“It’s hard to see from up here,” Violet complained and grabbed on the rail to lean closer. “I should have brought a mask.”
“I can glamour you invisible,” Sarah offered. “Roman will be able to see you, but no one else will.”
Violet perked up. “You wouldn’t mind? I’ve only seen him do a puzzle once, and I want to see his face.”
Sarah smiled warmly. “Anything for you, honey. Take care not to bump into people if you can. It gives them quite a fright, and they start spouting nonsense about ghosts and spirits.”
Violet giggled. “I’ll be careful.” She gave Sarah a quick hug and hurried to the box exit. “Thank you.”
* * *
“I’m surprised you showed up after last month’s ass-kicking,” a cocky voice called out to Roman.
Grinning under his mask, he turned to Kelty, a short fae man with close-cropped dark brown hair, dark umber skin, and a stout build to match his square jaw. Despite being ten years Roman’s senior, the man had a child-like quality about him.
He was obnoxious, brilliant, and Roman’s biggest competition.
All year they’d gone back and forth, battling each other for first place. Used to being the best at everything he did, losing to Kelty had knocked Roman’s ego down a peg or two. For the first time, Roman was truly nervous. Sure, he’d been nervous before his first match, but there was something different about today’s competition. Not only did the winner earn the title of Eden’s best shape shifter competitor, but Violet was in the crowd watching him for the first time. His head swam a little at the thought.
“Come to offer me your congratulations early?” he shot back and widened his stance.
Kelty grinned, his mouth stretching from ear to ear. “You’ve lost the last three competitions.”
Roman’s fingers itched to reach for one of the shifting puzzles to practice. Usually, he and Kelty went back and forth with their wins, but Violet’s impending homecoming had distracted Roman the last few times. But not today. Today, she sat in the royal box, watching him, and he’d be damned if he lost. “I like to lull my enemies into a false sense of calm,” he lied.
Kelty, the ass, saw right through him and clapped him on the shoulder. “There’s always next year, Mask.”
Roman pushed his hand away. “I won’t lose today.”
Kelty must have sensed something in Roman’s demeanor, because he hung his hands on his hips and studied him carefully. “What makes you so sure?”
Roman swept his gaze over the crowd, snagging on Violet standing in front of the stands on the competition floor with War at her side. Spectators weren’t allowed on the competition floor, but no one noticed Violet standing there.
When her eyes met his, she waved excitedly and gave him two thumbs up. His heart soared, and he tapped his heart, then pointed at her. Her smile widened, and he winked before turning back to Kelty. “Because my girl is here.”
Kelty looked from Roman to the area behind him. The man’s eyes skipped right over Violet, and Roman realized Kelty couldn’t see her. No one could. He looked at the royal box and spotted his parents.They glamoured her.
Smiling wide, he brushed past Kelty to take his place at his assigned table, and called over his shoulder, “May the best man win.”
* * *
The speed at which the contestants’ hands twisted and pulled the puzzles made Violet’s head spin. Every table housed five puzzles of various sizes, each one more complicated than the next, and Violet’s voice scratched as she clapped and cheered each time Roman moved on to the next shifting puzzle.
Roman reached his final piece before anyone else, and Violet jumped up and down, clapping so hard her hands hurt. Another man she’d seen speaking with Roman before the match was mere seconds behind the prince. When he moved on to his last puzzle, people in the crowd stood, screaming. Some chanted Roman’s alias while others yelled the name “Kelty.”
Violet vibrated with anticipation. She wanted Roman to win more than anything. He’d been so nervous; he’d never admit it outright, but she could tell. This competition meant something to him, so it meant something to her too.
Minutes passed quickly as Kelty and Roman’s puzzles took shape, and the crowd fell to a quiet buzz as everyone held their breaths. Never had Violet thought a puzzle competition would generate the same buzz as a sparring tournament, but it did.
Then it happened. Roman dropped his puzzle, an anatomically correct heart, and jumped back with his hands raised. The crowd went wild, but instead of basking in their screams, Roman turned, locked eyes with Violet, and took off running.
Her heart swelled, and when he closed the distance between them, she jumped into his arms, and he swung her around. With his head buried in her neck, he laughed, the sound so full of joy and excitement, Violet almost wept.
“You did it,” she whispered in his ear. “I knew you’d win.”
Roman pulled back and yanked off his mask to kiss her, his excitement spreading to every part of her. The crowd changed their tone, gasps of surprise and loud chatter rising around the arena.
Violet startled and shifted her head to look around.Everyone is staring.Sarah must have dropped the glamour on Violet. “They’re going to know who you are,” she hissed. He couldn’t glamour them because having them disappear into thin air would be a dead giveaway.
