by K. A. Linde
Basem roared, slicing across her neck, “Die, leatha bitch!”
At the same second, Kerrigan used her last bit of energy to pull the amber orb to her. She grasped it in her hand, and the world returned to normal. Her awareness righted itself. Whatever the orb had done to disorient her had evaporated. Even her ears were no longer ringing. Though they were still bleeding.
Her hand went to her throat, trying to stop the blood from seeping out of her. He hadn’t pressed down hard enough to kill, just to wound, but she could see he wanted to go in for another shot.
She blasted him backward with all the air, water, fire, and earth she had in her veins, and he flew through the ring and out into the crowd. With a heave, she came unsteadily to her feet. But the fight wasn’t over.
As much as she wanted to end his life right here, that wouldn’t be justice for what he had done to Lyam. What he had tried to do to her. She needed to get him out of the Wastes. He needed to be arrested and stand trial for his crimes. Death wasn’t good enough for him.
She strode forward, still holding the orb in her hand. Basem took one look at her, a fiery red ball of vengeance, and took a step back. The crowd booed him as she advanced. True panic flicked across his features for the first time. And with a look around to see that he had lost favor, he reached into his pouch and withdrew a black orb.
“I’ll be seeing you, Red,” he said. Then, he threw the orb to the ground, shattering it into a million pieces. The ashy smoke enveloped him, and he was gone.
“No!” she screamed.
But there was nothing she could do. Basem had escaped.
Kerrigan sank to her feet as the announcer came out to declare her the winner. The crowd had a mixed reaction. No one had been killed. One competitor had fled.
She didn’t even have the energy to care what they thought. Basem was gone. She had been this close, and he had slipped out of her grasp.
Clover rushed out into the ring and helped her backstage. “What the hell, Red?”
“He escaped.”
“You’re losing a lot of blood. We need to get you to a healer.”
“No,” Kerrigan said, straightening. “We have to get to the mountain. Fordham, Darby, and Hadrian got Ever out of Basem’s house. If we have Ellerby’s nephew, then we have a witness. We have proof. We have to tell Helly.”
“Bravo,” Dozan said. He stepped into the back room and casually applauded her. “Devious… even for you.”
She glared at him. “No thanks to you. Basem escaped.”
“But you brought him down. He won’t be able to show his face in Kinkadia ever again.”
“That’s not justice.”
“It’s more than most people get,” Dozan said.
“He’s right,” Clover said. “He’s not behind bars, but he can’t come after you now. Not when we have proof of what he’s done. He’ll be hunted by the Society.”
Kerrigan sighed and nodded. “I know. It’s just… half as much as I wanted.”
“Run off to your mountain, princess, and see if they give you more justice than I did.” Dozan smirked. “Doesn’t tonight prove that you belong here… with me?”
“Just because we work well together doesn’t mean that I belong here.”
He stepped forward, exposing her ears once more. “I have never seen you look more magnificent than when you were out there tonight, proud of your heritage. Can you really say that you can do that in the mountain? Anywhere else in fact?”
Kerrigan swallowed, caught in his golden gaze. She ignored the beat of her heart at his words. The rightness in them. She hated that he was right. Hated that he still had a pull over her after all these years.
“I belong where I can do the most good,” she told him. “That is not here.”
Dozan dropped his hands and shrugged. “We’ll see.”
Kerrigan turned to Clover. “Come to the mountain with me?”
She nodded once and headed out of the Wastes and through the Dregs. They were nearly to the mountain when Clover finally sighed.
“So… you and Dozan? You and Fordham?”
She blew out an exasperated breath. “I’m bleeding from my neck and my ears, and you want to talk about boys?”
“Men,” she purred.
“Dozan and I are both fire. We’d burn each other to the ground. And Fordham… doesn’t want this.”
“What’s not to want?”
Kerrigan shook her head, unable to explain about Fordham’s curse. That was his story to tell. “Let’s just get to Helly and deal with my love life after we save the city.”
