Chapter 6

ASTRID

“Prize?” Cayden asks, clearly still confused. “For what?”

“If you weren’t late,” Cassius calls out from the dais, “you’d know.”

The woman next to Cassius, his new bride, stares intently at Cayden, though Cayden doesn’t seem to notice. He’s too busy studying the bell.

“This human girl was the last of the prisoners to retain her bell,” Gyles says, then goes on to outline the rules of the Bell Run. As he does, Cayden’s mouth wrinkles in distaste.

By the time Gyles explains that, as the holder of my bell, Cayden is now the legal owner of my person, all the hunter wolves have returned from the forest, panting through wet snouts. The metallic tang of blood hangs heavy in the air.

The wolves line up and deposit their bells. First, the sleek black beast steps up. He lays two gleaming bells down. The hulky brown wolf follows suit, also with two bells. Then one bell, then one more bell. Then a human form that’s too limp to contain much life, if any, collar and bell still around their neck. The rest are bell-less, but they’re just as bloody.

Earnings put down for the count, the wolves circle up. A ring of human servants, each holding a pristine white robe, encircles them.

I see flashes of fur, then flesh, as the werewolves shift back into their human form. One of them wipes his mouth with the sleeve of his robe, staining the fabric a deep red.

Where the bulky brown beast had been standing, now stands the gigantic guard who pulled me from my cell. Across from him, where the sleek blast beast was, stands Jace. He glances my way, then calls out, “Prince Cayden!”

“Hmmm?” Cayden responds, casual as anything in the face of such slaughter.

“The girl is mine,” Jace says, striding over. “I’d beaten Bruno”—the gigantic guard snorts in protest, but Jace continues—“and would have retrieved the girl’s bell had you not been lucky enough to stumble through the playing field. You were never an actual player.”

Cayden just shrugs. “It’s not my game. Gyles?”

Gyles, too, appears at a loss.

“The rules clearly state that whoever holds the bell at the final horn gets the point,” Cassius says. “But that only gives Cayden one point. You’re still ahead of him with two, Jace.”

And tied with the monstrous guard—Bruno, I think.

I expect Jace to fight because of exactly that reason: my bell would make him the clear winner. But he doesn’t.

“I don’t care about the point,” Jace says. “But I want the girl.” He turns to Cayden. “You hate humans. What use would she be to you anyhow?”

“Oh, I’m sure I can think up a thing or two,” Cayden says, his smile lazy. “The real question is what use she’d be to you. I didn’t realize the Royal Ward had such . . .”—Cayden looks me up and down, unimpressed—“pedestrian taste.”

“I don’t see how it matters, what I do with her,” Jace says.

He and Cayden are standing close enough now to exchange blows, but while the Royal Ward seems primed to fight, the Cursed Prince seems relaxed, entertained even.

“Let’s just say it’s top of mind for me today, men claiming women and vice versa,” Cayden says, and though his posture and expression remain cool, collected, there’s something bladed in his voice.

Jace must sense it too, because he gives in. “I’ll keep her as a pet.”

The dais rumbles with murmurs.

For the past few decades, it’s been in vogue among nobles to keep humans as bedroom pets, servants to their owner’s pleasures.

The business is so lucrative that every few years, a new cohort of children is scouted to be raised in the palace, refined by society life, and then sold off to the highest bidder when they come of age, as if they had some pristine pedigree.

Their human families are handsomely rewarded for their service, and it’s all too common to see these scouts preying their way through the slums, sweet-talking emaciated mothers into selling off one child so the rest can eat.

One even came by our house, years ago, but our mother slammed the door in his face. She was so close to starvation at that point, it took all her strength to turn the lock.

I feel as if I’m floating above myself.

This whole scene—the bloody guards, the arguing nobles, the talk of pets—is all so ridiculous, I nearly convince myself it’s not my fate these two men are fighting over.

But I come crashing back to reality, the same way I came crashing down to the ground earlier, when Cayden says, “You know, that’s not a bad idea. Keeping her as a pet.”

The eldest Ashton brother, Valerius, calls out, his voice teasing, “Ah, Cayden, you know it’ll break Daniella’s heart to see Jace take that girl as a pet.”

“Val!” Daniella shrieks, but her eyes are staring daggers into Jace.

“Oh I know,” Cayden says. “That’s why I’ll be taking her as a pet instead.”

 At this, everyone goes silent—except for Cassius’s new bride.

“What?!” she says, eyes wide. Then, as if catching herself, she clears her throat and settles her features into cool detachment. “I’m just surprised you’d settle for such a vulgar creature, that’s all. I thought you had better taste than that.”

“As did I, Lyra,” Cayden says, his brow arched like a saber.

“I agree with the princess,” Bruno shouts out. “Not only is this creature of poor caliber, she’s also unpredictable, dangerous even. Instead of running from me when she had the chance, she attacked. As the head of the castle guard, I cannot allow—”

“Oh, posh, Bruno,” Cayden laughs. “You really mean to tell me you’re afraid of this scrawny thing?” He looks me up and down, more intently. “Y’know, I might not actually mind her playing with knives. Not in bed, anyway.”

“Your Highness,” Bruno tries again, turning to Cassius this time, “I must insist—”

“You heard the man,” Cassius says, cutting him off.

For the merest fraction of a second, I almost feel bad for Bruno. I know what it’s like to be dismissed so decisively. “He wants what he wants, and what he wants is the girl. Now give her to him before he decides to drown his sorrows in yet another vat of wine.” Cassius smiles viciously. “A man can only take so much in one day. And anyway, I’m getting bored. I’ve a bride to bed.”

“Cassius!” Lyra says, mock outraged. She swats his arm but smiles, and together, the newlyweds stand, getting ready to depart.

“But he didn’t even play the game!” Jace shouts, making as if to approach Cassius. “This is completely unfair!”

Cayden steps into Jace’s path. “I’m afraid nothing in this palace is fair, Lord Jace.”

Jace snorts, shakes his head. He looks over at me, searching my face once more—for what, I’m not sure. Then he simply walks away, back toward the castle.

“Well then,” Cassius says. “That’s that.”

He waves one hand in the air, and the guards and nobles disperse.

“Gyles,” Cayden calls, turning to follow his brother. He gestures vaguely in my direction. “Bring her to Jules for basic training. Then have him deliver her to my chambers.”