she racked her brain to remember how she knew, and once again it was jared that had told her. there was no easy way out of this.

"i don't know. i must have heard it from a tale when i was a child."

"i don't believe you. no one else has been able to tell it was me. they either failed altogether or assumed i was also an ogre."

he didn't seem convinced, but at least he didn't seem like he was ready to murder her. she watched him warily, and she could see an inner battle as he tried to convince himself of her words.

"well, now all of the girls here know you shift. don't they?" she spoke up softly.

"what?" he frowned and placed the grimoire within his coat. now both hands were free. she assumed it was so he could kill her easier.

"well, you've shifted in front of me twice now. so don't the other girls know that you can shift?"

his lips pinched together. "no," he grunted. "they don't. i didn't reveal myself to the others. most were too scared to defend themselves, so i held back the other ogre while they were removed. if they were smart enough to defeat or incapacitate the first ogre, they turned to attack me. only you paused, only you knew. how?"

"you didn't attack me. scared me, yeah, by climbing up the bookcase next to me. but not once during this test did you actually try to hurt me. i can't assume, no matter how scared i am, that everyone is my enemy," she reasoned.

"you should. you'd live a lot longer that way."

"if i did, then more people would end up dead or in a book." she gestured to his jacket. "i don't think even you could get out of that one."

"then i would be famous and live on forever in a storybook." even though he joked, those words chilled her. they reflected how dangerously close his true power hungry nature was to the surface.

"you're already famous. you're a prince. what more could you want?"

"power. power to protect what is important to me and power to smite my enemies and destroy those that hurt my family." he said the words with a vengeance which made her wonder who had hurt him in his past.

what had planted the seed deep within that would change him so easily in the future? that pivotal point was only days away, and now she was curious. "how many besides me have made it through?"

"worried about your competition?" he teased.

"of course not," she lied.

his eyes danced, and he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the bookcase, leading her down another aisle and to a side door that she'd completely missed. even if she had seen it, she doubted it would have opened during the trial.

teague paused before the door and gently rubbed off a spot of dirt on her cheek. her skin burned from the touch of his hand and she had to settle her heart, beating out of control. the grimoire was right in front of her, inches away, beneath his coat. all she had to do was grab it and open it, and all of her troubles would be over.

but she couldn't. she was frozen under the spell of his touch. she felt her eyes close and her breath catch.

his warm scent rolled over her as he leaned closer. she didn't want to move and yet she couldn't look. was he going to kiss her?

she felt a breeze and heard the door open behind her. he pressed forward, but only to make her pass backward through the door into the hall. then he followed.

that was awkward. her heart sunk at how she'd let her feelings run so amok. feelings were weakness. she turned with the intent to walk quickly down the hallway with her head held high and cheeks on fire. walk? who was she kidding? she wanted to run away in embarrassment.

he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a side corridor before she got too far ahead.

"what?" she snapped, which only made him smile. a smile that was so much like jared's. every inch of her wanted to reach out and slap that smile from his face.

he wasn't jared. he wasn't the person she had fallen for. the person in front of her would eventually curse her family. she was finding it hard to breathe. mina tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn't release her.

"don't be distressed, elle, about the other girls and who made it. with you here, i'm not sure there is much competition."

chapter 25

those words, those few little words, sent mina soaring for a whole three-point-two seconds before crashing down into reality with a flop.

stop it! she told herself. don't let him fool you.

who was she kidding? if she didn't do what she'd come here to do, everyone was doomed. her ancestors, her brother, her family.

teague had left her alone after escorting her to the door of the gathering room. she assumed he had to get back to finish the testing with the last two girls, although he had said there would be a delay since they had to find another ogre.

somehow, that thought infuriated her. they were taking advantage of ogres and making them pawns in a princess test. so what if the ogres were naturally evil and most of the girls were no real danger to them? mina had imprisoned one forever. she'd had no choice. evil or not, royals shouldn't just use them as bait.

she would really have to have a talk with teague again later.

mina entered the waiting room to find dinah and ever alone. dinah seemed surprised at mina's appearance, but she masked it quickly. ever didn't even look at her. she was too busy reading a book on a settee.

"is this it?" mina asked. "did the others not pass?"

"looks that way," ever answered shortly. "do you see anyone else? i guess it's just us...and probably annalora."

"what makes you so sure?" dinah asked.

"oh, she'll pass the test all right. one look at her face and the ogre is sure to drop dead." ever delivered the dry line with a deadpan face and perfect timing. dinah snorted, and mina had to cover her mouth to keep back the giggles.

"no, she'll pass because the ogre will hear her complaining a mile off and run before he ever sees her," dinah added.

now ever started laughing. the jokes definitely helped to relieve the mounting stress that made the room so suffocating. "or she'll try to sing, but it will be so bad, the ogre turns himself to stone."

the tittering laughter continued on, until a small cough at the door made them look up in surprise.

annalora stood there in her slim blue dress, which didn't look wrinkled at all. "or annalora will pass the test, because she is worthy of being queen, and she will kill anyone who gets in her way."

mina was stunned. "you passed the test already? how many were there?"

"what does it matter? they're dumb and illiterate like you," she taunted. "what would really help everyone would be to banish all of the horrible, evil, and dangerous creatures to a faraway land. elle, what land did you say you were from? i'm sure there's plenty of room for more stinky ogres." annalora smiled cruelly, waiting for mina to respond.

hateful, spiteful, inappropriate names were on the tip of mina's tongue. she was seriously ready to lash out against the ignorant girl. but she curbed them. something about annalora's smile seemed a little too eager. she was ready to start a fight, and mina knew how to read between the lines. responding to her jabs would just be adding fuel to the fire. the girl thrived on the emotional turmoil she caused others. mina had seen plenty of girls like her in her school and on the internet. they called them trolls. man, that thought entertained mina.