All the Crown's Shadows

by Emily Rose

  As I was walking out, though, I glanced back at the Prince, who was standing in front of his seat. His eyes gleamed at me again, but there was something all too familiar about the way he looked at me. He did not look bored anymore. Maybe I imagined the look of fear that flickered across his strong features.

  The heavy doors slammed shut behind me, shaking my bones as I was escorted down the corridor once again. My body convulsed with exhaustion as my mind floundered to make sense of the fight. The fire.

  Ophine, the goddess of light that I tried so hard to forget, was back.

  5 The Boy From Home

  After explaining every last detail of the fight to Harvey, conveniently leaving out the part where magic that doesn’t even exist anymore saved me from death, I tried to get some sleep. She was amazed over the whole thing, asking me a million questions about how I won and how it felt to kill one of the King’s Champions.

  I tried to forget about the fight. I tried to forget about my knife piercing the girl’s chest, the life draining from her eyes.

  I tried to forget about the way the King looked at me, his radiating satisfaction from the girl’s death.

  I wasn’t sure what I felt. I tried to dig into my soul for some guilt or regret, but I came up with nothing. I felt numb. Hours must have passed as I talked to her. She seemed more alive than she had seemed for the past few days.

  “So the crowd loves you now? How many people were there? Were they all rich?” she babbled.

  “I’m not sure, I didn’t really look at the crowd much. But they were loud. There must have been thousands of them.”

  “Oh right, duh. I bet the whole city came to watch the Champion fight! Wow. What about King Xavier? Did you see him?”

  A chill ran down my spine. “Yeah, he was there. That guy creeps me out.”

  “I know, right! It’s like he could kill you with a single look or something.”

  With the experience I had, I would believe it. Killing him was going to take time. And a plan. Both of those things required me staying alive for the foreseeable future.

  “But, you killed a Champion. They’re totally going to invite you to the League of Champions now, you just wait!” she said, flipping her red hair over her shoulder. “It’s going to be so awesome!”

  “I just got lucky, trust me,” I replied. “They’re definitely not going to make me a Champion.” I tried to believe my own words, but Harvey made a good point. I killed a Champion on my first appearance in the Ring of Angels. That couldn’t be good.

  Eventually, Harvey left to grab breakfast from the Courtyard, leaving me alone in the cell. I was too exhausted to train today.

  My memory kept rushing back to the accident from four years ago. The experiences were way too similar to be just a coincidence. The despair and venom I had felt when I called out for Ophine back then was a throbbing reminder in my chest. When I was about to lose everything, the gods gifted me with the strength I needed.

  And they had just done it again.

  But how? And why me? Why now?

  I laid back on my cot, staring at the dark ceiling above me. What had my life come to? I counted my breaths as my chest raised and fell slowly. I was alive. And that was a start.

  “We need to talk,” the strong voice echoed across the cement. The shock of it made me jump. I sat up, staring at the eyes of my visitor that reflected my soul.

  “Prince Aiden,” I silently cursed myself for letting my voice shake.

  He stepped forward, pulling the hood back to reveal his icy white skin and black hair. A tiny sliver of his features resembled his father’s. A tremor shook my body.

  “I saw what you did in the ring,” he barked at me. His strong voice was hardly a whisper, but it still boomed with power. I tore my eyes away from his as he barged into my cage and came inches from my face. His intoxicating smell of roses filled my nose. My heart rate spiked.

  He knew.

  But that was impossible. Nobody else saw. Deciding to play dumb, I shook my head. “Yeah, I’ve practiced that move a few times.”

  He huffed. “I’ve been here a lot longer than you have. I think I would know if it was even possible for you to win that fight.”

  “I guess I got lucky.” I brought my eyes up to meet his. If he was going to accuse me of something, he could damn well say it.

  What I wasn’t expecting, though, was a smile. It was laced with something dark, but his voice softened. “Are you aware, Ruby Castiel, that nobody has practiced magic for over 300 years?” His breath tickled my cheek as he scanned my face. A predator searching for a weakness.

