Hilda was muttering to Cassandra now, gesturing back toward the waiting room. The arena was deathly quiet as she walked out of the ring, her head held high despite her shaking shoulders. She was sobbing.
I wanted to scream with bloodthirsty rage. To run over and promise that one day things would be different. That we’d make Morgan and the Hunt pay for putting us in chains. That we’d prove we didn’t deserve to be thrown away just because the world saw us as weaker.
Then, she disappeared from view. And I was still here.
Somehow, I had to make that count. To do that, I had to get past this damned trial. My stomach calmed, and my pulse stopped its frantic hammering.
That’s right, Auntie whispered. Time to put aside the trembling girl and become the female you need to be.
Who do I need to be, precisely?
The fae who can do more than make empty promises to the damned.
She left me, her words ringing in my ears.
Hilda yelled, “When I call out your name, you’re to go stand by your opponent. Everyone named now will be in the first group to fight. The second team will go stand by the outskirts in readiness.” She ended by gesturing to the edge of the arena.
Wilder pulled out a scrap of parchment from an inner pocket. He handed it over to Hilda. A hush fell over the stands as she unrolled it and stared.
I counted the seconds. One. Two. Three …
She bellowed, “The first name, Andaline Beatrice. You will face Roan Kerstal.”
Andaline was a female fae and more than a match for Roan. Maybe this damned list would be fair.
Hilda powered through the names. It was only when she called out Frazer’s name that my heart quickened again. “Frazer, your battle will be against Cole Vysan.”
“Good.” Frazer flashed me a feral grin. I knew it was for my benefit.
He sought Cole’s face in the crowd and moved off. Pain lanced through my chest.
You don’t have to worry. Just focus on yourself. His confidence carried through the link. I let myself feel cheered by it.
Then, the next blow came. “Adrianna Lakeshi, you will face Tysion Kato.”
Her identity revealed, the silence shattered, and whispers broke out everywhere. A tiny scattering of applause started and died quickly. Meanwhile, Adrianna showed no emotion as hundreds of eyes followed her every move toward Tysion who, I was surprised to notice, didn’t seem his usual smirking, sneering self.
Ha. I hoped he was shitting himself.
Hilda called out four more names before asking everyone else to stand aside. I guessed that made me Team B, along with Cai and Liora.
I spun and aimed for the stands while sneaking glances at my competition. With a few exceptions, like Cai, the best in our class were fighting in the first group. I didn’t bother celebrating.
Reaching the barricade, I turned and searched the battlefield for Frazer and Adrianna. Cai and Liora did the same.
Wilder moved to the edge of the arena and boomed, “If your weapons are sheathed, draw them!”
A sharp slide of steel punctured the air.
Hilda joined Wilder ringside, and then she whirled around, yelling, “Be advised. If we call your name out that is our official ruling that you’ve lost the battle. You will come to stand behind us, and you will not continue the bout.”
Watching Frazer take a position opposite Cole’s enormous bulk made blind panic set in. I reached down our bond, but his thoughts and emotions felt fuzzy. I suspected he’d become too focused on the task at hand to notice me lurking. It made me feel closer to him, at any rate.
“Get ready! Begin!”
Steel met steel in a violent dance.
I couldn’t bear to watch.
The second I felt alarm in the bond, I had to look.
Frazer was on the ground, rolling away from an overhanded strike.
My arms crossed over my stomach, a reflex born from wanting to protect myself from the sight.
Now, he was back on his feet, deflecting Cole’s monstrous blade.
As the fight progressed, I relaxed a bit. Frazer got a touch within the first five minutes. Watching him move through the blows was like seeing a virtuoso at work.
I craned my neck, moving between Frazer and Adrianna.
The next hit to land was Frazer’s again; a blow to the belly this time. Cole stared down in disbelief. For one heartbeat he was distracted. Frazer seized the advantage, and with a flick of the wrist, levered the spear upward. Cole retreated quickly, but he was still too slow. The blunted end smashed against his granite jaw.
Liora and I seized each other’s hands, waiting, hoping.
Hilda called it. “Cole. Over by the wall.”
“Thank the moons,” Cai whispered to my left.
Frazer made for us, not bothering to stay and watch Cole slink away, cursing as he went. I let my relief shine through our bond, and then my amusement, after spotting a slight strut that had entered his gait. Cocky bastard.
Frazer’s eyes met mine. Don’t know what you mean.
A vague smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he joined my side, making Cai move up the line. I let myself bathe in my kin’s victory for a moment more, then turned back to Adrianna, who was still fighting Tysion.
While other recruits got pulled out and our ranks swelled, they remained locked in their battle of steel and will. Truthfully, I hadn’t imagined Adrianna would have such a hard time landing blows. There were a few more nail-biting, tongue-chewing minutes before she slipped past his guard, landing a tap to his ribs. But in the next heartbeat, Tysion swung around and clipped her on the head with his hilt. And in another devastating blow, he tapped her right arm.
Two to one in Tysion’s favor.
A nasty jolt hit my midriff. She wouldn’t lose. She couldn’t. We needed her with us.
Adrianna snarled and attacked outward with an explosive force. She ducked, performing a vicious sweeping kick, which had Tysion on his ass. She pounced, pinning him, bringing her sword to his throat.
Two hits apiece.
Adrianna let Tysion throw her off. She was attacking again within seconds. Tysion was back on his feet, but even to my unpracticed eye, it was obvious he’d lost balance. Adrianna gained ground. She had the advantage. As they crossed blades once more, Adrianna swept a blow aside, thrusting directly toward his upper thigh, landing a light hit.
I found myself disappointed that she hadn’t aimed for the groin.
“Tysion, you’re out,” Wilder yelled. “The bout goes to Adrianna.”
The stands erupted in polite applause. A few recruits joined in, but not many. Obviously, our pack cheered loudest. Cai even whistled.
Adrianna kept her features stiff, almost lifeless, as she walked over to us. But I thought I detected a faint smile slip past her guard when Cai patted her on the back.
Wilder’s shout had my heart doing a wild drumbeat against my ribs. “Second set of recruits—you’re up!”
I blanked and moved forward in a kind of trance. Ten recruits shadowed me, including Cai and Liora. We came to a natural stop, crowded together. Hilda had that damned parchment out again.
The earth swayed beneath me.
“Caiden Verona, you’re paired with Moso Yumi.”
The leader of Mikael’s pack against the leader of Goldwyn’s. A good match.
Hilda got through another set of names before bellowing, “Liora Verona, your partner is Reese Miller.”
Reese was a brunette human with a dour expression. She also happened to be middle-ranked. Liora would have a chance then.
Only four recruits left. Two fae and another human. Surely, they wouldn’t pair me against a fae?
The other human went by the name of Annie Dara. The only thing I knew about her was that she had a hopeless infatuation with Cai. I desperately tried to remember how she ranked. Something told me it was low down.
Her name was called out. I waited for mine, bracing myself.
“You’re with Maria Claren.” The female fae.
My mouth popped open.
That meant … my opponent was a male fae, and he definitely wasn’t bottom-ranked.
“Jace Skarsden, you’re with Serena Smith.”
He was one of Mikael’s. Tall, blonde, handsome. And by the smirk playing about his mouth, arrogant as all hell.