A feeling of unease made my nerves spike. The longer I stared at the board, the worse it got, but I couldn't stop.
The emblems had been part of the trial as I'd anticipated. The way of the spirits was odd because without Eos' blessed intervention, I would be on my way home, and Tarkan would've won without the fight I'd promised him.
It wasn't that I no longer wanted to go home, but Art would probably kill me first.
Piper and Calla had fortunately survived too, but the curious group of suitors in front of me made it difficult to count how many emblems each suitor had collected and see who had been eliminated.
"Settle down, girls," Evie said, closing the door behind her as she entered the room. "Merely looking at the board will not provide you the answers you seek."
The chatter died instantly, every eye turning to watch Evie step closer as if she was the only flower in the field of thirsty bees.
"Good," Evie said, smiling accomplished. "Now, gather around, and let me tell you why three of your competitors are missing this morning."
None of us could hide the curiosity eating away at our souls, so the suitors eagerly moved closer to hear what unpredictable twists this trial had been meant to expose us to.
I didn't move from my seat on the couch, taking advantage of my emptied surroundings to look at the board and identify the eliminated suitors.
It didn't take long. Three rows of names had no emblems attached to their empty spaces, matching the faces of the suitors missing from our group. Elle, Azure, and Tanith.
Alia sat in her favorite chair, attentively listening to Evie's tale. She didn't appear particularly touched by Tanith's elimination, despite her being the closest thing to a confidant that Alia in this competition. Maybe Nova and Neith were enough to provide her with the unnatural amount of attention she needed.
"Would you care to join us, Miss Aldwyn?"
I stiffened when Alia turned her head, catching me staring at her.
"Yes!" I shouted in panic. "I'm sorry, Miss Evelyn."
I got up from the couch to join Piper and Calla in the pile of pillows. No words I could think of would make my embarrassing position better, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.
"Okay then, ladies," Evie said, folding her hands to silently show off her enormous engagement ring, matching the golden wedding ring. "As the board reveals, the vast majority of you received emblems from one or more of the houses during the trial."
Most of the suitors nodded proudly as if that observation had been a particularly difficult twist to decipher.
"Each diplomatic and royal house was granted an emblem that they were authorized to offer to the suitor they believed had the potential to become queen," Evie explained, but that vague explanation only raised more questions than it answered. There weren't even close to thirty-one emblems on that board—assuming that Eos had been carrying the emblem of the Golden House.
Quickly counting the ones that I could see, I only found twenty.
"The houses were told not to prioritize the suitor from their own realm or regional academy but to approach the task professionally. However, it wasn't required of them to pass their emblems," she said, finally giving me the answer I'd been searching for. "It was your job to convince the diplomats and the royals that you do have what it takes to inherit this responsibility. If they didn't find any of you adequate, they were allowed to withhold their vote and keep their emblem."
My head throbbed in frustration when I realized why Tarkan had brought me to that room aside from the obvious. He'd needed me away from the party and the people to reduce my chance of obtaining an emblem.
Tightening my jaw and cursing myself for falling for his sly deception, I forgot to listen to Evie again.
"—your ability to mingle with the people who will become your circle of acquaintances once you become queen."
"What would've happened if we'd all received an emblem?" Nova asked, quickly glancing at the board.
Nova, Calla, and I were the only suitors with only one emblem attached to our names. Alia, of course, had four emblems, but Payton had surprisingly acquired three.
I searched for the emblem of the Inferno House, but I couldn't find a flame. Could Queen Raina have considered voting for me if Art hadn't interrupted our conversation?
"Selecting the future queen of Heliac is a great responsibility; thus, the two final trials must eliminate suitors to aid the prince in making the right decision. Therefore, the suitors with the lowest number of acquired emblems would've been eliminated, regardless of that number being zero or one."
Lucky could no longer suffice. Some misfortune had to be waiting for me around the corner.
"However, I'm glad to see so many familiar faces still with us," Evie added, a trace of grief briefly crossing her face.
Evie also struggled with the last elimination. She wasn't supposed to show how much she cared for us, but she'd never succeed in hiding it.
"The rest of the day is yours to enjoy however you like, but the meals will be served as usual," she continued, sighing heavily. "I'll be expecting to see you again for dinner. But till then, make the most of your time."
"That was close," Calla said, exhaling a wind stronger than a storm on a warm summer day when Evie exited. "What are your plans for today?"
Piper shrugged. "I think I'll sleep when I get out of here. But I'm up for anything after three."
