“Yes and no,” he said cautiously. “It is against the rules to kill another competitor, and doing so results in immediate disqualification. Beyond that… I wasn’t alive for the last Elemental Games, but I’ve heard they can be brutal.”
Worry clutched my chest in a tighter vice than any panic attack ever managed. “You’ll be okay though, right? This isn’t an 'accidents happen' sort of situation, is it?”
“I love that you’re worried about me, Fea Remia, but you don’t need to be. I’ve seen the other aquiservians fight. They are no match for my skills.”
I poked his chest. “Pretty cocky there, Sin.”
He whispered into my ear, “I told you before, it’s not cocky if it’s true.”
Too soon, we arrived at the formal dining room that was filled with courtiers and competitors. There had to be over fifty people in the room already, and I squeezed Sin’s hand to control my breathing.
“I’m right here,” he said discreetly while the guard announced our presence. “I’ll stay with you for as long as I can, but you’re going to need to release me before people start asking questions. You can handle this, Rain. I have faith in you.” He squeezed my hand in return, then let it fall to my side.
Right. I could do this. I didn’t have to make a speech or anything. All I had to do was smile and nod for a few hours.
Inside the banquet hall, two lengthy tables filled the center of the room. Since nobody was seated yet, Sin pulled me off to the side where I could partially hide behind a thick column. Servants weaved through the crowd handing out glasses of Cevisa, and it took all my willpower not to snag one.
We stood there for a while, waiting for the kings to arrive and begin the dinner. Sin pointed out a few of the other competitors, but the most interesting were the two Silver Court casters that maintained their head to toe black garb.
“What’s with the strange outfits?” I asked, gesturing toward them.
He glanced over to the bizarre couple. “The Silver Court is built into the side of a mountain,” he explained. “There is acommunity of people with homes deep underground that live somewhat apart from the rest of the court. It’s been said they have their own city down there, and their religion touts that living below ground brings them closer to the Source so their magic is more pure. Centuries of living beneath the castle has made them sensitive to any kind of light, so they only ever come out after dark. This is most likely the first time that Tenyn and Tenebra have even seen the sun.”
“So they're like vampires?” I asked, finding myself intrigued by this unique subculture of Rivellans. “Cool.”
Sin chuckled. “Not quite. They don’t drink blood or turn into bats, but they do have the whole pale skin, nightwalker thing down.” He paused, considering. “They must be incredibly powerful and want something very badly from their king if they agreed to come here.”
“Well now, if it isn’t the king's traitorous Cennux.”
The gravelly voice that floated over my shoulder sounded like the speaker chewed nails and smoked a pack a day. Beside me, Sin stiffened.
We both turned slowly, and I was greeted by the sneering face of the bloated, over-confident prick that had blown me a kiss earlier.
He swallowed an entire flute of Cevisa, then licked his lips at me. “And who is this pretty little princess? Surely you learned your lesson after the last one, Dreisin.”
I looked to Sin as if requesting a translation when all I really wanted to do was ask him what the hell this overbearing gym bro was talking about.
Sin didn’t even spare me a glance. He snagged a glass from a passing servant and threw it back in one gulp, mimicking Harpyn.
“I’m just a temporary escort,” Sin replied in Rivellan, not bothering to include me in this little conversation. “I could care less about her.”
“So callous to speak that way in front of a princess,” Harpyn said, his eyes sliding leisurely down my body. “Especially one as beautiful as this.”
I tucked my hands behind my back to press my nails into the skin of my palms. If I had to act like I was clueless, I at least needed something to distract me from kicking this guy squarely in the balls.
“She doesn’t understand Rivellan, Harp,” Sin said, angling his body as if the other male didn’t even deserve his full attention. “Don’t tell me news of Verren’s lost daughter didn’t make it to your desolate little rock?”
“Oh, I heard all about his little half-human world jumper. I just never imagined she would be so… delicious.”
I couldn’t help cringing at his words, but he probably took it as a reaction to him fluttering his tongue at me.
“Classy,” Sin replied, grabbing another flute.
“Or better yet,” Harpyn said, taking a step closer to me. “How about I take her to my room so she can see what it’s like to be with someone from the Silver Court. I’ve never been with a half-human before, but I bet her pussy still tastes as sweet.”
I didn’t even have a chance to react. One second Harpyn was all up in my space, practically choking me with his disgusting sweaty musk, and the next he was slammed up against the column with a thin cord of water cutting into his throat. Sin’s glass, now empty save for the smear of golden syrup at the bottom, nearly hit the floor, but I reflexively caught it before it shattered and drew unwanted attention in our direction.
The bulky terriservian looked neither upset nor worried about his current predicament. He looked… pleased.
