The Royal Trials: Imposter Page 14

  It was definitely Flick's writing. I should know; I was the one who had taught him how to read and write the year before. His note was brief but did indeed assure me that he was well and not wallowing in despair that he'd been abandoned.

  “Okay, go now,” Jules instructed me, taking the note back and giving me a shove toward the door. “I really don't want you pissing anyone off any more than you really have to, so try not to be late.”

  Rolling my eyes at her dramatics, I left her in our rooms and headed to the great hall for dinner. Before pushing the doors open, I crossed my fingers and sent up a silent plea to the gods—any gods—that there wouldn't be any more surprises tonight.

  Jules hadn't been totally dramatic when she was hurrying me along, as I really only had a few moments to find my seat before the royal family made their grand entrance decked out in their fine clothes and masks.

  Thankfully, I was again spared the torture of sitting next to the princes, but unfortunately, they were only a few seats away and well within earshot, should any of them feel inclined to chat.

  Gritting my teeth, I very carefully kept my eyes on my plate and avoided Prince Alexander's burning gaze. I had definitely been too drunk the night before to even have considered kissing a monster like that. So if he could somehow take the hint that I'd rather never have it mentioned again, that would be ideal.

  “Oh, Lady Callaluna.” A mocking sort of voice drew my attention from my empty plate, and I looked up to meet Princess Sagen's deep brown eyes across the table, “I almost didn't see you there. But how I could miss you with that horrific hair, I'll never know.” She dissolved into peels of cruel laughter, and I sighed inwardly. It was becoming painfully clear just how those ingredients had become mixed up on my work station today.

  The new addition to our mix was seated between Prince Alexander and Prince Thibault, while Prince Louis was further down the table beside Lady Agatha.

  In looking at Sagen, it was unavoidable that I could see two of the princes as well, so I couldn't ignore the curious looks they were giving my lavender locks.

  Giving Sagen a tight smile, I twirled one of my loose curls around my middle finger and sighed. “I really was aiming for a dull, inconspicuous brown or black, but it just wasn't meant to be. Tell me, do you often fade into the background with that boring color you have? Because that's what I was hoping to achieve.”

  Oops, so much for keeping my big mouth shut.

  Sagen glowered, her mean smile slipping from her face, even as a few other ladies covered their smiles with napkins. “What a shame you passed today's test, Callaluna,” she murmured with eyes narrowed in a death glare. “With such sarcasm, you're hardly fit to be queen. Is she?” This last part was directed to Prince Thibault as she stroked one of his biceps with her red-clawed hand.

  To my amusement, he gently peeled her paw off him and laid it on the table. “I wouldn't know,” he replied. “Lady Callaluna hasn't graced me with all that much of her time thus far.”

  “Something we will need to rectify, brother,” Prince Alexander added. “But as for that hair...” He paused, and I shivered at the intensity of his gaze. I couldn't even see his eyes that clearly in the dim lighting, but holy gods’ balls, I could feel it. “I think it's lovely. Really suits you, Lady Callaluna.”

  “Huh?” I spluttered, choking on a little bit of my own spit like a really classy bitch.

  “What?” Sagen snarled almost in unison with Gracelin, who'd been listening in from her place down the table.

  Prince Thibault coughed a noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. “I have to agree, brother. It's very eye catching; I think I'll have a hard time taking my gaze from Lady Callaluna all night.”

  My teeth ground together hard, and I swallowed back the insults I wanted to spew. Sagen looked furious, but she had no idea how badly I didn't want the prince’s attention on me all damn night. It was really starting to look like I'd severely pissed off Aana somewhere along the way.

  Any further banter was cut short by the nightly toast. Wine was placed in front of all of us, and by now we knew the drill. Before the soups were served, one of us would die.

  It came at just the right time, reminding me exactly what kind of monsters held us captive in their obscene game. Unable to help myself, I cast a look of disgust at both princes, who still stared at me, then picked up my glass and focused on the bubbles.

