Beyond The Darkness: The Shadow Demons Saga, Book 9

by Sarra Cannon

  “This has a good weight to it,” he said, swinging the chain around a few times. The ball on the end of the chain was covered in large spikes that would do some serious damage if anyone dared to step into its range.

  Morway chose a long spear with a deadly point on the end and a smaller rapier that he stuck through a leather sheath strapped to his side.

  I searched the room for anything that resembled the axe I’d loved so much, but as I stepped toward the display of weapons, I realized nothing here would even begin to compare. These were all much smaller and most only had a single-sided blade.

  The weaponsmith cleared his throat. I glanced over at him, and he made a subtle nod for me to follow him.

  The weaponsmith threw a nervous glance at the guard in the doorway, but Reynar wasn’t paying any attention to us. I followed the demon to the back area of his workshop. Most of the weapons back here were deformed or incomplete, but my eyes widened in shock as he lifted a green blanket from the end of the table, revealing an axe that looked like an exact replica of my old one.

  “I think what you’re looking for might be here,” he said, glancing again at the doorway. He lowered his voice and leaned closer. “The princess sends her best wishes for a victorious match today, Sir Aerden.”

  A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed it down.

  Lea had said she had a surprise for me, but I never expected this. What risks had she taken to make sure I had a weapon I could be proud of in my hand when I faced my first challengers?

  “This was exactly what I was looking for,” I said, wrapping my hand around the hilt of the axe and lifting it easily. The incredible weight of it made me feel stronger than I had in a century. “Please, tell the princess she has good taste.”

  The weaponsmith smiled. “She said you’d be able to wield it with one hand, but I told her that was nearly impossible,” he said. “I’ve only ever seen one demon use an axe this heavy with one hand, and he was twice your size. I wish you luck in the games, but something tells me you’re going to be just fine.”

  “Thank you for this,” I said.

  He nodded toward the door, and I knew he was worried the guard would notice our exchange. I didn’t know if Reynar would have the authority to punish the weaponsmith, but I didn’t want anything to tie this axe to Lea, so I nodded to the demon and quickly moved back to the rack of weapons, acting as if I had simply found this axe there among the others in a twist of fate.

  “Time’s up,” Reynar said. “Let’s go.”

  He stared at the massive double-headed axe in my hand and although his eyes widened in surprise, he didn’t appear to question it. This room was full of every weapon imaginable. There was no reason for him to believe it had been forged for me and me alone.

  As we walked toward the ready room, shouts from the crowd roared above us. The battle must have come to an end, which meant it was our turn next.

  I clutched the axe tighter, feeling more powerful just for having the weight of it returned to me. God, how I had missed it. There was no other weapon in the world with the same heft and strength of a double-headed axe, and even though this was not the same axe I’d loved before I was captured, it was almost exactly the same. The fact that Lea had taken a risk to make sure I had it meant more to me than I would ever be able to tell her.

  When we stepped into the room, though, some of my confidence faded as we caught the eyes of the team we were about to face in the arena.

  They stood in a line along the left wall of the room, and we were instructed to stand in a straight line on the opposite side, leaving a small stretch of space between us. None of us spoke, because there was nothing to be said. We were innocents pitted against each other in a gruesome battle for the entertainment of the crowd that roared above us. It was barbaric and unfair, but it was where we had found ourselves.

  Sometimes when life gave you no choice in the matter, the only real choice was to accept what you could not control.

  And then kick some ass so that later, you could create new choices for yourself.

  The losing team must have been carried through another doorway, because the only team that passed through the ready room where we stood waiting was team three. They were battered and bloodied, but they were alive.

  They kept their eyes to the ground as they passed us. All except Yuron, the massive demon who posed the worst threat. He looked straight at me and raised his weapon into the air. He laughed and spit blood onto the ground at my feet.

  I looked away, knowing that if we managed to win today, we might be facing Yuron next. I wondered what kind of shape the losing team was in and what had happened to them. Were they still alive? Were the healers working now to keep them alive? Or had they been asked to give their energy over to the glory and power of the king?

  The only thing I knew for certain was that I would have my answer soon.

  Ezrah stepped into the ready room and nodded toward both sides of the aisle. His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, and I nodded, letting him know I was ready.

  “May you fight with honor,” he said simply. “Team five, lead the way inside. Team six, follow behind, please. Take your spots in the center of the arena to be presented to the king. The fight doesn’t begin until the king commands you to begin.”

  My hand gripped the axe at my side, and I sent up a prayer to the gods as we followed our opponents into the arena.

  Make me strong. Make me quick. Make me victorious.

  A Flash Of Pure Sorrow

  Lea

  I sat in a large throne-like chair beside my mother and waited.

  It took everything I had not to act anxious or worried, but inside, I was a complete basket-case. After Kael’s threats, I was terrified he would do something to put Aerden in danger today.

  I glanced over at Tatiana, who sat behind us as a member of the council. She met my eyes and nodded slightly. She held the same fear in her own eyes, and for a moment, I wondered what secrets the woman was still hiding.