  “Yes,” I breathed. I didn’t dare move an inch. “It no longer exists, if I recall.”

  His eyes darkened. “No, it doesn’t. And you would be smart to remember that.”

  A chill spiked at the back of my neck. The Prince stared at me a second longer, and I returned his gaze with spite. With one swift motion, he turned on his heel and stalked out of my cage, leaving me alone once again. My body slumped in relief.

  That was a close call. Did the King know about what happened in the ring? Was the Prince going to tell him? Either way, one thing was certain.

  Prince Aiden of Aslan was warning me.

  ✽✽✽

  The next few days continued with no magic flames or killing of any kind. Not from me, anyway. A couple of fights took place in the Courtyard, but I did my best not to watch. Not to think about it. With every passing day, my body ached with the anxiety of my next fight. It was coming, and I had to be prepared this time. They would expect me to win again, no doubt.

  I tried not to think about Prince Aiden’s visit to my cage the other night. How was he the only one who saw what I had done? Every time I pictured his dark eyes looking at me, I shivered. Hopefully he kept his accusation to himself.

  If I was going to survive here, I needed a new plan. I wasn’t sure if the goddess of light was trying to help me by allowing me to wield magic, but if it happened again in the Ring of Angels, everyone might see it. The king might see it, then I would certainly be killed. Magic of any kind was forbidden, even if I was using it to save my life.

  Luck was on my side last time.

  Harvey and I walked toward our familiar spot in the Courtyard. After days of teaching her the basics of defending herself and surprise attacks, she was finally getting the hang of it. She might actually have a chance in the fighting ring, after all.

  We started every day with a small sparr. After an hour or two and a sad excuse for what they call breakfast, we usually moved on to lifting weights or running around the Courtyard. She got stronger every day, mentally and physically. She wasn’t even afraid to hit me anymore. She kept her complaining to a minimum and gained confidence every time we practiced fighting. I noticed myself softening toward Harvey. She was sweet and genuine. It reminded me of home. Part of me liked having a friend there.

  Days went by. I started to forget how long I had been there, and how long it had been since my last nightmare of a fight.

  I stayed busy by talking to her. Harvey told me about her family. She had a mom and dad out there somewhere, probably going crazy over her disappearance. She had an older brother who protected her. She also had a cat named Cat. I laughed when she told me that part, although she claimed she didn’t know any better when she named it. At least it wasn’t named Dog.

  As she talked, my mind wandered. How could she possibly survive in a place like this? She was too pure. Too kind. I was quite sure that given the chance, she wouldn’t even kill a fly. This place was going to swallow her whole. Had the girl ever even gone hunting? I didn’t dare ask. From what she told me, her family didn’t do much hunting. Just gathering and trading. She never mentioned the possibility of fighting, and neither did I. It was best to not talk about it.

  I thought of Jax. Did he miss me? Did he think I was dead? Maybe word had gotten out about the feisty fighter from Sundown. My heart ached for him, and for the grief he must be feeling. I wonder what he would think
about me now. The girl from home who hated fighting, now a killer of one of the King’s Champions. Maybe he would be proud. I learned everything from him, anyway.

  We had just begun our usual routine of warming up when the Prince’s voice filled the Courtyard. The same Prince I had just spent days avoiding.

  “Okay fighters,” he announced. Everyone’s eyes snapped to him as he continued to lean against the wall of the yard with his arms crossed over his chest. “Today you will all be participating in a quick round of practice fights. This is to further assess your skill set so we can match you with the right opponent when the time comes. Gather around, let’s get this over with.”

  Harvey’s eyes widened immediately. Was he serious? This was the first time I had seen the Prince in days, and now he was overseeing practice fights? My breath shook as I exhaled. I could only pray that Harvey would have an equally inexperienced opponent.

  “Ruby, I can’t fight!” Harvey whispered next to me. I grabbed both of her shoulders and forced her to face me.

