Mina glanced over and watched as Annalora just gave a shrug of acceptance and looked away. Other than Annalora's stature, there was nothing similar to what she'd envisioned a gnome to look or act like. The girl was not rosy cheeked or good natured. In fact, she was quite mean.

"Come sit with us. You must be nervous." Dinah motioned to a long padded bench.

Mina sat next to her, studying the girls, while Dinah gave quick introductions. Her head spun as she tried to match the names with the faces and races. She finally settled on trying to go by the color of the dress-or in some cases, the girl herself. Fuchsia, a pink fairy, had small iridescent wings. Shaya was a nixie with green skin and dark waist-length hair. She sat closest to the fountain with her shoes at her side, dipping her toes in the cool water.

Ever was the most surprising; she was so different from modern-day Ever. Her jet black hair fell in soft curls down her back. Her pale blue dress was trimmed with silver lace. Her face showed hints of mixed anticipation and anxiety. She kept clasping and unclasping her hands, reaching up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, but her expectant eyes never left the door. She wasn't paying the other girls any attention, even seeming to tune out most of Annalora's complaints.

Mina was about to move and try and speak with Ever, but the door opened and a page entered, clearing his throat. The small talk died immediately as all eyes zeroed in on the young man. "Follow me, please."

Dresses ruffled and shoes clipped along the marble floor as eleven anxious girls and one terrified interloper followed him out into the hall. Mina picked up her pace and cut in line to squeeze next to Ever, receiving a scowl from one of the girls with star white hair-Stella, Stellya-or something.

Mina stared at the back of Ever's head, willing her to look over her shoulder and recognize her, but the pixie never did. She knew that Ever had fallen for Jared and that they'd been friends for years. She'd just never realized until now how many years, since the Fae aged differently than humans. Of course, it could've had something to do with how immature Ever acted on the human plane. Like when she was thieving French fries from Mina's tray at lunch.

Something soft brushed against Mina's face, and Ever jumped and turned around, her eyes filled worry. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to bump you with my wings."

Mina paused as Ever's long pointed wings shimmered into view. They were more spectacular than Fuchsia's wings. The fine spirals of iridescence created a mosaic of color.

"Why are you hiding them? They're beautiful. You should be showing them off proudly," Mina said softly.

Ever's cheeks filled with color as she blushed and stammered. "It's because I can't control them. They reflect my mood. When I'm excited or angered, they flutter uncontrollably. And right now, I'm extremely excited. I'd die of embarrassment if the Fates saw me like this. I mean, who knows what kind of tests we will have to go through before he gets to choose one of us."

"Tests?"

"You didn't think the next queen would be selected on beauty alone did you?"

"Queen?" Mina knew she was starting to sound like an idiotic parrot who repeated everything. But Ever didn't hear her and kept on talking.

"We'll be weeded down to a few based on certain requirements, and only then will one of us be betrothed." Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink again, and her wings fluttered, causing a stir in the air. "Oops, see? There I go again. It's so embarrassing."

"I think they're beautiful." Mina tried to process what Ever had said. She quickly looked over the girls in front of her and couldn't help but feel sorry for Ever. She seemed so hopeful, but Teague-and then Jared-were obviously not in her future.

"Thanks." Ever's face lit up with joy. "I think they're pretty special too. I'm Ever."

"Nice to meet you, Ever. I'm M-" A towering set of double doors opened with a sharp crack, and it was a good thing. She'd almost blown her cover.

They were ushered through the doors into a room that Mina had been in before. It was hard to hold back her tears as she glanced around at the tall glass ceilings and the white pillars lining the room. She looked past the fountain by the windows as she searched for the golden cage she knew wouldn't be there.

There. Right there was where her brother had been held captive. In the future. Mina froze and caused a bit of a traffic jam as the girls behind her suddenly had to stop, dresses swishing. When Mina didn't budge, the others quickly bypassed her to gather around a large pedestal in the middle of the room. In years to come, it would hold the Fae book; right now it held a small crystal bowl filled with water.

