Thirty minutes after the seemingly endless flow of mages settled in around their designated seats, the event started.

I would like to claim that I was somewhat prepared for everything, but the rug was pulled from underneath my feet... again.

There were seven other aspiring ladies bar me, including a familiar face I was having a hard time placing.

The MC, we are going to call him that, called everyone onto the stage one by one, each time giving well-detailed histories and heaps upon heaps of praises.

If I was really into this competition, it would be very disheartening. They were all a bunch of high achievers, which made me wonder what exactly they were going to say about me.

“and our final mate runner, Mahina Dracon, an exquisite girl if I could say so, nice child-bearing figure, a master in arts and a pure, benevolent soul.”

I was seething in my seat, nice childbearing figure? What was this? A slave auction? I would show them a benevolent soul.

“Where is she from?” comes from the crowd making me pause my murderous thoughts and turn curiously to the stage along with everyone else, yeah, where was I from bastard

“Mahina is originally from here, having grown up in the palace alongside the royal family before her parents fully moved to earth.”

“The fuck!”

I turn to see if anyone else bought that bunch of hogwash, only to find half the girls glaring at me, the closest one to me not even bothering to hide her sneer.

“you got something to say?” I ask steeling my back and giving her my best glare.

Huffing she turns back to the front her posture turning haughty.

Bitch.

I am on autopilot for the rest of the event, just following whatever the rest do which is not much, turns out, the opening ceremony is us being paraded around like prized cattle so that the masses could pick a favourite... someone to root for.

My mind drifts to Nyx, was he still hurt? Was he coming back... was he okay? He had helped keep thoughts of Thorne Academy and most importantly Knox away.

How was my little boy, I hope he was okay, it’s not the first time I have left him alone, we toured a lot in the past year, but it was the first time in an unknown place, Nona Ellie being there was the only thing keeping me sane.

A prickling at the back of my neck has me looking around to find the culprit only to lock eyes with Darian.

I would like to think his stare was creepy, but it was more inquisitive and baffled like he couldn’t figure out why I was there, which is weird since he had me brought here in the first place... if the royal assholes were to be believed.

Speaking of... I search around the crowded room for the gorgeous triplets, they really were, just because I didn’t like them didn’t mean I was blind, I spot Cain first; he was standing with one of the candidates; they looked cosy.

As if he could feel my eyes, he turns, and I watch fascinated as his face turns into a scowl; I think he could have twisted it further if it had been physically possible.

Chuckling I look for his brothers and find them standing on one side of the room, a clear boundary between them and the rest of the crowd, whether instinctive or demanded, no idea though I was leaning towards the former.

Ryder and Eislyn were with them along with the guy from the first day, Brae...something like that.

I take a moment to figure out what they were studying so intently. Did I have something on my face? Did I suddenly sprout wings? Was I glowing? What’s with the looks?

I raise an eyebrow in question and Dain smirks, turning to his brother to whisper something, Jain replies face stoic, and the humour dissolves from Dain’s face.

Well fuck this, I wasn’t getting a migraine thinking about things I couldn’t control.

Mind made up I turn my sole focus on the doors that would lead me out of this place, I had survived far longer than I thought I would.

I set off weaving in between bodies until I finally get to the door. I ignore the scowling guard and just as I’m about to escape, a voice comes from behind me.

“First, I thought you had some secret affair with one of the Princes, so this was punishment, but the king seems a little too obsessed with you to be a game, then the vague details about your past and the fact that despite the heavy cloaking I can still smell the human in you... something is not right... so who exactly are you little girl?”

I had turned in the middle of the spiel trying to figure out if they addressed it to me, it was, now outside, I study the fine male specimen that had followed me outside fighting to gather my thoughts and process what he had just spewed.

The man was absolutely breathtaking, tall, lean but muscular, with aquamarine eyes that seemed to glow and hair so black it almost seemed blue tied back into a severe ponytail.

He was dressed like some deity, I couldn’t remember the name of the outfit, it was somewhere in my head but I had no desire to find it right now.

The pouty lips I hadn’t realised I was staring at spread to reveal the most beautiful smile I had ever seen, even his teeth were perfect... was that a fang?

My eyes fly to his baffled only to see the beautiful aquamarine glow golden before reverting back.

“What...”

“That was a flattering description, thank you.”

Woooah! Even his voice was a masterpiece, who was he?

The smile spreads.

Wait, a damn minute... “can you read my thoughts?” I ask horrified.

“sometimes, but you are practically yelling in my head.”

I start singing the first song that comes to my head, Idol... by BTS of course, don’t judge me, it was a reflex.

“talented boys, I love their music,”

My jaw... it drops.

Sputtering I try to form the words but end up thinking them instead.

“you know them?”

“of course.”

He has moved closer now, only a few inches separating us, I have to twist my head all the way back to look at him, man; I have never felt so short in my life.

“Again, little one, who exactly are you and why do you smell...”

A blast of wind hit my upturned face and I realise the man just vanished, a second later the door bursts open Ryder and Eislyn pour out.

I turn to scan the garden, “smell? Smell what? You can’t leave a girl hanging like that, man.”

“Who are you talking to?”

“the beautiful man who just followed me outside, you know tall, hair darker than night?”

Their baffled looks confuse me.

“Who?”

“He was here just now.”

“Mahina... you walked out alone, the guards at the door called us because they said you seemed confused because you were standing alone talking to yourself.”

“I thought you’d finally had it, and your brain had checked out, that’s why we came rushing out, you know...before anything happens,” Ryder finishes with a telling look.

I scowl, that was one time, jerk.