  “You can and you will. You’re ready. You can do this. It’s just practice, anyway. Worst case scenario, you have few cool bruises to wear tomorrow.” It was true. If Harvey was going to fight an actual opponent, we were lucky it was just practice. “Let’s go.”

  I hooked my arm in hers and followed the rest of the fighters to the center of the Courtyard.

  A loud groan filled the air as we talked. We weren’t the only ones dreading this. Harvey kept her head low, staring at the ground. Some of the fighters, like Opal and her friends in the League of Champions, were prepared for this. They had their weapons already chosen, holding their heads high with triumph. I noticed the way they lingered in the front of the crowd, like a child waiting for a little recognition. I didn’t mind lingering in the back of the crowd with Harvey. The Prince was right. It was time to get this over with.

  He was standing in the middle of the ring now, holding a list of what I assumed to be all of the fighter’s names. I looked at the faces around me. With so many fighters here, I wondered who I would be paired with. Harvey shifted on her feet to my left. The crowd stilled around me, waiting for his next words. It was ridiculous, the way they pulled us around like play pieces in a giant game.

  “First up,” he said as my heart jumped. “Bane Radomir.”

  A low murmur of chants rumbled from where most of the boy fighters had gathered across from me. Bane is a name I had heard of. Other fighters whispered his name around the Courtyard, talking about the giant fighter that never loses. The man who jumped up on the ring was feral and rough. Scars covered half of his face, and his arms were about as big as my head.

  You won’t get paired against him, Ruby, I thought to myself. Was the Prince pairing boys with girls today? It was just training, after all. But he wouldn’t. Not with someone that big.

  I took a deep breath, willing my heart rate to slow.

  Prince Aiden waited for the crowd to settle before he read his opponents name from the list of fighters.

  It wasn’t my name. Or Harvey’s.

  Called to fight, against this beast of a human, was a name I never wanted to hear in the Ring of Angels.

  Riley Silven.

  6 The Glimpse of Darkness

  I hardly heard what Harvey was saying to me over the sudden ringing in my ears.

  Riley? How was this possible? I searched the crowd for the scrawny figure approaching the ring. This had to be a mistake.

  Then I saw him. It was Riley, here in the flesh. My heart dropped to my stomach. He held his head high as he walked forward, shaking his shoulders in an attempt to warm up. Gods above, he looked so brave. His left eye was already swollen with bruises. Dried blood clung to his lip. This can’t be happening. He looked exhausted, like he had been here for weeks.

  He had almost reached the ring, navigating through the crowd of fighters. He was about to step onto the platform with his long legs when I let the words escape my mouth.

  “Riley,” my voice came out in a cracked wail. I had to get his attention. I had to let him know I was here. Without thinking, I found myself letting go of Harvey and wandering closer to him, needing to reach him. When he heard my voice, his head snapped in my direction. He froze in his tracks at the edge of the ring.

  The crowd was silent. Either that or I didn’t care enough to hear them.

  I was a ghost in my own body.

  Other fighters made way for me as I closed the distance between us and threw my arms around his neck. He straightened at first. If he was as shocked as I was, I understood why. This was impossible. After a second, his small, bony arms returned my gesture.

  “Ruby,” he whispered in my ear. I didn’t let go of him. Not yet. His voice cracked, and I was suddenly aware of how much I missed home. How did we both end up here?

  “How are you here?” I asked in a hushed voice, pulling away from the embrace. Riley opened his mouth to reply when we were interrupted by the Prince’s voice.

  “That’s enough, fighter. Time to fight.”

  I glanced between the two fighters. Riley was tall, but he looked to be at least 40 pounds lighter than his opponent. His terrifying, stocky opponent.

  He must have seen the look in my face, because he set a hand on my shoulder and gave me a reassuring squeeze.

  “Don’t worry, this won’t be my first fight,” he said with a wink. Any fear he was showing just moments ago was replaced with blind confidence as he lifted himself into the ring. “We’ll talk later.”