Sleep didn't sound like a bad idea. Caiden's birthday had stretched far into the night, and Faye had rudely woken me earlier than the sun rose. However, my body was restless—disturbed by the thought of Tarkan's infuriating games.
I needed to punch something before I lashed out verbally.
"I think I'll visit the Battle Arena for a while," I said, rising to my feet. "But I can be done before three."
"Come on, Will!" Calla moaned, leaning back into Piper's chest. "You spend every waking minute in the Battle Arena. So why not relax a little?"
I chuckled. "Relaxing won't get me any closer to my goal," I said, stretching my shoulder. "Besides, I haven't been to the Battle Arena on my own since we started our lectures with Miss Penny. I think I owe myself this."
"You shouldn't be the one to talk, Miss Late to Everything," Piper said, laughing as she softly flicked Calla's nose. "You've still not told us where you go before the lectures. Are you secretly meeting with Prince Atlas?"
"No," Calla said, pushing Piper's intrusive fingers away from her face. "It's nothing like that, but I can't tell you more."
"Why not?" I asked. Secrets didn't entertain me, but I could hardly judge Calla for keeping hers when I kept so many—including my feelings for Caiden and Tarkan's dreadful colors.
"Miss Evelyn," Calla explained elusively.
"That's such a bad excuse," Piper said, laughing loud. "What secrets could you possibly keep that not even Evie wants us to know?"
Calla's face turned pale as blood rushed to her cheeks.
"Something embarrassing, it seems," I said, smiling wryly before Calla threw a pillow at me.
"Stop analyzing me, Will!" she chided, hiding her pale cheeks in her sleeve. "I won't talk."
"We're just teasing you, Cal," Piper said, wrapping her arms lovingly around Calla's neck. "You know we love you. You'll tell us when you're ready."
I chuckled when Calla stuck her tongue out, struggling against Piper's iron grip.
"Well," I said, yawning. "I better get going if I hope to secure the Battle Arena before anyone else gets the same idea."
Piper snorted. "I think you're the only suitor crazy enough to spend her day off in the Battle Arena after last night."
"That may be," I said, grabbing the door handle. "But I'm not taking any chances."
I heard them shout my name the second I slammed the door shut, smiling, amused, as I imagined their disappointed faces.
All the cameras, except the ones in the Parlor and the dining hall, had been shut off for the day, leaving me more at ease without the continuous feeling of eyes observing me from every room I passed.
"Are you heading for the Battle Arena?"
Panic shook my bones, my muscles instantly tensing at the thought of Tarkan sneaking up behind me.
"Caiden!" I gasped when I turned around to be confronted by a pair of gentle ocean eyes.
"Expecting someone else?" he said, chuckling at my defensive posture.
I immediately lowered my fists, ashamed that I'd mistaken Caiden for his wicked brother. "N-not particularly. You just surprised me; that's all."
"Is that so?" Caiden said, his lips twisting in a smile. "Then I must apologize."
I hated that smile. I'd never been able to refuse that smile. I needed to act quickly before his allure engulfed me.
"Apology accepted," I said, lowering my gaze. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."
"Wait a minute, Will," Caiden said, grabbing my arm before I could pass him. "You still haven't answered the question I asked you before we were interrupted by Mr. Herrera."
I didn't look back at him, my eyes stinging as my throat constricted.
"What have I done to anger you this way?"
I bit my lip. Caiden hadn't done anything to deserve how I'd treated him the past weeks. However, I didn't trust myself when it was just us. My heart would burst eventually, leaving me without control over my words and actions. I couldn't risk that—not with Tarkan carefully watching my every step. So, I avoided him and acted upset whenever he caught me because I didn't know what else to do.
"I'm not a real suitor, Caiden," I said, my throat burning with every word. "I'm not expected to treat you as if you're everything my heart has ever desired unless the cameras are watching us. You have no obligation toward me either. I don't expect you to act interested. So, please, just leave me alone."
I yanked my arm from his grasp and continued down the corridors with hasted steps. I didn't run, nor did I look back to check if he was following me. The lack of footsteps behind me revealed that I wasn't worth the effort anyway.
If I kept rejecting him this way, surely he would lose interest at some point. It hurt to consider, but I knew it was necessary.
I sighed. Now I really needed to punch something.
***
The tunnels felt oddly comforting to pass through compared to normal.
Perhaps it was the solitude, or maybe the darkness reminded me of simpler times before the Crown Trials in our old neighborhood.
