I was dragged backwards, my body pressed tightly against the wooden railing. I looked down below and a wave of nausea rolled over me. I turned around and heaved right over the fence.
It was then I noticed my rescuer's shiny, very expensive looking dress shoes. Wiping my mouth with the sleeve of my hoodie, I looked up warily. He was tall and wore an equally expensive suit . Everything about him screamed wealth, from his perfectly styled ash brown hair, to the white vintage convertible that stood parked on the road.
His face, sharp and chiseled like a statue, held an expression of bemused concern. He was quite possibly the most handsome man I had ever seen. More handsome than Rowan even. My chest felt hollow from the thought of him.
He gave a light chuckle then stepped around the puddle of vomit to offer me his hand. Reluctantly, I took it and helped myself over the railing, away from death.
"Now, why would a girl as beautiful as yourself be trying to end her life?" he asked.
I opened my mouth to speak but I was too mesmerized by the unnatural blue-green shade of his eyes. I looked away. What could I say to him? That I felt all hope was lost because the king of vampires has chosen me as his potential bride? That my parents wanted me to go through with it for the money? That my boyfriend broke up with me because I refused to risk my life to be an assassin for his poorly thought out cause?
"You wouldn't understand," I said, my voice sounding more weary than I intended.
His full lips crinkled into a smirk. "Of course not," he said with unmistakable sarcasm.
I shot him a glare, which made him smile even wider. "Don't expect me to say thank you," I muttered.
"You being alive is thanks enough," he said, straightening his tie.
I said nothing, refusing to make eye contact. I feared that if I looked into his eyes one more time I would get lost forever.
He examined the silver watch he wore on his right wrist. That thing looked like it cost more than the house I lived in.
"Well, it's been fun saving you, but I do have a pressing engagement. Do promise me you won't go tumbling off any cliffs after I go," he said.
I nod slightly, not knowing how else to reply. I looked up at him and was surprised to find that he actually looked serious.
"I mean it," he said. "Whatever sparked this will soon be over and you'll realize how foolish you were to end your life over it."
His eyes captured mine, trapping me in a sea-glass colored snare. I found myself trusting him, despite my instincts.
"I promise," I said quietly.
He gave me an earnest smile, then turned and walked away. I found myself wanting to chase after him, to beg him to take me away, to spare me from the hell that awaited me, but I stayed rooted in that same spot, drawing circles in the dirt with my feet.
***
When I got home, I didn't say a word to my parents. I went straight to bed, fighting nightmares the entire time. I awoke in a daze, hoping I had dreamt everything that happened the previous day. But I received no new texts from Rowan, and Melanie Caldwell's papers still lay on the coffee table, arranged in a neat stack courtesy of my mom.
There was no way I was getting out of this. If that was really the case, then I had to face my fate with dignity. I told my parents that I had given in, and they were ecstatic. My mother even helped me pack, fluttering about excitedly as she did so.
I couldn't help but feel as if I was going off to war. Anxiety and dread rattled me as I thought of what awaited me when I arrived at the competition. I thought of those dark waves slamming against the cliffside, wishing I was there instead of laying in bed and dreading tomorrow. The thought of drowning in those watery depths felt comforting in comparison to what I would have to endure come daylight.
But then I thought of the handsome stranger who had saved my life. Something in me didn't want to disappoint him. I stayed up, wondering who he was before I realized it didn't matter now. Nothing mattered now...
***
The taxi ride to the airport was awkward. I sat between my parents, avoiding their thin smiles and poor attempts at small talk. When we finally arrived, I hugged them goodbye, but couldn't muster the urge to cry even though this would be the first time ever that we were separated.
A smiling, young flight attendant greeted me inside the airport and escorted me to my plane. A tall, muscular man in a dark gray suit and sunglasses hovered nearby, watching our every move and occasionally muttering into an earpiece. It unnerved me to think I needed this level of security.
