Page 5 of A Kiss From Death (Oath of Vengeance #1)

All eyes are on Aeron as he raises both arms above his head, waving and winking to the crowd with a shit eating grin. I just found his weakness, and I’m going to exploit his flirtatious behavior for my benefit. Any alliance I can secure early on is one step closer to winning the Crucible.

I’m coming for you, Aeron Gavis.

Confidence and cockiness radiates off him as he works the crowd like it’s his profession.

Suddenly, his eyes lock on mine, and I feel like I’m drowning in his icy blue gaze.

He holds my attention like he’s daring me to submit to him to assert his dominance.

I’m up for the challenge, though, so I hold his gaze without blinking until he chuckles to himself, breaking contact to bat his long eyelashes at pretty girls in the crowd.

What am I getting myself into?

Councilman Gavis shakes out of his trance-like state and takes back control of the crowd as if nothing happened.

“Well, there you have it, folks. Congratulations to this year’s nominees from Command Sector for the Reaper Crucible!

” he shouts out to the crowd, plastering on the fakest smile.

Clearly, Aeron entering the Crucible has Councilman Gavis all worked up and caught off guard, and he’s doing a terrible job at hiding it.

Rushing through the crazed crowd, I make my way towards Enlightened Sector to catch the start of their ceremony. I make it just in time to hear their councilwoman announce, “Cartwell Hart” and “Yazi Mintz” as their nominees.

Making my rounds to the remaining sectors, I learn the names of the rest of my future competitors. “Rayah Wixx” and “Hudson Beckett” from Visionary Sector, and “Briar Ellis” and “Tank Finnegan” from Sweat Sector.

I am exhausted down to my bones from today’s outing, but there’s still one more piece of the puzzle to get through.

It’s arguably the most important of today’s tasks.

My entire plan for revenge falls apart if I don’t succeed in this.

I honestly haven’t stopped to think what I will do if I’m not picked. It just isn’t an option in my mind.

My nerves kick up as I reenter my sector that feels more like home than the others I traveled to today, even if it is a literal dump.

I like that I can be whoever I want to be here, never having to conform to certain sector standards.

Vagrant Sector may not be a lot of things, but we let anyone do as they please. I’ll take that any day of the week .

“PLEASEEEEEE!” a woman pleads between sobs, and I startle out of my thoughts at the haunted emotion in her voice.

She isn’t close to me, but her screams are so loud, it’s as if she’s standing right next to me.

Her voice travels from the west side of Misery’s Crossing, which can only mean one thing: Agony Alley.

Agony Alley is where one is sentenced to gruesome death at the hands of the Empress for breaking the law, no matter how small.

Vanquishers carry out her chosen punishment, always ending in loss of life.

The sunken arena is carved out of stone, seats circling the entirety of the stage in the center.

Members are allowed to watch punishments for their entertainment.

Sick fucks.

On occasion, the Empress requests an enhancer for punishments.

Enhancers amplify voices or sounds with their magic, which must be why I can hear this poor woman’s screams from across Misery’s Crossing.

They like to make sure everyone in Vagrant Sector can hear what happens if you go against the Empress and her laws.

I’ve accidentally walked by Agony Alley a few times while punishments were being dealt and had to rush to empty my stomach. I’ve never stayed long enough to see them meet their end, and I’d like it to stay that way.

Picking up my pace, I blend into the massive crowd already fully packed around Councilman Scar making his introduction. It is hard to see him over the crowd, since our sector is gruesomely poor to the point of not having access to a makeshift dais.

Squeezing my slim body through the over-packed crowd, I make my way to the front to see better.

I catch Councilman Scar removing the first slip from the bowl right as I make it to the front.

I think I can literally feel my heart beating out of my ass with anticipation.

If my life depended on staying calm right in this moment, I would be dead as a doornail .

Breathe, Nyxi. Theo would make fun of your ass right now if he could see you. Yeah, well, this is all for you, Theo, so you can shove it—with love, of course.

Councilman Scar’s gravelly voice punctures my ears as he reads off the first nominee’s name. “Your first nominee from Vagrant Sector is…” He grunts, coughing and trying to catch his breath. “Jade Huxley.”

A blonde little thing practically skips up to the front to greet Councilman Scar.

She’s at least a couple inches shorter than me, basically the size of my pinkie finger, but she looks around the same age as me.

If I thought I was malnourished, then she looks like she hasn’t eaten a meal in weeks.

Her tan skin is evidence that she spends most her time outdoors, maybe even lives on the streets.

She wears a confident smile that borders on evil while shooting daggers with her vivid green eyes at the crowd.

I will be keeping my distance from her .

Well, I guess they are saving the best for last—if Councilman Scar lives long enough to finish this ceremony.

The old man is half kneeled over, his back arching at an abnormal angle that makes me wonder if he’s been sleeping on the same stack of pillows for a bed like I have.

His nonexistent hair must have all fallen out prior to the Empress being born, and what’s left behind is a wrinkled bald head that reminds me of another part of male anatomy. That thought makes me giggle.

There is no way my name won’t get picked with the amount of slips I sprinkled with my name into the bowl…right? Now is the time for positive thoughts only.

Theo, if you’re listening, help a girl out, please!

Tap. Tap. Tap .

Councilman Scar’s nails drag along the bottom of the bowl while he swirls the remaining names around. “Vagrant’s final nominee for the Reaper Crucible is…Victoria Bronx. ”

All the air is knocked from my lungs by two simple words . My vision blurs, and I start to sway on my feet. I think I actually might faint.

This can’t be real life.