I grunted loudly as I pushed open the heavy door to the dressing room. It didn't sound like any other restless souls occupied the Battle Arena, nor could I detect another individual as I peeked through the door to the arena.
My body hummed, satisfied, as I stepped through the frame to slip my bag behind the pedestal.
"Took you long enough."
I stiffened, my blood freezing solid, when I turned to watch Caiden stepping out of the shadows.
"C-Caiden," I stuttered, beads of cold sweat teasing my brow. "What are you doing here?"
"Following you," Caiden said bluntly, moving closer. "I assumed that much was obvious."
I swallowed dryly. "Why?" I whispered, slowly stepping back as my heart quickened.
"Because you leave me with no other choice. You didn't answer my question."
"That's not true," I mumbled, reaching for the pedestal where I'd left my bag and weapon.
If I could reach them before Caiden reached me, I may be able to slip past him and get away before he forced the truth from me.
"You evaded my question," Caiden said, his brow lowered in annoyance. "That's not the same."
My body shivered in anticipation when the cold concrete block cooled my damp palm. I held my breath without taking my eyes off Caiden. I needed to act now if I wished to escape.
I instinctively peeked at my bag to estimate the distance, but a shadow passed me before I could force my muscles to act.
"You can't leave without this, can you?" Caiden asked, lifting my bag in front of him.
"Give that back, Caiden."
He was right. I'd left my necklace in the front pocket of that bag because it always got in the way when I trained, but I couldn't go anywhere without it.
"No."
The smile that widened on that man's face infuriated me. I didn't think; I just stepped forward, reaching out for the bag. Caiden didn't even break a sweat when he dodged me, watching me stumble forward.
"It's not funny, Caiden. Give it back."
"Answer my question, and your wish shall be granted."
I gritted my teeth. "I did answer your damned question."
I lunged for my bag again. Caiden didn't dodge it this time; instead, he grabbed my wrist.
"No. You evaded it. Answer it, and you'll get your bag back," Caiden said, his grip unshakable.
"Why do you care so damned much?" I yelled when I couldn't break free. "Why not just leave me be?"
Anger bubbled within me, yet fear made me weak and unable to think clearly.
"Fight me, and I'll tell you."
I stopped struggling. "Fight you?"
Caiden nodded. "Be my sparring partner," he clarified, letting go of me but without allowing the slightest chance to retrieve my bag. "If you win, I'll tell you anything you wish to know and give you the bag. But if I win, you'll answer my question."
I opened my mouth, but Caiden cut me off. "Properly."
"That hardly sounds like a fair deal," I said, crossing my arms. "You'll win without breaking a sweat."
Caiden chuckled, raising his hands in surrender. "I see there is no tricking you," he said, "but you shouldn't sell yourself short. Uncle Art speaks highly of your achievements. But I'll offer you this: I'll only use one hand."
He waved his left hand in the air like bait. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Fine," I muttered through clenched teeth, taking the bait. I wasn't getting out of here without his approval, and maybe—just maybe—I could smack him once or twice.
"Great," Caiden said, throwing my bag into the air before trapping it inside a sphere of ice. "The first to taste the floor loses."
My breath hitched when Caiden removed his shirt to reveal a loosely flowing top, partially pushed into his low-waist sweatpants. What kind of sick mind-play was this? Did he know what that kind of attire did to me?
I shook my head, mind-slapping myself. I couldn't let him win that easily. "Fine," I said, raising my hands to leave my palms as my first defense. "But don't expect me to go easy on you because you gave me an advantage."
Caiden smiled as he turned to face me. "I wouldn't expect you—"
Without warning, I lunged forward, whirling around myself to add momentum to my fist as I aimed for his face. Caiden dodged, but that wasn't unexpected.
"Impressive," Caiden said, grabbing my wrist midair to force it to my back. "But you'll have to work harder than that to gain the upper hand."
I snorted quietly. I'd become more flexible since the last time he caught me off guard in the dressing room. I spun on my heel, diving under my arm to unravel his attack.
"It won't be as easy as you think, Caiden," I said, chuckling with a wide smile when a bewildered expression took form on Caiden's face.
Wrenching my wrist from his grip, I jumped to land behind him.
He shifted as I charged forward, spotting an opportunity to strike while I was still in motion. However, I scarcely blocked his advancing hand by swinging my arm to deflect it.
I reached out to hit him while struggling to dodge another of his attacks. Then he went for my legs. The hit forced me to my knees, but I recovered quickly and used my other leg to sweep him off his feet.
