My friends and I joined hands, looking out over the gathering of bright-eyed boys and a few of the girls who’d come to watch the awards ceremony.
Titus was announced as top-scorer and Dann as the second-place winner.
They received applause and what appeared to be sincere congratulations from the onlookers as well as their fellow competitors.
Then Elias’ name was announced as the third-place winner. The reaction seemed to be mixed. Some people looked genuinely happy for him. Others, not so much.
As he’d predicted, some people apparently resented the fact he’d won eligibility.
Well, I’d be eternally grateful he’d risked their disapproval and decided to compete. Whichever guy I ended up with as my champion, I was better off. I mean, I didn’t know the other two guys, but there was no way either of them could be as vile as Speck.
Elias very well may have saved my life today.
“And now… the Choosing,” the head arbiter announced grandly. He swept a hand toward me and my friends. “Will the champions please step forward and make your selections? As top-scorer, Titus will have first pick.”
I stood between Ketta and Jolie, and they both squeezed my hands simultaneously. I squeezed back, my hands trembling. Beneath my long dress, my legs were shaking, too.
Watching the champions look us over, I wondered what criteria the winners of the Trials used to make their decisions. Was it just based on appearance? Since we hadn’t been allowed to mix with the Haven’s population, they didn’t even know us.
I guessed it didn’t really matter. We had no say in this ridiculous process—not until our time to choose arrived. Then, according to Elias, we could choose to reject whichever “champion” had picked us and move on to someone who might be a better fit.
It’s okay. No matter who chooses you, it’s temporary. Just get through tonight.
I was going to say the same thing to my friends, but Titus stepped forward and smiled at us. He waited a beat then pointed at Ketta. She beamed and let out a little squeal, hopping up and down.
Walking up to her, he extended a hand. “Ketta… will you accept me as your champion?”
She nodded rapidly, grinning ear to ear, and Titus put his hands on her waist, lifted her from the platform, and set her feet on the ground before leading her away.
Ketta didn’t even look back.
Jolie and I huddled together now. It was Dann’s turn. He stepped up in front of the platform and didn’t even hesitate.
“Jolie,” he said and burst into a smile.
I heard her breath whoosh out, but when I turned to look at her face, she didn’t look terrified or dismayed. She looked happy.
She moved toward the edge of the platform and offered him her hand.
“Yes,” she wheezed, and he helped her down. Unlike Ketta, she did turn and wave at me over her shoulder before disappearing into the crowd with him.
Now I stood on the stage alone, suffused in a weird feeling. I wasn’t jealous of my friends—I didn’t want to be here in the first place.
But being the last one standing wasn’t easy.
On one hand, Elias, who would be my champion by default, was a known quantity. I felt sure he wouldn’t hurt me, and that was good.
On the other hand, he had no choice in the matter either.
Who would he have chosen if he’d had the highest score? No one would ever know.
He stood with a group of guys, laughing about something. As he stepped away from them, one of them slapped him on the back.
“Sorry, dude,” he said.
A wave of nausea rolled over me, and my face instantly went flame hot. No doubt its color matched its temperature. I had never been so mortified in my life.
Elias, who’d been so obvious earlier today about wanting to get rid of me, was now stuck with me. All his friends realized it.
They felt sympathy for him.
Though the head arbiter had called this the Choosing, Elias had no real choice. He was the third place finisher, and I was the only “prize” left after the others had been chosen.
He chuckled at his companions’ continued teasing before walking up to the stage and making the obligatory offer. Lifting one brow, he dipped his head in a sarcastic bow.
“Will you accept me as your champion, Mireya?”
Everything inside me wanted to scream, “No!” and run from the platform, from the Haven, out into the dark woods where I could hide and complete the process of dying from humiliation.
But I looked down at myself, realizing I wouldn’t get very far in this impractical getup. I’d need supplies, too, before striking out on my own, and a map of some kind, a compass…
No, that wouldn’t work. I couldn’t leave my friends—at least not until I was sure they were both happy with their new lots in life. And there was still the matter of figuring out where else I could even go without being captured and forced onto Gideon’s dissection table.
