Evie would've been furious if she'd seen me dragging my feet like this, but for the time being, I remained alone in these empty halls.
Dinner had been served less than an hour ago, which meant that the majority of the suitors would either be in the Parlor with Evie and the royals or in their chambers.
The chances of encountering anyone before I reached my room were so small that I'd decided to ditch the noble facade and freely express the misery my body was in— or maybe I'd simply reached a point in this damned competition where I no longer cared if I was caught or not. I barely even cared for the cameras catching glimpses of me passing their assigned rooms.
Kaoru had cured me and expelled Raatak's poison from my system. At that moment, I'd never felt more alive, yet Art had insisted on me taking it easy.
He'd banished me to the backseat of the Zephyr, where I'd been ordered to sleep.
I hadn't slept once. Instead, my body had surrendered to the unpredictable motions of the car, causing me to puke into the sea more times than I cared to admit.
Every part of my body cried out for the mercy of the numerous pillows in my divine bed with each step I took. My legs were shaking, and I could barely walk in a straight line.
I sighed as I mentally counted down the number of corners I still had to round before reaching my room. I'd been walking for what felt like an eternity, yet I hadn't even made it halfway.
"You're back already?"
An annoyed groan escaped me when Tarkan's smug face appeared before me.
Tarkan snorted like a satisfied idiot. "You don't seem happy to see me," he said with an arrogant smile on his handsome face.
I'd been on the verge of death less than four hours before, yet seeing him made me want to leap out the nearest window. He'd already made my mandatory participation considerably more difficult than it should've been, and not even the strongest of my bones could deal with his hostile criticism.
"I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now," I said, walking past him without offering him as much as a decent glance. "The day has been long enough already."
"I could imagine," he said, chuckling so self-satisfied I had to bite my lip not to turn around and smack him. "I'm surprised you made it back here without as much as a scratch."
That remark seemed to act as the missing oil to the corroded gear inside my mind. The scream—the thing that caused Raatak to awaken was his doing!
I spun around to grab his uniform and slammed him against the wall in a moment of rage.
"That was you, you bastard!" I shouted, not caring if anyone should come by and see us. I'd had enough. "Do you have any idea how much damage that little trick of yours could've caused? You could've killed me if Art hadn't—"
I stopped myself before I revealed more than I should've. According to Art, the Templars were the only ones who knew about Kaoru. Tarkan was no exception, and I had to keep him in the dark. That was the price I'd had to pay in exchange for my life.
"Now, now, Wildcard; no need to get violent."
A low growl pressed through my throat. "I'm done with this game of yours. I only agreed to this game to avoid the iron shackles around my ankles if Art ever found out and to show you that First-bloods are no less than those who call themselves Iridis, but this is taking things too far. I'm not a toy for you to play with to satisfy your sadistic thirst for amusement, and I'm certainly not willing to put mine or anyone else's life in jeopardy for your sake. I'm telling the king."
This was no friendly game. It most likely never had been in Tarkan's mind.
I let him go to proceed down the hall with a new goal in mind, but Tarkan was faster. His fingers wrapped around my wrist before I could get away.
"Wait a minute," he said, pulling me back to the same wall I'd forced him against.
I gasped as the surface forced the air from my lungs.
"I thought we had a deal," Tarkan said, pressing his leg between mine to keep me from sliding to the floor.
I coughed to catch my breath. "That deal broke the minute you installed that speaker in my uniform," I wheezed. "I did not sign up for death. That is not what our deal was about."
He raised a brow. "You may be right to accuse me of the speaker I fixed to your uniform," he said, grazing my emblem with a careful finger. So, that's where he hid it. "But I did that months ago. I hoped to see it activate if Atlas ever built up the courage to push your boundaries and attract the guards to catch you in the act, but it seems like it mistook your fear for arousal. It was never my intention to cause Raatak's awakening, so for that, I will apologize. However, it was foolish of you to drift so close to his mist."
I dug my nails into my palms to suppress my urge to appear surprised. Tarkan's device hadn't been what had awakened Raatak. He was already awake when that horrible scream had torn the tensed air open, but it had caused him to attack. So, regardless, Tarkan still held some kind of responsibility for what happened to me in the Wandering Mountains.
"You're insane, Tarkan," I hissed. "You have no idea what happened out there, and you certainly—"
A wrinkle formed across the bridge of his nose, a flame of anger igniting behind those wicked eyes of his. "You seem to be forgetting that you're talking to a prince of the golden crown, Wildcard. You have earned no right to address me by my chosen name," he sneered.