Caiden jumped backward, too experienced to fall for an old trick like that.
Suddenly, I heard water shifting unnaturally in the distance. A faint smile settled by the corner of my lips. I must be challenging him; otherwise, he wouldn't resort to using his powers.
"Are you so unsure of yourself that you must resort to using your powers?" I shouted, panting as I summoned my powers too.
"Don't let the aroma of victory cloud your judgment, Will," Caiden shouted back. "You haven't won yet."
I sucked in a sharp breath when Caiden sent spheres of black water darting through the air. I jumped, using the air to thrust me upward, and dodged the spheres.
My turn.
I spun in the air and sent a long wave of wind in his direction, hoping to make him jump. A surge of exhilaration made my heart leap when he jumped.
He was in my domain now, unable to dodge my attacks without a friendly wind to guide him. His water was too far away.
I generated a flow of air underneath the soles of my feet, pushing me toward him. "Got you," I whispered, grabbing his shoulder to throw him to his ruin.
"Not yet," Caiden said, smiling as he grabbed my arm to turn us around midair and lock my wrist onto my back.
My eyes widened in surprise. I hadn't expected him to use my attack against me.
A wave of water caught us before we crashed with the floor, bringing us to land on our feet instead of my face.
Adrenaline pumped through my body as Caiden subtly loosened his grip on me, fighting to regain balance after experiencing the disorienting delight of weightlessness. I didn't hesitate to take advantage and jumped forward to break free before turning to strike.
However, I made the mistake of not paying attention to my surroundings in my desperate quest to win and didn't realize how wet the floor had become. Shifting my weight to my left foot, I slipped into a puddle of water.
My hand instinctively reached out to grasp Caiden's shirt to avoid tumbling to the floor, but he hadn't prepared for such an unpredictable move.
"Watch out, Will!"
I braced myself for the impact, expecting my nose to break or a concussion to shake my head depending on how I'd land. However, the floor didn't rob my lungs of air; instead, my fall had been eased by a soft yet firm surface.
"Ouch..."
Caiden must've flipped us around during our fall to save me from absorbing the brunt of the impact.
"Caiden?" I whispered breathlessly.
I was exhausted. This fight forced me to use everything I'd had, and my body started feeling the aftermath.
"I'm fine," Caiden said, his voice tense from trying to catch his breath.
I smiled ruthlessly, unable to withhold the remark forcing its way through my throat. "That must mean I won then," I said, placing my palms against the floor to get up.
Strained laughter rumbled from his chest. "Is that so?"
"Yup," I said, struggling against his arms locked around my torso. "We agreed that the first to taste the floor would lose, so please let go so I can return to my—"
I gasped when the world twisted before I felt the damp floor press against my back.
"C-Caiden," I whispered when he trapped me between his arms. "What are you doing?"
"Awarding you your prize," he answered bluntly. "You asked why I cared, remember?"
My chest started aching as my throat constricted. "That— That's—" I stuttered, my heart throbbing painfully as I searched his eyes for mercy. I found none. "You don't have to. I—"
"But I want to," Caiden said, placing a warm hand on my cheek when I tried to look away. My heart beat ferociously, threatening to skip right out of my chest. I had a bad feeling about this.
"I understand how important it is for you to be with your family, but I will regret not telling you this for the rest of my life."
A sudden stab of terror made a prickling sensation shoot up my spine when I noticed Caiden's heart beating almost as loud as mine. This couldn't be happening.
"W-wait, Caiden," I whispered, raising my hand to wrap my fingers around his wrist.
"I can't," he said, an expression of torment stretching across his face. "Will, I—"
"Are you in here, Will?"
Piper's voice echoed between the naked walls of the Battle Arena. My lungs pushed to my throat as a cursed, bottomless hole formed in my stomach.
She couldn't see us like this—no one could.
Panicking, I summoned my powers to push myself out of Caiden's arms, neglecting every thought of safety ever to cross my mind. However, Caiden was faster and pulled us both to our feet. Then, he silently dragged us to the wall shielding the dressing rooms, pressing my back against the cold concrete.
"What are you—"
"Hush," he whispered, attentively listening for Piper's footsteps.
My brain sparked panic when I heard her draw closer, desperate to flee the scene. It was a miracle Caiden hadn't lost his ability to think.
Without moving his hands from my body, Caiden danced lightly across the floor, effortlessly leading me with him until we stood inside the men's locker room shower.
