We learned, to everyone's dismay, that Emerlee had escaped early in the morning.
"How did that happen?" I snapped, shoveling one of Danela's tarts into my mouth. Crumbs scattered, but Dominic, ever attentive, brushed them away.
"Didn't she have those magic-dampening bracelets on?" I asked, my voice muffled by pastry.
Luis, his expression serious, answered, "The guards said someone teleported her outâfrom the outside."
I scowled, half-joking to myself that the culprit was probably someone wearing a velour tracksuit.
Despite the escape, our day continued as planned with training. We piled into a caravan of cars, heading to the city of Lars. The high winds rocked the cars on the road, and I tried to tune out Luke's endless lecture on the rules of Aleria. He spoke of customs, politics, and duties, but all I could think about was the looming pressure of the competition.
When we finally reached Lars in the late afternoon, I practically flung myself out of the car, needing to stretch my legs. My feet crunched in the snow, and I inhaled the crisp air. Lars was nothing like the chaotic beauty of San Francisco; it was too pristine, too orderly, too full of rules. The streets were so clean they gleamed, and an ethereal purple light shimmered above the city, held in place by four towering spires.
Tall Sidhe guards in sharp military garb stood watch. They snapped to attention as Luke approached, their eyes flicking between us. One of the guards handed him a letter, which Luke passed to me without a word.
As I took the letter, I caught the guard's intense stare, his pale lavender eyes sending a shiver through me. A long scar dragged down the right side of his face, pulling his mouth into a permanent smirk. His sharp, angled features gave him an imposing presence, and I his expression felt as though he might consume me on the spot.
Luke's voice broke through my thoughts. "That's Eowyn. He was instrumental in the Battle of the Trees, 1400 years ago. It's rare to get a proposal from an ancient. You should feel flattered."
"Flattered?" I turned my head, noticing that both guards were still watching me. "He doesn't look that old."
"He's Alfar," Luke said. "Not Sidhe like the rest of us. Different lineage. They're former angels, cast down to this realm when they chose neither Heaven nor Hell. Neutral beings. Eowyn was summoned by the Trees to fight in the war."
"Waitâangels? Like...real angels?"
"Yes. They lost their wings when they were cast out." He paused, glancing at me. "He's seen much in his time. You're fortunate to catch his interest."
"Fortunate?" I echoed, baffled. Why did Luke think everyone here was interested in me?
Luis was the first to step in, his voice firm as he looked at Luke with a little snarl. "I guess it's easy to catch attention when you're the only real choice here."
Luke didn't seem taken aback by Luis' jealousy. "I agree, of course. Madeline will become highly desirable as the time to take her place on the throne nears. There would be no other choice to many men."
At Luke's provocation, Luis' hand landed on my lower back, its weight feeling possessive.  Luis wasn't hiding his irritation, his jaw tight as he guided me forward, ignoring Luke's faint smile.
I tugged off my coat, suddenly realizing how warm it was despite the snow. It was also an excuse to get Luis to let me go. His jealousy felt as heavy as a blanket in July.
"Why's it so warm here?" I could feel a bead of sweat rolling down my neck.
"It's magical energy," Luke explained, pointing to the towers. "It warms the city and allows technology to function here."
I admired the city's sleek blend of modernity and magic, my gaze drifting over the tall, white, blue, and silver buildings. The Sidhe, with their finely crafted features and towering heights, filled the streets, walking with a kind of elegance that made me feel even more out of place. They skimmed along on silver disks, riding them like scooters. Winged men dressed in delicate robes carried letters from rooftop to rooftop, while centaurs clopped down the street, their spears glinting in the light.
Yet, for all its beauty, there was an ugliness about Lars. The social structure was rigid, starkly different from San Francisco's carefree diversity. The women held all the power hereâevery important role and every decision was theirs to make. Men were attendants, trailing behind the women, deferring to their every whim.
It left a bad taste in my mouth.
As we neared the temple, my attention was caught by a scene unfolding across the street. A small man with goat-like horns, dressed in plain homespun, stumbled into the path of a woman clad in a rich, ornate gown. She kicked him aside like trash, and he sprawled into the snow, groaning.
I took a step toward them, anger bubbling up inside me. "That's not rightâ"
"Do not," Luke warned, stepping in front of me.
"Do not?" I shot back. "She kicked him hard enough to break something! I'm going toâ"
"You'll insult her if you intervene," he said firmly. "And if you insult her, she may challenge you to a duel. Do you want to risk losing before the trials?"
I hesitated, torn between my instinct to help and the realities of this world's twisted customs. The man was already being whisked away by others, disappearing into the building he'd been kicked out of. A woman inside started to shout once he was brought indoors.
"Way to instill confidence, Luke." I looked over his shoulder at the building, wondering what new fresh hell the poor guy was experiencing.
I clenched my fists as I struggled with my desire to march right to that door and rescue the poor guy. "Why is it that there never can be a balance around here? Isn't that what true purity is?" I glanced around for bones to give that lady who kicked him a scare. She wouldn't know it was me.
A nearby chicken carcass rose and hurtled towards the noblewoman who was continuing down the street.