But Mina's mind was plagued with guilt-inducing memories and terrifying thoughts. She had messed up and was the reason that Jared ceased to exist. The self-loathing she'd been fighting to keep deep inside of her-that she'd been ignoring for weeks-roared to the surface. She started to quiver as silent tears formed.

No, that wasn't true. It wasn't her fault. It was Teague's.

It was his fault Jared was gone. He was the reason her brother was kidnapped; he was the reason that her father had died. When she turned to face him like the other girls had already done, she'd see that same disarming smile. But the packaging didn't matter. She knew what he would become. She knew the evil that was inside of him. This handsome charmer was a facade. Her hands shook in anger, and she clenched them within the feathers of her dress. She sniffed back the tears and refused to let anyone see her cry. She had a job to do, and she couldn't be distracted by emotions. Not when so much depended on her having a level head.

She turned slowly, trying not to draw attention to herself. The Fates and their son stood behind the pedestal and bowl. Teague had a definite air of confidence about him, but she could also see the nervousness he was trying to mask. He kept shifting his weight from foot to foot. It was hard for her to equate the Teague that plotted the destruction of her family to the young man standing in front of her.

Lucian smiled and addressed the girls. "Thank you for coming. We are honored by your presence, but as you know the choosing ceremony is only just beginning. Some of you have traveled a great distance to be here for the betrothal. Your families believe you possess a beauty and qualities that make you worthy of being the future queen. But no matter the qualities for which your families praise you, we are searching for someone with very specific traits. You must meet all of our royal requirements. Your journey here will end right now unless you can prove yourself with a few tests."

Mina wanted to scoff and roll her eyes. This sounded like that reality TV show Nan watched obsessively. She looked around, wondering where they kept the roses. But only briefly. She couldn't afford to take any of this lightly. If she didn't pass whatever tests the Fates had set up, she would be escorted out of the palace. She'd been given a chance at stopping Teague here, and-though this wasn't the way she'd planned to get in-she'd be a fool to waste it. Her heart sped up and she found herself craning to see around Annalora, to get a better view of-she didn't know what exactly.

Maeve stepped forward and held out one long finger, pointing to the crystal bowl on the pedestal. "Here is your first test. Trial by blood."

That didn't sound good. Mina glanced around. More than a few of the girls looked a little unsure and scared.

"On the pedestal is a knife. You must prick your finger and let a drop of your blood mingle in the water. Blood is power, and the water will sort out the weak from the strong. Also it will determine your heart and your reasons for being here."

The room fell silent. Mina swallowed. Her anxiety had just quadrupled.

The crystal bowl of water sat ominously on the pedestal waiting to decide the future of the twelve girls.

It was Annalora who asked the question that was plaguing everyone's mind. "How?"

"Your blood will make the crystal bowl or the water react in different ways." Lucian stepped forward, picked up the palm-sized dagger, and pressed it against the tip of his finger. When a small drop of blood pooled there, he let it drip into the bowl. Immediately, the water within the bowl swirled and began to flash and sparkle.

After a few seconds, the flashing stopped and the water settled. King Lucian placed the knife back on the pedestal and motioned with his arm for the girls to proceed.

Mina searched Teague's face, trying to see behind the indifferent mask he wore for everyone.

Annalora approached first-probably hoping that by being brave and showing confidence, she would make an impression on the Fates. She winced as the knife pricked her finger and quickly, without hesitating, shook a small drop into the bowl. The crystal bowl turned gold and glittered like a snow globe newly shaken. Annalora couldn't hide the pleased smile that bloomed across her face. She looked to the Fates and waited for their verdict.

"Very good, Annalora. Follow Wilsey through the doors, and he will take you to the prepping room." Her confidence paid off.

Annalora curtsied. Then, with her head held high, exited through the doors they had entered.

Mina would have given anything to be in her shoes at this moment. It didn't even matter if she got to complete the quest. She just didn't want to be caught and executed for being an imposter. Could this test prove she wasn't Fae?

"All right. Who's next?" Lucian called out.

