Page 18 of A Kiss From Death
“Fighting implies there is a chance of me losing. I do not partake in child’s play. I simply win…at everything.” I throw him a feral grin, granting him full access to my pearly whites as I fake bite at him.
“Calm down. You don’t want to injure my fragile male ego now, do you?”
“That would imply I have a scrap of care to give you, and would you look at that, I just ran out,” I coo.
Hade grumbles under his breath. “If you two are done pissing on each other’s shoes, hurry up and follow me. I’m going to be late asecondtime because of your childishness.”
“Am not!” Aeron and I both shout at his accusation.
Sighing, he motions us down a connecting hall that opens into the grand entrance of the castle. It is spacious and bright, with light filtering in from the stained glass windows on each side. Theceiling is vaulted, a grand chandelier hanging in the center. Sun bounces off the black and white checkered tiles. A white grand piano nestled in the corner that practically screamsexpensive.
Hade takes us down another hallway that leads us to giant black double doors adorned with black metal handles. Hade grabs a handle at the same time Aeron’s Vanquisher, tasked to watch him, grabs the other. In perfect unison, they open the doors, revealing a long wooden table splattered with delicacies I’ve only seen in my dreams. Every one of our competitors stare at us with wide eyes as Aeron and I stride in, arm in arm.
So much for trying to stay under the radar.
I try to tug my arm away from Aeron’s, but as soon as I tug, he only grips harder, digging his fingers into my bare skin.
“Play the part. Make them fear us,” he whispers next to the shell of my ear, sending chills down my spine.
“And what if I don’t want to play the part with you, hmm?”
“Then you will be walking to your own downfall.”
His considerable lack of confidence in my abilities only fuels my fire to prove them all wrong. This man thinks he’s playing God. I picture my knee slipping up towards his manhood and showing him exactly what I’m capable of, but that little thought in the back of my mind keeps me from carrying that dream out.
My weapon.
My most advantageous weapon to wield here: make them underestimate me. Let them think I’m hiding behind the strength of a strong, bold man. Let them see my ‘weaknesses’ before I pounce.
With that in mind, I play the part of the dainty girl in need of rescue by the big, brawny man, if only for the time being. Donning my mask, I lean in a little closer to Aeron’s body and stride in time with him to the remaining two seats at the end of the table. Aeron steps in front of me, pulling my chair out, playing the part of the perfect gentleman.
Puke.
Pinning him with a feline smile, I blink up at him sweetly. “Such a gentleman,” I purr, as if I’m awestruck he has taken interest in me.
Double puke.
Aeron pushes my chair in for me, rounding the table to sit directly across. My competitors chat amongst themselves, getting a feel for their competition, while I sit silently, taking it all in—the people, this place, and most importantly, the food.
Half the food in front of me, I couldn’t name even if there was a dagger pressed to my throat. I look down at a plate lies decorated with desserts with pink, bubble-like clouds floating out between the cracks. Tracking one of the bubbles with my eyes, I watch it burst, freeing the pink fog within.
The fog hits my nose, but I’m shocked it carries no smell. Then, as if hit by a galloping horse, my tastebuds explode with an array of flavors. Sweetness spreads across my tongue, sweet but tangy at the same time, with a hint of something I’ve never tasted before.
It’s magic encased in food, letting me get a glimpse into what the delicate pastry sitting in front of me tastes like, and it has me drooling for a bite. My only mission right now is seeing if the pastry lives up to its name.
I go to snatch up a bite when a delicate hand closes around mine, giving it a soft shake.
“Rayah Wixx, but you can call me Ray.” The girl beside me shakes my hand in forced greeting, stealing my hand from its mission.
“I’m Nyxi.” I shake her hand back just as gently as I trail my eyes over the girl sitting next to me. Her hair is what steals my attention first. The brightest shade of pink is coiled into tight curls bouncing around just above her shoulders. Her tan skin is smooth like honey, with faint freckles here and there as if they were an afterthought when creating her. Her features are youthful compared to mine, but she’s still filled out in areas, making me assume she’s only a couple years younger than me.
“Your eyes.” The words slip from my mouth on their own. “I’ve never seen anything like them.”
She shyly tucks one of her pink coils behind her ear. “Mama told me it’s a birth defect. Told me something made me all kinds of funny, from my bright pink hair to my sunflower eyes.”
“They are beautifully unique.” They remind me of running through a field of sunflowers while a lover chases close behind, giggles floating up in the space between.
“Mama wouldn’t agree with you. She would say they make me stick out like a sore thumb and will hinder me from ever being wedded off. That’s why I’m here.” Her once-cheerful face sinks an inch at the reminder of her future.
