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Dom held up his hand with mine still tucked inside. “You might have noticed that Trix and I were noticeably absent at the debate last night, and it was for a good reason. We are, indeed, a couple. Romantically linked. I’m not sure if it can be spelled out any clearer, but we are in love.”
Merci nodded slowly. “How long has this been going on?”
“Just over a month.”
“You were already together before The Fates drew your names?”
“Technically we met before the summit, and the connection was instant. We’ve been exploring what a relationship looks like over the last few weeks.”
I glanced at the glimmer of humor in his eye. If by “instant connection” he meant me shooting a wine bottle cork at his eye, then I’d definitely agree.
“It didn’t seem as if Trixie enjoyed your company all that much when she gave her speech,” Merci pointed out. “I take it things have changed?”
“They say the line between love and hate is a fine one,” Dom said easily. “We straddled that line for a while. Eventually, we realized that we’d had a misunderstanding off the bat. Once we cleared that up, it was obvious that the passion between us wasn’t hate but instead immense adoration.”
“What’s next for the two of you?”
“I wasn’t going to share this, but I was planning to ask Trixie to move in with me.”
Dom looked at me, and I couldn’t tell if he meant it or not. My throat went dry.
Dom spared me from having to respond by turning back to Merci. “But that’s for a more private conversation. The fact of the matter is that we both recused ourselves from the election because we knew we were breaking the rules.”
“You understand after breaking CCCC Clause 873, neither of your names will appear on the ballot for the wildcard election.”
“I don’t need to win any elections.” Dom put his arm nonchalantly around my back. “I’ve got everything I need right here.”
“How sweet,” Merci said, sounding positively saccharine. “That is real dedication to give up a potential seat in The Circle for a new relationship.”
“Nothing’s more important than finding your one true love,” Dom said. “Trust me, I’ve been looking for 300 years. I’m not letting her slip by me now.”
“Question for Trixie.” Merci directed her gaze on me, her eyes sharp.
I glanced at Vix. Her head had snapped in the direction of Merci, and her eyes were downright predatory. Vix drew a line across her throat, gesturing for Merci to stop.
But Merci could smell blood, and she barreled on. “How do you feel knowing that while Levian is easily leading the race with a solid 50% of the votes, you came in second with a healthy 38%—even when you completely dismissed the campaign in its entirety?”
“38% of votes went to me?” I echoed, feeling pinned beneath Merci’s gaze. “You’re kidding.”
“Results came in this morning just as we were sitting down with the cameras,” Merci said. “It’s breaking news. People will hear it here first.”
I didn’t believe Merci. I believed she’d probably had the results hours ago and had just withheld them to blindside me on camera. Her aura flickered with a slight, cunning shade of lime green, a shade I often associated with manipulation. My gut, and my aura-reading, were telling me the same thing.
The realization that I was using auras to help me read people came as a surprise. Like a physical jolt, a throwback to a time when I used to do this naturally, back when I’d been a child doing it as easily as breathing.
I knew from experience that auras changed when people were lying. I’d just forgotten it, blocked it out, like everything else from my painful past. The fact that I’d done it without thinking made me slightly uncomfortable, but also invigorated. Like I’d unlocked a part of me that I’d been fighting for far too long.
“I don’t feel anything about coming in second,” I managed to say. “Except maybe shock. I told people not to vote for me.”
“Why do you think—”
“We’re done.” Vix stepped in front of the camera. “Cut. Whatever. Take that last part out in edits.”
The PR lady nodded, obviously terrified of Vix’s wrath. She probably was. We all were. The camera guy backed off like he was being personally attacked.
“What the hell, Merci?” Vix said. “You weren’t supposed to ask any questions directly to Trixie, and especially one that wasn’t on your list.”
“I thought this interview was about the truth. I can see now it’s not.” Then Merci stood and swept out of the room, leaving us with a ticking bomb.
