Page 190 of Blood Day

Oh, I would not have as fortune a fate as him. Our scores were similar, but Cedric had already told me that I would never qualify.

Because none of it was truly based on scoring.

My knees shook as I started forward, my attention on the path ahead and then the stairs.

I quickly attempted to search for Cedric, but the royals and alphas were just as shadowed on the stage as they were from the crowd. I could only see Lilith on her throne, her golden hair gleaming beneath the moonlight.

I quickly averted my gaze, not wanting to draw any more attention to myself.

Of course, she was already staring since I was next.

I hoped she hadn’t noticed my interest.

I hoped it wouldn’t be used against me.

I hope I survive this.

The Magistrate didn’t look at me like he did at Six. Instead, he kept his focus on his script.Not a good sign, I thought, swallowing as I knelt.

He cleared his throat and shuffled his papers a little,drawing out the moment while my pulse thudded wildly in my ears.

“Moon chase,” he announced.

Moon chase,I repeated, my heart stopping in my chest.I’m… I’m going to the moon chase.

Chapter 39

Cedric

“Moon chase.”The Magistrate’s declaration echoed through my mind.

What. The. Fuck?

I glanced at Khalid, but he was hiding inside his dark robes, his focus on the stage. Hell, he might have even been sleeping.

Traitor.

It took serious effort not to react to this deception.We had a deal, I thought. Lily was supposed to go to the harem camps, whereby he would choose her. Then I would follow them back to his region and shift loyalties.

I should never have trusted him.

However, after helping him handle Emine, I’d thought we had an agreement. Apparently not. He was still playing with me. Pushing me to prove my worth in ways I didn’t understand.

But maybe it was his turn to prove his worth to me.

Silvano grunted beside me, his focus on his tablet, not Lily’s wilting form.Fuck,she looked startled. Broken.Alone.

But I couldn’t engage our link. I couldn’t risk anyone noticing our connection. Especially Silvano.

“Maybe this one?” He pointed to a prospect’s nude photo on the screen. She had dark red hair and creamy skin. Prospect Seven Hundred and Three. She was destined for the Immortal Cup but marked clearly as harem potential.

This whole damn day was one giant fucking charade. Twelve candidates would be chosen to compete, but before their battle started, the royals and alphas would all be given the opportunity to pick a new fuck toy from the pool of candidates.

Only a handful of them were labeled as off-limits.

And the beauty on the screen was not one of them.

I shrugged, feigning disinterest. Because I didn’t care at all whom he picked, not with myErositabeing escorted down the aisle by a Vigil.