“How are you feeling about all of this?” he asked gently.
Her storm cloud eyes turned his way, her expression troubled. “I feel…more nervous this time around,” she confessed. “Our first match wasn’t exactly easy, and it’s only going to get more difficult from here, right?”
“I suppose it will,” he agreed, and looked across the room, his eyes sweeping over the remaining competition. They’d be in for a tough fight no matter who they ended up against.
The break they’d been granted came and went, gone before they’d even processed its existence. Nyson took his place at the end of the room, and everyone fell silent. All eyes watched the Union Master, the tension in the room building and growing, a gathering storm cloud of anxiety. When Nyson spoke, the words struck from that cloud like lightning, zapping his heart into a frenzy.
“Kirheen, Garild, Isa, and Ian, please step forward.”
CHAPTER 19
Kirheen kept her gaze locked to the floor and tried desperately to avoid the green-eyed distraction standing across from her. It was not the time to be caught up in ridiculous feelings, not the time to feel her heart fluttering madly in her chest, her pulse echoing loudly against her eardrums.
She needed to focus, to keep her barriers strong. If they fell during the battle, there would be nothing stopping Ian from stepping into her mind and picking through her thoughts, nothing stopping him from learning the truth he seemed to seek with his eyes.
“Good luck,” Ian said softly. She merely nodded in response and looked to his bond mate Isa. She looked as nervous as Kirheen felt, but for entirely different reasons.
“Same strategy as before?” Garild asked, his question tapping against her barrier.
It took her a moment to gather her jumbled thoughts, to turn her attention back to the battle ahead, to Garild standing at her side. “Yes. Let’s get in before they have a chance to do anything. One of them is a manipulator, so we can’t take any chances.”
The match started with a power struggle, Garild locking energy with one of their opponents as he sought to gain control. He feigned a dip in power and then burst forward, effectively pulling Isa and Ian into his illusion. They appeared in a clearing, watching the trees around them with cautious eyes. Garild had chosen to use the forest again, though he'd altered it since their last match.
Isa looked upset, her features scrunched as she surveyed their surroundings. “I'm sorry, Ian. I tried.”
“No need to apologize,” Ian reassured her. “We knew this might happen. Just be prepared, we’re in for quite a fight.”
Instead of dashing off into the forest, the two opted to set up a fortress where they’d been pulled into the illusion. Kirheen watched from the nearby trees as Isa wove her hands through the air, conjuring up a shimmering wall that encircled them, and together they fortified it to a surprising degree. There would be no getting to them physically.
Just as Kirheen went to move, a strange pain shot across her forehead. She shook it away, glancing about for the source, but it was quickly followed by another arc of pain strong enough to drop her to her knees. Her vision blurred, the forest becoming a swirl of blues and greens. Realizing someone was assaulting her mind, she strengthened her defenses and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the dizziness to pass. When she opened them again, she was flat on her back, staring up at the canopy of trees above.
“Someone is targeting me, and they are doing it from afar,” she warned Garild. “Watch your defenses and be ready to end this as quick as possible.”
“Got it!”
Kirheen got to her feet and turned back towards the structure her opponents had created. It was still there, but the walls had solidified, and it was impossible to tell if they were still inside. She didn’t know how long she’d been down, how long the world had spun in a dizzying array of color and pain. It had felt like seconds, but time was funny in illusions.
Turning away, she gasped as she came face to face with Ian.
It was sheer instinct that saved her.
She managed to form a thin barrier just as a wave of power slammed into her. It ripped through her defenses and flung her backwards. Her shoulder collided painfully with a tree, but she kept herself planted firmly in Garild’s mind. The barrier she’d formed had deflected some of the energy back on Ian, knocking him onto his back. Kirheen stumbled forward, fully intent on taking him out of the match while he was still recovering.
Ian raised a hand towards her, as if to ward her away. “Kirheen, please don’t. Stop. I think I’m hurt.”
