Reign (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, #4)(47)

“We’ll be weeded down to a few based on certain requirements, and only then will one of us be betrothed.” Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink again, and her wings fluttered, causing a stir in the air. “Oops, see? There I go again. It’s so embarrassing.”

“I think they’re beautiful.” Mina tried to process what Ever had said. She quickly looked over the girls in front of her and couldn’t help but feel sorry for Ever. She seemed so hopeful, but Teague—and then Jared—were obviously not in her future.

“Thanks.” Ever’s face lit up with joy. “I think they’re pretty special too. I’m Ever.”

“Nice to meet you, Ever. I’m M—” A towering set of double doors opened with a sharp crack, and it was a good thing. She’d almost blown her cover.

They were ushered through the doors into a room that Mina had been in before. It was hard to hold back her tears as she glanced around at the tall glass ceilings and the white pillars lining the room. She looked past the fountain by the windows as she searched for the golden cage she knew wouldn’t be there.

There. Right there was where her brother had been held captive. In the future. Mina froze and caused a bit of a traffic jam as the girls behind her suddenly had to stop, dresses swishing. When Mina didn’t budge, the others quickly bypassed her to gather around a large pedestal in the middle of the room. In years to come, it would hold the Fae book; right now it held a small crystal bowl filled with water.

But Mina’s mind was plagued with guilt-inducing memories and terrifying thoughts. She had messed up and was the reason that Jared ceased to exist. The self-loathing she’d been fighting to keep deep inside of her—that she’d been ignoring for weeks—roared to the surface. She started to quiver as silent tears formed.

No, that wasn’t true. It wasn’t her fault. It was Teague’s.

It was his fault Jared was gone. He was the reason her brother was kidnapped; he was the reason that her father had died. When she turned to face him like the other girls had already done, she’d see that same disarming smile. But the packaging didn’t matter. She knew what he would become. She knew the evil that was inside of him. This handsome charmer was a fa?ade. Her hands shook in anger, and she clenched them within the feathers of her dress. She sniffed back the tears and refused to let anyone see her cry. She had a job to do, and she couldn’t be distracted by emotions. Not when so much depended on her having a level head.

She turned slowly, trying not to draw attention to herself. The Fates and their son stood behind the pedestal and bowl. Teague had a definite air of confidence about him, but she could also see the nervousness he was trying to mask. He kept shifting his weight from foot to foot. It was hard for her to equate the Teague that plotted the destruction of her family to the young man standing in front of her.

Lucian smiled and addressed the girls. “Thank you for coming. We are honored by your presence, but as you know the choosing ceremony is only just beginning. Some of you have traveled a great distance to be here for the betrothal. Your families believe you possess a beauty and qualities that make you worthy of being the future queen. But no matter the qualities for which your families praise you, we are searching for someone with very specific traits. You must meet all of our royal requirements. Your journey here will end right now unless you can prove yourself with a few tests.”

Mina wanted to scoff and roll her eyes. This sounded like that reality TV show Nan watched obsessively. She looked around, wondering where they kept the roses. But only briefly. She couldn’t afford to take any of this lightly. If she didn’t pass whatever tests the Fates had set up, she would be escorted out of the palace. She’d been given a chance at stopping Teague here, and—though this wasn’t the way she’d planned to get in—she’d be a fool to waste it. Her heart sped up and she found herself craning to see around Annalora, to get a better view of—she didn’t know what exactly.

Maeve stepped forward and held out one long finger, pointing to the crystal bowl on the pedestal. “Here is your first test. Trial by blood.”

That didn’t sound good. Mina glanced around. More than a few of the girls looked a little unsure and scared.

“On the pedestal is a knife. You must prick your finger and let a drop of your blood mingle in the water. Blood is power, and the water will sort out the weak from the strong. Also it will determine your heart and your reasons for being here.”

The room fell silent. Mina swallowed. Her anxiety had just quadrupled.

The crystal bowl of water sat ominously on the pedestal waiting to decide the future of the twelve girls.

It was Annalora who asked the question that was plaguing everyone’s mind. “How?”

“Your blood will make the crystal bowl or the water react in different ways.” Lucian stepped forward, picked up the palm-sized dagger, and pressed it against the tip of his finger. When a small drop of blood pooled there, he let it drip into the bowl. Immediately, the water within the bowl swirled and began to flash and sparkle.

After a few seconds, the flashing stopped and the water settled. King Lucian placed the knife back on the pedestal and motioned with his arm for the girls to proceed.

Mina searched Teague’s face, trying to see behind the indifferent mask he wore for everyone.

Annalora approached first—probably hoping that by being brave and showing confidence, she would make an impression on the Fates. She winced as the knife pricked her finger and quickly, without hesitating, shook a small drop into the bowl. The crystal bowl turned gold and glittered like a snow globe newly shaken. Annalora couldn’t hide the pleased smile that bloomed across her face. She looked to the Fates and waited for their verdict.