So let me get this straight,” Frederick said, after sipping on his tenth cocktail of the night. It didn’t have any alcohol in it—he didn’t react well to it, like me. Darmar weren’t that resistant to alcohol. “The princes… they come to your room every night, to help you out with work?” That had been a great stress reliever for me. “And Rylan likes to have you by his side before bedtime, before he heads off to his own room? You little she-devil. You’ve been keeping this all to yourself?”

“Sh!” I replied.

There were people all around us, and the scholar next to me gave us a weird look. It was starting to become no secret the princes and I had something going on. I tried not to let the rumor affect me too much, and denied it with everything I had—even though I was lying through my teeth.

The council was having its annual ball, and it had come at a timely moment, a few weeks before the vote. It was supposed to give us candidates time to mingle. I’d already done my fair share and was taking a breath, but Mei was still going strong, surrounded by people from commerce. I was actually starting to get worried she might win.

Frederick had moved on from his cocktail and to eating an inca-dog. He said over chewing, “And you said nothing happened.” He gestured with his dog as he spoke.

I winced. “Nothing more than that happened.”

“That’s already a dragon’s load! Tell me more.”

“Micah loves sweet foods. Candy of all sorts, and I think his lips are the softest.”

“You’ve kissed them.” Frederick looked like he was about to faint. He fanned himself. I allowed myself to beam from my gloating. Frederick leveled his gaze me. “I am so jealous of you, Sera Cadriel. You’re living the dream that every man wants.”

“Woman,” I corrected him.

“Both. They are just so mouth-wateringly good looking.”

“They’re more than that.” They were my men, and although they seemed cold and regal from a distance, I knew their weak sides, their softer natures, and I loved spending every minute with them.

Wait. My men? When did I start thinking of them that way?

Frederick rolled his eyes. “Yes, but that’s all I want to think about. How good they look. Never mind the baggage.”

I accepted them, baggage and all.

And they were willing to share. We hadn’t gone anywhere beyond kissing, and I was still deciding who I was going to let win Kael’s game. I was certain that it wasn’t going to be Kael, because he might get too clingy and start gloating to unimaginable degrees.

The princes were also at the ball, but their royal status gave them a separate location. They were up in the gallery with their own separate feast, which was probably filled with ingor and food from the Black Seas.

Rylan caught me staring at him from the first floor, and he waved. I wave back, feeling my stomach turn with the excitement of knowing they paid attention to me.

Princess Anatolia and the king and queen were with them. The princess usually spent more time with Queen Miriel. Looking at the young girl reminded me of the vision and what was coming, but so far, spending time with the princes had given no clues. Why would they be crying?

“Okay, forget about the princes,” Frederick said. “Vancel Gavril beets them hands down.”

My gaze followed where Frederick was looking. Vancel, head of the Council of Fortitude, strolled in, walking toward Mei. He was dressed like the princes, in the same decorated slacks and straps of weapons and leather. He bore the same tattoos as they did, because as the grandson of Aiden Gavril, he was related to the royal line.

Aiden Gavril, brother of the king, had been executed due to his rebellion, but Gisiroth, despite his hard exterior, was a merciful king, and his children were allowed to live on. They were, however, stripped of their royal titles.

Technically, Vancel was the princes’ nephew, but he was older than them by a hundred years or so. They had a strange family tree.

Frederick sighed. “Intense, smoky gray eyes. That dark hair. He can take me any day.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “He looks like he’s in a daze half the time, and angry the other half.”

“What do you know about love? It knows no bounds.”

“You’re admitting you love Vancel? So how far has your relationship progressed?” I took another bite of pastry. Not good for the waistline. I’d start dieting tomorrow. Maybe.

“A boy can dream.”

“Dream all you want, then,” I said, setting my plate down. Why did dessert always finish so quickly? It felt like it was only three bites, but I’d probably had more than that.

Mei hooked her arm around Vancel, apparently not caring it might affect impressions of his manipulating the vote. Mei said goodbye to the people from commerce. Then they turned and sauntered toward me. They were both at least a head taller than me, which made them even more imposing.

I wasn’t sure what their relationship was—lovers, perhaps? It seemed the most likely.

I frowned. What did they want?

Frederick ran a napkin across his mouth and adjusted his hair, which was always going to be a bright shade of ginger. “How do I look?”

“Fabulous,” I lied, because it didn’t matter. He still had a smudge of chocolate on his lip. I wiped it away for him. “And now, even more irresistible.”

Frederick gave a little shimmy of excitement, before turning his attention back to Vancel, who stopped next to me. He gave me a once-over. “Sera Cadriel, I’ve heard a lot about you.” There was an edge to his voice. But he still had a charismatic air about him. I could see why many on the Council of Fortitude found him dear, or if not, at least someone to respect.