The frail unsteadiness of his voice stopped her in her tracks. His green eyes were wide, silently pleading for mercy with a gaze she was unable to look away from. When she spotted Isa stepping through the trees, it was already too late. There was no time for a barrier, no time to deflect the energy rolling towards her, whipping up leaves and dirt like a tornado.
A shimmering blue barrier burst to life, blocking the oncoming attack, and she scrambled towards cover just as web-like cracks formed across the surface. Garild stood at the edge of the trees, arms raised and ready to shield them both from another attack, his eyes narrowed as he glared at Isa and Ian.
Ian, back on his feet, smirked. “You almost fell for that, Kirheen. I’m surprised.”
Heat flooded her cheeks and she curled her fingers in tight, nails biting into her palms. “I was stalling,” she spat. “I knew Garild was coming.”
“Is that so?” His smirk broke into a wide, boyish grin. “You seemed awfully concerned about my wellbeing.”
“Keep him talking,” Garild encouraged her, his power shifting and changing subtly.
“Your wellbeing?” Kirheen laughed, the sound echoing through the trees. “I was concerned about mine! You threw me into a tree, remember?”
“You're a terrible liar.”
“But a great distraction.”
At that moment, a dozen snakes appeared beneath Ian and Isa, hissing and slithering around their ankles. Isa screamed, her big blue eyes wide with panic. Unable to stay still, she stepped back, her heel digging into one of the fanged menaces. It responded in kind, lashing out and fixing its fangs deep into her calf. The pain and the fear of what she was seeing was too much for Isa to handle. She dropped her concentration and slipped out of the match, leaving Ian alone.
Ian, though looking a bit unnerved, managed to keep his focus. “Well, that’s a bit humiliating.”
Kirheen smiled sweetly. “Care to forfeit?”
He held her gaze, his green eyes bright with mischief. “Not yet,” he said and flung a burst of power towards his feet. The illusion shattered, the snakes breaking apart into dust. He used the force of the blast to fling himself backwards and launched a wave of energy towards Garild before Kirheen could react.
The energy clipped Garild across the shoulder, spinning him around and knocking him to the ground. Ian used the distraction to slip into the trees and Kirheen darted after him, ignoring the thin branches that slapped against her skin as she ran. He was trying to draw out his defeat, but she wasn’t about to let him.
Lucky for her, his haste cost him the match. There was a snap from up ahead and a muttered curse. As she stepped into view, she had to suppress a giggle. Ian swayed high above her, hanging from a rope wrapped tightly around his ankle.
“Now do you forfeit?” Kirheen smirked.
He scoffed. “Never! I can still beat you from up here.”
“I’m so very intimidated. Come on, I’ll let you make the first move.”
Ian sent out a surge of energy towards her, but it wavered as it got closer, breaking apart before it made contact. The motion caused the rope he dangled from to spin wildly and he groaned, immediately regretting his action. “All right, I forfeit.”
The battle won, Garild dropped the illusion and Kirheen slipped from his mind. She opened her senses to a room erupting with cheers and shouts. Isa was red with embarrassment, and she shot a fierce glare in Garild’s direction. “Did it have to be sna
kes?”
Garild laughed. “Would you have preferred a bear? A wolf?”
“I’d take anything over those! Yuck!”
“Kirheen, Garild; you have won this round,” Nyson called from the back of the room, his words trailed by more cheering from their fellow Bonded. Garild grinned from ear to ear, and his cheerful delight spread to Kirheen. With two battles won, it was starting to feel like all the long nights of training were paying off.
“You two did well. It was a good fight,” Ian said, his tone jovial. “Kirheen made a great distraction. That was clever of you, Garild.”
Garild merely nodded, eyeing Ian suspiciously. Ian and Isa bowed, stepping away from the center of the room to reclaim their spot among the others.
Kirheen watched Ian saunter away and sighed. When she turned to Garild, she was surprised to see an annoyed look on his face. “What?”
Garild shrugged. “It's just... I don't know. I get an odd feeling from him at times. The way he looks at you...”
