Hellfire Crown by Meg Xuemei X.

CHAPTER 7

Tessa

 

 

 

 

 

 

It had almost become a tradition that the gamekeepers hosted a pre-trial party before each event. This time, the luck of the draw would be involved, and the lucky winner would have the first dance with the king.

Anxiety drummed in me, buzzing on my skin. It didn’t entirely have to do with all the women drooling over my mate, though realizing that one of them would soon claim a dance with him—wrapped in his embrace—if I didn’t win the draw, didn’t improve my mood.

It was something else altogether. It was more like I was feeling a vast black spider coming my way with a sinister purpose, closing in on me with its pre-woven and venomous web, and I was going to get caught in it.

This new threat felt alien, slimy, and suffocating; it was almost as though my ex-mate had caught up with me in person, lurking in the shadows and waiting to strike.

I held my breath, my heart pounding, cold sweat breaking out on my skin as I scanned the throng carefully.

I didn’t find anything unusual. It was the same malicious crowd, with the frenzied media shooting footage and interviewing the eager, bloodthirsty contestants who loved to be in the limelight. I’d heard the crews were looking for me; I’d become the new media darling after escaping the missile hits in the second trial.

I wrapped my ice magic tightly around me and merged into the background. Somehow the king could always spot me right away, even before the mating bond had formed between us. 

Other than the wolves, all two hundred or so elite contestants wanted me dead, but then they wanted all their other rivals dead as well, to reach the one and only crown.

After I’d suspiciously surveyed the entire hall and failed to find the source, the terrible, eerie feeling still coated my skin. I let out a sigh. Maybe I was just jumpy after the episode where I’d thought I’d beheaded my mate while riding his hot body.

I hadn’t been with him ever since, despite missing him badly. He’d protested, but I’d secured the support of his inner circle after I told them about the voice in my head.

The king had offered to cuff and chain me to the wall while he fucked me as a compromise, and I’d almost banged his thick skull with my forehead at his suggestion.

In the end, Loki had agreed to take it a little slow and see if the blood contract would cool off while we stayed away from each other, while Marigold and her demigods worked with us closely to hunt Lucifer.

I couldn’t reveal the devil’s location, magically forbidden by the blood contract.

Mari assured me that she’d take care of it. She and her mates had set up a date to travel to the Void. I was more than grateful that they would do this for Loki and me. My kin had my loyalty forever.

My gaze held Loki’s. He perched on his dark golden throne, his dukes surrounding him and talking quietly. He’d tried his best not to look in my direction, but his gaze always found me.

It was like there was now a live wire connecting us, in any space and at any time. Yet we’d kept our mating bond a secret. No one could know. Not until the day I became his queen, if I could survive that long.

A live band rocked on a side stage. A drummer hit the cymbal, indicating the time to announce the lucky winner of the draw.

Esme strolled to the stage and unfolded the draw. With a nearly unnoticeable frown, she pronounced, “Tonight’s winner, who is going to claim the first dance with King Loki, is Princess Veronica. At the end of the dance, she’ll also get a goodnight kiss from His Majesty.”

Some boos and a few cheers rippled across the hall.

My heart sank before a fit of jealous rage surged in me. I wanted to kill the vampire princess right this second. I wouldn’t allow any woman to touch my mate. Yet by sheer will, I pushed the rage down while I cursed the gamekeepers profusely. Whoever had come up with this rule and these games should die already, but then the program had been set before I’d stepped into the realm of Hell and met its king.

My jaw set. My muscles twitched. My eyes were on fire.

Loki glanced at me, feeling my jealousy and fury. For the first time, he knew it was smart not to smirk.

His fucking handsome face remained unreadable.

Veronica shrieked in joy, and her vampire guards applauded loudly for their mistress as if following the directions on a script.

The music shifted, signifying the start of the first dance.

Loki left his throne and slowly stepped down the dais, ready to accept his first dance with the vampire woman.

Veronica gazed up at the king, her hazel eyes full of undisguised lust, as if she was going to claim him or fuck him right there.

A sniff issued from beside me, and Snow White tapped my ankle with her short paw. I looked down. The Hell Cat carried a basket with half a dozen duck eggs nestled inside.

I blinked. How had she even managed that?

“You’re the best familiar, Snow White.” I grinned at her, bent down, and snatched two eggs. “And you’re the cleverest cat in the entire universe.”

“But I’ll be a girl soon,” she said proudly.

Right, she’d made a pact with the King of the Underworld.

I dashed to an opening and flung the two eggs, one after another, at Veronica. The first egg smashed onto her ass and totally ruined her scarlet gown with its sticky golden yolk. The second egg had also flown true and hit her left shoulder. The yolk dripped down.

She halted her advance toward the king, two paces from him. 

The hall was stunned into silence; even the band had stopped playing.

Veronica wiped her butt with one hand and brought it to her front to take a look. The next second, she unleashed a shriek of fury, and laughter broke out in the hall. It was a vicious act, but it was kind of funny as well, I had to admit.

The vampire princess turned, looking murderous as she sought the evildoer who was ruining her night. I took the opportunity and threw a third egg at her. I never missed a target, and I didn’t disappoint this time either. The egg slammed into her, shattering between her breasts, which were half-revealed by her red gown.

When I looked to the cat to get more eggs, Snow White was gone. I frowned and searched for her, only to see her hopping from one head to the next, dragging the small basket of eggs behind her, causing the owners of the heads to curse her all around the hall.

If the cat could have, she would’ve shown them the middle finger.

A white mass flew toward the fuming Veronica, and the rest of the eggs dropped on her head, messing up her elaborate, fancy hairdo.

A rivulet of yolk dripped down the vampire princess’s face.

Veronica screamed again as she swept her hand over her face, only to smear her perfect makeup. Two of her goons rushed to help her clean up, to no avail.

The rest of her guards wanted to show their mistress that they had something to do as well by chasing the Hell Cat.

“Snowflake!” Loki let out a light laugh before warning her sternly, “Stop fucking around. This is the last warning.”

“But where was the first warning?” the cat huffed, tossing the remaining eggs at the vampire minions before she vanished.

“Tessa did this to me,” Veronica continued to shriek. “That bitch ruined my day again!”

“Unfortunately, we have no solid evidence, Princess Veronica,” Loki said, putting on a falsely rueful expression. “Under the circumstances, we’ll have to cancel the dance. You might want to change into a new gown.” He stepped back, scanned the crowd, and clasped his hands. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s free dance time. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

His midnight gaze found me, full of desire and dry amusement, and I winked.

His eyes grew hooded, and heat rose to my middle. He didn’t come to me; nor did I go to him. We’d promised not to show affection toward each other in public, even though I was already a target. Illusion or not, we still wanted to keep the damage to a minimum.

Esme whisked toward Loki like the wind, standing on her toes to whisper something in his ear. He bent down to accommodate her and listened attentively. He nodded twice before he straightened and glanced in my direction. And then the duo left together in a hurry.

Just as I was wondering if I should trail after them discreetly and find out what they were up to, the Duke of Envy suddenly popped up in front of me, blocking my view.

“Lady Tessa,” he started, flashing a disarming smile that had absolutely no effect on me. He knew it too, yet he did it anyway. “Mind me keeping you company?”

“I do, and your company isn’t required,” I said, trying to get past him.

“You wound my feelings, milady, but I have my orders,” the duke sighed. “So I must keep you entertained.”

Leviathan started tap dancing around me, putting himself in my path.