by Megan Linski
“Emma! Get out of there!” I screamed. I gave chase, though I couldn’t catch up with the biez while hauling my sword around.
The sound of the crowd drowned out and became mute as my sights focused on my mate. The smile slid off of Emma’s face. A visage of complete horror took over as she turned tail and ran in a zig-zag pattern, to try and get the biez off her tail.
For as big as it was, it was also agile. It had no trouble following after Emma until eventually, it caught up with her. Its jaws snapped forward, and Emma screamed and tripped. She grabbed her sword and swung it upright just as the biez was going to sink his teeth in her.
The sword ended up stabbing the creature in one of its giant eyeballs. The demon screeched, and rubbed a paw over the eye that was currently gushing blood as Emma scampered away.
I caught up with the biez. I stabbed my blade into its side, but barely broke the skin before it turned around. The monster lowered its head and hooked one of its antlers around my body. The biez threw its head back, and sent me flying. I hurtled ten feet and dropped my sword somewhere along the way before I came to a rolling stop on the grass. I groaned, feeling the hit my back had taken as I’d slammed against the ground. That wasn’t an easy fall.
I got on all fours and bared my teeth. Screw the sword. Time to do things the old-fashioned way; with teeth and claws. I transformed. A snarl emitted in my throat as I jumped skyward and landed on the monster’s back.
I sank my teeth into its shoulder, and immediately, a vile taste filled my mouth. The biez rolled— I barely managed to avoid getting crushed under its weight. I ripped my mouth away and aimed for the jugular, but the monster reached backward and wrapped its long fingers around my form before it slammed me into the ground. Its sour breath filled my nostrils as it bent downward, fangs dripping saliva.
I was certain I was done for until I heard Emma give a heathen cry behind me. There was the sound of blade slicing though sinew, and the biez loosened its hold on me. I wriggled free. Emma had stabbed the monster in the neck, but she’d missed the artery, and now her sword was stuck. She struggled to yank it out, eyes growing wide with fear as the monster hissed and reared back.
“Leave it!” I charged. I managed to snatch Emma up with my teeth, tossing her upon my back and getting her out of the way before one of the biez’s claws sliced her in half. Emma’s sword continued to stick out of the monster’s neck, but it didn’t do any damage. The beast merely scratched at it, like it was a minor annoyance. Emma clung to my scruff as I raced to the other end of the arena, so we could get a second to breathe and come up with a plan.
“How are we supposed to kill this thing? It’s immune to everything we’ve tried!” Emma shouted. She slid off my back, and I changed. Not even my wolven form was any use against this monster. It was like no matter what Emma and I did, the creature just shook it off.
“Got any ideas?” Emma asked as the monster turned. It proceeded toward us in slow and deliberate movements. As it grew nearer, it began to crouch… like it was planning to deliver the final blow.
This wasn’t any good. To hunt a biez, you needed to stay far away and chuck things at them, like bombs. We didn’t have any of those, and now, neither of us had our swords. It was dangerous getting close range with these things. We’d gotten lucky so far. One hit, and we were done for.
But what we did have was magic.
“Ethan!” Emma screamed as the biez went to spring. “What do I do?”
“Use your magic!” I screamed.
“How?”
“Get creative!” I brought my hand backward before swinging it forward again, like I was pitching a ball. A jagged purple fragment, like the end of a spear, sailed through the air like a throwing knife. The magical weapon hit the front of the biez’s chest and sank in, making blood squirt everywhere. The monster groaned in response.
I threw several more, and all of them hit their target. Although they slowed the biez down, they didn’t kill him. Blood covered his chest where my magical throwing knives had hit him, but it wasn’t enough to destroy him.
Emma had her eyes closed. Her hands had formed a circle before her chest, and in the middle of them was a large blue ball of light— one that was growing larger and larger by the second and was swirling with a magic I’d never seen before. My mouth dropped open in wonder. The ball of light crackled with intensity and power. How was she doing this?