“Same to you, my lord.” I bowed.

“Ah, I do hope I’ll live up to your expectations, then.”

Mei was still by Vancel’s side, arm around his. She was quiet beside her lord, letting him have all the attention. Her clothes were even more revealing today than usual. Her collar wrapped around her shoulders, revealing her entire collarbone and neck, and the back of her dress dipped down to the middle of her spine. She had garnered plenty of looks with that outfit. Despite showing so much skin, she managed to make herself look classy.

“How may I help you?” I asked Vancel.

“I’ve been hearing rumors about you.”

“The princes?”

“Yes, that…” Vancel’s eyes darted to my gloves. “And the reason for your strange choice of fashion.”

My heartbeat sputtered. Had word gotten around about my past? It wouldn’t be difficult for Vancel to find my curse out if he did some fishing around my home town. Up till recently, no one had bothered to do so because I was small fry. But now, with such an important position on the line…

“You must be mistaken.” I forced a smile. “My hands get cold.” It was a stupid excuse, but one nevertheless.

Frederick nudged me, then tried an inconspicuous gesture to point to himself. I nudged him back. This was no time to play wingman.

Vancel continued, “Rylan tried to shush the maid, but there are ways to pry secrets out.”

I kept my head leveled and my gaze firm. “I’m sorry, my lord, but if you’re intending in spouting accusations, then perhaps you might want to bring proof with you.”

“Isn’t right in front of me?” He offered a hand. “If you’re so certain about your innocence, then prove you’re not cursed by simply giving me a handshake. It’s not difficult. Without the gloves on, of course.” He grinned at me, and his teeth were a little too pearlescent.

I froze, not knowing what to do. I had to come up with a good retort, but Vancel had me cornered, and I was like a deer in a lucio spell. I was digging around the back of my mind for something to respond, when Rylan came up behind me, soothing me with his presence. I stifled a loud sigh.

“Vancel,” Rylan said, resting his hand on the small of my back. “I didn’t expect to see you here. This party is supposed to be reserved for the Council of Intelligence.”

Vancel grinned—the fake kind of smile that made people uneasy. “I was curious as to how Mei was doing.”

“I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about her,” Rylan said. “I’m sure it’s on her own merit.”

“Same here. I’ve heard splendid things about Sera. But I suppose that doesn’t relate to you.”

“She’s a close friend. I’m, of course, interested in her well-being.”

“Friends? Are you certain that’s all there is to it?” Vancel asked. “I was just talking to Sera about her abilities. I wanted a demonstration.”

“Sera is a human,” Rylan replied. “She’s part of the strange phenomenon of more darmar and humans being born, but other than that, she’s little different from a darmar.”

“Oh? Then what is this I hear about her curse? I’ve heard that whoever Sera touches will suffer unimaginable pain. I was excited to see for myself.”

I could feel Rylan’s touch shift. “Rumors, just to skew the vote.”

“She could easily put those to rest.” Vancel offered his hand a second time.

Rylan abruptly took both my gloves off. He gripped my fingers with his, shooting Vancel a challenge with his expression. “There.” A warm tingle seeped through me, and I withheld a sigh.

“Hm…” Vancel narrowed his eyes.

A waiter was going around serving refreshments. “Blood juice, Your Highness?”

“No thank you,” Rylan replied, frowning.

The waiter nodded, then moved away. But then he stumbled, and the tray of juice fell onto Rylan’s torso, spilling on his pristine pair of white pants. It stained the fabric red.

“I am so sorry, Your Highness!” The servant bowed. In a fit of panic, he fell to the ground and pressed his forehead to the carpet. He lifted his head off the floor and bowed again, knocking it on the ground in a pitiful gesture.

“It’s all right,” Rylan said, turning his lip up in disgust. A few more servants rushed up to him, carrying towels. They brushed me aside to tend to their crown prince.

“I’m going to get changed, Sera,” he told me, flicking his hand, which was covered in juice. “Good luck with your speech.”

I cringed. “Sorry this had to happen.”

“And Vancel,” Rylan said, “I think you have nothing to worry about Sera. She’s perfectly normal, and also a wonderful candidate for the position.” He strode off, grabbing a towel from one of the servants and wiping himself.

When he was still looking at me, I mouthed, “Thank you.”

Vancel’s friendly facade dropped. He seemed peeved at Rylan’s interruption. “I won’t bother you anymore, then. Have fun with your dinner.” He ambled off, Mei still next to him.