Kirheen prickled with irritation. “You’re just being paranoid. You don't know anything,” she snapped and stomped away, leaving her bond mate behind to puzzle over her reaction. Tomias and Fenir were waiting for them at the far side of the room. As she came within reach, Tomias grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a hug.
“Again! You’ve done it again,” Tomias exclaimed. “Nothing can stop you now.”
Kirheen rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. “You're too much, Tomias. You're going to jinx us before the next match.”
“The final match. How are you feeling?”
“Exhilarated and utterly exhausted.”
“I need a nap,” Garild announced as he joined them.
“I'm afraid you won't have much time for that. You’ll be up again soon.”
As if on cue, the next match was called. “Vienna, Daris, Celene, and Aeirn; please step forward.”
“This should be interesting,” Garild said.
Interesting ended up being quite the understatement. The match lasted all of five minutes before a clear victor was declared.
“Vienna and Daris, victory is yours.”
Kirheen watched the victorious couple turn towards each other, watched Vienna smirk, her blue eyes cold and calculating. Daris turned his head to look over his shoulder, and Kirheen’s blood turned to ice as his dark eyes found hers. He smiled then, his teeth glistening, eyes burning with bloodlust, the look of a wolf ready to kill.
CHAPTER 20
“Vienna, Daris, Kirheen, Garild; it is time. Please step forward.”
Kirheen tried to look calm, but the menacing gaze of Daris had completely unnerved her. Her hands trembled and her legs felt limp and useless as she crossed the room. The other battles had been difficult, but she hadn’t felt such fear infecting her heart and mind, creeping across her calm like ivy suffocating a tree.
Kirheen knew from the previous matches that Daris and Vienna would be standing for the battle, sneering down at them from great heights while they cowered on the floor. She wanted to match them, to show them that she was strong and unafraid, but the wobbling in her knees told her otherwise.
Vienna watched her as she approached, her chilled gaze picking apart every flaw. Kirheen looked away and positioned herself on the floor, trying not to feel self-conscious under the scrutiny of her opponents. Garild joined her, wiping his palms on his robe nervously as he settled. The seconds ticked by painfully slow, breath held tightly in aching lungs, and then Nyson called for the battle to begin.
Before Kirheen could prepare herself, she was struck by a force so powerful, it felt like she’d been picked up and slammed against a wall. She moved to defend, strengthening her barriers and pushing back against her attacker. Garild was losing his grip on the situation, and with a sharp tug, they were pulled into an illusion. It wasn’t theirs.
“Allseer be damned,” Garild cursed. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t hold the illusion under that much pressure.”
“It’s fine. We just need to be very, very careful.”
Vienna and Daris had opted to use the field once again. It had earned them victory in two battles, each match ending in a brutal assault by way of bloodthirsty monstrosities. Kirheen wasn’t about to lose in such a way.
The tall grasses rustled, looking like shimmering strands of glass in the moonlight. Far across the field, a card floated in the air, shining brightly.
“We’re not going for that. We both know it isn’t real.”
“I thought as much,” Garild agreed. “One of them has got to be protecting it.”
She nodded. “Yeah, but we might not be able to get to it. We might have to win this by force.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do. Lead the way.”
Kirheen crept forward, leading them to the outskirts of the field rather than walking straight through it. It stretched on for a long time, but Kirheen didn’t mind. They weren’t in a rush to meet their opponents.
“Get ready to split,” Kirheen warned.
After a few seconds, she broke away from Garild and went diving into the tall, swaying grasses. As she did, Garild began releasing small bursts of power, not enough to drain him, but enough to light him up like a beacon.
It worked flawlessly. Crouching down, Kirheen spotted Daris creeping through the grass to her right, dagger gleaming in his clenched fist. His movement was slow and controlled, a wolf on the prowl. Kirheen trailed after him, mimicking his movements, slowly pinning him between herself and Garild. Her heart beat frantically, knowing at any moment he might turn and spot her, but they’d got him where they wanted him.