  I'd keep my head down and ignore everyone. I'd get through this night and the next and the next... until I found a way to free myself from the binding magic or won. Either way, I was getting out of this nightmare with my skin intact. I was too stubborn for anything else.

  17

  The girl who died that night was Lady Carissa, the one who'd “accidentally” thrown her fire potion at me instead of the stone board. As I dragged my feet back to my room, my stomach churned with the sick feeling that Lee had scored her lowest because of that. But he wouldn't do that. Would he?

  “Ry,” Jules hissed, swinging the door open before my hand even reached the handle. “What took you so long?” She grabbed my wrist and hauled me inside the room, slamming the door shut again before I could even open my mouth to respond.

  “There's my girl,” boomed the heavily bearded man who was waiting inside, and I found myself swept up in a massive bear hug.

  I let out a squeak of surprise and peeled myself out of the stranger’s grip before squinting up at him. “Master Bloodeye?” He grinned back at me mischievously and whistled. “Impressive disguise. I didn't even recognize your voice, and how the fuck have you hidden your eye?”

  Considering I'd always known him to wear an eyepatch, he certainly seemed to have two fully functioning eyes. Had the patch been a ruse this whole time?

  “Ah, nothin' but magic, girlie. Cost me a pretty penny too, don't doubt that.” He laughed a throaty chuckle, then stepped aside to let me further into the room, where Mistress Mallard was seated on the chaise lounge.

  “Necessary precautions, Anthony,” she scolded him, like this was an argument they'd already had. “Rybet, lovely to see you still in one piece. I'm sorry I haven't been able to give you those lessons I promised. Things have been”—she paused, her mouth tightening— “challenging.”

  I waved her off and smiled. “Don't worry about it; I've been surviving. Turns out most of these ladies are painful bitches in their own right, so no one has really noticed my lack of decorum.” There was a tense, somewhat awkward silence for a moment, and my nerves were immediately on edge. “So, what was important enough for one of the kingdom's most wanted criminals to risk sneaking into the palace? Have you found a way to get me out of this insanity?”

  “Get you out?” My mentor and father figure roared with laughter, and I frowned at him like he'd just sprung a second head. “Why would we get you out? You have no idea how long I've wanted a true insider in the palace!”

  My jaw dropped in shock. “What do you mean? You're not getting me out?” My gaze ran between Bloodeye and Mallard, finally settling on Jules, who was refusing to make eye contact with me. “Do you not understand what is happening here? They're killing us! Ladies aren't being sent home when they fail, they're getting poisoned!”

  “We understand,” the disguised crime lord assured me. “Just as you understand that you must do everything possible not to fail.”

  For a long moment, I remained speechless. Shocked. Surely he hadn't just said what I thought he had.

  “You... you want me to stay?” I could hardly believe what I was saying, and my stomach churned again with bile.

  Master Bloodeye grinned at me, a cruel-looking smile that held no warmth. “I don't just want you to stay, little Rybet. I want you to win. If you don't, well, I don't think I need to waste my breath on threats of punishments. The royals will take care of that for me, won't they?”

  All the air gusted from my body as his words hit home. “No, that's not... I can't... This is insanity! I thought you'd help me get out of this!”

 
“Don't be an idiot, girlie,” Bloodeye snapped, his voice like steel. “From the reports I hear, the princes are already taking an interest in you. You stand a good chance of winning, and when you do”—he smirked with greed and ambition— “then you'd be wise to remember who raised you. You owe me your entire life, Rybet. Never forget that.”

  My lips moved, but no sounds came out. I had no words to express the hurt I was experiencing. Master Bloodeye's words stabbed through me like daggers, and I very quickly came to the harsh reality of my situation. I wasn't his pseudo-daughter, like everyone had accused me of being. I was his employee, an asset to be used however he saw fit, no different from Juliana and the other whores.

  “I expect you to start making an effort with those royal pricks, Rybet. Endear yourself to them and make them love you. No more of this disrespectful backchat or combativeness. Flirt, smile, and charm them. Juliana can coach you in this, I'm sure. But if they want to take that sweet little body for a test ride, you’d better damn well lay it out on a platter for them. Am I clear?” His tone was ice cold and completely foreign from the man I knew. “If you don't, I will know.”