  Had she really done so much to help her sons? Had I simply misunderstood her? Or was there more to it she wasn’t telling me?

  I had tried to get her alone several times over the past few days, but there had never been a good opportunity for us to talk. Did she know I had made a trip out here to visit Aerden?

  It was so messed up that we were both supposed to just sit here and watch Aerden fight to the death. I was nervous as hell.

  It wasn’t that I didn’t believe in Aerden. I knew he was a skilled warrior, and he had a real reason to fight for his life. He wouldn’t ever give up. But still, battles like this were unpredictable, and it was obvious he didn’t have full control over his magic.

  How would that affect him today?

  As the two teams on the battlefield finished and the losing team was carried out by shamans, the crowd roared for the winners. Even the winning team was beat up pretty badly, blood streaming down their faces and gashes and burns across their bodies.

  Aerden’s team had to be next. The last fight of the day.

  A pit of acid gurgled in my stomach as I waited for the other teams to be paraded in front of us, but I could feel Kael’s eyes on me. He sat there beside my father as if he had already been named King, and I focused my nerves into hating him. As we waited, I daydreamed about all the terrible things I would do to Kael when I got the chance.

  Because someday, I would make him pay for what he had done to me.

  “Isn’t this fun?” Mother asked, turning. “Watching all those strong demons put everything they have into battle is completely exhilarating.”

  Her voice was full of excitement, and I wanted to place my hand over her mouth and tell her to shut up. This wasn’t fun at all. Couldn’t she see that those demons were suffering for our entertainment?

  I had no doubt that right now, the two teams of demons who had been carried off the field today were being forced to sacrifice their lives into a stone that would be presented to my father at the end of the day in
his chambers.

  It was disgusting, but Mother continued on, obviously not noticing the daggers I threw at her with my eyes.

  “Kael, this was such a wonderful idea,” she said. “I certainly appreciate our safety here inside the city’s walls, but I didn’t realize just how much we needed a diversion after being so sequestered here for the past few decades.”

  “I’m glad you think so, my queen,” he said. “Perhaps we can make this a yearly event.”

  “Oh, goodness,” she said, faltering a bit for the first time all morning. I studied her, wondering how much of her excitement was real and what was just an act for Kael’s sake?

  Why was she trying so hard to make an impression on him? She was his superior. Why did he seem to matter to her so much?

  “I am not sure I could handle this much excitement every year, but maybe after the games are over, we can discuss whether it’s a good idea to bring it back another time.”

  “Of course,” Kael said. He smiled his ugly, confident smile and looked straight into my eyes. “Look, Princess, the next teams are entering the arena. This should be a very interesting battle. The most fun of the day, I hope.”

  My stomach dropped as I watched the next two teams enter the battlefield. At first, I didn’t see him, and I hoped that somehow, he had managed to escape or avoid the games altogether.

  But then, my eyes caught sight of him near the back of the second team. His eyes immediately rose to mine, and despite the roar of the crowd and the distance that separated us, we were the only two demons in the entire arena for that one long moment as we sought each other out.

  Aerden raised his mighty axe into the air, brandishing it to the eager crowd, and a loud roar rose up. But I knew it was for me, and I brought a hand to my heart. He had gotten the axe. The weaponsmith had stayed true to his word, and I would have to find a way to thank him.

  The teams lined up on either side of Ezrah, and once they were all in place, the crowd in the arena grew quiet, waiting.

  “King, I present to you our final competitors of the day,” Ezrah said. All ten of the demons on the battlefield knelt and lowered their heads toward the king. Toward us. “These warriors honor you today and bring you wishes of a long life.”

  My father, the king, stood with the help of his scepter and raised a hand into the air.

  “May you all fight with honor,” he said.

  I wanted to stand up and tell him to put a stop to this. Couldn’t he see that one of the demons being offered up in his honor was my dearest friend? A son of two of his own council members? Couldn’t he see how wrong this was?

  But I was helpless to speak against him.

  Telling him here, in front of everyone in the city, just what I thought of these games would not put a stop to them. It would only get me thrown in the dungeons, where I would be no help to anyone. Least of all Aerden.

  I glanced back at Tatiana again, and she had one hand clutched to her heart and the other pressed to her mouth. She fought back tears, and I wished I could go and sit at her side. At least then, I would have someone to hold hands with and pray for Aerden’s victory.

  Up here, beside my parents and the demon who had suggested the games, I had to pretend to be completely unmoved by the whole thing. I could still feel Kael’s eyes on me, watching for any sign of misplaced loyalty.

  It wasn’t my own punishment I was worried about, though. I was terrified that if I showed any signs of despair or worry, Kael would see to it that Aerden was killed during these games.

  I had no doubt he had the power and authority to make that happen, and I wasn’t about to test him. Not yet.

  Ezrah glanced briefly at me, bowed to my father, and left his place between the slaves to disappear through the archway, he lowered the gate, trapping the ten warriors inside. The two teams rose to their feet and took their places across from each other, weapons raised.