Ever raised her hand, and the girls stepped out of her way as she moved to the crystal bowl. She picked up her knife and pricked her finger, eagerly moving it over the bowl. The water turned a deep blue, but-although it glittered-it wasn't with the strength of Annalora's blood. Ever's face flushed red, and she looked up at Teague hopefully. He seemed pleased.

Lucian nodded his head and motioned to the door. The servant Wilsey stepped in again and beckoned for Ever to follow him out. The girls that were left gathered themselves into a line, and Mina was stuck in the middle of the pack. Would it be considered rude if she made everyone else go in front of her? Two more girls passed the test and left the room, leaving eight girls to face the blood trial. The seconds were dragging by and Mina was finding it very difficult to not stare continually at the exit door.

The next girl, the fuchsia-colored fairy, cut her finger a little too deep and dropped more than a few drops into the bowl. The water stilled. The bright red blood pooled along the top but failed to make either the bowl or the water react. The girl plunged her hand into water and swirled it around, leaving a ribbon like trail of blood. Despite her desperate efforts, there was no reaction. She waited and watched the bowl, tucking her bottom lip between her teeth. Her eyes flickered between the Fates and the bowl. It had returned to its crystalline state.

"I'm sorry, Fuchsia, but you will not be chosen."

Her face scrunched up with unshed tears as she tried to keep from breaking down. One of the girls in line behind her gave her a quick parting hug, which set off the waterworks before she was escorted out of the room. Teague seemed annoyed with the tear-filled goodbyes happening in front of him.

That was it? Suddenly, a failing test didn't seem so bad to Mina. There was actually hope. Twice more the crystal bowl performed, showing off the girls' power. Shaya's blood made the water rise out of the bowl and dance. Estellya's made the water freeze.

Ferah, a beautiful young elf with red hair and pointed ears, approached for her test. She seemed calm and collected, but during her test, the water turned black.

Unlike they had in reaction to Fuchsia's failure, the Fates rose up in alarm. "An assassin," Lucian announced.

Ferah pulled a small knife from the folds of her dress and lunged toward Teague.

"Watch out!" Mina cried, rushing forward and grabbing for Ferah's wrist. She tried to wrestle the knife from her hand, but couldn't get her to drop it. Instead, acting on instinct, she pulled the girl toward her and spun, using her hips to flip the girl onto the tile floor in a pile of tulle and silk.

The knife skittered across the floor.

Seeing that she was defeated, Ferah got up, gathered her skirts, and ran for the door.

"Guards, guards!" Maeve shouted.

The doors burst open and two giants entered, blocking her escape. The elf-girl turned, aware that she was trapped. Reaching within her dress, she pulled out two more blades. She scanned the room searching wildly for her targets, but the Fates had disappeared.

Teague had disappeared.

Mina felt a brush of cold air across her skin and realized that Teague at least had never left. The candelabras blew out as something large passed in front of them, leaving everyone in near darkness.

By the dusky light coming through the window, Mina saw a shadow beast materialize behind the terrified girl.

Ferah turned, screaming, stabbing at the darkness that merely dissipated. Her knife pierced nothing.

The temperature dropped and the girls whimpered when their breath became visible. The beating wings of the creature grew louder, and the girl slowly backed herself into a corner. Her chest rose and fell in panic, and her knives whizzed through the air as she continued to stab at any shadow that passed close to her.

Mina could feel the girl's terror radiate outward and spread to the girls behind her. Knowing how deadly Jared was and knowing that Teague was even more so, her first priority was to protect the innocent girls.

"Give me your hand." She reached out to the girl closest to her, not knowing if they'd even listen. But a trembling hand latched onto hers. Mina felt around and found another arm. They formed a chain, and Mina pulled them to the side of the room away from the action. The girls huddled in a corner with Mina in front of them, her arms held out as a human shield.

The young assassin regained her composure and dashed to the middle of the room away from the approaching beast. The shadow creature moved, materializing as it touched down on the floor. But the darkness was evident even in Teague's handsome form. His eyes were dark with anger, his hair tousled from flying. He must have made a sound because the girl spun.

Her dress didn't seem to hinder her as she leapt into the air and let the knife fly toward Teague, followed quickly by a second blade.

