He winked. “Just wait and see, kid. It’s a Sinclair tradition.”

Everyone faced Claudia, and she looked out over her Family members, the pixies who kept the mansion spotless, the guards who patrolled down in the Midway, the folks who worked at the banks, museums, and other businesses. Her eyes met mine and my soulsight kicked in, letting me feel her rock-hard strength and determination—and sly satisfaction.

Oh, yeah. Claudia was definitely up to something.

She stared at me another moment, then looked out over the dining hall again. “As you all know,” she began, “the Tournament of Blades, the annual contest that all the Families sponsor and participate in, will begin in the morning. It’s one of the summer’s most popular events with the tourists, and this year’s crowd looks to be larger than ever before.”

Several woot-woots of excitement rang out, including some from Mo. I rolled my eyes. He didn’t care about the tournament so much as he did about all the people it would bring into the Razzle Dazzle to buy the junk he had for sale.

“Every year, Reginald, Angelo, and I select those who will represent the Sinclair Family in the tournament and announce them here, at dinner, the night before the competition starts,” Claudia continued. “The tournament requires a unique combination of speed, strength, smarts, and fighting skills, all of which we take into account when making our selections. Tonight, I am happy to share those names with the entire Family.”

More woot-woots rang out, along with a round of applause. But eventually the cheers and claps died down, and a charged silence filled the room. Everyone leaned forward, perched on the edge of their seats in anticipation, especially the guards, waiting to hear the names Claudia would call.

She smiled. “I think the first name will please you all: your bruiser, Devon Sinclair.”

Another, louder round of applause rang out, while Felix let loose with some ear-splitting whistles. A faint blush colored Devon’s cheeks, but his green eyes were warm and happy as he got up, walked across the room, and stood beside his mom. He looked at me, and I grinned and flashed him a thumbs-up, which made him blush even more.

His selection was hardly surprising, though. Bruiser was one of the most important positions in the Family, so Devon’s not being in the tournament would have been the real shock. But everyone knew how hard he worked, how tough and strong he was, and how he genuinely cared about and looked out for everyone in the Family. That’s why the guards, workers, and even the pixies were cheering so long and loud for him. Devon deserved to be in the tournament, and he’d do his best to make everyone proud.

Claudia called out several more names, all guards whom I’d sparred against a time or two. I clapped and cheered with everyone else, approving of the selections. Claudia, Reginald, and Angelo had picked a good mix of people with a variety of Talents, including speed, strength, and enhanced senses, all of which would come in handy during the tournament.

“Vance Groves,” Claudia announced.

I rolled my eyes, but I clapped politely for him. Vance might be cocky and arrogant, but he was a good fighter. Vance pushed back from his table, high-fived his friends, then strutted up to the front of the room, preening and taking his place with the other participants.

“And now, for the last person who will be representing the Sinclairs in this year’s Tournament of Blades.”

Claudia paused and looked around the room, her gaze going from one face to the next. Silence fell over the dining hall again, even more intense than before, since this was the last chance to be chosen. People froze, eyes wide, hands clenched tight, breath caught in their throats. I just wanted her to go ahead and say the lucky name already. It seemed kind of cruel to keep everyone in suspense for so long.

Claudia turned her head, her green gaze meeting mine. Her sly satisfaction filled my body, and I finally realized what she was up to. I cringed, even as she called out the last two words I wanted to hear.

“Lila Merriweather.”

CHAPTER SIX

Shock surged through me, as though some magick had just blasted me with a lightning bolt.

I’d never, ever thought that Claudia would call my name. I’d only been here a few weeks, and some of the guards had served the Family for years. Sure, I’d saved Devon’s life a couple times, but that had been more sneakiness and luck on my part than anything else, along with a fair amount of help from the lochness. So why pick me to compete in the tournament?

My shock and surprise quickly melted into absolute horror as every eye in the room fixed on me. I was a thief who did her best work in the shadows when no one was looking. I hated being the center of attention, but that’s exactly what I was right now.

Mo beamed at me, his black eyes shining with warm pride, and Felix and Oscar were grinning like fools, all three of them clapping as hard and loud as they could. Oscar’s transparent wings were twitching so hard with excitement that I thought they might fly right off his back.

Mo nudged me with his elbow. “Go on up there, kid. Take a bow with the rest of the competitors. You’ve earned it.”

Everyone was still staring at me, so I had no choice but to get up and take my place with the others. Vance snorted, but the other guards gave me friendly smiles. Devon scooted over so that I could stand next to him, but I still shifted uncomfortably on my feet, trying to sidle behind him as much as I could so that I wouldn’t be quite so front and center.

By this point, everyone in the dining hall was standing, clapping, cheering, and whistling for all the folks who’d been chosen. I fixed a smile on my face and clapped along, even though all I really wanted to do was slink out of the room as quickly and quietly as possible.

Devon leaned over. “I know you didn’t expect this, but I’m glad you’ll be part of the tournament. Out of all of us, I think you have the best chance to win.”

“But what about the competitors from the other Families? What about Deah and Katia?”

He leaned even closer, his crisp pine scent washing over me. “You’re the best fighter I’ve ever seen. And more important, you’re smart, especially with your magic. You’ll win. Trust me, Lila. A couple of days from now, we’ll be standing here again, celebrating your victory.” He hesitated, his voice dropping to a low, husky whisper. “And I’ll be cheering louder than anyone else.”

His green gaze locked with my blue one. My soulsight kicked in, letting me see and feel all his emotions—warm pride, rock-hard certainty, and that hot, hot spark that made an answering heat sizzle through my entire body. He really believed what he said. Devon really thought that I could win the Tournament of Blades.