The truth was, I was just as stuck as Elias was.
Forcing a small, “yes” from my lips, I allowed him to help me off the platform.
He smiled at me as if he was actually happy about the way things had worked out. I guessed receiving recognition for your strength and skills was a heady thing—even if you got stuck with the consolation prize.
Or maybe he was performing for the crowd?
Elias raised a hand in thanks for the applause, wished everyone a good night, then turned back to me.
“You ready to go home, my little trophy?”
I shot him a death glare, and he laughed.
“Congratulations on your victory,” I said. Then dropping the sarcasm, I added, “You competed well.”
“Thanks. I think if I’d gotten an earlier start and beat the rain, I could have gotten top score—and top choice in the Choosing.”
Ouch. So he was disappointed.
Well, at least the Eligibility Trials system allowed for circumstances like this. As soon as Elias and I got back to his tent, I’d let him off the hook.
And then it hit me.
Speck was the fourth place finisher. If I rejected Elias, Speck would be next in line.
Unless one of my friends rejected her champion first and ended up with him, but I didn’t think that was likely based on the looks on their faces tonight. They’d both seemed thrilled.
I, on the other hand, was not. I mean, the whole thing was stupid, but who wants to be last choice?
As we walked, I cut my eyes over at Elias. “Why did you enter?”
His answering glance was playful. “Why do you think?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking.”
“I thought it would be obvious to you.”
When I held my hands up to the sides and shook my head, he took a deep breath and blew it out.
“Okaaaay… well, Speck has been a problem since the inception of the Haven. He’s spent plenty of time in our holding tent—that’s our version of a jail. If I didn’t believe he’d go directly to the authorities and turn us in, I would have expelled him a long time ago. Basically, he’s safer where I can see him.”
Elias went on as we climbed the next ladder. “I didn’t think he had a chance in the games today, but when I realized he was going to end up in the winner’s circle and take part in the Choosing… well, I don’t know your two friends well, but I do know none of you deserve that guy.”
“Thank you.”
I probably should have said it earlier, but my pride was still a little tender.
“I’m grateful you decided to compete.” There was a long pause as I decided whether to admit the rest of it. “I’m sorry you’re disappointed.”
“Disappointed?”
“That you came in third and got stuck with me as a ‘prize.’ Obviously I wasn’t the most attractive choice,” I said.
Elias’ lips twisted in apparent amusement. “Oh well. Win some, lose some. So… how should we celebrate my victory?”
The look he shot me was filled with devilish suggestion. My mouth dropped open, and he laughed.
“Just kidding. I actually have some post-games business I have to take care of with the arbiters. No rest for the boss—Trials champion or not. I’m just walking you home first. I’ll have a bath drawn for you. I may or may not be back before you fall asleep.”
“Oh.” And now I was disappointed.
What is wrong with me?
I chalked it up to an emotional day. Things had turned out extremely differently than I’d expected. It was understandable to be a bit discombobulated. By tomorrow I’d have my head on straight again, and I’d be able to figure out my next step.
Elias left me at the tent door, where his guard Derrick was already standing guard. Derrick congratulated Elias on his victory, and once he’d left, smiled at me for the first time. I guessed I was neutral territory now that I’d been “claimed.”
“I’m glad you and Elias are together officially now,” Derrick said.
Baffled, I asked, “Why?”
“You’re good for him.”
My heart warmed until he added, “Like… a sleeping pill, you know?
My nights on guard duty are a lot more pleasant when I don’t have to listen to his yelling.”
“Thanks,” I deadpanned. It was a dubious compliment, but what did I expect?
I went into the tent where a short time later two guys came in with heated water and filled the tub.
Then a girl I’d never met entered, carrying a basket of flowers. “Hi, I’m Sirona.”
She poured the blooms over the steaming water. A beautiful floral fragrance filled the tent.
“Thanks.”
