Maybe he won’t be as keen on keeping me if I’m a giant thorn in his side.
JUDE: “Alistaire,whereare you go—”
I glare daggers at him while sliding a rather large platter of expensive-looking spiced truffles off the table edge. The porcelain shatters loudly.
Jude swears, prowling forward as I go for a wine basin next, toppling that over, too.
Right onto his shoes.
Now he looks ready tothrowme off the terrace, but before my parade of chaos can continue, a voice calls out, “Arius, you’re in my chair.”
Player Parrish jingles when she walks, charms of silver fastened around her wrists and ankles, a girlish spring in her step.
And rust-red stains on her palms, which she wipes on her pleated cream dress.
I don’t need Jude’s commentary to know she has one of the bloodiest histories of them all. Parrish bounces over to a chorus ofWhere have you been?As an answer, she presents a box from her pocket and pops it open.
My jaw drops, revulsion churning in my stomach.
Inside the box are several…bloody teeth?
“I needed to retrieve a place to put these!” she chirps to a series of rolled eyes and groans.
ARIUS: “Godsabove, Parrish.” He scoots a seat away from her. “You can’t keep telling auditionees this is a requirement for Playhouse entry.”
I’m going to be sick.
PARRISH: “They aren’tfroman auditionee.” She pouts at her cast. “But imagine how lovely they’ll look with the rest of my collection in my rooms!”
TITUS: “Don’t take this the wrong way, Parrish, but I wouldn’t enter your rooms if my own fate were trapped inside.”
My mind grazes briefly over what I’ve read of Parrish. In the arena, she made her opponent’s death slow, pulling them apart in pieces and threatening to give them to spectators in the audience.
She laughs like a crow, anklets tinkling as she plops down next to Arius, who busies himself with combing his fingers through that golden mane of hair. “They’re from the imposter. Sil said I could keep them.”
Imposter.I straighten, remembering Jude’s comment about Dorian’s“sheep”being slaughtered—spies sent in under the guise of auditioning. My blood runs cold.
I’m marked. The daughter of the dead Peacemaker.What will they do to me if they find out—whenthey find out…
A hand pinches my sleeve, ushers me away from my mess. “Now,” Jude growls. “What will it take to get you to quit destroying things and act like a civilized person?”
I return a lethal glare. “Release me from the bargain.”
PARRISH: “Have I missed anything exciting?” She scrunches her nose, smattered with freckles that shimmer like stardust.
TITUS: “Yes, indeed!” He studies his nails. “Jude’s little hyena in the corner has been the most entertaining part of the night. We think she might try and kill him next.”
All the Players turn to me, and I clutch the railing.
“Speakingof,” Titus prompts with a wolfish grin. “What havewe here, Jude?”
Does he recognize me?I wonder and immediately regret calling attention to myself.Can he see my father’s face in mine? Can he have been the one who killed—
“Were none of the breathing auditionees good enough for you?” Titus’s tone turns cruel. “Whose grave did you rob to dragthatinto the Playhouse?”
I grind my teeth. Like the others, Titus is devastatingly handsome, and the comment strikes a chord.
“Watch your mouth, Titus.” Jude marches forward, shoes squelching with the wine I spilled. He points at me. “Sweetest girl I met in my whole life, on my honor.”