Clover laughed, and they jogged the remainder of the way inside.
By the time they caught up with Fordham, Darby, Hadrian, and a shaking Ever, Kerrigan’s neck wound had soaked through her fighting shirt, and she was feeling woozy.
“What in the gods’ name happened?” Hadrian gasped.
Darby stepped forward in horror. “Kerrigan!”
She put her hands up to start the healing, but Kerrigan shook her off.
“Helly. We need Helly. Deal with me later.”
“Kerrigan,” Fordham said gently. “This is serious. You’ve lost a lot of blood.”
“Please,” she forced out.
Her friends shared a look and then nodded. Taking her to Helly was likely the best bet anyway. The neck wound was beyond Darby’s expertise in healing thus far, and Helly was the most accomplished known healer.
Fordham and Hadrian came to either side of Kerrigan to assist her the rest of the way to Helly’s quarters. Clover and Darby walking Ever between them. They were almost there when a figure stepped out of the shadows, clutching books to her chest.
“Oh my gods, Kerrigan!” Valia gasped, nearly dropping the books. “What happened to you?”
“Come with us. I only want to explain once,” Kerrigan muttered.
Valia’s eyes were wide, but she nodded and stepped into ranks with Kerrigan’s friends and the confused Ever. They stopped in front of Helly’s quarters, and Clover unceremoniously banged on the door. After a minute, the door flew open, and Helly appeared, still in her nightgown, as she hastily tried to drag her black Society robes over them.
“Yes?” she asked, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. Then she saw Kerrigan and gasped. “Kerrigan, what happened? Come in. Come in. Gods!”
Fordham and Hadrian carried Kerrigan across the threshold. Helly tossed pillows off a couch, and they deposited Kerrigan on it. The rest of her friends followed inside with Ever huddled against Darby. Valia seemed to disappear entirely in the shadows.
Helly threw flames from her fingertips to ignite all of the lanterns and take them out of darkness. Then, she assessed Kerrigan’s injury. “What happened? Were you attacked?”
Kerrigan shuddered as she realized she was so close to losing consciousness. She couldn’t do that before she told Helly what had happened. “I was… fighting in the ring.”
“What?” Helly gasped. “After I strictly forbid you from leaving the mountain?”
“There’s more,” she said, but Helly shook her head and began her work.
“You’ve lost a lot of blood. You shouldn’t speak. This will hurt.” Helly looked around the room. “The rest of you, begin to explain to me what is going on, and who is that young boy?”
“We discovered that Basem Nix had killed Lyam,” Fordham began. “But you didn’t believe us, so we had to get proof.”
“Proof?” Helly said with anger in her voice.
But Kerrigan couldn’t say a word. She was using all her strength to stay conscious.
“We staged a meetup, where Basem confessed to trying to kill Kerrigan. He was going to kill her that night, but he agreed to fight her in the Dragon Ring.”
Helly scoffed but said nothing.
“And it was really Hadrian’s idea,” Fordham said, gesturing to him against the wall, “to use the fight as a distraction.”
“And get Ever out,” Hadrian finished.
Helly’s eyes flicked
to Ever. “He looks traumatized. Get him from where?”
“From Basem Nix’s home,” Darby said. “Where, as Ellerby had informed Kerrigan, he was being held captive to keep him quiet.”
“What?” Helly gasped.
“So, while Kerrigan and I were at the fight, keeping Basem and his men busy,” Clover said, “Darby, Hadrian, and Fordham infiltrated his home and rescued their hostage. So, now, you have Ellerby and his nephew, Ever, who will testify to what he did to them.”
“And where is Basem Nix now?”
Clover frowned. “He escaped.”
“Gods.” Helly shook her head in abject horror.
She didn’t say anything for a long time, as if she were processing the information and deciding where to go from there.
All the while, she worked on healing Kerrigan’s neck. Restoring the blood loss would be a whole other thing that would take time… time that they didn’t have.
