I heard what Jacqueline said loud and clear. What I interpreted it to mean was that it was unfair to pit normal supernaturals against the likes of Malachi Pendragon. One of the other supernatural species must have kicked up a stink. Judging by the unabashed smirk on Andrei’s face, I suspected it was the vamps.
In a pound-for-pound fight, Max and Kai were pretty evenly matched. But Kai had the ability to teleport and he could fly.
“If this changes anything for you,” Jacqueline asked the contestants, “now would be the time to withdraw.” Nobody moved an inch. Even if they had an issue, there was no room for cowardice. Not with the whole community watching. Jacqueline nodded.
Tiberius glided across the stage. He held a small wooden jewellery box in his hands. Headmistress Carmichael joined him.
“It has been a tradition of the Unity Games to award the winning contestant with a series of prizes,” Tiberius said. “The first is a favour from the Council. The second is a monetary prize. This year, as it is a special year, the Nephilim Council have deemed it worthwhile to add an additional prize.”
With much smug glee, he opened up the box. The mirrors set up on the stage amplified the image as the lid opened. Everything around me stood still.
Gabriel’s Key. The ring didn’t appear any more remarkable than those cheap mood rings from a dollar store. But it had the power to change everything for me.
I jumped to my feet and walked to the stage.
43
Matilda grabbed the back of my shirt. “What are you doing?” she hissed. A murmur of pure anticipation ran through the crowd.
I turned to Declan and Nora. “I want back into the Games,” I told them. My mind latched on to that last day with Kai when I had asked him to take me home and he refused. The ring would solve all of those problems.
Nora’s eyes bugged out. “But...”
I was already halfway to the stage. Somebody trailed behind me. A pair of guards blocked my way. “Move!” I ordered. They planted themselves where they stood.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Tiberius called out. Thousands of eyes were boring into my back. Tens of thousands more were watching me from the comfort of their homes. Nanna was probably screaming at me to sit the hell down. Not going to happen this time.
“I want to compete,” I shouted back at Tiberius.
He stood proud at the top of the stage. I was down in the gallows with an increasing number of guards appearing around me. Story of my life.
“You withdrew,” Headmistress Carmichael said.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
“No, she didn’t,” Declan said.
The Pantheon head was about to go another round of he-said, she-said when Jacqueline cut her off. “Somebody bring out the contract.”
A little ball of purple light shot across the stage. The purple nymph glided to the stop next to Jacqueline. I did everything in my power to avoid looking at Kai. He was doing everything in his power to pretend I didn’t exist. Fine. Perfect.
Jacqueline and the heads went through the contract. The purple nymph gave me a sharp-toothed grin. I could tell by the glint in her eye that she was pissed at me. Sophie told me the Grove had sustained some damage during the invasion of the Academies, but for the most part, the residue of my magic had kept it safe.
I knew they didn’t have a leg to stand on when Headmistress Carmichael huffed. “This is ridiculous,” she said. “She’s not even an Academy student anymore!”
“Actually,” Giselle said, “she’s still a part of Terran Academy. So she qualifies. Unless you don’t consider Terran on par with your institutions.” She gave them all a dead-eyed glare. Her body flickered in and out of reality. A collective hush fell over the crowd. The hairs on my arms stood on end. They still feared her. As well they should.
“She’s been sealed,” Tiberius said. “She wouldn’t stand a chance with the other contestants.”
“Why don’t you allow her to decide that?” a baritone voice said from the edge of the stage. I felt a trickle of a breeze whisper across my cheek. The games were hosted by the Academies, but the trials themselves were devised by members of the elite guards that made up the supernatural world. I didn’t love the Fae I went to school with, or the ones on the Council, but they were a different species altogether from the guards of the Iron Court.
The man in front of me wasn’t in his battle armour, but there was something hypnotic about him that instilled confidence. His golden hair hung down his back. A section of it was tied back and braided in the Fae fashion. A circlet of silver adorned the crown of his head. He wore a simple forest-green tunic of their race. On anyone else the whole get-up would have appeared ridiculous. On him, it fit. I had a feeling it didn’t matter what he wore. You’d be dead before you even took it in.
I swallowed hard when he turned his attention to me. Light blue eyes flashed. “You understand the consequences of your decision?” There was no ridicule in his voice.
“Yes,” I said.
“Then let her compete.”
“But, my lord, Angus,” Tiberius started to say.
Angus turned his back and stepped behind the stage where the rest of the elite guard were collected. I took them all in. One guard from each of the supernatural factions, para-humans included. All of them impassive. What got me was that I didn’t feel like they were looking down on me because I was human.
Why would they? Azrael said in my mind. Every one of them is battle-tested. They don’t live their lives by rule of the Council. Something inside me slotted into place. I had always assumed that the elite guards would be the same as the Academies. That I would constantly have to prove that I wasn’t a monster. Maybe there was