Shock brushed my cheeks a faint tinge of blue. Then, a smile tugged the corners of my chapped lips. "You forget that you were the one asking me to address you that way," I said, my voice like the most delicate silk those hands of his must've once touched. "Or have you already buried those memories below that mountain of hatred you carry?"
Tarkan snorted. "I thought you'd rather that we forget that performance. Or maybe you still dream of the gentleman I pretended to be?"
My lips pulled into a thin line to cover the sneer of disgust. "The disdain you carry for me—and seemingly First-bloods too—do not belong among the golden royals, Tarkan," I said, hissing his name. "I refuse to acknowledge your blood by giving you the pleasure of ever hearing your given name from my lips unless absolutely necessary. You may not have intended to cause this chaos with Raatak, but your hand did play its part, and I will not endanger myself or anyone else because of your twisted nature, Tarkan. Now, let me go."
I pushed my palms against his chest, but he remained immovable. "Tarkan!"
"So, you plan to march into my father's office and do what? Tell him that his youngest son has been plotting to throw you out of the competition against his wishes?" he asked, leaning closer.
I narrowed my eyes at him without uttering a word. That was exactly what I had in mind—regardless of the consequences.
Tarkan chuckled."How do you think Arawn would react if he received an anonymous tip concerning a scandal at the Golden Castle?" Tarkan took a moment to examine my features, searching my eyes for a reaction he wouldn't get. "I believe he would jump at the chance to make the story his own before anyone else did."
"What does Arawn have to do with anything?"
His grin widened. "Imagine the commotion among the people of Heliac when they discover that a suitor of the Crown Trials is having an affair with the crown prince's brother."
Blood drained from my face. "You wouldn't," I whispered. "You don't have any proof. Nothing happened between the two of us."
"It depends on your perspective. After all, we were seen by everyone during the festival of the Rising Sun, and I'm sure some of the attendees witnessed us sneaking into the room next door together on Atlas' birthday."
"That's not proof," I said, feigning a devious smirk to mask the crippling panic coursing through my veins.
"No," Tarkan said, reaching into his pocket, "but this is."
My blood turned to ice.
A photo of the two of us in the room he'd escorted me to during Caiden's birthday.
"No," I whispered.
Tarkan appeared to be kissing me due to the angle at which he'd taken the photo. In that frozen moment, we looked like lovers.
Heliac would never believe that I'd rejected him seconds later and that our lips had never met. I had no proof of that.
"What do you think Atlas will say?" Tarkan asked, his smile drilling deeper into my heart with each moment I realized what that picture represented.
I couldn't tell anyone about him.
If I did, I'd be the one held accountable. Tarkan was a golden prince, and I was merely a suitor who had been chosen at random to participate in a competition that most people would give their lives to win. If people thought I'd fallen for Tarkan while still fighting for Caiden's hand, no one would ever hire my family or me for another job. Instead, we'd be branded as frauds or money-hungry criminals.
It would ruin us.
"What have I ever done to you, Tarkan?" I whispered, clenching my fists into orbs of fury.
I couldn't look at him. I'd lose it if I found him staring at me as if he'd won the battle.
My emotions were crawling beneath my skin already. One more push, and I'd lose control of my powers. Tarkan knew it, and if anyone discovered that I'd released my winds outside the Battle Arena, I'd very likely be sent home. If I managed to harm him, the king could potentially send me straight to the dungeons.
"I could easily make this image public and have you thrown out right away, Wildcard, but I'm giving you a chance to prove that you're deserving of the title of Iridis. Such a gesture strikes me as quite generous."
"That kind gesture is why I'm here in the first place," I snapped behind gritted teeth. "I was forced to participate to learn how to tame my powers, and every day I stay in this competition, I risk the safety of my family. You could get rid of me a lot faster if you decided to help me, yet you seem to prefer that I'd be imprisoned in a pit where my destructive hurricanes might roam freely whenever my emotions got the better of me."
I looked up without thinking. I wanted to witness the displeased look on Tarkan's face as I flawlessly delivered the ultimatum, but I instantly regretted my decision.
He chuckled as a small gasp escaped me. He was so close that I could easily have kissed him without realizing it.
"But that goal seems to have changed since then, hasn't it?" He ran an index finger across my jaw the same way Caiden had done in the dressing room when we'd hid from Piper.
Another chill crawled down my spine. He couldn't already have found out about that, could he?
"I told you," I hissed and smacked his hand away. "I'm not here for your brother. He's already betrothed to the suitor who stands to win, and I know which ones I'm rooting for."
The words stung on my tongue, but I'd made myself a promise that was no longer limited to the king.
I was done trusting the Pavo family, and once I'd accomplished my task here, I was done with secrets as well. My feelings for Caiden were a phase, and they'd disappear as soon as this brief period in my life ended.
