gaze was fierce, but he didn’t hold it for long, standing and turning away.
“Just do it.”
He wove through the accumulating crowd, succumbing to the fluidity of his muscles as he collapsed onto a nearby bench. Four men are dead. Each murder replayed in his mind, accompanied by the Prince’s distant howls. A fifth is on his way. There was no use in denying it; bodies were piling up around him, leaving him with a single objective.
Don’t become one of them.
The hum of voices filtered through the tent. It was a reminder of a new day—a continuation of Tobias’s existence in this godforsaken tournament. The men outside had risen, talking and laughing as if a handful of their own weren’t dead already. Tobias didn’t share their indifference; each death flashed before his eyes, and then he saw his own death play before him, unfolding in a variety of gruesome ways. He forced the blood from his mind and trudged from his tent.
The hum softened, and eyes followed him as he rounded the sanctuary. He hovered by the water barrels, ladling himself a helping, and the others watched as if fascinated by his technique. Eventually they resumed their chatter, but he still felt their scrutiny. He had rescued the Prince, and thus he had made himself known.
He wasn’t invisible any longer, and that troubled him.
The sheen of oiled flesh gleamed nearby. Half of the men were groomed, their bodies glistening and hair styled with creams, and even more unexpected was the woman standing yards away.
She was tall and refined, with deep-brown skin, eyes of the same shade, and long black hair tied into tight braids. Her body was a series of elegant curves from her pronounced hips to the slope of her nose and the rounded arch of her cheekbones. Everything about her was polished—her silver-grey dress, her beaded belt and armlets—save for the cloak sprawled at her feet and satchel spilling with vials.
She looked his way. “Are you Tobias?”
He nodded.
“I’m Delphi.” She cocked her head at the bench beside her. “Please, sit.”
Tobias reluctantly obeyed while she poured various vials into her palms. The scent of vanilla and almonds wafted through the space, and he relaxed the slightest bit. “I imagine you’re here to make us beautiful.”
“Something like that.”
“Wouldn’t it be more efficient if you had multiple people working on us at once?”
“It would be,” Delphi said. “But efficiency isn’t the goal.”
“Then what is the goal?”
Delphi didn’t answer, pressing her hands together and sliding them back and forth. “Lift your chin for me, love.”
He did as he was told, and she ran her palms down his chest, spreading a thick layer of oil across his skin. The smell was incredible, but he couldn’t help but grimace, as his body felt even filthier than before. “Is the oil really necessary?”
“Enhances the physique. The Savior appreciates the male form.”
“We’re seeing The Savior?”
“You haven’t heard? Today’s your First Impressions.”
Tobias stared off at nothing. He had forgotten about The Savior, as he had been so consumed by the labyrinth. All the chaos and bloodshed was for Her, yet in three days She had hardly crossed his mind.
“I seem to have rendered you speechless.”
Delphi’s words stirred him. “I’m just taken aback, is all. When is this happening?”
“It’ll be a while still. I have several more of you to work on, and as we’ve covered, this isn’t the most efficient process.” She offered a warm smile. “But that’s all right. I’m rather enjoying my conversations with each of you.”
She gave his shoulder one last pat before wiping her hands. His skin was shiny like polished marble, a look better suited for someone much larger than him—or perhaps for no one at all.
“Are you of Her court?” Tobias asked. “Like the other two women?”
“I am.”
“Then tell me, what is your role? Do you make Her beautiful? Cover Her in oils as well?”
She kept her gaze on her hands. “I understand Her.”
“You understand Her?”
“Her likes and dislikes. Her wants and needs.”
“And that’s why She’s sent you here? To get us all fixed up to Her liking?”
Delphi didn’t answer, blending creams into his cheeks. “You’re an artist, is that right?”
“I suppose so.”
Delphi nodded, pulling a blade from her pocket and bringing it to his throat.
Panic swept through him, and he grabbed her wrist, halting her just shy of his flesh. She started, then met his gaze.
“For your stubble.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Calm yourself, love.”
Tobias hesitated, releasing his grip. “Apologies. You can understand my apprehension given the circumstances.”
“Indeed