Empire of Deceit

Chapter 6: The Challenger

Warmth enveloped me when I woke. For a moment, I felt at peace. For a moment, I relaxed.

My eyes flickered open to the sight of a bare chest. I couldn't help but run my fingers over the smooth texture of Ammon's dark skin. It was satisfying to see his abdomen muscles flex in response.

"Stop it." Ammon's breath brushed over my ear. "It tickles," he added, with a chuckle.

I rolled around so that I lay on my stomach, somewhat on top of him. His eyes sparkled as they appraised me in my slightly disheveled state.

"Does it really?" I questioned, my voice light and airy.

"Mhmm," he said with a nod, leaning up to brush his lips against mine.

"So, Veya, idea—Oh by Tiek, I'm sorry."

I winced at the sound of Indigo's voice. I turned my head, and the way her cheeks darkened to a royal blue made me smirk. After all, how many times had these roles been reversed?

"I'm just going to... yeah," she turned and bolted out of my room.

I felt Ammon's chest rise up and down as he chuckled again. I glanced to see him quirking a brow.

"I take it that that's my cue to leave?" He questioned.

"If you want."

He reached for my nightstand and checked the time on his phone. His expression changed from playful to solemn in an instant.

"It looks like I have to."

I nodded in understanding and shifted myself off of him. As he went around the room and pulled on his pants and shirt from the night before, he paused before looking over at me.

"Could we possibly do this again?"

I smirked. "As long as you have my number."

He tossed me his phone, unlocked, and I carefully added myself into his many contacts. My eyes could not help but catch the name 'Abeo' listed above mine, but I thought nothing of it.

As I handed it back to him, he leaned down and kissed me on the cheek.

"I'll text you," he promised, before leaving my room.

I waited until I heard the front door close. "Indigo?" I called out.

The Naiad rushed straight back into my room, her eyes dazzling with delight. "Oh. My. Gods. Veya, you did that."

I felt my cheeks warm as my mind ran through the night's activities. I shrugged. "It's nothing. Just casual hooking up."

Indigo took care in sitting on top of my bed, making small tsk's as she shook her head. "Veya, you're incapable of not falling for someone if you hook up with them multiple times. Remember Taron?"

My heart skipped a beat and my cheeks warmed. "He was—that was a different situation."

Indigo looked at me the same way I had looked at her when she tried to go back to Asher. "Sure it was. So," she drummed her fingers on her thighs, "what's the game plan for today?"

"Lay in bed and watch TV?"

She stared at me for a minute. I feared she was going to force me to get off my ass and go hiking or meditate or something spiritual.

She shocked me though.

"Okay, just... lay a towel down where he was. Oh, and please put some clothes on." She promptly left my room.

I got out of my bed, my knees buckling slightly as I walked over to my bureau and grabbed a tank top and underwear. I then found a clean towel, which I laid beside me on the bed. By the time I was snuggled in my blankets again, Indigo had returned, dressed down from her usual get up with her hair in a messy bun.

"What should we watch?" she said.

"Hmm..."

Three movies later, we were still very much awake, but this time more chatty.

"So you're telling me Lord Callahan doesn't know about Lady Callahan, and Lady Callahan doesn't know about Lord Callahan?"

Indigo nodded excitedly. "It's hilarious. They tip me an extra good amount to keep the secret from one another." She giggled. "It's so exciting actually."

I sighed and shook my head. My mind began to wander. "Why didn't you try to enter the Praelium? Get away from your job?"

She scoffed. "And have the entire nation—no, the entire world judging me for it? That's not something I can handle. I would be seen as a disgrace to all Naiads. The ones here barely tolerate me as it is."

She went silent for a moment. "Why won't you do it, Aveya? What secrets could they possibly dig up on you?"

Flashes of memories sped through my mind. "I think you have an inkling of an idea."

I felt her eyes turn to me. "Your name is like Ares'—I mean Amir's? A fake?"

I nodded. "When we came to this country, they of course needed our actual names. But—we didn't want to be reminded of our pasts so we changed them."

"What's yours then?"

"Arerias." It flowed so easily along my tongue. My mind reeled for a minute as I remembered the family I had left behind, of my father.

"So, can I call you Rei?"

I glanced over at her. "Why would you wanna do that?"

She smiled, softly. "Names are important. They're who we are. Sure, if you changed it for a better reason, I'd understand, but I can tell there's a larger story than you're saying. The fact of the matter is that you're scared of it, and as your friend I can't let you be a punk ass bitch."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Fine, but I want it noted that I don't mind being a punk ass bitch sometimes."

At my shift that night, I was placed on clean up duty. The crowd was, for whatever reason, becoming a bit more restless the later the time got. It had gotten to the point where beer bottles were being thrown at the TV's, which were, thankfully, made from a special unbreakable glass from Iruhbet.

"What's going on?" I asked, when one of the waitresses came by asking for refills.

As I was making the drinks, she said, "The Challenge starts tonight."

"So, they're excited?" They looked more angry to me.

She shook her head. "No one knows who is going to be in it until tonight."

"But, they have to at least have an idea?"

"Nope." I handed her the drinks. "Wait, didn't your brother get arrested?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but by then the crowd became much rowdier. I looked to see the TV's had changed from blank screens to showcase a long-bearded dwarf dressed in a fancy mauve suit sitting beside a dryad dressed in an extravagant gown. Both sat in front of a camera, their faces solemn.

"Welcome, viewers. I am Volen Swyger," said the dwarf.

"And I am Rhea," said the dryad.

The dwarf continued. "As the Praelium draws near, and the first week of the Month of Songs comes closer, it is officially time for the announcement of this year's Challenge competitors."

The dryad's eyes hardened. "The Challenge, as you all know, is a competition for freedom and redemption for crimes committed against the Crown. All participants are criminals.

"Twenty-one criminals have been randomly chosen throughout the Isles to participate. Today, we will interview each of them to discover why they were convicted, and why they think they deserve to be free."

I started cleaning a glass a waitress handed to me.

The camera panned to five rows of couches, each one raised higher than the one in front of it.

      Crash.

All eyes turned to me.

      No, no, no.

"Aveya..." Axel gripped my arm.

      Oh gods, no.

Amir sat in the center of the group. His chin high as he stared the camera head-on.