“Do you… believe us?” Kerrigan asked warily. Sleep beckoned.
“I’m furious that you would all take this risk,” Helly admitted. “I had the Society watching Basem after you told me about him. We were very close to arresting him for his actions, but now, he has slipped from our grasp.”
The group withered under her words.
“However, I am glad that you rescued Ever. His disappearance was tragic. I am proud of you lot even if you circumvented Society mandates to do what you did. You’ve saved an innocent boy’s life. That is not a small thing. The tournament is tomorrow. I think you all should get a good night’s rest.”
“What will we do with him?” Darby asked.
“Valia, would you mind finding him something to eat and a secure room for him to stay in for now?” Helly asked.
“Of course, Mistress,” Valia said. She bowed and then ushered the boy from the room.
“Thank you, Mistress Helly,” Darby said, curtsying.
Hadrian gave her a slight bow, and they headed out of the room with Clover and Darby.
“I can help Kerrigan back to her room,” Fordham offered.
“I appreciate that, Fordham, but I believe my patient should stay here with me tonight. I want to observe her overnight.”
“Of course.” Fordham looked conflicted but eventually bowed to them both and slipped from the room.
“You have a loyal team behind you.”
Kerrigan smiled wanly. “Friends,” she corrected. “Loyal friends.”
Helly nodded with a smile. “You should get some rest. Stay here tonight in the guest room. I don’t want you wandering the mountain and undoing all my hard work.”
“All right.” Kerrigan gingerly got to her feet and followed Helly to her guest room. The bed was at least twice the size of her own with a giant, fluffy comforter and big feather down pillows. It looked like the most inviting place in the world. Maybe she’d finally sleep.
Helly left and came back with a bundle of clothes. “These should suffice for the night.”
“Thank you.”
“Kerrigan,” Helly said, gently brushing Kerrigan’s curls out of her face. “Can I speak with you about one more thing? I know you’re tired.”
“Of course.” Kerrigan leaned against one of the wooden bedposts.
“I spoke with Audria.”
Kerrigan froze. She had completely put Audria’s offer out of her mind.
“I know you have been worried about not joining a tribe. That you think it is your mission to join and become a citizen, to help do good. And I want to let you know that we got it all worked out. Audria will be selecting you tomorrow to join Bryonica.”
“Helly…”
“I’m so pleased. You know I wanted to accept you myself,” Helly said. “I should have thought of consulting with someone else in the ranks, but Audria is a perfect fit. You can become an Ather, a Bryonican royal again. All will be as it should.”
Kerrigan opened her mouth to object, but what other offer did she have? It was this or work for the Society, as steward, as Valia did. Not exactly a servant… but nothing more than that either.
“Thank you,” she finally got out, choking on the words.
“Tomorrow, this will all be over.”
Helly smiled brightly at Kerrigan before leaving her to change and get some sleep. But a pit had formed in her stomach that had nothing to do with her ailments and everything to do with what would come tomorrow. Kerrigan of Bryonica… once more.
46
The Third
Helly awoke Kerrigan early. They dined on a nutritious breakfast of eggs, bacon, and berries. She returned to her rooms to change into comfortable leggings and a loose shirt in lieu of her typical dresses and then headed down to the arena with Valia.
“How is Ever doing?” she asked.
Valia shook her head. “He’s frightened, but Mistress Moran has taken him under her wing. She seems besotted with the child.”
Kerrigan nodded. “Good. She’s like that with all the littlings.”
“So, who do you think is going to win?”
“I really have no idea.”
“Fordham, of course,” Valia said.
But Kerrigan hadn’t had a vision again. She didn’t know who was going to win or if Fordham would be in danger. She was walking into this task blind. And it was the most important. The five people who succeeded would get one of the five dragons and be inducted into the Society. A dream come true.
“I hope so.”
