Naoise is standing at the head of the center table. He calls out to us, "Wait! Before you begin, we have a very important detail that was almost forgotten."

He pauses, and I keep my gaze trained on him. Hoping for some miracle.

"The feast, of course!" He says at last, and everyone cheers. "This way, our food won't grow cold while we are entertained." He adds with a wry smile directed at me. I glare at him, feeling stupid for letting myself think that he might call off the fight.

All he cares about is himself.

The King sits down, and all the other faeries follow him. Then the mortals bring their trays and baskets over and the sound of tinkling glass and happy conversation picks up as if this is just an ordinary party, and two people aren't about to brawl it out on stage for their enjoyment. 

Dinner and a show. 

But it's not like this is some scripted movie scene here. I'll be lucky to walk away from this with another welt on my face.

Brushing my bangs from my eyes, I tune out the noise of the feast and refocus on my opponent.

The trainer's eyes narrow on me, and I know he's going to move a split-second before it happens. It gives me enough time to shift to my left, allowing him to stab at nothing but air where my chest just was.

We pace in a circle as I catch my breath.

Did he just try and kill me?

And right out of the gate too. He's not playing around today. Unlike the practice lessons, I can sense a new intensity in the trainer's movements. If I lose this match, I have a sick feeling that rendering me unconscious won't be the worst thing he'll do. Maybe the King told him to finish me off. That way he's free of any deals with me.

The trainer keeps sidestepping to the left, and I follow after him so we're circling each other like vultures. I can see the faeries feasting away, emptying their goblets and letting timid mortals refill them.

None of these faeries care about anything real. Those mortal servants are moments away from death and still the party goes on like everything's fine.

In my attempt to find Darren in the crowd, I nearly trip over the hem of my dress. Why did I ever agree with the other mortal girls to put it on this morning? They told me high fashion would intimidate the King. A lot of good it did me. Naoise is eating lamb chops and watching me fight to the death, pretty dress and all.

Just as suspected, the trainer takes advantage of my wardrobe malfunction and lunges at me. I drop to the ground on instinct, and his legs clash with my body as he flies over the top of me and lands on his side. Before he can get up, I clamber to my feet and spin around, forcing the tip of my spear right at his face.

My spearhead sinks into the stage with an audible thunk, just skimming his jaw, and I can hear the faeries gasping. The trainer is equally shocked as we stare at each other for a brief moment.

That's right, I tell him through my cold gaze, you're not the only one who can fight dirty.

His jaw flexes, and again I predict his move a second before he makes it. As he slams his feet down on the stage, he uses his back muscles to push himself into a standing position. At the same time, I skirt around my spear and yank it from the wood right before the side of his spear clashes with mine inches in front of my face.

Instead of retreating, he holds the position until my calves and arms scream from the pressure. I know I can't block his blow forever. Then I hear Markie's voice in my mind from this morning when she gave me a last minute sparring lesson.

Fighting is a lot like dancing. Forget about each little detail and just move with your breath.

Against all of my logic, I let my eyelids fall closed and inhale deeply through my nose. Without my sight, all of my pressure points become clearer. My knuckles are pinched around my spear, pulsing with pain. My arms are shaking so hard the muscles might give in long before my hands drop the spear.

But then I also sense the muscles I'm not using as much. My shoulders and upper back, along with my thighs. They still have more to give. Not much, but it's something I can work with.

My eyes spring open and latch onto my opponent. His face is perspiring, and his gaze is like a fire ready to resolve me to ash. Gritting my teeth, I exhale with a shout as I utilize the last of my strength and shove hard against him.

He stumbles back just a step, but I don't wait for him to regain his footing. My next moves are quick and succinct, shoving against his spear again, and then into his shoulder that he couldn't block in time. I'm pushing him closer to the edge of the stage, about to send him to the ground below, when something catches my attention from the crowd of faeries that have left their tables and are now gathered around the stage like giddy fans at a concert.

A tuft of golden blond hair, and a glowing green eye appear for just a moment between all the other bodies.

Before I know what's happening, I'm launched off my feet and my head cracks into the stage. As my ears start to ring, I hold my spear in front of me in an attempt to stop the trainer's next blow.

But he's not using the side of his spear to knock me out. No, he'll finish me off for good this time. The veins in his arms bulge as he sends the sharp end of his weapon straight for my head.

That's when the trainer goes flying off the stage, and Cináed lands on top of me.

Wild screams scatter through the air as the crowd scrambles out of the trainer's way when he falls to the ground. All the commotion is lost inside the ringing in my ears, and all I see now is Cináed's face hovering inches above my own.

His breath swirls around me, filling my nose with the scent of sweet honey and summer rain. My reflection is caught in his eyes, that are fiercely bright like burning lanterns. I see a feral, protective anger in every vein of green, every fleck of gold. And at the center of it all is my frozen face, staring back at me in his black pupils.

"Cináed." I exhale.

The intensity of his rage ebbs slightly as his lips twitch into a smile. "Roisín." He says, tracing a line down my cheek with his finger.

Just as quickly as he appeared, he's taken away again by the guards who are flooding over the stage. They grab me too, and I nearly collapse into one of them as my vision fades in and out of focus. Cináed struggles against the guards' hold on his arms, watching me with a pained expression.

Behind him I see Naoise step onto the stage, and that's when I realize how much noise the crowd was making because everyone suddenly gets quiet when the King raises his arms and says, "Take your seats everyone! The feast will continue as there is no reason to be alarmed."

The faeries are murmuring to each other, but sit back down as the trainer is escorted away, limping but otherwise probably fine. I wish he'd broken his leg so I wouldn't have to fight him ever again. Chances are, Naoise is going to make us do a redo, and this time Cináed can't step in when the spear finds its mark.

Whether it's a delayed reaction to what just happened, or the anticipation for what might happen next, I double over and dry heave into the guard's chest. He exclaims something and steps back. Lucky for him I haven't eaten all day, so nothing but raw fear comes out my mouth.

I'm pretty sure everyone just watched my panic attack, but when I stand back up all eyes are still watching the King. He's saying something about me because I hear my name. But I can't force my mind to make sense of anything. All I know is that Cináed's face is more pale than I've ever seen it.

My guard releases his firm grip and leads me over to where the King is standing center stage. His words finally start to solidify into full sentences as he turns and looks at me.

"Presenting Roisín - soon to be mortal no longer - my new bride for Samhain."

Everyone is clapping, cheering, raising goblets to the sky that's bleeding out the last colors of sunset and fading into a dark blue night. I feel like the King just punched a gaping hole through my chest and then left me gasping for air in vain.

My new bride for Samhain.

My new bride.

His bride.

"Tonight we feast to celebrate her successfully completed tasks, and tomorrow we will come together once more to celebrate our union!"

More cheers, more drinking, and more clenching in my gut telling me I might throw up more than air this time. I stand there in horror as the King wraps his arms around my waist and crushes his lips into mine.

<<---------->>

SO. MUCH. HAPPENING.

Okay people. Spill. What's going on in your minds right now? Anger, confusion, excitement? A little bit of everything?

The end is very near. Be sure to add Come Away to your reading list so you're ready! <3 And click the star if you want more!