Chapter 2

"Camila?" the sound echoes beautifully in my mind. I can hear the voice, and it sounds like an angel.

I have died.

I realize.

"Earth to Camila!"

That's odd.

Why would God be using that harsh tone?

Am I in trouble!?

Panic hits me.

"I do not mean to be insensitive, but we do have to keep a schedule. Can you hear me, child!?"

Child?

That's... not God.

More of a bossy female.

I open my eyes, and sparkles of light seep through, resembling the diamonds that I once had in my possession.

Can we still want revenge even after death? Will I be eternally tormented with Lucus's betrayal?! Walking the city's alleyways, howling with the wind on the eve of my brutal death?! Naive teenagers will dress up as me for Halloween, draped in the stolen jewels with a knife sticking out of their stomachs? Fake blood everywhere. It would catch on like fire, the new fascination of my death. Then Hollywood would catch wind of the shocking legend and want to monopolize on the gold mine. My sad life suddenly becomes a blockbuster hit, gaining me the ultimate fame I always wanted!!

What irony.

"Any slower, and she'd be dead."

I blink, seeing faces looking down at me.

What. The. Hell.

Am I in Hell?

My brain is misfiring.

"Ahh, there she is. You see? She is not braindead like you'd thought." Came the voice of that MAN.

The man from the alleyway.

That means I am not...dead, I think.

I look at a lovely woman with silver hair, scowling at me. "You sure? She looks a little slow. I'd run the brian scans again."

"Excuse me?" I get out as my voice breaks. "I am not dead, right?"

Where the hell am I?

The man from the alley helps me sit up, and I look around. My head is dizzy. I'm in some sterile hospital, everything almost blinding white with virtual technology. I hear a beautiful electronic woman's voice talk in the background. I glance at the man and notice his bright blue eyes as they regard me, studying me. "Where am I?" I whisper, my heart thudding.

I'm breathing.

I am I alive, then?

"Great question," he says and removes something from his shoulder, then glances back at me. "You were just in surgery, and it went very well." He winks at me. "We cut it close."

I immediately grab my stomach, where the knife was sticking out.

No pain.

"You were a doctor?"

He laughs and nods to the woman standing next to him. "I think we are ready for briefing, her scans are clear. I will meet you and the girls in five."

The woman sighs and glances at me with a sly smile and turns to leave with three men in black following her. "We are a day late, and I hate being late," she says over her shoulder.

"She does hate being late," he says with a wink.

FBI?

Am I being detained!?

"Call me, Pierce."

"Pierce," I repeat, taking a big breath, calming my pulse. "Why am I not dead? Are you with the FBI?"

"FGI—not FBI. We have the best medical staff in the universe," he says and walks up to me. "I am going to be blunt because I think you can handle it. You are not currently on the planet Earth anymore. This place is, in other words, not Kansas anymore. You are now in the fifth dimension and employed by, Fairy Godmother Inc. For the next three months, that is. Think of this as extreme speed dating."

"Fairy Godmother..." I trial off. "I remember you saying that."

"Impressive, seeing how you lost fifty percent of your blood by the time I got to you." he gives me a pointed look. "This is real Camila. This is an opportunity that will never come again in your lifetime."

I look around.

My mind is rejecting this but...

But I'm alive, and this man is right, I was minutes from dying. No flight for life could have saved me that fast, for I am not a moron. A wound like that was a kill shot, and Lucus knew it. He would not have given me the chance to live if someone found me.

Unless a real-life miracle happened.

"I can see you are working this around in your head, and I can already tell that you will be more open to this than most of my Darlings. You are a dreamer, and I like that about you. Always dreaming for bigger and better things beyond your means." He puts a cigar in his mouth and lights it, puffing it as he stares at me.

I swallow, looking around with newfound awe. "Is this real? Are you sure that I have not died?"

He laughs, smoke escaping his mouth. "Quite the opposite, my dear. This is where your life begins."

My eyes widen. "Why am I here? What do you need of me?" I look around the sterile room. "And what did I sign?"

"Do you like games?"

I stare at him warily. "Of course, life is a game."

A game that I played poorly.

He smiles at me, and the smile, I know, hides a secret meaning. "Well, this is the ultimate game. You will be competing against five other women in this 'life' competition. You all will be an FGI agent," he continues at my intrigued expression. "Think back to your childhood. The Fairy Godmother as you know from growing up, has been about love, one's dreams coming true, correct?"

"Well, yes," I say, "It's make-believe."

"Or is it?"

I stare at him. "Are you saying that she is real?"