The servant who had spilled juice on Rylan stood up and wiped his hands on his shirt. He didn’t look as worried as I had assumed him to be. He shot me a dismissive glance before quickly leaving.

Then it was back to being just Frederick and me, in the middle of the ballroom. But this time, with and a fresh red puddle next to us.

Frederick slackened his shoulders, letting the tension seep away. “Okay, Sera, I have to say this. Prince Rylan is completely in love with you.”

“What?” Rylan had an interest, I supposed, but he hadn’t come on strongly yet. Kael, however… Well, I still told myself I was his next shiny jewel.

“Did you see the way he looked at you? He was practically undressing you with his eyes.”

“That is not love. That’s lust. And… don’t men look at women like that sometimes?” I looked down at my chest. “My boobs aren’t small, are they?”

Frederick snorted. “It’s not just the boobs. And I’m not a good judge. Don’t ask me to gauge their size. For Aereala’s sakes, I doubt he would have come all the way down here if he didn’t care.”

“Caring? Yeah. I care about him, too. But I’m not so sure if we’re that deep into it yet.”

“Both of you, or should I say the five of you, are definitely starting to fall deeper. Teach me your ways, Sera. I’m having a hard time getting my father to acknowledge me, much less royalty.”

“You could try aiming for more?”

“Pshh. I don’t love my father that much.” Frederick tried to play off his concerns, but I knew he’d always hated himself for not being able to meet his family’s standards. His older brother was his parents’ obvious favorite, and that was a source of discontent for Frederick. Frederick didn’t know he himself was even more brilliant, however. His older brother had failed the council test, but he had a drive and ambition that impressed most people, even though he didn’t have anything to back it.

“I need to mingle more,” I said. “Mei’s probably already talked to everyone on the council, and here I am, sipping on cocktails and making my waist larger.”

“You should.”

I was about to head off and greet the first associate I saw, when I glanced down at my fingers, and was struck with horror.

My gloves.

They were missing.

“Gaean’s balls,” I said, in a state of shock.

I searched around, looking for them. I hadn’t noticed they were gone until now. Previously, I would have paid attention to their absence in a heartbeat, but I’d spent so long with my hands bare next to the princes that I’d gotten sloppy about safety.

“They’re gone,” I said. I even looked under the table, garnering some stares, but my gloves weren’t anywhere to be found. I strode back up to Frederick, rubbing my bare hands, suddenly feeling naked. “Someone took them. Vancel?”

“What’s gone?”

“My gloves. I can’t be going around without them. What if I accidentally grazed someone?”

Frederick paled, then backed away from me. Even my best friend didn’t want to be around me when I wasn’t covered. “You’ll be fine,” he said, but his voice shook slightly.

“Will I?” My heart was slamming against my ribcage. “I think I should go.”

“Leave the party early? What about your speech?”

“I’ll make an excuse or something.”

“That won’t look good to the others.”

“Better than revealing my curse.”

That was when Tindyll walked by. “Sera? You should be getting ready.”

I tucked my hands into my sleeves. “I’m not feeling well, Elder Tindyll.”

“Oh, Aereala,” Tindyll said. “You’re just nervous. You’ll get over your nerves and won’t regret stepping up to the podium once it’s over.”

“It’s a bad headache.”

“Common symptoms of anxiety.”

“I’m really not—”

Tindyll grabbed my forearm and dragged me forward. I stifled a yelp. That was too close for comfort. Luckily, her hand circled the fabric of my sleeve instead of my skin. She wasn’t screaming, which sent a spiral of relief through me.

She let go, and I followed her, leaving Frederick behind. I needed more control over myself. My heart was galloping like a startled ingor, not a good state to deal with the situation I’d found myself stuck in.

A podium had been erected on top of a row of steps. Tindyll walked up to it and raised a wooden hammer, knocking it on the podium to create a loud sound. “Council members, may I have your attention?”

I lined myself next to Mei and the other candidates, shuffling my feet as I went.

Tindyll cleared her throat, then projected more loudly. “I hope you’ve been enjoying our yearly gathering. Might I say, the cooks have done a splendid job with the appetizers, and I’ve had one too many myself.”

I could almost smell my own sweat on my forehead. I looked up at the gallery for my princes, hoping that seeing them would calm me. Kael raised a banner, which I thought read, Go, Sera, before Rylan pushed him down and snatched it from him.

Tindyll continued, “I’ve ordered our five candidates to prepare a speech, to convince you of their ability to lead. Being able to address and command the attention of a wide audience is of paramount importance to leadership. Thus, this is both a test and an opportunity. First up, Elder Olean from social services.”