Emma’s eyes opened, and the green of them flashed a bright blue before she shouted, “Ethan, stay back!”
I didn’t ask any questions. I just got the hell out of the way. Emma tossed the vibrant blue ball in her hands as the biez leapt to attack. The monster screamed, opening its mouth to devour us both. Its shadow loomed overhead— waiting to swallow us whole.
Emma’s ball of light sailed past the biez’s mouth and down its throat. It was then she grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the way. We tumbled forward together as the biez sailed past us and crashed on the ground. Instinctively, I put my arms around her so I’d take the brunt of the fall. She landed on top of me, and I cried out as I smashed onto my hurt back again.
I expected the biez to get up, but it didn’t. It lay perfectly still, its body smoking. Emma and I slowly rose to our feet and approached the beast. Its eyes were blank, mouth dangling open. There was a large hole in its gut that Emma’s magic had made, and organs were leaking out. The insides were black and smoldering, as if they’d been burned… or frostbitten.
By the gods. It was dead. Emma had done it.
The roar of the crowd returned again, and it was deafening. We’d really given them a show. We’d certainly proved we deserved the monarchy with a performance like that.
Roses and other flowers were tossed from the stands and onto the field as sorceresses came forward. They levitated the body of the beast out of the arena before another steel cage was brought in for the next contestants. As we left the arena, Steward Soloman’s mouth was dangling open in shock. He quickly shut it before he ushered the next couple through. No more than a few feet away, a couple of lords had their heads together, flashing Emma looks of disbelief as we passed.
“Emma, that was incredible.” I couldn’t believe this was the same girl who’d struggled to lift a rock a few weeks ago during class. What had changed?
“It was the same way I’d killed the Black Claw recruit back in Detroit when he tried to murder me,” Emma said. “Just a lot bigger.”
When we got back to the tent, our entire court was waiting for us. “Emma! Holy shit!” Delmare threw herself around Emma and squeezed her tight. “That magic was incredible!”
“Well done, man.” Stefan clapped me on the back and handed me a beer. “Though I would’ve gotten it done in half the time.”
“Of course you would.” I handed the beer off to Alexei, because I didn’t need to drink before this was all over. “But it was really Emma’s doing.”
“Sure was!” Odette cheered. She was on Theo’s back, and raised a fist in victory. “We need to start planning things for the coronation party!”
“Hold on, guys. Don’t celebrate just yet,” Emma said. “There’s still one more round to go.”
“Yeah, and you’ll totally crush it,” Delmare said. “You’ve only got to kick the last couple standing out of the competition. It should be easy compared to all the other challenges.”
I forced a grimace. I certainly hoped so.
Kiara was standing near the entrance of the tent. She barely smiled as we passed. “Well done, both of you.”
“Thanks,” I said. I nodded to her, and turned to the group. “Can you guys give us a bit of space? Emma and I need to strategize.”
There were a few more claps and cheers as Emma and I ducked into the tent. Kiara eyed me before she swept away. Kiara wasn’t dumb. She knew what was really on my mind.
Once I was certain we were alone, I faced my mate. “Emma, what’s going on?” I crossed my arms. “A couple of weeks ago you were struggling to do minor magic. Now y
ou’re flinging spells around like some master sorceress.”
Emma’s expression hardened. “Hey, maybe I do well under pressure,” she said. “Back off, all right?”
I raised an eyebrow. I didn’t like that tone. “I’m your mate, and your partner for the Contest. I deserve to know. If something’s going on, and you’re using magic to manipulate our placings, you’d better tell me now.” I made sure my voice sounded stern.
Emma stared at me blankly. Then she sighed and removed her cloak, reaching inside her armor. “It’s this.”
I didn’t recognize what she brought out— not at first. But when I caught sight of the black lace, and the dark stone dangling from it, I put the pieces together. The necklace. The one we stole from Lady Korva. I’d forgotten all about it. And Emma was wearing it in the Contest?!