"I am," he takes a pull from his cigar. "Not quite in a sense you know from childhood, but a miracle worker, yes."

I laugh. "You have got to be kidding me. The bitchy woman that was in here earlier?"

He gives me a dry look. "That bitchy woman has the power to make your dreams come true. I would show a little respect."

I close my eyes.

This is crazy.

"The ultimate prize is true love."

I open my eyes to stare at him. "True love!?"

Like the one with Lucus?

I want to vomit.

He shrugs. "True love's kiss keeps the Universe in line, changing the hearts of the powerful. It keeps evil at bay and makes room for compassion, a flooding of empathy like a chain reaction."

"Ture love's kiss keeps the universe in line? How? There are more worlds out there?" I snort.

"Thousands."

My heart starts to drum again.

I can tell he is being serious, blowing my mind.

I swallow. "So what? We all compete for the same man? A competition? Is this the Bachelor?"

"In a sense, yes."

"I don't want a man," I blurt. "Not sure if you know how I almost died or not," I bite out. "Men are not high on my list right now."

Pierce shrugs. "I thought as much. A lot of women come in here thinking just that, but let me tell you, I have yet to see one that did not change their mind."

"I am not everyone."

"But I know your weakness," he says. "I do my homework."

I narrow my eyes.

"Wealth. Fame. You want riches without having to steal, or to pretend to be someone you're not," he murmurs, seeing too much of me.

My accent always gets thick when I am annoyed. "Maybe, but how does that involve a man?" I get out, feeling my anger rise.

"Well, you have a chance to make a prince fall in love with you, which would involve you becoming a Queen or something like that. I'm sure you can see what I'm getting at."

"A prince?" I trail off, my mind wandering.

He'd have to be rich, very rich to be a prince.

The cunning feline in me has just opened her eye.

"Oh yes, a prince is the main target, a very wealthy prince."

I don't care about the man.

But I do care about diamonds, gold, and a lavish lifestyle.

The con-artist in me can't resist.

"I'm in."

Pierce winks. "I thought so. Here's the kicker. You must win to get it."

"Then, I will win."

Piece of cake.

This time I will not be blinded by love.

**

I sit in a giant room with four other women. The women seem shocked, but we all drank this sparkly pink drink, and we all feel better. Relaxed—not on the verge of a mental breakdown. If they were going to poison me, they would not have wasted their time in saving my life. Apparently, there was one that left. I can feel my adrenaline coursing through my body as I try to imagine what this game will consist of.

I laugh, covering my mouth.

My father is turning over in his grave, like, right now.

Any doubt that lingers in my mind is now gone. I'm shown some of the most advanced technology that is way beyond anything I have ever seen. I just sit here in silent awe, trying not to freak out and get the boot for still being crazy.

A surge of exhilaration courses through me.

The impossible is the impossible.

"Ladies," Pierce says as the virtual screen behind him shows a world of blue, clouds moving around it. "You will all get better details later. This is just a brief overview of the destination and male target."

Male target, I almost laugh.

Barf.

Let talk about better things like, gold, perhaps.

I glance at the woman with her silver hair that is piled high on top of her head like a bun. She wears a glittering black dress and red pumps, matching her lipstick.

She is stunning.

Elegant in that French way.

She touches her chest and puts on her cat-eye glasses. "Pierce, you have to make this quick."

He nods and looks at us all. "I have spoken with each and every one of you already. As you probably have determined, this is very real." He pauses, "This is exciting!" He points at the world behind him. "This is the Planet of Valturn. Now, this world is very fantastical, so pay attention. Sometimes we have worlds that mirror Earth very closely, and others are more alien to you. This is a dangerous planet full of magical energy."

The fairy godmother speaks up. "We have been here before with a successful mission in the past, and we can do it again. This is a water planet," she looks up at us, "the landmass on this planet is the size of the united states. Everything else is water."

My eyes widen.

A water planet?

I am not sure how I feel about this.

She continues. "There are two primary races, amongst others. The Valkyries Godisians/humans and the Water Nymphs. The water Nymphs look human, mind you, but they can breathe in the water."

"Mermaids?" an Asian woman asks who sits in the front row. Her long black hair is silky and she has a pretty face. Very pretty, I muse. They said names earlier, but I was too shocked to remember any of them. I think her name was Sun Hai or something.

"Sun, no tails or gills. They can process oxygen through their skin, which changes color."

"Weird," I hear someone say.

Sun is frowning. "So, they live in the water then? How do they talk?"