  “How?” I choked out, tasting the acid of my bitterness as I spoke. “You just said you don't have any agents on the inside.”

  “I said I didn't. Thanks to your quick thinking, now I do.” He smiled at me smugly, and my heart sank.

  My gaze lifted from my former mentor to my best friend. “Jules?” I squeaked out, not wanting to hear her answer. Not that she intended to give me one. Her head was bowed so far I couldn't even see her face any more. That traitorous bitch.

  “I hope this evens our score, Anthony,” Mistress Mallard commented with a prim tilt to her head. “After this, I owe you nothing more. I told you many years ago that I wouldn't be your mole, and I still mean it.”

  Bloodeye gave her a nod of acceptance, and she rose from her seat, giving me a tight nod. “I apologize that you've ended up in this position, Rybet. But for what it's worth, I wish you all the best.”

  I didn't bother responding to her; I was still too stunned at the turn of events the night had taken.

  “I'll walk out with you, Patricia. I think my message has been received loud and clear here.” He, too, stood and peered down at me. “I look forward to glowing reports of your progress with the princes, Rybet. The next time I see you, you'll be a princess, soon to be queen.” He paused, his smile dropping. “Or you'll be dead.”

  With that jewel of a proclamation, he and Mistress Mallard departed my room, and the door slammed with a heavy sound behind them.

  For a long time, I just sat there shocked into silence. Until Jules spoke.

  “Ry,” she croaked out, raising her guilty face to look at me, but it was too much.

  “Get out,” I ordered her in a deathly quiet voice. “I can't stand to look at you, Juliana. Just get out.”

  She sucked in a breath to argue, and my temper snapped.

  “Get out!” I screamed at her, turning the full extent of my fury—at Bloodeye, at her, at myself—all squarely on Juliana. My so-called best friend.

  She hesitated a moment but gave me a small nod and left the room, closing the door softly behind herself.

  Alone, I broke.

  18

  The next morning, I woke before the dawn. To be truthful, I hadn't really slept at all. Master Bloodeye's words kept echoing around inside my head, and images of Juliana's guilty fucking face wouldn't leave me alone. She had returned some hours after I'd kicked her out, pausing at the foot of my bed for a moment before slinking into her own bed in the annex.

  I didn't wait for her to get dressed, instead just throwing on the most comfortable items I could find in the closet, seeing as it was likely to be another combat class with Ty. Pairing a black, stretchy knit top with supple leather pants and a pair of flat boots, I almost felt like myself again, whoever the hell that was.

  Bloodeye had been clear in his threats the night before. Rybet Waise no longer existed. I was Lady Callaluna… or no one. There would be no returning to my former life as a pickpocket. Even if I did find a way to escape the binding oath and defy Bloodeye's orders, I'd be dead before my boots even hit the puddles of the Pond. He'd see to that.

  “Hey, why didn't you wake me?” Jules asked in a sleepy whisper as she emerged from her annex. “I could have picked something out for you.”

  “I've managed without a maid all my life, Juliana; I think I can handle getting dressed alone.” I snapped the words at her, still burning at the knowledge that she was spying on me. Our entire friendship was in question, but somehow I couldn't stop worrying about what she might have told our boss regarding my tutors. Were they at risk now, too?

  If Bloodeye thought they were a distraction or that they posed any risk in disrupting his plans, he wouldn't hesitate to get rid of them. For a man who'd arranged the deaths of noblemen and politicians, a couple of palace servants would pose little to no trouble at all.

  Jules sighed, watching me lace up my boots in silence. “Don't do this, Ry,” she implored me. “You know I had no choice.”

  I scoffed, as I finished tying my boot then stood up to face her. “There is always a choice, Jules. Always.” Feeling a lump thicken in my throat, I spun and opened the door to leave before pausing. “Just tell me something honestly, Jules,” I asked her, not turning to look at her lying face but needing to ask the question. “Was that note really from Flick? Is he okay?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “But... he's not in the dungeons.”

