Chapter 45

I keep my eyes focused on Anton, who looks right back at me, unblinking.

My heart pounds.

“Princess Juniper Sinclair,” Orion says, his voice carrying out clear and strong. “Please join us here in this final golden circle.”

I flinch when I hear my name, but continue to stand still, just staring at my ghost, my wolf.

Silence fills the room until a horrible little cry of dismay breaks out.

My attention snaps up at that, to the only other girl standing here at the top of the pit. She begins to tremble, shaking her head from side to side, just…staring at me in horror.

“No,” she whispers, lifting her shaking hands to her mouth. “It – it can’t be – it can’t be me –“

I cry out too, holding my hands out, starting for her.

“Juniper!”

I go still at the way my name is shouted, my head snapping to the left to look down into the pit where the God of Darkness has taken a single step forward, glaring hard at me.

“That is enough, Princess,” he snarls, his eyes darkening to terrifying black pits. “You will come and take your place now, or you will join her in elimination.”

Anton grows at my side, snarling as he moves around me to place himself between me and the God of Death. But even as he does something shakes loose – and I realize that I am not at all out of danger here. I move, immediately, recognizing that it’s imperative that I do. Anton pads at my side, keeping his eyes focused below, freeing me to look at the girl as we rush past her down the stairs.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, my hands fisted in my skirt as we pass.

But she says nothing, just glaring at me like she hates me, her teeth clenched as she sobs, terrified.

Tears fall down my cheeks as I cross to the circle, breaking her gaze, no longer able to hold it.

“June,” Orion whispers, already standing before my golden circle as I approach it.

But I clench my jaw and look down, unable to look at him as I step into the circle. Taking my place in the Top.

He holds his hands out, seeking to take mine, but I keep my fingers firmly wrapped in my black silken skirts. He sighs and takes my shoulders in his hands instead. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, barely audible, as he leans in to press a kiss to my cheek.

I don’t say anything, just looking down at Anton, who snarls at my side.

Orion steps away from me as his father begins to speak.

“The second sorting is complete, the elimination has been decided,” he intones, lifting his hands. “Thank you, Empress Divine Sadhi Eesha, for your participation in this Game.”

I cry harder when the wails begin, those wraiths descending from the ceiling to rip Sadhi’s soul from her body. But I force myself to turn even as Anton grows in size again, placing his now-gigantic body between me and the wraiths, snarling his fury and his protection. I look through and over him, forcing myself to witness Sadhi’s death. The horrible, terrible consequence that they’re forcing her to bear so Orion can keep his throne.

And I know, I know there is more at risk here than Orion’s throne and his pride – that the souls of all the dead, and their reincarnated futures, are likewise at risk. Or so I’ve been told.

But somehow, as I watch those black forms descend and listen to Sadhi’s screams…

I just know, in my bones, that it isn’t right. That this isn’t fair.

That there has to be another way.

When her body lays dead and abandoned on the floor, the wraiths carry Sadhi’s limp soul away, sweeping down into the pit and past us all as they surge through the door and into the Deadlands.

A chill passes over me and I see the other girls shiver as well, all of us turned to watch as the door slams shut behind them.

“Thank you, Ladies,” the God of Death says, looking around at us, quite pleased. “More information will come in a few days. I look forward to seeing your talents,” he nods to all of us in gold rings, the favored ones. “And your trials.” He nods to those selected for the Bottom, a dark smile on his lips.

And then he turns and passes through the door like it’s the easiest thing in the world. Orion hesitates only a moment, his eyes sweeping over all of us, before he sighs and goes too.

The door shuts behind Orion.

And then we’re alone.

Silence reigns for a moment, before sighs and cries and groans break out. I immediately turn for Anton, reaching for his face, wanting him close. He’s there – of course he is, dropping his gigantic head to press against my chest. I groan with relief at the feel of it, closing my eyes and dropping my chin, raising my hands to run along the length of his jaw on either side of his face just…wanting him close.

God, I wish he was real. For just…ten seconds, I wish he was real, and had a body, so that I could touch him and have the assurance of his flesh.

“Junie!”

Laila’s gasp has me opening my eyes and turning my head, stepping away from Anton and reaching for her. She’s instantly in my arms and I wrap her in a tight hug, dropping my face to press my cheek to her pretty blue-green hair.

“Are you okay, Laila?” I whisper.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she assures, even though she’s trembling. “Are you? Oh June –“ She pulls back and shakes her head at me, her lip trembling. “When it was just you two up there – oh, I thought I was going to collapse – I was so scared –“

I smile at my friend, genuinely touched for her fear of me. “I know,” I murmur. “I think I may have felt similar.”