Pierce chuckles. "They do not live in open water. Pay attention; they have a city under the water that is water-free. They prefer to breathe air, and their underground palace is stunning, full of wealth and riches. They have land allies who visit all the time. I have seen the main throne room, and the windows are ten stories high, letting you see into the deep blue ocean."

"I need to vacation there," the Fairy Godmother murmurs as she stares at her paper. "Quite stunning."

That actually sounds amazing. I need to pinch myself.

I hear a lot of oohs and awes.

I'm getting excited, and I can picture all the jewels and silks now. Queen Camila, everyone bow before her greatness. I hide my smile.

"Now, the land valkyries also have stunning cites. The vast tropical islands are a sight to see, make no mistake." Pierce glances at The fairy Godmother. "Let's talk about the mission real quick before we split up and bring out the Bowl of Destiny."

"Ladies, Poseidian Iphanthei is the king of the water realm who is married to the very powerful Kalypso Syrinx. Now, this is Poseidian's second marriage, his first wife being killed by valkyries causing bad blood." She pauses like she is reading, frowning. "Thetis Iphanthei is our man, everyone. He is the son of Poseidon and his first wife. Thetis is turning very dark due to jealousy and rage."

Pierce chimes in, "Ladies, we need you to work your magic on Thetis. He is the air to the throne, but there is family drama that you will get briefed on later. Mostly caused by Thetis's stepbrother Raine Syrinx, who is also the king's adviser."

I am on the edge of my seat listening.

Thetis?

"Bowl of destiny!" Pierce claps as everyone forms a line.

I frown.

The what?

"Pssst. Come on. You missed a lot of information. We went over this yesterday, waiting for you," A petit blond says who looks like Kristen Bell. "Get in line. This is when we find out what our positions will be."

"What? Positions?" I ask and stand behind her, arms crossed over my white medical robe. I look at every girl and note that I am by far the curviest. I really hope this prince likes that, or I am screwed. I have a J-lo butt and breasts that sag just a bit do to their size. I smile. But my caramel skin looks gorgeous draped in diamonds though, no will argue with that assessment.

My body was meant for rap videos on million-dollar yachts. Not no water nymph—mermaids...whatever they are, fish bodies.

"It's all chance. Whatever position fate picks for you, that's what you will be for the next three months," she whispers.

"Oh shit," I murmur. "So, we can't just pick to be a princess?"

She laughs. "No."

Dread washes over me.

I don't want to be a low-life.

I can't get a prince being a slave or something.

I bite my lip as the first girl puts her hands in the bowl. Her name is Crystal and she looks very nervous, her skin pale. She has the girl next door look, brown hair, and a cute face.

The screen reads: Zebia Empire royal family—Valkyrie.

Pierce nods. "They are the clan that Killed Poseiden's wife. But don't get discouraged, they are working on peace treaties."

Crystal nods.

That sounds like a shitty position to be in.

Next Is a girl named Joniqua Hodge and sounds Jamaican, a curvier girl like me. She places her hands in the bowl.

We all wait.

The screen reads: Poseiden's Empire: Light activator.

She looks happy, and Pierce gives her a little clap.

Next is Sun Hai. and she seems like the most confident, a hard competitor, I can tell.

The screen reads: Poseiden's Empire- Royal family.

The Fairy Godmother nods her head. "Sun, that is a prize position."

I can tell the rest of the girls are not happy about that. The look on Sun's face says it all, the arrogant bitch.

I don't know how I feel about this bowl of Destiny yet.

Amanda in front of me turns and gives me a weak smile before leaving to place her hands in the bowl. I feel nervous for her, my stomach twisting.

The screen reads: Gaya Empire: The Light Air Force.

I let out a sigh of relief.

Pierce claps his hands. "A very exciting position, the Gaya Empire is the nymph's biggest allies. They have each others backs."

I swallow as I step up to the bowl and see the eerie metallic water. I say a silent prayer, please do not make me a slave.

Please. Please.

"Camila."

"Right," I say and place my hands in the substance. It feels cold and weird, making my arms tingle.

My heart is pounding.

Please...

The screen reads: Gaya Empire: Royal family. Betrothed to Prince Brayja.

I can't believe what I am reading, relief washing over me.

I am to marry a prince?! Excitement explodes through me at the thought. I will have to ask if we can stay in the position we are in. Who cares are this Thetis guy.

Pierce looks thoughtful. "Interesting. Brayja is very close to the nymph family. Like I said earlier, the Gaya Empire being their close allies. I believe Brayja is Raine's most loyal friend, and most hated by Thetis."

So what.

I am to be married to a prince!

Bring on the next stage baby!