  Her admission made me spin to face her, frowning in confusion. “He's not? What do you mean?”

  She shrugged uncomfortably. “I mean, he never went to the dungeons. Apparently someone took pity on him the day he was arrested and set him free again before even reaching the palace.”

  I gaped at her, a little bit speechless. “So, me coming here, ending up in the Royal Trials, this whole goddamn fucked-up thing... it was all for nothing? Flick was never in danger?”

  She shrugged again, giving me a pathetic, puppy-dog kind of look. “Not for nothing, Ry. You could become the next queen of Teich. Some would call that fate.”

  My mouth twisted in disgust, and I yanked the door back open. “Don't call me that anymore. Rybet Waise is dead, or did you not hear what your master said last night?”

  She made a noise of protest behind me, but I was in no mood to hear it, instead slamming the door behind myself and stomping down to the dining hall for some breakfast, hopefully before the other ladies arrived.

  For once, luck was on my side, and I was able to snag some pastries and a mug of hot tea before anyone, other than the staff, saw me. I didn't bother pushing my luck in hanging around to eat, just took my prizes and set off to the combat training arena. Usually Jules would tell me in the morning where I needed to be and for what class, but because I hadn't been feeling overly chatty with her, I was just going to take a guess.

  “Lo!” Ty exclaimed as I stomped into the arena with my hands full of breakfast. “You're alive!”

  Frowning at him in confusion, I continued over to the tiered seating to set down my food and drink before sitting down myself. “Yeah, I'm alive. Why, did you think I might have been offed at dinner last night?”

  Ty scowled at my bad-taste joke and towered over me with his huge arms folded across his chest. “I would have known if you were. But when you didn't show up at the sanctuary...”

  I cringed. With everything that had happened with Bloodeye and Jules, I'd completely forgotten that I was supposed to meet the guys after dinner. Still, it was probably for the best. I needed to start breaking this little liaison off before it endangered them any more than it already had.

  “Sorry,” I murmured, sipping my tea. “Something came up.”

  “No shit,” he scoffed, sitting down beside me and snagging one of my pastries. “You look like you didn't sleep a wink last night.”

  I grunted, narrowing my eyes at the pastry in his hand, then moving the rest o
f them to my other side for protection. “Is that your way of saying I look like crap?”

  “As if you ever could, Lo.” He laughed. “You look sexy as sin in all that black, but you also look tired. Do I need to hurt someone for you?”

  An image of Ty fighting Bloodeye's men flashed across my mind, and I shuddered. He was good, no question about that. But he was no Pond dweller. Those of us in Bloodeye's employ were trained to fight dirty, without mercy or honor. I simply couldn't picture Ty fighting like that, regardless of the situation he was in.

  “No, nothing like that,” I lied, taking another sip of my tea. “Just personal problems.”

  Ty made a noise in his throat but let it go. For a long time, we sat in companionable silence while I finished my breakfast—with his help, of course.

  “So, tonight?” he asked as I stood and brushed crumbs from my clothes.

  “Tonight, what?” I asked, raising a brow at him. Gods damn him, he was gorgeous halfway reclined on the bench seat, with the sunlight making his green eyes gleam like jewels under black lashes.

  “Will we see you tonight after dinner? I know that the whole elimination thing is hard on you, so we just want to make sure you're okay.” The look the big soldier gave me as he said this was pure vulnerability, and it cracked my heart to refuse.

  But it was for their own damn good, so I shook my head. “Like you said, I'm pretty tired. I think I just need a good night's sleep tonight.”

  His eyes narrowed at me, and I dodged his gaze. Much better to inspect the few pastry crumbs still on my shirt.

  “Fine,” he conceded after an awkward pause. “The other girls will be here any minute; you can help me set up for the day.”

  Nodding vaguely and feeling sick to my stomach, I followed him over to a heavy trunk.

  “What are we doing today, oh wise one?” I asked, unable to stop myself from trying to lighten the mood. I barely knew these guys, yet cutting ties with them was going to be a hell of a lot harder than I’d really considered.