Chapter 21

“You need to back off,” I say, taking a step forward towards the blonde and the brunette just as Anton does at my side.

“We’re not afraid of you and your little wolf anymore,” the brunette snaps, glaring at me. “We know now that he’s not real –“

“This isn’t about him, this is about you,” I growl, glaring hard at the beautiful woman before me. “Trying to make us feel bad just so you have some kind of advantage and feel better about yourself. Which is pitiful, by the way.”

She has the gall to laugh at me, a little entertained, but I move on without letting her cow me. “Everyone has the right to feel however they want to feel about being naked in front of strangers,” I say, glaring at both of these women who I now consider my enemies. “If you’re comfortable with it, amazing. But if you tease those who aren’t and call them names, it only makes you look like an ignorant bully. And I don’t tolerate those.”

I let them see my pointed teeth for a moment, the very real threat that they pose, before I turn to Laila. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” I say, lifting my chin and sniffing the air before we move away. “I can’t stand the scent of trash.”

Laila looks up at me with shining eyes, I think a little impressed and scandalized, as we walk away with Anton at our side.

“Did you seriously just call them trash?” she whispers, delighted.

“I can call them fish guts next time they come for you, if it feels more culturally appropriate,” I murmur, smirking a little as I see the color coming back to her cheeks. “Or flotsam and jetsam?”

She bursts into laughter, which does my heart a world of good.

“Oh geeze, Juniper,” Laila sighs, wiping a bit at her eye. “I think I’m going to like hanging out with you. You know, if one of us doesn’t get eliminated and murdered at the end of the week.”

“Yes, barring that little detail,” I sigh, “I think we’ll have a lot of fun. Also, your hair is really pretty tonight.”

“Thanks!” she says, beaming at me and lifting a hand to the pearls that are draped elegantly over it in long looping strings. “I liked it too!”

That horrible, stupid gong sounds, drawing all of our eyes forward to the gazebo at the top of the stairs, where the God of Death currently stands. Prince Orion, I’m surprised to see, is absent from his side.

“Welcome, courtiers!” The God of Death says, his voice carrying out over all of us, probably amplified by some kind of magic.

“Who are all these people?” I murmur, looking around at the dozens of guests.

“His court,” Laila whispers.

“Are they…dead?” I ask, my nose wrinkling a bit. Anton huffs, offended a my expression, but I just smooth a hand over his head and otherwise ignore him.

“No, they’re alive,” Laila says, nodding to me and looking around at all of them. “Some of them for hundreds of years. “The Underworld is a Kingdom in itself; as I told you this morning, all the dead are in the Deadlands, awaiting reincarnation.”

“This place is weird,” I murmur, looking around at all the people. Now that Laila has said it, I do note that a lot of their skin is papery and frail, hanging off their bodies as if it almost wants to slough off like a snake. I grimace.

“Shh,” Laila says, nudging me. “Pay attention.”

I do as I’m told, turning my eyes back up to the God of Death.

“We now invite our lovely Contestants,” the God days, gesturing out towards the center of the group, “to ascend the pillar and demonstrate for us their beauty. Please, all, come forward.”

Laila and I glance at each other and then move forward, as every other cloaked woman is doing, to stand around a strange little platform at the center, circular and only about a foot high. We form a ring around it and I glance over my shoulder, wondering if this is some kind of chastity barrier – if we’re only supposed to reveal our naked bodies while at the center of this group.

Because, really, I don’t know how all the courtiers around us would see with all of us standing here.

As I look around I note Prince Orion stepping forward to stand right before the pillar, so as to better observe the candidates for his future bride. I sigh, disgusted with the sight of him already, and turn my eyes away.

“Would anyone be so bold as to volunteer?” the God of Death queries, his voice pleased and curious.

I lift my foot, eager to get this over with, but to my surprise someone is even faster than me.

“I will,” the gorgeous brunette says, striding forward.

I put my foot down, my eyebrows raised. Because I hadn’t considered before that someone would actually want to do this but…honestly, she looks eager. So who am I to stop her?

“Be my guest,” Orion says, gesturing towards the raised platform before him.

The brunette gives Orion a dashing grin and steps up.

Then, to my shock, the platform starts to raise, lifting her high up in the air and beginning to turn around. My mouth drops open as I realize that the platform is slowly becoming a pillar, rotating her for everyone to see, like a diamond in a jeweler’s window – tantalizing, meant to be ogled.

The woman seems utterly unphased by this, even laughing a little in delight as she shrugs her shoulders, dropping the cloak to the ground in one fluid heap.

My mouth falls open at the sight before me because…god damn it, but she looks incredible. My hand shoots out of its own accord, covering Anton’s eyes. Anton just growls, snapping at my fingers and ducking his head beneath my hand to see, but I kind of forget all about him as I stare at the beautiful woman standing naked before us all.

Her body is draped all over in fine chain jewelry that does nothing to disguise her body, but instead highlights it in glowing silver lines. The effect is stunning and I suddenly feel very bad for everyone who has to go after her.

“The Lady Alexandrica l’Esperance of the Fortuna Galaxy,” the God of Death announces, introducing her to his court. “A beauty indeed.”

Alexandrica beams out at everyone in the crowd, switching into different poses that show off her many virtues to advantage. My eyes, like everyone else’s, I’m sure, sweep over her perfect, full breasts – the wide sweep of her hips – her tiny waist – the elegant curls that cascade all the way down to the generous swell of her ass.

God, but she’s like a fantasy given form, the kind of woman pin-up artists could only dream about. And I don’t miss the fact that Orion is likewise staring up at her, as slack-jawed as the rest of us.

“How could Orion choose anyone else?” Laila whispers, making me blink and glance her way to take in her devastated expression. “She’s…perfect.”

“She’s also got about as much personality as a moldy old piece of cheese,” I whisper, dry. “Don’t forget that.”

Laila’s face breaks into a smile as she looks over at me, laughing a little. “Well, if personalities are going to win the day,” she whispers, turning her eyes back to Alexandrica as the crowd begins to softly applaud and the pillar begins to lower her back to the ground, “then surely he’ll marry you.”

“Oh no, Laila,” I say on a sigh, lifting my hands to clap as well. “If he wants a sweet wife, that will be you.”

My friend beams, sufficiently cheered, and Anton nudges my leg with his nose, letting me know he thinks that was quite nice of me to say. I just roll my eyes at him, bidding him to forget it ever happened. I don’t want anyone thinking that I’m going soft in the face of tragedy.

Alexandrica doesn’t bother to scoop up her cloak as she walks slowly back to her place in line. Her Herald appears in the center of our circle, snatching it up and disappearing with it, appearing behind her and draping it gracefully over her shoulders.

“And who would like to go next?” the God of Death asks, grinning darkly around at the other eighteen of us.

Everyone’s face is striken, and even the blonde standing next to Alexandrica stands perfectly still.

So, seeing that no one else is really up for it, I sigh and take a single step forward. “I’ll go,” I say, giving a casual shrug, doing my best to appear perfectly calm.

Even as inwardly, my heart starts to pound.