A hand clamped around my waist, pulling me back into a hard chest. "Not now," Luis muttered, his breath warm against my ear. The carcass clattered to the ground just short of the woman. She spun around, her face a mask of outrage, but she couldn't pinpoint the source of the disturbance.
"Let me go," I grumbled.
"You need to calm down and think."
My jaw jutted forward. I'd been thinking quite well, thank you very much. I'd been thinking that she deserved a lesson.
"Why should I?" I spat, not at all happy with Luis' heavy-handedness since before.
"In a place that values purity overall, how would they view a necromancer like you?"
"Dude..." Adrian glared at Luis, overhearing what he'd said.
I shook Luis off, "I'm not a necromancer!"
"You can control dead things, Matt. What do you think they call a person like that?"
I stomped ahead of them, refusing to answer. I was not a necromancer!
Ciaran strolled forward alongside me and patted my arm. "Don't mind Puppy, Princess. He wants to take back what he thinks belongs to him. I, for one, would have loved to see that carcass hit her. Shall I find a dirty pail of water to dump on her?"
I smirked at Ciaran's persistent nickname for Luis, then I grimaced. "Maybe he's right, though."
Was I a necromancer?
"Only you can decide your worth, or your label, Princess. Don't let Puppy be your god."
As his words sank into me, Ciaran said, "If you'd like something to cheer you up, I've been busy doing calls, and I think I've contrived a way for you to get that wishing coin by having it be the goal of your quest. Keep your fingers crossed."
"I thought you said the wishing coin was in the underworld. How's that supposed to cheer me up?"
"I know how much you like a challenge," he said with a smirk.
When we finally reached the temple, the sight before me was breathtaking. The building soared into the sky, its twelve crystal spires piercing the clouds, shimmering in the purple-tinted light. Stained glass windows adorned its walls, each depicting scenes of mythical beauty. A line of priestesses stood outside, holding shining spears, their faces hidden behind veils. Their presence was far more intimidating than any guards I had seen before.
Valenia waited for us at the top of the steps, her expression a perfect mask of disapproval. "Thank you for joining us, Elect Madeline," she said coldly. "Elect Marisol and Elect Regina have already received their tasks."
I noted the smug looks from Regina and Marisol as they held small velvet bags. Valenia handed me one, her movements sharp and precise.
"Inside are golden acorns from the Goddess herself," she said. "You'll need them for the vaadin. Lose them, and you'll have to find another way to return."
She turned on her heel and disappeared up the stairs without another word.
I opened the small bag, but before I could get a proper look, the contents spilled onto the ground. Twenty golden acorns bounced across the temple steps. Regina and Marisol's laughter rang in my ears, their mocking whispers cutting deeper than I'd expected.
Great start, Matt. I knelt down, scooping up the acorns as quickly as I could. Dominic bent beside me, his presence a quiet support. As I fumbled with the bag, I noticed a folded piece of paper at the bottom. I unfolded it and read aloud.
"You will enter the lands of the Betwixt and take the path to the underworld. There, you will seek the Emperor of Tears and gain passage to Mount Dragonis. At the summit, you'll find a shrine to the Edentrees. Twelve guardians protect the coin you seek."
I lowered the paper, meeting my court's eyes. "Oh, that sounds easy, right?"
Ciaran grinned, unaffected as always. "I never promised it would be easy, Princess. But I did finagle it for you."
I glared at him. "We have to fight twelve guardians? Persuade some guy called the Emperor of Tears? Climb a mountain named Dragonis?"
I threw the paper to the ground, stomping on it in frustration. Regina and Marisol's laughter followed me as they passed.
Regina looked back, smirking. "Oh dear, cousin! Not happy with your task?"
"Poor dear!" Marisol tutted as she shook her head
After they finished mocking me, Regina and Marisol walked down the steps, still laughing.
"Yeah, yeah!" I called down to them, "Real funny stuff. Yuck it up! I'll be taking first place!"
"Would you bet on that?" Regina called up to me.
Would I bet on that? Would I bet on that! Of course, I'd bet on that! I never backed down from a challenge! "Su â"
A hand clapped over my mouth. Luis. "We'll pass."
"Hmmm... I think your Lady was going to say something else. It's unseemly not to let her speak!" Marisol shouted.
I should mention here that I have quite a few character flaws, one of them being small dog syndrome. It made any challenge to my abilities a physical pain to me.
Seriously, it might have been fatal if Marisol had added a 'bawk bawk bacawk!' to the end of her statement.
Luis' hand kept firmly in place, even though I tried to pry it off.
Regina twirled her hair as she looked at us. "I guess she is a coward. Such a pity, Marisol" She winked at Ciaran.
Ciaran's easy grin went flat and he gave her a look that would have frozen my blood if he'd done it to me. Regina's mocking grin froze, and she pulled on Marisol's hand.
With many muffled obscenities coming from me, the two girls disappeared down the street.
"You almost caused a terrible kerfuffle there, Princess." Ciaran fluffed my veil, and I smacked his hand.
As the temple loomed before us, its towering spires and shimmering guards reminding me of how far I still had to go, I straightened my back. There would be a time to take Regina down a peg.
But today wasn't that day.
I took a breath and pressed forward, the weight of the journey ahead heavy on my shoulders, but the fire burning inside me was enough to keep me moving.
One way or another, I'd make sure they all saw what I was capable of.