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His gaze glides up to meet mine.

That’s the game.

The sponsor has to have enough prowess to select all the right ingredients to make a meal that will help them survive any of the possible poisons. They might have even been told which ones could be selected beforehand.

Poisons are something my family knows well. Any Elite family worth their coin keeps up on antidotes and what herbs will negate another.

Once again, I take a look at all the herbs on the table, and I spot at least three of them used for antidote tonics.

I freeze when I realize that two of them would cancel each other out, depending on the poison used.

“Don’t use that one,” I say as I place down the bread and push away one of the purple leaves. “It’s too bitter.”

Arwan had just been about to add it to his eggs, but he nods and sets the leaf he had picked up aside. “Very well.”

When I check on Sofia, I notice that she seems to have figured it out, too. She’s frowning as her sponsor holds up a pod of seeds, and she shakes her head.

Good choice. While seeds are sometimes used to negate poisons, they can only mitigate slight exposure. Not a full dose. There’s also a risk that the seeds will negate one of the other less powerful ingredients and absorb its beneficial effects, too.

Just when I’m satisfied that I know which item I’m going to eat from Arwan’s plate, the host makes a new announcement.

“Excellent job, everyone! Now…” He grins, and my stomach sinks as he gives one last order. “Reach under your table and put on the blindfold.”

CHAPTER 15

Fear rears its ugly head once again as I pull the blindfold through my fingers.

“We’re going to be swapping plates,” the host gleefully informs us. He’s talking to a dark mirror on the wall, and I’m starting to wonder if there’s someone back there, watching us from behind it. “Candidates will go first. You can smell each dish before you select which one to taste. Then you will select the pairing wine. Sponsors will be able to sample the entire meal before taking the same wine, or selecting a new one if a poor choice was made.”

My stomach twists again.

I don’t have a good feeling about this.

“Sponsors!” he shouts. “Blindfold your lovely ladies.”

Arwan gives me a nod. If he has that much confidence in my nose, he’s in for an ugly surprise.

He walks around the table, and I shiver as he slides the blindfold from my grip. I might die in a few short moments, but at least I’ll know what it’s like for Arwan to touch me again.

His fingers trail through my hair as he tucks a strand behind my ear. That movement is more sensual than anything he’s done in my dreams, and I try not to sigh as he gently blindfolds me.

He ties it securely at the back of my head, then whispers a low promise in my ear.

“The next time I do this, you won’t be wearing anything else.”

I bite my lip to keep from responding.

Why is the asshole toying with me? Doesn’t he know that I won’t be alive to even think about a next time?

The soft clatter of dishes sounds throughout the room. I expect the shifters guarding the perimeter are the ones moving things around. After a moment, silence descends, and I jolt when the host speaks again.

“Candidates, take your time. Your sponsor will help you inspect each dish.”

I can’t even see what Arwan is placing in front of me, but he warns me with a soft command. “Take a deep breath in through your nose,” he instructs.

I obey, and the weak scent of something citrusy with a hint of mint tingles my senses before it vanishes. It might have been bread, or a pastry. That’s why I needed to take a deeper breath—to really smell the mint.

Whatever supernatural gifts I’ve absorbed, they don’t seem to extend to my sense of smell. Unfortunately.