Teague moved so fast he blurred as he dodged the knives, but they continued their trajectory.

They were heading straight toward the clump of girls. As Ferah saw her mistake, her eyes widened and she reached out as if to stop their course.

"No!" Mina shouted. She held her hands over her face. The last thing she saw before she closed her eyes was the glint off the silver knives flying toward her.

Chapter 23.

The knives never made contact.

Mina waited a few seconds, opened her eyes, and dropped her hands to see the steely knives suspended in midair, mere inches from her face. Unwilling to take any chances, in case they continued on their trajectory she sidestepped the knives.

Her mouth was dry and her heart felt like it was beating a path out of her chest.

Wailing began behind her, and she turned to see that-of the six girls left-four of them had broken down into sobbing piles of color on the floor. It seemed they no longer cared about wrinkling their dresses. The two not crying were pale in the face, and one looked like she was going to toss her cookies at any moment.

"Are you all right?' Teague came to stand next to her, his face full of concern. Two giants had grabbed Ferah and were now holding her in a kneeling position in the middle of the room. King Lucian and Queen Maeve materialized and stood in front of the young assassin. She had quit fighting and seemed to be slowly accepting her fate.

"I'm fine. Just a little shaken up," Mina answered Teague. Her body was humming from head to toe, and she tried to get her emotions under control. "That was a little too close a call."

"You defended me." He smiled, one corner of his mouth lifting in a bit of a smirk. "Not that I needed your help. But I think it's kind of cute." He crossed his arms and continued smirking at her.

Which only irritated her. Here was the snarky Jared-side she was used to dealing with. "Well, I don't know. You could have been distracted by all of the pretty skirts in the room. Who knows where your mind was?"

"Skirts? Why would the material of their dresses be distracting? I can tell you that I'm in no way interested in what they are wearing. Who's wearing it is what matters." He raised his eyebrow, and Mina rolled her eyes.

"You can calm down now. The danger is over," he added.

"I know that," she huffed.

"Well maybe you do, but my parents not so much." He gestured with his chin to the Fates who were looking their way very pointedly. They were obviously still worried and upset about something, and it looked like it was Mina.

"What's going on?" she asked. Apprehension rose within her once again. "Why do they seem angry?"

"It could be because they see you as a threat."

"Me? A threat? I haven't done anything," her voice rose in fear. Had they somehow figured out why she was here?

"Well, you're the one who is armed."

"What?" She couldn't breathe.

Teague shook his head, reached out, and grasped her forearms roughly. Mina winced from the pressure and started to panic, pulling away from him.

"You have about ten seconds to calm down and release the knives from whatever spell you control them with, or the Fates will have no choice but to dispose of you, and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Knives?" She snapped out of her reverie and eyed the two knives that were still suspended in midair.

"Yes. Knives. Right now you are holding a weapon in the midst of the Royals. It's treason. Unless you drop it, your punishment is death."

"I didn't know. I don't know if I can. I'm not sure how I stopped them there in the first place." The words jumbled out of Mina's mouth and she could feel herself beginning to lose control. She was the one who'd stopped the knives? It was her? How?

Teague shook her roughly, and her knees knocked together. Over his shoulder she saw the large double doors open, and more Fae guards entered with swords drawn. They circled around Mina and Teague but kept their distance. The knives slowly turned toward Mina again, making Teague's back the perfect target now.

Fear was making her freeze up. Her eyes started to water. She didn't know how she stopped the knives, and if she couldn't undo it, she would be killed right here on the spot. It was instinct on the human plane when she'd pushed Nan and Ever out of the way of the truck. It was instinct that made her try and save herself here.

It wasn't instinct to stop doing what was coming naturally and unbidden.

"Help me," she breathed out as a tear escaped down her cheek. She was desperate. "I don't want to die."

He looked a little irritated at her lack of understanding, but he seemed to see her fear as genuine. When he realized she couldn't do it, he jumped into action.

"Look at me." He pressed on her arms and she struggled to drag her eyes away from the soldiers and their swords.

"Look. At. Me," he demanded again, but slower.