| |
BY THE TIME THAT VEDA was sent to fetch me for the elaborate dinner with all the contenders I was perfectly poised. My lips were plumped, my lashes were long, and the wing of my eyeliner was sharp enough to kill. I had to admit that I'd missed getting dressed up and lavishing myself with perfect hair and makeup. I had enjoyed it when I was in my teens, but when my father passed away and I became the sole caretaker of my mother my hobbies had to take a back seat.
I forgot how good it felt to get all dolled up. How empowering it felt to be in charge of how I looked. How good I felt when I had time to myself, solely to devote to self-care. It was therapeutic really.
I stood in the mirror and stared at the finished product. My bright red lips, flawless curls, and sexy red dress were definitely show stopping. Hell, if I saw me walking from across a room I'd stop and stare.
But while it was fun to get to spend time on myself, it would have felt a hell of a lot better if it wasn't for such a messed-up reason. The expensive dress and lavish makeup were all basically funded with blood money and I was drenched in it. I had gotten so lost in enjoying it that I almost forgot the real point of it all- to win this sick and twisted game. It turned out in order to do that I had to be even more sick and twisted than the other competitors.
But was I capable of that? Would they believe all of this?
Veda must have read my mind from across the room. Her girl senses were going off, I could tell by the way her face softened as she stood leaned against the doorway. She knew the struggle of what I was feeling. I was sure that every woman had at some point in their lives.
She made her way to me and glanced at the both of us together in the mirror. Standing next to one another we both looked like we could have been the stars of a hit porn film. Sexy maid meets Jessica Rabbit.
"All it is, is a part to play. You're an actress, and this is your debut role. The only thing standing between you and that Oscar is yourself."
I perked up at her words. I hadn't thought of it like that.
"You decide. Is this going to be a million-dollar movie, or a budget film?" She raised a brow at me and her brown eyes sparkled. For a second I wondered what her story was. What brought her here, a human called to play among the vampires.
She was right. Every time I met a person here it was for the first time. Sure I felt like a fraud. I knew that this wasn't me, but they didn't. I was in charge of what version of Scarlett they got, and tonight they were getting the sexual goddess.
I smiled back and fixed my lipstick in the mirror one last time.
"You ready Scarlett?" Veda called form the hall.
"Yeah but call me Scar." I smirked.
Veda smirked back understandingly and nodded.
***
IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT I was the last to make it back to the grand dining room by how loud the laughter and drinking was. When you take over a dozen men, with over half of them in their last days, add booze, food and exotic women, what you have left is pure chaos. As we approached the hall it became more important.
"Uhh- Am I late?" I asked nervously over the commotion. I was finding it hard not to trip and speak coherently at the same time. I hadn't worn a pair of high heels in ages and my feet were making sure that I knew it.
And the dress was so tight that it was almost hard to breathe.
"Fashionably." Veda smiled. "I wanted to give you the best shot at a grand entrance that I could. You only get one shot at that you know."
It made sense. But why was she helping me? What did she gain?
Don't tell me they slaughter the handmaids too if I don't win.
At that point I wouldn't have put anything past the ruthless governors. They were merciless. I doubted that the slaughter of their help was beneath them.
We made it to the entryway of the dining hall and stopped at the top of the small set of stairs that lead down into the eating area. In front of us was a long metallic dining table covered with more delights than I cared to count. There were hams, and roasts and fruits and rolls- pretty much everything from that pyramid that they're forced to teach you in school that no one ever uses again. Around the table were the contenders, three from each triad excluding three of course. Splashed amongst them were scantily clad women who hung from their arms and grasped their chests, no doubt their bed mates for the duration of the stay at the manor. My breath stuttered as my eyes slid down the table and fell on Drax. He was hard to miss in his bright red suit. I hadn't expected to see him at a dinner that didn't involve illegal drugs or sex, then again the girl that was all over him was probably there to fix that last part.
Oh no. My eyes fell on who sat beside Drax- Colt and Finn Rivera. The vampire playboy twins who were set to inherent triads two and one. My stomach churned at the sight of all of them together.
What the hell are they all here for? My entire life nearly every media story surrounded them. They were the crowned princes of New York City and up until now all they ever delighted themselves in was women, magical drugs, and senseless killings. I supposed that it made sense for them to start to show at least a little interest in the family businesses of governing, before they got their silver spoons ripped from between their fangs.
And finally at the end of the table sat the three governors. Surprisingly they were throwing back beers too, laughing along with the others. It was odd to see them in such an unprofessional setting. All the times I had ever seen them on the television they were so somber and cold. Now, if I hadn't known better, they almost would have blended in with the crowd. They could almost pass for something than blood sucking sociopaths with a power complex.
I took a deep breath. I needed to chill. At that moment Scarlett's political activist side was crawling its way out, but that wasn't what I needed. I needed Scar, and her carefree sex appeal.
