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So you decided to become ‘the Beast’ instead?I chuckled.

Harker set his blade on fire.I decided to infiltrate another prince’s organization, knowing that if we met in the arena, I could save Bella.

So you got yourself captured?I said, letting my smirk carry through my words.

It was a strategic capture.He swung his burning sword at Bella.

She flicked her wand, and the flames froze solid.

Sure it was, Harker,I snickered.

He ignored me.Once I had my plan, I had to choose my target.

Harker shook his sword, and the ice coating his blade shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. Those pieces orbited around him like many sparkling diamond moons. They spun faster and faster, humming louder and louder. Harker was conducting them with his sword.

I decided the Sky Prince was my best bet.

He extended his arm long, pointing his sword at Bella. The ice chunks coalesced into a single, fluid object that wrapped itself around Bella like a sheet.

So I became his fighter, winning every match, quickly and brutally working my way through opponent after opponent, ultimately securing my place as the Sky Prince’s favorite champion.

Harker’s spell had completely incased Bella, trapping her inside the ice.

I had to be the champion he’d pit against the Night Prince’s prized team: the woman with supernatural aim, the telepath who could cripple opponents, the teleporter, and the phoenix. Oh, and the human cockroach, of course.

I cringed at my new nickname. It certainly wasn’t one I would have chosen for myself.

The Night Prince…he said you butchered your opponents,Bella said.

The ice shattered around her. She waved her wand, directing the frozen particles back at him.

I had to do that,Harker told her, rolling out of the way of the ice swarm.I had to be brutal and merciless. It was the only way the Sky Prince would make me his champion. And now I’m going to save you.

He grabbed her arm.

Not yet!I told him.There’s something we have to do first.

Leda…

Yeah, I know. You hate waiting. But just give me half an hour,I told him.Bella, phase two.

Then I severed my telepathic connection to them. As I turned away from the screen, I saw Bella take off into the forest. Harker ran after her, but he was too late. She’d put up a big dome around the whole forest. He couldn’t get in.

“Boring!” complained one of the princes when Harker tried—and failed—to punch a hole through the dome.

“Let’s go get some food!”

“I hope there’s something more filling than celery sticks around here.”

So the princes wandered off in search of food. And I wandered off in search of treasure. I found the Night Prince standing next to the door, snacking on a stuffed mushroom. A dark-haired woman stood opposite him, dressed in an elegant gown that shimmered like peacock feathers.

That’s the Sun Queen,Tessa told me.The Night Prince’s crush. I’ve been spying on them since she arrived. He hasn’t left her side.

The Sun Queen,I repeated.So not a princess. A queen.

At least she thinks so,Tessa said.And the Night Prince is too smitten to think much of anything around her. He keeps trying to flex his muscles to impress her, but he doesn’t have any. And even if he did, you wouldn’t see them under that silly puffy shirt that he’s wearing.

Somewhere nearby, Gin snorted.