She stares at me for a second before a little laugh bubbles from her lips. But then she seals them shut and shakes her head. “I shouldn’t laugh,” she murmurs.

“Oh, do what you want, Lai,” I sigh, letting some of the strain go out of me. “It’s all so horrible – there’s no right or wrong way to feel –“

“Relieved, I think,” Laila murmurs, reaching up to stroke Anton’s face. “Hello, you’re very gigantic today, aren’t you?”

Anton preens under her hand, quite pleased and proud and relieved himself.

“He puffs up when he’s afraid,” I murmur, putting my hands on my hips and studying him. “Like one of those fish.”

Anton snaps his gaze away from Laila to glare at me, making us both laugh.

“Is something funny?” Beatrice says, stepping close, her hands anxiously wringing together in front of her. “I – I could use a laugh.” She gives us a tentative smile as she looks between us, as Mahina and Cadence step up behind her.

“Nothing funny,” I say with a sigh, turning towards them all, feeling honestly better now that Orion and Death are gone and it’s just us. “Just Anton being all sparkly and proud.”

“Well, he’s very pretty,” Beatrice says, stepping a little closer and beaming at him. “He should be proud. Though,” she sighs, disappointed. “I could use that laugh.”

“I could use a drink,” Cadence says with a sigh, putting a hand on her hip and shaking her head.

“Ugh, that sounds amazing,” Mahina murmurs, slumping against her.

“Oh,” I say, perking up a little. “Why don’t we do that?”

“What?” Laila says, her shoulders straightening as she turns to me.

“Why don’t we have a drink?” I say, nodding eagerly. “We were going to do it before, but,” I shrug, “I got us in trouble. Yes, please, come over to my room! Have a drink!”

“Oh, Juniper,” Laila murmurs, glancing awkwardly at my invited guests and stepping close to put a hand on my shoulder. “Are you sure you want to have people to…your place? When you…don’t have enough cups?”

“What?” I ask, frowning at her. “Laila, we can call up more cups…”

She grimaces a little, clearly implying that the cups are the least of my problems. I burst out laughing, realizing her train of thought. “Oh, Laila,” I say, “perhaps you should host – you’re much better at that than I am.”

“Oh June,” Laila murmurs, smiling around at our little group and the few girls beyond who have hesitated, clearly overhearing and pausing in their interest to be included. “You’re too kind. Yes, please, do come over! Just ask your Herald to bring you to Laila’s room!”

She turns then, more cheerful than she was a moment ago, though we’re all still quite shaken, and she hurries off to find her Herald.

I exhale, looking up at Anton, who nods deeply to me, letting me know that he thinks its good and right to go, to socialize, to bond with these women with whom I’m sharing a rather intense traumatic experience.

But before we can even get to the steps, Nic appears. “You know you can’t go to that, right?” he asks on a sigh, crossing his arms and glaring at me.

“What!?” my mouth pops open as I stare at him and then glance at the line of retreating girls who climb out of the pit to meet their Heralds and be vanished away, one by one. I scowl, looking back at Nic and giving him a little shove on the shoulder. “Where’s the nice Nic from before the elimination, who was all ‘oh I hope you get to live, Junie!’”

“I never called you Junie,” he says, dry, “and also, this has nothing to do with me. You’re on house arrest, Princess! That hasn’t changed!”

Anton growls and I groan, lifting my hands to my crown and tilting my head back as I realize that he’s right. “Damn it, I should have let them all come to my room.”

“Master wasn’t going to allow that either,” Nic says, dubious. “You’re being punished, June, you can’t go to or have parties.”

“Oh, I think we can make an exception this one time,” a voice says. I spin, gasping a little, shocked when I see Orion standing there behind me.

“Spy!” I snap, pointing in his face. “I knew you were listening in on my conversations.”

“You’re in my pit, Juniper,” he murmurs, flicking his eyes to me. “It echoes. Anyway, you should be grateful, because I’m here to dispel my father’s order for one night. So you can go to Laila’s party.”

“Really?” I ask, my eyes going wide at this mysterious generosity.

“Sure,” he says, giving a casual shrug. “That is, of course…as long as you agree to bring me along. As your guest.”

My shocked expression turns instantly into a scowl. “You can’t come. Traumatized girl’s club only.”

“Anton’s going,” Orion says with a shrug and a wicked grin.

Anton clearly gives Orion a proud look that indicates that he is an honorary traumatized girl and Orion should not attempt to ride his coat tails into the club.

Orion just laughs and turns back to me. “If he can go I can go. Plus, I don’t want to miss whatever nice fish Laila is cooking up.”

Brooking no further protest, Orion reaches for my hand, wrapping it warm in his own, and vanishes us into the night.