I'm Scar now. I'm Scar now. I'm Scar. I repeated in my head.
Veda cleared her throat loudly over the commotion and everyone to look in our direction.
"Introducing, Lady Scar." She said with a bow. She turned to make her way back down the hallway that we had come from and she made wide eyes at me to say something- do anything other than stand there like a fool. A series of whoops, whistles, and cat calls emerged. I imitated my best sexy stair walk and let the dress and the shoes together do something magical to my curves. It was working, even the governors had a twinge of interest in their eyes.
"Oh please, don't make all that fuss over me boys." I did my best to make my voice sound as smooth and sexy as possibly. I flashed a coy smile. "Now which of you gentleman is going to give up his seat for the lady?" I raised a brow.
Nearly all the contenders raised their hands into the air. They were practically tripping over each other just for the chance to offer up their seat for me, to win points hopefully redeemable for a rendezvous in my bed no doubt. I didn't mind all the fuss, it was trying to keep a straight face when these men acted a fool that was the hard part.
"Eenie, meenie, minie," I made my way around the table and every so light ran my fingertip over each one’s shoulder. "You." I stopped at an ashy blonde with a chiseled chin and arms to match. "What's a lady got to do to get your seat?" I kissed the side of his face lightly, leaving a bright red kiss mark behind in its place.
"Oh nothing honey, I have the best seat in the house for you right here." He winked and pulled me into his lap.
I giggled and played along but inside I had to keep myself from gagging at his response. Around me the other players ogled me, I even got a passing glance from Drax, Colt, and Finn every once in a while. It wasn't my favorite imaginary role, and if I had been given the choice I would have been as far away from any of it as possible but given the circumstances I was doing pretty well at my self-induced undercover mission.
I'd finally convinced the blonde guy to get his ass out of the chair and let me sit in it freely when the waiters finally pulled the plates from the table and started to file in with the dessert dishes. I thought that I was impressed with the dinner they served, but the dessert selection made the dinner look like the McDonald's dollar menu. There were types of cakes, pies, and cookies that I didn't even know existed. I didn't know where to start, and just as I was going to reach for a cookie I stopped.
Mind games. That's all the trials were. And I almost didn't see it, but the mind games didn't start when the competition bell would ring and the trials began. It was more sadistic than that. For the contenders that mind games started the second the governors picked our names from the running and declared us officially summoned. Out of the side of my eyes I glanced down at the Governors. They mumbled amongst themselves but one, the governor of triad two eyed me cautiously before leaning in to whisper something.
The mind games had already started, and the first was pumping us full of decadent food and sweets, slowly eroding out health and fitness right before they unleashed us into a to the death killing match against one another.
"Excuse me?" I held my hand up catching a waiter’s attention. "Could I just get a small salad please? I'm trying to watch my carbs." Out of the corner of my eye I saw the governor's eyebrow raise.
Shit. Recover, Recover. You can't let them know you're on to the games they're trying to play.
"All the weight I gain always goes right to my boobs." I lied. "And I'm trying to keep them just the perfect size." I ran my fingers over them and the guys around me did their best not to let me know that they were mesmerized by the simple words.
They stared, but I didn't care. Whatever got them less focused on my brain and the actual threat that I could pose was worth it.
I stuck it out through the rest of the meal even though it almost hurt to act so shallow for so long. It took so much energy to put on the show that by the end of the dessert course my cheeks hurt from smiling and my eyes watered from all the fake laughing I forced myself to do.
"Well boys," I feigned a yawn. It's about time for me to retire to my room. A girl’s got to get her beauty sleep." I smirked. It was exhausting but the longer I stayed in "character" the easier it was to be Scar, and the men were eating it up.
Drax eyed me from across the room suspiciously. "Let me escort you. A pretty lady like you shouldn't have to walk alone." He smug smirk spread across his face and I shuddered internally.
"I would love that."
Not.
I got up from the table and being the first to leave all eyes were on me. Drax met me around the other side of the table and held his arm out. I obliged and tangled mine with his and we made our way back to the room.
My mind was racing and my thoughts didn't know which way to go.
What does he want with me? He wouldn't dare kill me, would he? No, he wouldn't go through all that trouble.
"Well, this is my stop." I smiled meekly. "I'm so tired." I stepped inside and tried to shut the door but he wedged his designer shoe inside.
I looked up and our eyes met. This close to him I realized that I'd never seen a shade of brown as deep as it. They say eyes are the window to the soul, but that couldn't be true because blood suckers couldn't have souls. Could they?
"Won't you invite me in?" He smiled and his fangs glistened. I didn't want to admit that something twinged inside of me at the sight of the gorgeous playboy practically begging to be close to me.
"Sure." I forced myself to smile.
What's a few minutes to calm his suspicion? I reasoned.
He stepped inside and closed the door tightly.
"Right, so how about you tell me what the hell you think you're doing?"