.”

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