The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game, #1)

by Evelyn Skye

A pair of crossed wands branded themselves onto Nikolai’s chest as if by an invisible iron. Even after the branding was over, the scar still glowed red-orange on his skin like live embers. Nikolai bit the inside of his cheek to stave off the pain. The girl had not protested or screamed or made any sound other than a sharp inhale. Nikolai flushed, both at the heat of the fresh scar and at his weakness compared to this elfin girl. “Who is Enchanter One?” the tsar asked. “I am,” Nikolai managed to answer through gritted teeth, the scar still faintly orange on his skin. The tsar nodded. “The wands will burn until you have made your first move in the Game. Then they will go dormant as Enchanter Two takes her turn. They will reawaken on your skin once her turn has been taken. That is how you will know it is your move again. “The wands will grow steadily hotter the longer you take to execute your turn. As days pass, the pain will become more unbearable. And if too much time elapses—if you dally or for some reason refuse to complete the Game—the scar will eventually ignite and consume you.” Nikolai shuddered. Forfeiture by flame. “Is that how the Game ends?” the girl asked. The tsar didn’t even bother to look surprised that she’d interrupted. It would be more of a surprise at this point if she didn’t. “Does the losing enchanter combust?” “Yes. The scar will incinerate the loser of the Game.” “It will be quick,” her father said quietly. It occurred to Nikolai, though, that it was n...