  The crowd kept their eyes on my father, waiting.

  The seconds seemed to stretch out for an eternity, and just before my father lowered his hands to signal the start of the battle, his eyes flickered to mine. In them, I expected to see joy or excitement. Kael might have suggested the games, but my father was the one who had agreed to it, so surely he must have taken some kind of pleasure in this moment.

  But instead, there was a flash of pure sorrow and regret. His eyes were an apology, and it rocked me to my core, because it was the first time since I’d returned that he’d actually looked me straight in the eye.

  But before I could react or hope that he was about to put a stop to this, he looked away and lowered his hand.

  With that, the battle began.

  The Battlefield

  Aerden

  The king lowered his hand, signaling for the battle to begin.

  The team facing us immediately began casting, throwing their best magic our way, but the five of us stood still, focused on defense. Flames, acid, and ice crashed against the invisible shields we had each conjured, and I glanced around to make sure that none of their magic had gotten through.

  Confused, the opposing team gathered their magic again, this time sending several spells soaring toward us at once. Still, our shields held true, the magic slamming against the invisible barriers and dissipating in a burst of sparks.

  The crowd around us roared to life, but I shut them out. Over my years as a slave to the Order, I had gotten very good at shutting out the voices of others. It was a necessity for my own sanity, and it served me well here.

  “Stay focused,” I shouted to my teammates. “Draw them in.”

  Several of the demons on the opposing team shifted to smoke and reappeared behind us, gathering new spells in their hands.

  “Circle up,” I shouted.

  My teammates slowly backed toward me and drew into a tight circle, our backs to each other so that our shields were covering every direction.

  By the time the other team hurled their spells at us, we were ready. My heart pounded, and I was itching to attack, but we had to stick to the strategy. Wear the other team out as much as possible before we hit them with all we had. Focus on defense until we saw the chance to fight back with great power.

  Beside me, Trention gripped his small dagger, his hands trembling. He had never been in a real fight before, and I could sense his fear. But I was here for him. I would not let him fall today.

  “Hold strong,” I shouted to my team. “Wait for them to come closer. Don’t break formation.”

  We held our circle of shields for several more attacks as the other team threw everything they had at us. But I had instructed my team well. I sent up a silent thank you to all those days in Peachville training at the high school with Zara, Harper, and the others. We’d practiced shielding until it was nauseating, but I had never been more grateful for those boring mornings of training.

  I watched carefully as the opposing team crept closer, thinking that if they managed to break through our shields, they would have a chance.

  They tried everything they could, giving away the best of their abilities. A couple of the demons on the other team were very talented in different forms of earth and fire magic, but so far, our shields were winning.

  “Now?” Rushon shouted.

  “Not yet,” I shouted back. “Hold.”

  I lifted my axe, waiting for the perfect moment. The demon focusing on me stepped within my range of attack, and I knew the time had arrived. As much as I loved the safety of our shields, we were never going to win without taking them down.

  “Ready?” I shouted, watching carefully for the moment when most of the demons coming for us had expended their most recent spells. When almost all five had gone off, I took a deep breath, drawing every ounce of power into myself. “Now.”

  At my command, my team shifted into dark smoke and reformed behind each of our targets. Rather than expend our magic, we each attacked with our weapons. I landed a crushing blow to the back of my opponent, a demon I knew only as Asher. He fell to his knees for a
moment before he shifted and came back to a standing position several feet away and prepared his next spell.

  With my shield down, I was vulnerable. Rather than give him the opportunity to unleash that spell, I shifted quickly and attacked again. He wasn’t ready for me, which was exactly what I’d been hoping for.

  Most demons were so used to fighting with their magic that they were unprepared for defense against physical weapons. I took him down with a second swift slice of my axe. When he didn’t move or make any effort to stand, I shifted and joined Trention, determined to protect him.

  The demon fighting my friend had landed a lightning attack that had burned through Trention’s tunic and singed his side, but he was still standing.

  “Shift and get out of range,” I said to him. “Go. Hit him with your boulder attack.”

  Trention nodded and shifted, flying out of my field of vision as I lifted my axe against his attacker.

  The demon had a similar idea, shifting to fly out of my range, but I wasn’t about to let him get away. I threw a glance at my fellow teammates, and when I was sure they were holding their own, I went after the demon who had run.

  The demon brought down a lightning storm right there on the battlefield, trying to hit as many of us as he could with a comprehensive attack, but I easily dodged the lightning bolts as I flew toward him. He had already spent so much of his power in the early part of the battle that he couldn’t keep it up.

  When he saw me take solid form right in front of him, he attempted to shift and run again, but Trention’s boulder attack rained large rocks down on all sides of the demon, holding him to his human form. I took advantage of the moment, slicing my axe-blade through the air and cutting off both his arms in a single motion.

  He screamed and fell to his knees. I ignored the regret and guilt that threatened to overwhelm me in the moment. I didn’t want to hurt anyone, but this was the place where I found myself. It was us or them, and I wasn’t planning to lose this battle.