We weren't sure Piper wouldn't look in here, but it remained the best place for us to hide.
Unfortunately, I was trapped between his arms, and with his eyes no longer wary of Piper's actions, I found them fixed on me.
I stretched my lips into a thin line when Caiden gestured for me to stay silent. This wasn't a soundproof room, and Piper would undoubtedly be able to hear the echoes of our voices if she listened. I couldn't take that chance, and Caiden knew that perfectly well.
I pressed my back further into the frigid tiles, but his scent surrounded me like a cloud of mist, slowly driving my mind toward insanity.
My eyes watched as his gaze wandered from my hairline down the bridge of my nose, where they stopped to examine the shape of my lips.
My heart pounded so hard against my chest that I feared the sound would attract Piper's curious soul here. I couldn't say anything, nor could I do anything, too paralyzed by the thought of his lips on mine that my body refused to function.
I wanted it, but I couldn't have it. Not with the golden crown prince of Heliac.
Caiden's fingers gently looped the rogue strands of my hair around my ear. Then, without leaving my skin, his fingertips traced the curve of my jaw until they stopped under my chin.
I tried avoiding his pleading eyes, but he took that option away when he used the finger under my chin to force my eyes back to his.
Slowly, his thumb explored the curvature of my chin, gently stroking the textured surface right underneath my bottom lip.
"I want to end this competition, Will," he whispered, hardly loud enough for my ears to hear. "I've made my choice."
His voice sent shivers down my body, and I had to swallow a cry as his thumb gently stroked the dry skin on my lips.
I wasn't sure I dared believe those words weren't merely another trick of my imagination. It was all too much, conflicting emotions pulling my heart in every direction.
"Is anybody in here?"
Caiden's fingers left my face to reach behind me. A split second later, a flood of icy drops showered my skin, soon drenching my clothes. A tiny gasp left my lips, but Caiden covered my mouth with his hand before I could utter another sound.
"Are you looking for someone, Miss Weldon?" he asked while I observed his shirt starting to cling to his carved body.
"Prince Atlas!" Piper exclaimed, stopping in her tracks. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude like this, but yes. I'm looking for Willow. She said she'd be here."
Caiden's eyes dropped to me again as he removed his hand from my mouth, pressing his index finger against his pouted lips with a smile stretching upon his face.
"In the men's locker room?" he asked, perfectly aware that this wasn't my first time in here. I shot him a glare to note that I didn't find this uncomfortable situation amusing.
"I know," Piper said, disgusting her embarrassment with a chuckle. "It's silly, but I can't find her anywhere. Have you seen her?"
Caiden's smile changed to match the softness of his gaze. "No, I haven't seen her."
My heart skipped another beat. The way he looked at me while claiming not to know my whereabouts sent a new charge of electricity cutting across my skin.
"Have you tried my uncle's studio?" Caiden asked, knowing my routine disturbingly well. Was I really so simple-minded?
"That doesn't sound unreasonable," Piper said. "I'll try that. Thank you, and again, sorry for the disturbance."
A sigh of relief became caught in my throat when Caiden's drenched body leaned closer. We may have sent Piper astray without being seen, but I wasn't out of the woods yet, and the woods were dangerously tempting.
"That was close," Caiden whispered, his breath warm on my cold skin.
I wanted him. I wanted him so bad it hurt. I wanted his arms around me, protecting and assuring me that everything would be okay. I no longer doubted that he wanted the same. Or at least, he thought he did.
Invisible knives carved long, deep wounds in my heart when I lifted my hand to keep Caiden's lips from reaching mine, the gushing blood feeling like fire scarring my soul.
"I'm sorry, Caiden," I whispered, tears stinging my eyes when a veil of confusion carved deep lines across Caiden's charming face.
It made no difference how we felt toward each other.
He was destined to marry the queen Heliac deserved, and I couldn't be that. I couldn't do that to Piper, Calla, or any of the other girls who had fought their entire lives to earn their place here.
This competition was never mine to win; Caiden wasn't mine to have. The king would never accept that, and I'd be risking my family's safety for a silly romance.
I dipped under Caiden's arm and ran to the arena to retrieve my bag. Caiden called for me, but I didn't let it distract me and kept running until I could close the door to my chamber behind me.
My lungs burned, leaving my skin draped in a blanket of ice as I dropped to the floor. I'd never felt so cold before—not even during the most relentless winters in the Bronze Region.
My heart felt numb, yet so troubled. I pulled my knees to my chin and released the stream of searing tears.