Rosie stood, turned Stella around, and began to work on the buttons on the back of her dress. A moment later, the stained lilac fabric slid to the floor.
Rosie gasped. In the looking glass, Stella could see her sister’s gaze on her side.
Stella instinctively brought her hand to the star-shaped scar. “I know it’s ugly.”
Rosie’s eyes filled with tears. “That was a very bad wound. You didn’t say it was that bad.”
“Itwasn’tthat bad,” Stella said. She just wanted to forget the scar was there, pretend she was as whole as she’d been before she almost died in the arena—before she’d almost died in the street tonight.
Stella yanked on her nightdress. Her heart rate finally slowed when Rosie began to unpin her hair and braid it so it wouldn’t be a mess in the morning.
She’d been so confident when she headed out for the day. But now, in her room, with her sister fixing her hair, Stella felt just how close she’d come to losing everything for the sake of love.
She thought of the way Arden had looked when he said he loved her—the way he wanted to announce their courtship.
“It will be worth it.”
The fact that she even had to say it aloud made it clear how much she was beginning to doubt it.
19
TEDDY
The sunshine glaring through the intense spray from the waterfall next to the Temple of Desiree created the illusion of rainbows cascading over the white marble roof. Teddy closed his eyes and let it wash over his face, happy for the refreshment after the hot journey. His clothes were plastered to his skin. He’d happily plunge into the clear pool beneath the falls if he was certain he’d be able to stand, but he made a point not to go into an unknown body of water in front of people, lest they realize he didn’t know how to swim.
Stella walked a few paces ahead of him, shoving pins into her hair, most of which had come loose of its haphazard updo on the swift ride. He could begrudge Stella McKay many things, but she was an exceptional rider. He’d expected to have to prod her along due to her lack of training, but she pushed the pace the entire way.
That settled some of his concerns, but what nagged him was the way she’d hesitated last night and had nearly gotten herself killed. There were no marks from the fight left on Stella’s body thanks to her goddess blood. But he could read her disquiet in how jumpy she was. The moment she dismounted, she’d nearly leaped right back up on the horse when a mouse scurried by her boot.
During the fight, he’d watched her out of the corner of his eye, but she’d had everything in hand until she had to deal the killing blow. All her fear and desperation hit him so fast.
What bothered him more was how unnerved he was by her hesitation—by the wild fear that had gripped him in the split second he thought he might be too late to save her. Gods knew what the next challenge would bring. If Stella couldn’t handle blood on her hands, that made the need to break their bond even more important.
Standing outside of the imposing white temple walls, he felt suddenly hesitant. Without the bond, she would be on her own with her inability to do what was required to survive the competition. If she couldn’t kill an assassin, she wouldn’t be able to kill a competitor. He’d been right in his assessment of her. She was too soft for this.
“I think we should work together in the next challenge,” he said as they walked up the dirt pathway to the temple entrance.
Stella turned to look at him, removing the final pin from her dark curls. “What if it’s a challenge that pits us against each other?”
“Must you fight me every step of the way? I’m just thinking about last night and your?—”
“Dress? Quick wit? Legendary card-playing?”
Teddy rubbed a hand over his face. “Your inability to kill that assassin.”
“I don’t lack the ability. I just needed another second,” Stella said. “You saved me the effort.”
Teddy pushed past her. The lush ferns bracketing the trail brushed over his boots as he stepped toward the front doors and the waiting priestess.
He’d expected to feel a pang of grief at the sight of the intricate gilded design on the doors that Grace had liked so much. But he felt more determined than anything else.
The priestess outside of the temple, clad in pale pink robes and a flower crown, held up a hand as they approached. “State your purpose, please.”
“I need to speak to my—” Stella stopped to correct herself. “We’d like to speak with Goddess Desiree urgently.”
The priestess eyed them as if she’d never seen them before, even though she’d checked them both into the temple ceremony just a few days ago.
It felt like a lifetime ago now. How foolish Teddy was, thinking that he’d be paired with Grace when she’d been trying to break up with him. It was a relief to finally be putting this whole thing behind him. This was just one task checked off of his exhaustive list, but it would allow him to have his focus back so he could win the Gauntlet Games.