“No problem. Just following orders,” she said. “You’re lucky. My champion has never ordered a flower bath for me.”
With an eyebrow waggle, she said, “Have a good night,” in a sing-song tone and left the tent.
What was that all about?
She must have interpreted Elias’ order as a romantic gesture. Little did she know he wasn’t even planning on being here tonight—not until I was long asleep anyway.
The bath did look inviting, though. I undressed and sank into the tub, sighing with pleasure at the soothing heat and fragrance.
I’d barely gotten out and was toweling off when I heard the tent flap open. Heart thundering, I gripped the fabric around me.
Was someone delivering dinner or something? I was hungry, but these people needed to learn to knock.
It wasn’t a messenger or someone acting on Elias’ orders but Elias himself. He walked into the tent and stopped short as he caught sight of me white-knuckling my towel.
“Uh… hi.” His eyes did a slow circuit up and down my body. My belly somersaulted, and my heart gave an extra thump.
“What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming back until later.”
“Sorry. I uh… finished early,” Elias said. “Thought I’d bring you some food.”
He lifted the tray in his hands. It held plates and dishes of various sizes.
Shifting from one foot to the other, I tugged at the bottom of the towel to make sure it covered me adequately.
“Okay. Looks good. Thanks. Could you please… would you mind…”
My voice trailed off, but Elias got the message. “Oh. Sure. Of course.”
He set down the tray and turned around, heading for the tent door.
A few minutes later I was dressed for bed and now ravenous thanks to the smell of food coming from the tray.
“You can come back in,” I called out. “If you want to.”
Elias ducked back inside, a wary look on his face. When his eyes met mine, he smiled.
“Sorry I caught you off guard,” he said again. “I couldn’t exactly send a holoconn message to warn you I was on my way home.”
“It’s okay. You’re used to coming and going as you please, and you should be. It’s your tent.”
“Yours too now—if you want,” he added hastily. “It’s your choice.”
Not sure how to respond, I simply said, “Okay… what’s for dinner?”
He smiled. “Take your pick. I brought a little of everything. We could have gone down to the meal tent, but people are in a partying mood tonight, and some of the ‘unsuccessful’ candidates have been pounding the home-brew all evening. A few of the guys here have no filter— you might have been subjected to some crude remarks.”
At my raised brows, he said, “Don’t worry, they’ll sober up and simmer down in a few days. The games get everyone all worked up. It passes with time as they get back into their usual routines.”
As we ate, we discussed the Trials. Elias again expressed dismay over the timing of the rain but said that overall it had been a good day.
I searched for any signs of this morning’s irritation, of the grouchiness he’d displayed before the competition, but I couldn’t detect any. It was strange. He’d said he was eager to get “all this over with.”
Now that it was over, he seemed… content? Satisfied? I couldn’t figure it out.
After dinner, my nerves from earlier today made a comeback. It was almost bed time. Were things going to be different now between us?
Maybe that was why Elias was in such a good mood.
It wasn’t hard to figure out what the ‘crude remarks’ in the food tent might have been about.
Remembering Speck’s threats before the Trials, how he’d vowed to have me naked in his bed and “take” me, I deduced that the champions usually expected to sleep with the girls they’d “won.”
I knew Elias wasn’t attracted to me like that—otherwise his friends wouldn’t have felt sorry for him—but still, there weren’t enough girls to go around at the Haven.
Maybe he’d decided something was better than nothing.
Would he expect to claim that something tonight? My heart thudded heavily, creating echoes in my chest cavity and ears.
As Elias moved about the tent, preparing for bed, I was jumpy, on guard, ready to deflect any move he might try to make.
He didn’t try. Not once.
He didn’t even bring up the subject or make a single suggestive remark.
Finally, I got into bed, equal parts anticipating and dreading the moment he’d join me under the covers. That was probably when it would happen.
He’d try to claim his “prize,” and I’d inform him I was nobody’s prize, that I hadn’t decided yet what to do about this whole situation.