The stewardess led me inside the plane and I found it much smaller — and more comfortable — than I anticipated. I was going to be flying a private jet? The king spared no expense. I settled into my seat, gazing out at the runway through the tiny window. Maybe there was one silver lining to all of this nonsense.
The flight was much shorter than I expected and I found myself wishing I could enjoy being on a private jet just a little bit longer. I barely got halfway through the book I was reading before it was over.
When I got off I was escorted to an artfully decorated lobby. A dozen girls sat around the beige leather chairs, waiting. All of their heads snapped up at the sound of my approach. Some of them scrutinized me, others looked tired. I tried not to shrink under their gaze.
A pair of attendants appeared and escorted us out of the airport and into the street, where a pair of pristine white limousines waited for us. The girls began chattering excitedly, calling dibs on where they would ride. Some of them had obviously already made friends. I tried not to let that bother me.
I got inside one of the limousine and marveled at how spacious the interior was compared to the taxi I took to the airport. My perusal was short lived as other girls began filing in. After six of us were inside, the vehicle took off toward our destination.
I glanced around awkwardly, my hands clasped tightly in my lap. I tried to concentrate on the soft, dreamy music that played over the speakers, but conversations around me drowned it out.
The girl sitting closest to me eyed me curiously. She was a tall brunette with tanned skin, and of course, utterly gorgeous. All of the girls were. I wasn't hideous or anything, but if those girls were butterflies, then I would have to be a moth. A pretty one, but still.
"So what's your name?" asked the brunette.
"Avery," I replied nervously. The question had startled me.
Upon hearing me speak, the other girls paused their conversations and were examining me. I gave them a nervous smile. I got the feeling that if I showed any weakness, they'd eat me alive.
"I'm Mia," the girl replied. I nodded, smiling, as I mentally filed the information away for later. The other girls introduced themselves one by one. When they were done, I could only remember Mia and the strawberry blonde — Lydia. I didn't feel particularly awful about that. There were going to be 100 of us. I couldn't be expected to remember everyone's names right away.
Seemingly bored with me, the girls returned to their original conversations and I slumped back in my seat.
We finally arrived at an enormous beach-side hotel. After we filed out of the limo we were greeted by more special escorts, who led us into an expansive, luxurious lobby. A huge marble fountain bubbled in the center of the room, surrounded by exotic, tropical plants. A massive chandelier hung from the vaulted ceiling.
A group of friendly but tired looking attendants stood by the front desk, waiting for us. The dozen of us were divided into small groups and told to follow our assigned attendant to what would be our hotel room.
My group and I went up the elevator with our assigned attendant. When the elevator opened, I was greeted by the sight of a long, expansive hallway lined entirely in beige marble. Tall mahogany doors with gold plated numbers lined the walls.
Much to my surprise, we were not all given a room together, but dropped off at different rooms one by one. Did that mean I was getting my own room? I perked up at the thought of not having a roommate, but the idea seemed too good to be true. The king was rich, but renting 100 separate hotel rooms seemed extravagant even for him.
My doubts were proven correct when the attendant opened the door to room 519 and ushered me inside. Three girls already occupied the room, lounging around casually. Their curious gazes fixed on me as soon as I walked in.
I didn't recognize any of them from the airport lobby or the limo. They must have arrived and been taken to the hotel earlier.
Two of them sat on one of the beds, sharing a pair of earbuds connected to a music player. One was tall and exotic looking, with cinnamon colored skin and black hair down to her waist. The girl to her left was tiny and blonde and looked like she had never seen the sun. The third girl, a brunette, stood over by the floor length window, arms crossed. Something about her intimidated me, and I wasn't sure if it was her beauty, her standoffish demeanor, or the fact that everything about her just screamed money.
"As you can see, we have already taken care of your luggage for you," the attendant said, startling me. I was so taken aback by my new roommates, I had forgotten she was there.
"Thank you," I said, relieved to see my suitcase standing on the other side of the room.
The attendant smiled, bowed her head, and left. I was now acutely aware of the other girls' eyes on me. I turned back and gave them a shaky smile.
