I laugh, shaking my head at him and giving him a little shove in return, because I know he’s trying to chuff me up and give me courage. That’s what he did for the last twenty minutes, anyway – telling me how gorgeous and imposing I look, and how nicely the rose-gold crown looks on my black hair, whi
“You need to back off,” I say, taking a step forward towards the blonde and the brunette just as Anton does at my side.“We’re not afraid of you and your little wolf anymore,” the brunette snaps, glaring at me. “We know now that he’s not real –““This isn’t about him, this is about you,” I growl, gl
“Would anyone be so bold as to volunteer?” the God of Death queries, his voice pleased and curious.I lift my foot, eager to get this over with, but to my surprise someone is even faster than me.“I will,” the gorgeous brunette says, striding forward.I put my foot down, my eyebrows raised. Because
“Ah, Princess Juniper Sinclair,” the God of Death says, turning his wicked grin on me. “What a pleasant surprise. Please.”He gestures forward towards the platform and I straighten my shoulders as I walk towards it, remembering who I am - that I have every ounce of my father’s strength and my mother
“I have come before you, naked beneath this cloak,” Laila says, peeking a hand out from the slit in the side of her cloak and gesturing at herself. “But beyond this I am…unwilling to participate.”Orion glares at her in turn, taking out all his rage from me on this poor, shaking girl.God, but I cou
“Wait!” a girlish voice calls out behind us. Laila and I both spin in surprise to see three more Candidates I don’t yet know running down the path, clutching their cloaks in front of them.“What the…” I murmur, taking a step back, surprised and unsettled by their sudden appearance.“We refused too,”
“Oh, come on, I seriously doubt that I’m even Nic’s type,” I murmur, pulling off my gloves before reaching up and tugging at my crown, lifting it free of my hair and moving to my vanity to set it down.I reach up to start pulling out some pins that are sticking into my scalp when suddenly I gasp, ic
He drops his hands and looks down at me, that smile still on his face. “Donut-print pajamas?”“Yeah,” I say, putting my hands on my hips, grinning down at them, quite proud. “What, you don’t think I look delicious?”“Oh, what I think doesn’t really matter, does it?” Anton says, his voice dropping lo