My temper broke. I stormed forward and yanked the necklace off her neck. The lace snapped easily. The stone itself was blazing hot— I could feel it leaving blisters on my palm.
“Hey!” Emma shouted. “Give that back!”
“Like hell! Do you realize what’s going to happen if this necklace is found on you? We’ll be forced out of the Contest!” I hissed. I tossed it to the other side of the tent. I was furious. I didn’t care where it went.
“Kiara gave me a potion before the last round started. How is that any different?” she asked.
“It was an energy potion! Those are allowed!” I shouted. “Unseelie magic isn’t!”
“Keep your voice down!” she hissed. “So I cheated. So what?”
“So what? Do you think this is a joke?”
Emma stormed forward, her hands balled into fists. “Can you honestly say that if I hadn’t had that necklace with me, that we would’ve survived that race, or the fight with the monster? Because if I didn’t, I’m pretty sure we’d be dead right now. I used dark magic to save your life.”
That shut me up. I knew she was right. We wouldn’t have gotten this far without that necklace. One or both of us would have perished.
Yet that wasn’t the only thing I was concerned about. “Did you honestly make this decision of your own accord without even bothering to consult me? I thought we were a team!”
“You don’t understand. The hag came to me. She said this was the only way,” Emma stated.
“You saw the hag again and you didn’t tell me?” By the gods, I just wanted to keep that thing away from her!
“I prayed to Milonna and asked for her help. She sent me the hag. She told me we wouldn’t win unless we used the necklace,” she insisted.
“I don’t want to win this way!” I hissed.
“I don’t care what you want, Ethan. There’s more we’re risking than your honor if we lose,” she snapped back.
“You don’t know what that necklace is doing to you. Stuff like this always comes with a price,” I said.
“And I’m willing to accept it in order to help us win!” Emma’s hand moved to her neck. She rubbed it, as if it was bothering her.
I knew what she wasn’t saying. She was willing to accept the pain that came with dark magic… in order to give me my dream.
Such a thought gutted me.
I had to take a few deep breaths in order to prevent myself from erupting. I came closer. “Show me your neck.”
“Fuck off.” She cringed away from me.
“Emma. I’m not giving you a choice.”
She hesitated for a moment before, slowly, she removed her hand. Underneath her armor and the tourney colors were harsh burn marks, set into the skin where the necklace rested. The burns were bloody and discolored. The veins around the area were black, spiderwebs lacing over her porcelain skin.
I felt sick to my stomach. “By the gods, Emma.” Seeing the way that necklace had burned her… it brought tears to my eyes. I could barely speak past the lump in my throat. The anger drained right out of me to be replaced with agony.
“I did it for you,” Emma forced out through a strained force. Tears rose up in her eyes, and a few broke free down her cheeks. “All of it was for you.”
Her words broke me. I was ready to pack up and go home. This was too much. My ambition was too much. If she was willing to use Unseelie magic so I could become king… no. I wouldn’t let that happen. I refused to allow my mate to sacrifice her good health so I could achieve my goals. I’d be no kind of mate if I allowed this to continue. I didn’t deserve to marry Emma if my dreams required her suffering.
I stepped away from her. “I’m going to the officials. We’re withdrawing from the Contest.”
Emma’s mouth dropped open. “We can’t drop out! We’re in the last round!” she protested.
“Because we swindled the system! We shouldn’t even be here,” I hissed.
“And if Gabby and Elijah get through to the last round, and no one else does? You’re just going to hand them the monarchy on a silver platter?” she spat.
That got me to pause. “Didn’t think about that, did you?” she asked quietly. “I’ve been watching them this whole tournament, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to win, Ethan. Which means so do we.”
“I won’t stoop to their level,” I said firmly. “And I’m disappointed you thought you had to.”
Her eyes watered again. “I don’t think you understand how this world works. You have to play dirty if you’re going to get anywhere.”