"Hi, I'm Avery," I said, hoping I didn't sound too nervous. I had a feeling the brunette by the window could smell fear.
The two girls who were listening to music smiled in unison. I could tell it was more out of politeness than sincerity.
"I'm Emma," said the blonde girl.
"Stephanie," the dark haired girl said curtly.
I waited for the remaining girl to introduce herself. She merely narrowed her eyes at me and gave out a huff, then turned back to staring out the window. What was her problem?
I went and grabbed my suitcase and dragged it over to the last free bed. Now that the awkwardness of introductions was out of the way, I finally got the chance to look around. The room was spacious and clean, decorated in a classic style. Four single beds lined the southern wall. On the opposite side was a cabinet with an ultra-sleek flatscreen TV and a door which led to what I presumed was the bathroom. I was going to share a bathroom with three other girls, how great. Hopefully it wouldn't be a problem for long...
It was late and I felt dead tired after such a long day of traveling, so I decided it would be a good idea to get ready for bed. I reached for the zipper on my suitcase and heard a derisive snort from across the room. I looked up to see the still nameless brunette glowering at me.
"I wouldn't even bother unpacking if I were you," she said in the snootiest tone imaginable.
My mouth fell open but no response came out. Was she serious? Not even one day into the competition and I'm already meeting the crazies.
"Ignore Sabine," Stephanie said. "She's got her eyes on the prize."
"I'm the only one who's worthy," Sabine sneered.
"You can have him!" Stephanie said. "I'm only here for my family."
Sabine looked taken aback. "Wow. You have no ambition whatsoever. I'll enjoy stomping all over you."
Stephanie merely laughed and gave Sabine the middle finger. Sabine shot her a nasty look, but said nothing.
Emma rolled her eyes and shook her head. "If there was any karma in the world, you'd be the first to go, Sabine." This caused Stephanie to snicker. In response, Sabine performed what had to be the most dramatic eye roll I've ever seen.
Everything about Sabine unnerved me. I hoped Emma was right and that she would go home soon so I, or whoever was left in the competition wouldn't have to deal with her for long. If there was karma in the world like Emma said, the two of us would get eliminated on the first day. Then I'd get to go home and she'd get her hopes and dreams shattered while learning a valuable lesson about not being such a colossal bitch.
Reassured by the fact that the other two girls didn't get along with Sabine either, I returned to unpacking. I retrieved my favorite pajamas and my toothbrush, as well as the book I was trying to read on the plane but never got to finish.
"So did anyone tell you guys what's going on with the competition later?" I asked.
Stephanie looked up at me, shaking her head. "Just get comfortable and unpack I guess."
I'd do it later, I decided. It had been a long and stressful day and I needed some rest. If only I could have a little more privacy...
The TV came on. All four of us jolted to attention, wondering what was going on. Melanie Caldwell's face appeared on the screen. I slumped back. Figures I'd see her again.
"Welcome to the competition ladies," she began. Everything from her voice to her mannerisms seemed incredibly rehearsed. This was obviously a recording.
"For those of you I didn't get the privilege of meeting, I am Melanie Caldwell, His Majesty's official liaison and coordinator for this event. I will be instructing you on the challenges and overseeing the eliminations. Tonight I urge you to get a good night's sleep, because you will face your first challenge tomorrow."
The news filled me with both relief and dread. I knew I wouldn't last long here, and with any luck I would go home right away and put this ridiculous competition behind me. On the other hand it would kind of suck leaving this fancy hotel and its gorgeous view of the ocean...
Although I wouldn't miss one thing — Sabine. I glanced over at her. She stared at the TV screen enraptured, her eyes alight with determination. I turned back to the TV.
"I'm sure you're wondering what your first challenge will be, but I'm afraid I'll have to leave you in suspense for now," Melanie flashed a fake grin. "All I can say is that it's extremely important to leave a good first impression. Goodnight ladies." She winked and the TV screen turned black again.
"What the hell does that mean?" Stephanie asked.
Sabine looked at her contemptuously. "It means we're going to meet the king."