The Goddess Test ◊ L.H.

stigma

Quinn Jackson ◊

Luke's hand gently squeezed my own as I had realized I stopped in the middle of the doorway, and he gave me a reassuring smile as he looked towards those who were sitting around the table. Each of them looked different than the rest.

Their ages and styles varied as I looked around at all of them. Some of them were smiling towards me, while the others had a judgmental look on their face and I wondered why.

Luckily a familiar face was sitting among them, and that was Mira. She was sitting next to an empty spot beside the head of the table, which I assumed was for Luke and I.

"This is Quinn. She will be undergoing the tests." Luke announced, introducing me and I timidly waved as everyones eyes went between Luke and I.

"She's an absolute sweetheart." Mira said, only to have someone across the table shush her and she glared at them as they turned back towards me.

He was an older man, somewhere in his late forties or early fifties. He had a scowl on his face, and he crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at me, and it felt as if he was studying me and all of my flaws.

"I'll go ahead and say what everyone else around this table is thinking. What makes her different than the rest?" He said, his voice rough and I frowned as I looked up at Luke and he grimaced as he looked at the man.

"Why does it matter to you?" Luke said, obviously angered at the question the man had asked and he rolled his eyes as Luke released my hand and pointed to him.

"You have no right to doubt her in any way Arnold, you have not even properly met her yet." Luke snapped, and Arnold glared in my direction.

"I want you to continue being involved in this council, I don't want to see you or this messed up." He said, gesturing towards the rest of the table and Luke scoffed to himself as he pursed his lips.

"She seems lovely." A woman who was sitting besides Arnold said and I smiled slightly at her. She had blonde hair that was in an updo with some curled strands falling out of it, and was dressed in an evening gown.

"Thank you Lyla." Luke mumbled, placing his hand on my back as he ushered us to our seats and he sat down, everyones gazes never leaving me. Lyla flashed me another smile before placing her hand lightly on Arnolds bicep and speaking to him quietly.

"Quinn, this is the council." He said, gesturing towards them all and I nodded as he started rambling off names as he went around the table.

There was Mira beside me, followed by another man who looked to be Luke's age named Ashton, two empty chairs, a man who looked as if he was in his early thirties and dressed as if it was summer out named Zach, an extremely buff man by the name of Ryder.

On the other side of the table, there was an older man who was sipping at a glass of wine named Charlie, a girl who looked the same age of me named Gabriella but growled when she was introduced and said her name was Gabi followed by a woman who was in her late twenties by the name of Alexandra who was beside Lyla and then Arnold.

"Who are the two empty chairs for?" I whispered to Mira, and she glanced at Luke before shaking her head.

"I'll tell you later." She whispered back, and I frowned as I sat back up, looking to Luke only to find him looking back at me.

He cocked a brow as he looked between Mira and me, only to turn back towards the council and Arnold cleared his throat as all eyes turned to him.

"I expect this to go quickly, I have other things to take care of. As of now, we are all introduced to Quinn; the newest girl to undergo the seven tests. The deal is the same as before, if she passes four out of the seven, she will be granted with immortality as she marries Had- Luke." Arnold said, and my face paled as I felt Lukes gaze on me.