Akari mumbles something along the same lines, but her mouth is practically overflowing with food. A glob of gravy dribbles down her chin, and I have the strangest thought to lick it up myself before she swipes it away with an absent hand. I scoff silently to myself. What a waste of gravy.
“It was nothing,” Anya says. “I remember exactly how it felt leaving the Selection field.”
I point my fork at her and say with a mouthful, “Yeah, yousohave some explaining to do aboutthat.”
She blushes and looks down. I immediately feel guilty for my comment, because I know she couldn’t have told us. Not without risking her life, and whatever comesafter. But maybe now she could explain it?
“I’m sorry,” I apologize. “I know you couldn’t have told us. It must have sucked more for you than us, knowing exactly what we were walking into and not being able to tell us.”
Her blush deepens, and I get the sick feeling that whatever is going to happen next is going to be the worst trial of all. But I hold my tongue. She literallycan’twarn us.
I fill my mouth before I can say anything else to incriminate myself, and Anya takes the opening to fill in the blanks for us.
“The Selection is an opportunity for the male fae to inspect the Chosen closely, to choose one human woman they would like the chance to… own. I… can’t explain further, but you will find out on the morrow.”
“So the stones…?” Akari asks, paling.
Anya nods. “Yes. If a male has chosen you as their conquest, they will place a stone in your pot. How many did you each get?”
“Four,” Akari says.
They both look at me when I remain silent.
“Delta?” Akari asks, concern lacing her voice.
“I, uh…”Fuck. I look away. I can’t meet their eyes right now. I am so completely fucked. “My pot was full. Almost overflowing, if I am to be completely honest.”
“I was worried about that,” Anya sighs. “They like the strong and free-spirited women.”
I take a deep breath and look back at both equally devastated women. Because who cares how many stones were in my pot when just one of them completely overthrew the entirety of the rest?
I pull out the opalescent stone and hold it in front of me. Anya instantly pales, her eyes growing wide.
“The High Lord of Light chose me,” I tell them. “Lord Draekoh wants toownme.”
Chapter Eleven
I toss and turn for hours. My entire body is like a live wire, every sudden movement or sound making me jolt. Despite how tired I am and how my body begs for sleep, I remain alert and wide awake.
My mind is plagued by the conversation, however minor it was, that I had had with Lord Draekoh. I hadtauntedhim. If I had just kept my damn mouth shut, I might have failed to pique his interest enough to want to claim me. But I never could control my babbling tongue. It had gotten me into much trouble over the years. And, by the looks of it, it was going to get me killed, too.
But I also couldn’t deny the electrifying connection that pulled me towards him. I couldn’t pinpoint the exact emotions he pulled forth in me, but if I had to guess at one of them, it was definitely a sexual attraction. A very reluctant sexual attraction that I wouldnotact upon. Full stop. Not. Going. To. Happen. Thank you very much.
I let out a frustrated breath and roll to my other side for the umpteenth time. I squeeze my eyes shut as I beg myself to fall asleep.
“Fuck it all to hell!”
I roll onto my back in complete defeat and open my eyes. I blink slowly, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. Wait.
I blink again and recoil in shock as glowing amethyst eyes meet mine in the dark. I open my mouth to scream, but a firm, cool hand covers it before I can even take a breath in.
“Hush, Little Bird, we don’t want to wake the others.”
His voice is as cool as his perfectly pristine skin. I can’t help but struggle against his hold on me, but he just clamps his hand harder. The pressure of my teeth slicing into my lips grows until I taste blood. Frustrated, I force myself to stop struggling. I take a calming breath in through my nose and glare into the dancing eyes of the High Lord of the Light Fae.
After a moment, he releases me.
“Lord Draekoh,” I sneer, quiet as a mouse yet as threatening as a mother fucking dragon. His smirk grows as his title falls from my tongue like acid, as if the fact that I know who he is pleases him greatly. “Whatare you doing here?”
