Page 10 of A Hunt So Wicked
“I certainly hope the accommodations are better than this… sand pit,” the golden haired girl said with disgust.
I rolled my eyes as a few of the other girls chimed in with their complaints.
“Are there even servants here to help us get ready?”
“Will we have time to bathe before the royals see us?”
“I reckon you could shower and have a whole swath of servants, but it wouldn’t do a damn thing for that whiny voice or the nose situation,” another girl with a husky voice said as she walked past, blowing smoke from her lips directly into the girls’ faces.
The group of them gasped. “How dare you?”
The smoker spun on the heel of her boot and flicked the cigar into the sand at their feet. Her flawless black skin shimmered under the sun, and two thick braids hung down her back. She was wearing pants and a black tunic. “There’s not much I won’t dare. So don’t push me.”
With insults being hurled under their breath, the group hustled away from her, which landed her attention on our threesome. “'Ello there. You ready for this party?”
Kael, unsurprisingly, broke out in laughter. “I’d go anywhere with you. I suspect you make your own entertainment. What’s your name, my lady?”
“Rivka,” she replied, lifting her chin. “But so help me—if any of you ever call me that, I’ll be forced to retaliate. It’ll be bad enough hearing it from all the official bullshit we have to endure over the next month. Call me Riv.”
“Noted,” I said. “I’m Evie. This is Isla, and this is our guard, Kael.”
"Perfect. Now, I’ll be the first to tell you I’m not much of a people person, but—” Isla snorted, interrupting whatever Riv was about to say. Riv narrowed her eyes at Isla, who threw her hands up in surrender.
“What? I loved the entire thing! Can you teach me how to be just like you?”
Riv’s eyes twinkled with excitement, which was the only thing that gave away her true thoughts on Isla’s statement. For the rest, she just appeared bored and unimpressed. “As I was saying. Despite the fact that I hate people more than the aroma of pig shit, I reckon we’re gonna need some allies.”
“Allies for what?” Kael questioned as he scanned the beach suspiciously.
“There are probably thirty to fifty girls here for this meat market, and by my best guess, there are maybe twenty men who will choose a wife. It’s going to be absolutely villainous once we enter that castle. I say we stick together. Watch each other’s backs and shit like that.” Riv threw her hands up suddenly. “Whatd’ya fuckin’ say?”
“I’m so in,” Isla proclaimed with a little hop.
“She’s right. Having some kind of strategy probably isn’t a bad thing. There’s going to be a lot of competition and a whole lot of backstabbing,” Kael said, rubbing his chin. ”Where are you from?”
“Everywhere and nowhere. I spend a lot of time on the sea,” she answered, rolling up her sleeves.
“I bet you’ve been on so many adventures!” Isla gushed, fascinated. “I always wanted to go on adventures, like in the books I read.”
Riv eyed Isla curiously. “Ever been caught in the sea during a hurricane?”
Isla’s jaw dropped. “You have?”
She glanced around at the three of us, all eagerly awaiting her reply. And then she snorted. “Fuck no. I haven’t got a death wish.”
All of us laughed at her joke, which felt nice for a change. What I’d seen of Riv so far, I was sold. She was brass, brazen, and unlike any other woman I had ever been around. I wondered if she was half manic, with the big grins and sudden movements, but for now, I loved her energy. Plus, she’d draw a lot of attention to herself, which would keep it off of me.
“Welcome to our little crew, Riv.”
She grinned widely at me and shoved a closed fist into the air, pumping it a few times. “Yessss! Right then, let’s get on with it, shall we? Ain’t got all bloody day.”
Riv turned and began stomping through the sand in the direction of the crowd. The three of us looked at each other and shrugged. Either we just made the smartest decision of this game or the dumbest one… but one thing I was certain of? I wasn’t going to be bored.
Chapter four
TorinandIstoodtogether on the balcony of The Roaring Keep as we stared down at the group of people making their way up to the gates.
I sighed, and he laughed. That was a fairly accurate depiction of our friendship. As crown prince of the largest territory, The Volos Kingdom, one would think he’d take things a bit more seriously. But that was never going to be him, and I accepted that years ago.