  Harvey grabbed my hand from behind, pulling me back into the crowd. I was grateful for her presence as I noticed everybody staring at me. I blinked away the burning sensation of tears in my eyes. I couldn’t cry here. Not in front of everyone.

  My eyes followed Riley’s every move. “Jax’s brother, right?” Harvey whispered in my ear.

  I nodded. My voice couldn’t be trusted right now.

  She squeezed my hand. “It’ll be okay, this isn’t the real Ring of Angels.” Somehow, that didn't make me feel any better. And since when was Harvey the brave one?

  Prince Aiden exited the ring as the fighters prepared for their match, choosing a weapon in their respective corners. I hardly noticed his presence a few feet away from me, focused on the boys.

  My mind swarmed with the memory of Riley’s last fight in Sundown. The way Jax watched in worry, reacting to every punch. What would he think of Riley now? He had trained Riley for years. Maybe he had a chance, after all.

  Riley stood tall. If he was nervous at all for this fight, he didn’t show it. I braced myself as the Prince gave the signal to begin with one drop of his hand. Everything in my body told me this was wrong.

  Within two seconds, Bane made the first move. He quickly lifted his arm and sliced his sword through the air.

  Riley ducked underneath his arm, running to the other side of the fighting ring.

  My chest was going to explode. Harvey squeezed my hand again.

  Riley’s weapon looked heavy and awkward in his hands. Like me, he had no experience with a sword. Why hadn’t we used swords in Sundown?

  He held it toward his opponent anyway. His arm shook under the weight, or perhaps it was with hidden fear.

  Shockingly, Riley ran toward Bane with a loud roar. He was fast, his sword was ready. But Bane used his own weapon to stop Riley’s attack, clashing metal with a sound that rang through the air.

  Riley was too weak. He was no match for his opponent in a stand-off like this. I could hardly breathe as Bane slammed his sword down with pure strength. Riley’s weapon scattered across the floor. A few fighters in the crowd roared, obviously fans of the beast. He stalked toward Riley, who held his hands out in front of him.

  I looked toward the Prince, waiting for him to end the fight. Riley clearly had no chance without a weapon.

  “Finish it,” a voice boomed through the Courtyard. But it wasn’t the Prince who said it. It was King Xavier, standing on the opposite side of the ring. When did he get here?

/>   The Prince shifted, looking toward the ground. Anyone who wasn’t already watching would have missed the way he clenched his jaw. The strong demeanor he had just moments ago was gone. I guess he hadn’t noticed the King’s arrival, either.

  Riley tried to back up but tripped over his own feet. He fell to his back, cowering like a frightened dog.

  Bane approached Riley with his sword. Was nobody going to stop this fight? Did the King actually want Bane to kill Riley? But it was just practice! I looked at the Prince, but he just watched with a calm face.

  I couldn’t let this go on. Jax’s voice rang through my head again. I would never hurt you. Never betray you. If anyone was going to protect Riley, Jax’s only family, it was me.

  Bane’s face showed no mercy. He was not giving up. He glanced at the King, who just gave him a nod of approval. Bane raised his sword up, ready to end the fight.

  Riley was going to die.

  I was moving before my brain could register what was happening.

  “Stop!” I screamed out, my voice cutting through the anticipation hanging in the air. “Stop the fight!” I was running toward Riley, running toward my friend when a hand grabbed my arm, jerking me backward.

  The Prince. His grip on my arm tightened.

  “Do you know what you’re doing?” he asked me in a muffled voice. His eyes were dark, brows drawn together.

  Everyone was staring at me now. At us. “I’ll take his place,” I said loud enough for the crowd to hear.

  The Prince looked between me and Bane, who was looking toward us in confusion. “You’ll be killed,” he said. His voice was so quiet, I hardly heard him.

  I shook my arm out of his grasp and stepped up into the ring. He didn’t understand. There was no way he could.

  Right now, I didn’t care about any of that. I didn’t care about the giant man waiting for me in the ring, or the King standing on the other side. I cared about Riley.

  “Ruby, no,” Riley said, stumbling toward me. “This is my fight.”