“No. You don’t get how this world works. You’re new to everything here, Emma!” I shouted. “I know you haven’t had an easy life, but I lost my leg! My father died. I know better than anyone how terrible this world can be, but no matter how far I’m pushed, I won’t bend my morals.”
Emma gave a soft, skeptical noise and whispered, “You just haven’t been pushed far enough.”
A heat of anger flared through me again, but it was there and gone in an instant. Being mad at Emma… gods, it was so hard. And it was even harder to be upset with her when she’d been willing to hurt herself for my benefit.
Yet she was right. We couldn’t stop. We’d come too far. And there was too much at stake if we backed out.
I lowered my voice and made it gentle. “All right. I understand why you did what you did. But we can’t do it again. Just… please promise me that you’ll never use dark magic after this. And you won’t use the necklace to get us through the last round of the Contest. We play fair.”
Emma’s resolve broke. “Fine,” she said. “I won’t use it in the last round. It’s just a duel, anyway. We can beat whoever’s out there.”
I sure hoped so. Things fell quiet between us. We sat on opposite sides of the tent and didn’t speak to each other.
I hated the tension that was between us. But at the same time, I didn’t know what to do about it. I felt guilty that we’d gotten this far at all. Yet Emma had a point. We couldn’t let Elijah and Gabby win. No matter what.
Hours passed, and night fell. Eventually, Lord Lucien entered to deliver the news.
The other two couples had died in their battles against the monsters. Elijah and Gabby were the only other couple to pass the last test.
In the last round, we’d go head to head in a duel for the crown.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Emma
I knew Ethan was disappointed in me, and it was the shittest feeling in the world. He acted like I wanted to cheat. I desired to rip that necklace off my neck as we were fighting the biez last round. Having that thing on fucking hurt. It burned— not just my skin, but also my insides. I was starting to realize why our professors warned us about using Unseelie magic.
But we needed it, and badly. That monster would’ve killed us both if I hadn’t used the necklace to save our asses. The monster would’ve killed Ethan… and dark magic or not, I’d do whatever it took to rescue him from a painful death. There was nothing on this earth, good or evil, I wouldn’t do to save that man.
Yet I promised Ethan I wouldn’t wear it in the last round. We’d play fair in order to win. I thought that was a good comp
romise.
Besides. I didn’t need dark magic to kick Gabby’s ass. I could do that all on my own.
As we were getting ready to leave, I faced Ethan. “I’m sorry,” I said. I grabbed his arm lightly and gave it a squeeze. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I should’ve consulted you about using the necklace.”
Ethan’s expression was hard to read. “What’s past is past,” he said. “We need to focus on what’s ahead.”
He raised his hands and stroked a few fingers across my cheek. “I forgive you. And whatever happens next… know that I’m still proud of you.”
The small movement was enough to make my knees go weak. Ethan was such a god. He had this freaking power over me I couldn’t explain. Before he’d chosen me as his partner for the Contest, we’d merely been friends, but ever since that kiss… it was like the connection that drew me to him was getting stronger and stronger. The Phantom remained in the back of my mind, but at the forefront was Ethan— and everything that he could do to me.
And I wasn’t talking sexually. The man had a connection to my soul that I couldn’t describe. He could break me so easily with just his words. Or a displeased look.
I never wanted to let him down again.
A cold winter wind blew by as we left the tent, and I shivered. It was nightfall by this point, the stars shining above like twinkling lights over the city. I was still tired, but the energy potion had given me enough strength to make it through this thing— along with pure spite. I wanted nothing more than to wipe the sneer off of Gabby’s face, and make her pay for killing Krystyna.
Lord Lucien and Lady Magdalina were waiting outside of the Field main gates. Gabby and Elijah were at the gates on the other side of the arena. We’d enter at the same time, bow to each other, and then the match would begin.
Lucien appeared as stoic as ever. “The Seven Gods are here. They are making their presence known at the crowning of the next king. You can feel them in the air.”