They stepped into the competitors’ box in the arena. The last eight competitors stood in clusters around the room. Fordham stood alone with his arms crossed over his broad chest. Audria laughed with Roake, her blonde hair fluttering in the faint breeze. Noda stood with Posana and Chelcie, speaking furtively. Darrid glared at Fordham. Taiga seemed to be trying to get his attention. Everyone, but maybe Audria, looked stressed. Kerrigan could feel it coming off the room.
“Almost time,” Mistress Sinead said reassuringly.
Bastian appeared then, stepping into the box last. His eyes went to Valia, and he nodded at her. She scurried into whatever position they had agreed on.
He clapped Kerrigan on the shoulder. “My dear girl, I heard what you did last night.”
“Oh?” she asked warily.
“What an achievement. I’m so proud of you. We haven’t apprehended Basem Nix, but we certainly will. I assure you of that.” Bastian glowed with approval. “And rescuing a member of my own tribe, I cannot thank you enough. Having Ever Emberton home safe brings me so much peace.”
“Oh, well, of course,” she muttered, flustered.
“You have a bright future ahead of you.”
“Thank you, Master Bastian.”
“Now, on to the tournament!” he cheered and headed toward Valia.
Once Bastian was gone, Fordham came to her side. “Any information for me?” he asked hopefully.
She shook her head. She hadn’t had a single vision. Nothing to tell her what was coming. He was going in as blind as she was.
“That’s all right. I can win this anyway,” he said confidently, his hand going to his raven medallion.
“Have they told you what’s going to happen?”
“Last night, before the fight,” he confided. “It’s a battle of wits. We will be transported around Alandria and have to try to get to this cave network. We can only bring our medallions with us. There’s no set amount of time either. We could be out there for days and have to find our own food and water. There will be tasks along the way. If we make it through, then we get to choose a dragon.”
Kerrigan nodded. She had been a part of the last dragon tournament in the final task. Though she had sworn to never discuss it. They had even put a spell over the binding to keep her from saying anything. But she knew precisely what would happen once he found that cave network. She just hoped he made it.
“Good luck,” was all she said.
He reached out and slipped his pinkie around hers. Just the barest gesture, a slight squeeze, and her entire inside
s melted into goo. She looked up into his bright gray eyes, and her heart fluttered. He quirked a half-smile before straightening and joining the rest of the competitors.
Kerrigan moved to the front of the box as music blared, and the final eight competitors were paraded around the arena one last time. After today, eight would narrow down to five, and those five would all be bound to dragons, become dragon riders, and join the Society. The ultimate honor.
A pang of envy flashed through her. She had told Helly that she wanted to make something of herself. That she didn’t want to just be left behind… again. But it was more. She wanted that. Fame and glory and to be a part of the lawmaking. From the inside, she could actually enact change—or at least, try, which was more than was happening now.
But it would never, ever be. After Cyrene, they’d never allow a half-Fae girl in their ranks. And on some level, Kerrigan hardly blamed them… but that didn’t mean she wanted to accept it.
The competitors were in line, and the master of ceremonies gave final instructions. The crowd cheered. The tension in the enormous arena was frothing.
And then came the final bout of information.
“Today, we’re testing to see if you are worthy to join the ranks of the great Society. We have already tested your physical and mental prowess in the first two tasks, but this will test your will. To do that, the officiators have agreed to give each competitor a potion that will temporarily remove your access to your magic.”
Cheers from the crowd. Shock and disgust from the competitors. Kerrigan remembered the feeling of being without magic when Clare had delivered a similar potion. It had been terrifying. Also, she found it ironic that a society built around the biggest and baddest magical wielders would make their competitors no better than the humans they so loathed. Only someone so deep into their own privilege wouldn’t see the absurdity of it.
The competitors were escorted out of the arena and deep into the mountain. From here on out, they were beyond the view of the crowd. Anything that happened in the third task was for those competing only. That was the only way they kept the third task mysterious enough.
“Well,” Valia said to her right, “now, we wait.”