“Now!”
Garild whirled, flinging a wide arc of power into the grass. Daris leapt back and Kirheen struck, hitting him with a blast of energy that knocked him forward with great force. His face connected with the ground, and then he shattered like glass.
“Illusion,” Kirheen shouted frantically. The words had barely left her lips when Daris came crashing through the grass in wolf form. The giant, hulking beast slammed into her, knocking her flat on her back and forcing the air out of her lungs. Giant paws pinned her shoulders against the ground, claws digging in deep, and a great maw of dripping fangs snapped in the air just beyond her nose. She dug her hands tightly into the fur around his neck, struggling to free herself before those fangs found their way around her throat.
She was terribly outmatched, the corded muscles of the wolf felt beneath layers of thick fur, her own muscles straining to hold him back. She was quickly losing the struggle, her arms buckling and her focus slipping as her fear intensified. Gathering the energy within herself, she coiled it tightly, letting it build until she couldn’t hold it any longer. The energy burst out of her body and slammed into Daris, throwing him up into the air. He hit the ground with a yelp, and he rose in a flurry of fangs and fur, growling intensely as he turned to face her.
Kirheen dragged herself to her feet, keeping her eyes on Daris as he circled her. Burning, bloody lines arced across her shoulders and down the front of her body where his claws had cut into her skin. Warmth slid over her skin beneath her robes, trickling over her belly and down her thighs. The mere sight of the blood seemed to work Daris into a frenzy and he leapt forward, fangs bared. Kirheen readied herself, even knowing she didn’t have enough energy left to stop him, knowing that the match was about to end. She closed her eyes and prepared for his sharp fangs to sink into her flesh, but the pain never came.
A blast of shimmering blue light collided with him mid-air, slamming him into the ground with a crack. There was a yelp of pain and then Kirheen felt the energy surrounding Daris dissipate, the blow breaking his concentration and forcing him out of the match.
“Did I get him?” Garild asked. “I’m headed over to you.”
Kirheen swayed, the drain on her power catching up with her. Her vision blurred and she sank forward, resting her hands on her knees while she focused on staying in the match. There was the soft rustle of grass nearby as Ga
rild drew closer, or at least she thought it was Garild until a hand slipped around her neck and the cool touch of a dagger caressed her throat. “Ah, Vienna. I was wondering when you’d show up.” Stupid. You let your guard down, she scolded herself.
“Shut up, Kirheen. One wrong move and I’ll open your throat.”
“Mad about Daris? He had it coming.”
The dagger pressed tighter against her throat and she winced as the blade nicked her skin. Garild stepped into view, his eyes as wide as the moon as he took in the situation.
“Garild,” Vienna purred. “Forfeit now or I end this on my terms.”
Kirheen narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you dare forfeit. Don’t listen to her. You hit us both if you have to but take her out!”
“I know.”
Garild held up a hand, his tone gentle, as if he were pacifying a rabid dog. “Vienna, please. Let’s be rational here. It’s still two against one.”
Vienna snorted. “Is that what this looks like to you? Two against one? With my power, I don’t even need Daris in this fight.”
Garild went to step forward and shuddered to a stop, halting mid-step at an angle that looked very uncomfortable. There was a moment of confused shocked and he looked to Kirheen, his expression strained.
“Garild?”
“Kirheen…I can’t move. She…did…something to me.”
“And you’ll remain that way until I decide otherwise,” Vienna stated. She dropped the dagger from Kirheen’s neck and stepped away, striding towards Garild as if she were simply out for an afternoon stroll. Kirheen took her chance and went to strike, but when she went to lift her arm, it stayed locked at her side, unmoving. A strange heaviness settled over her skin, as if she’d suddenly turned to stone, and no matter how hard she tried, her body refused to move. “Do I take you out quickly, or do I toy with you? I could drag this out for a very, very long time.”
The Allseer Trilogy Page 16