The candidates took their turns giving speeches. I was sure they sounded impressive, but I was too concerned about my lack of gloves, and their words droned into a blur.

I could get through this. I simply had to hold my chin up, act as if my mind wasn’t seeing the world crashing down around me, say the words without fumbling too much, then ask one of the princes to quickly take me home.

No big deal.

I just had my entire reputation on the line.

Don’t touch anybody, I kept reminding myself.

“Sera Cadriel?” Tindyll finally called.

Focus. I had to think about the speech now. Focus on words—not hands. I’d worry about that later.

I gathered my nerves and strode up to the podium. I cleared my throat. All eyes were glued to me. I tried to fix my mind on the princes, and looked at them. If I imagined that I was talking to just them, I’d be able to get a hold of myself.

“Council members and elders,” I started. I pulled my prewritten speech from the pocket in my sleeves, trying to let the familiar texture of crinkled paper calm me down. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity to address you. As you know, I am not a draerin or drerkyn. Not even a darmar. I am a human, and not even of high birth, but now here I stand, addressing all of you. I do not wish to use my background as a source of pity, but as a testimony to my ability to understand. I believe great leadership only comes from caring and understanding, and the willingness to serve. I’m not saying that someone of noble birth is unable to hold these qualities, for there are many great leaders amongst us who are of that kind of upbringing, but I know my experiences will greatly aid me in my quest to make this council the best it can be, and to serve the people of Constanria…”

My mind blanked out for a second. The words sounded dry on my tongue. My background… All I could think about was the stench of the latrines, and how I’d had to scrub them because of the curse. Not how it would aid my leadership.

Rylan nodded, urging me to go on. I glanced down at my script. “Should you vote me as secretary, I will do my best to listen. I think the last few years have helped me prove that I’m willing to learn and listen, for I wouldn’t be standing here if not for these qualities. I wish to have your respect, but through deserving it, and earning it…”

The rest of the words came easily to me as I started to get into the flow of things. I even began to smile, and instead of reading through my script with a monotonous voice, my tone picked up. I was finished before I knew it.

I stood aside, tucking my hands back in, letting Tindyll have the space behind the podium. “Thank you, Sera,” she said to me. “That was a well-thought-out speech. Told you it was going to be all right. Feel better now?”

“Yes.” I smiled, then went back to panicking. One problem solved. Now I had to get back to my quarters…

“I hope the speeches have helped you with your decisions,” Tindyll said. “You may now return to your festivities. We will have performances from fire breathers and dancers later, which I think many will enjoy.”

I rushed down the stairs, waved at the princes, then pointed to the exit. Kael responded to my plea first. He lifted himself off his seat, but Gaius held him back. Rylan sent Micah instead. I didn’t care who came. I just wanted to get out.

Mei walked beside me. “You were very eloquent.”

“Same to you,” I replied. What I really wanted to tell her was to leave me alone.

She sighed. “I really don’t want to do this.”

“What do you mean?”

Mei tripped, or she threw herself at me. Out of reflex, I reached out and caught her.

My skin touched her bare arm.

And she wailed.

Time stilled. I kept my hands on her for too long, because I wasn’t sure how to react. Horror started a numbing trickle through me, before the floodgates opened.

Mei tossed her head back and screamed in such a high pitch that she commanded the entire attention of the ballroom. My ears throbbed with the agonizing sound of her voice.

My mouth hung open. What had I done? I released my grip, letting Mei fall anyway, then turned my head up to face the judgmental stares of the entire council, feeling my world burn to the ground.

I shook my head. “No…”

I’d left this past behind, or so I’d thought. I didn’t want this body. I hated it. “It wasn’t… wasn’t me.”

I was seeing the townsfolk in my colleagues’ faces. The baker’s boy, the seamstress. My parents. I felt my heart shatter, and all I wanted to do was cover my face and hide.

“D-d-demon!” Mei shrieked as she lay on the ground. She was nearly foaming at her mouth.

Vancel strode up to her with false concern. He bent down and helped Mei to her feet.

“The… the… minute I touched her,” Mei said, her voice quavering, but somehow managing to project across the silent expanse of the place, “all I saw was… white hot. It felt like every inch of my body was b-burning. Like I was touched by the devil himself.”

Murmurs trickled through the ballroom. People were pointing. Some were angry. Most were confused.

I didn’t want to be here for this. I’d suffered this in my childhood. Not again.

I picked up the skirt of my robes and rushed down the stairs. Tears prickled my eyes, but I forced them back.

Frederick stepped from the crowd. “Sera…”

I ran past him, making a beeline for an escape.

“Sera Cadriel is cursed!” Vancel shouted from behind.

I pushed the door open and sped out.