"What if he hadn't been betrothed?" Tarkan asked to throw me off again.
"Then I wouldn't be here, would I?" My voice was determined and mocking at the same time. It was the ideal way to wrap up this ridiculous conversation to my advantage.
I pushed Tarkan away from me and continued down the hall, trying to ignore his disturbing laughter.
"I hope I didn't break your feisty spirit because I genuinely enjoy our little rivalry. You're almost cute when you're upset."
The taste of blood hit my tongue as I bit down harder than the delicate skin on my lip could withstand. I cursed him under my breath, relying on the pain to help me drown the urge to scream at him again.
***
"You're home already? I was informed I wouldn't see you until tomorrow morning."
I slammed the door behind me, furious with myself.
How could I have been so stupid? He'd tricked me again and was now blackmailing me because I'd been so naive to believe he'd been interested in me.
Faye's expression changed when she saw the anger painted on my face. "Did something happen?"
Did something happen?
I chuckled without the delight of laughter. "Many things happened," I said as I tossed my bag and staff into the corner between the wall and my bed. "First, I was so dense to believe that Caiden was about to confess his hopeless love to me, then I nearly died, and now... I'm so done with this competition. I've had it with the lies, and I'm done believing anything that comes from the mouth of a Pavo."
"You almost died?" Faye shouted.
I should've stopped. Casually yelling these incoherent words in front of Faye was pointless. Nothing would make sense to her without the relevant context, but I was so mad I could hardly contain myself.
If I tried to tell her about everything that had transpired these past days in my current state of mind, I would tell her about Tarkan. That couldn't happen.
"I'm going to the Battle Arena," I said, grabbing a towel before heading for the door again.
"Hold up, Willow! You can't just say something like that and then walk away!"
I could, and I would. No one could know about Tarkan. He'd made that clear, and I had no leverage to do as I pleased.
"I'll tell you tonight," I said, slamming my crystal against the wood, impatiently waiting for the sound that would indicate whether I was free to proceed. "I need to blow off some steam first."
"Will!"
I didn't even look at her as I exited the room.
There were no cameras in this part of the castle, and I didn't care if any of the Air Wielders saw me using the tunnel. Furthermore, I did not want to meet Caiden right now.
If he kept his regular schedule, he'd be wandering the halls aimlessly right now, making the tunnels the safest option for me.
The torches could barely keep up with me as I rushed through the darkness. I got so far ahead of the automated flames at one point that I had to stop and wait till I could see where I was going.
I didn't know what I would do if Caiden had had the same idea as me and was currently occupying the Battle Arena. Perhaps screaming in the tunnels or wrecking my room after Faye had gone for the night would satisfy the wrathful monster roaring in my belly.
Five minutes later, I was standing in front of the wall that would lead to the dressing room. I sighed deeply, pulling myself together before I placed my shoulder against the wall and started pushing.
It was empty, and no belongings seemed to have been left behind. My shoulders relaxed as I whispered a thankful prayer to the ancient spirits.
I threw my towel over one of the benches and proceeded to the exit. My body trembled with excitement, but as I approached the corner, I heard a voice.
"The king thanks you for agreeing to his request."
It wasn't Caiden's voice, but it sounded familiar regardless. I leaned against the cool tiles of the wall that separated me from the person speaking, curious to know who he was conversing with if it wasn't himself.
"We are honored to assist the crown prince in selecting Heliac's future queen."
A powerful female voice was accompanying him.
"However, I'm surprised by how many suitors remain for the final trial. If my memory serves me right, only two suitors remained for Khan's last trial."
They were talking about the Crown Trials. Their statements nearly convinced me that they were discussing the final trial, but it had barely been a week since the last one ended.
"Yes," the male voice said. "The prince appears to be having difficulty determining which suitors to eliminate. Kaan would've identified the best candidate for the title of Heliac's protector months ago. Unfortunately, Prince Atlas appears to be neglecting his role, which is why we've called for your assistance tomorrow."
Tomorrow? I'd be doomed if the final trial was set to start tomorrow. I'd barely recovered from everything that had happened today.
"I will inform the suitors to meet me here tomorrow. They won't have been informed about the battles we've arranged for them, so they'll have to prove their value without the benefit of preparation. This should demonstrate which of them are capable of responding appropriately in a potential crisis."
It was Master Cadoc. I still couldn't place the woman's voice, but it seemed as if they wanted us to fight tomorrow.
"We'll assess the girls professionally. Our personal preferences will be irrelevant. A Flare Warrior always acts in Heliac's best interests."
Cadoc was talking to a Flare Warrior.
What, in the name of the ancient spirits, was going on?