Shadows of Stone

by Jenna Wolfhart

  Swallowing hard, I strode across the floor. I felt a hundred pairs of eyes on me. Eager eyes. Eyes that hoped to witness my death. Eyes that expected me to lose. I knew the truth of it deep within my gut. The king hadn’t given me this task hoping to prove I was a goddess. He’d given me this task thinking I wouldn’t survive it.

  Indeed, I didn’t know how I would. But I did know that I wasn’t just fighting for myself. I was fighting for my mates, for my friends, and for the entirety of the realm. I was even fighting for those misguided magic hunters, the ones who didn’t truly know their actions.

  I took my spot in the center of the circle and took several deep breaths in through my nose. The lion’s eyes were on me. Hungry and full of danger.

  I’d expected some kind of warning, or a countdown to our battle. But before I’d truly braced myself, the vampires let go of the chains. In an instant, the lion was halfway across the arena. I bent my knees and raised my fists, but my fight training likely wouldn’t come in handy right now.

  The lion roared as he leapt, and I dropped to the ground, rolling away before he could get his claws in me. A grumble went through the crowd of spectators. Disappointment from the sounds of it.

  With narrowed eyes, I lifted my chin as I stood and raised my voice loud enough for the crowd to hear. “Did you really expect me to go down that easily?”

  As if in response to the question, the lion opened its massive jaws and roared so loud that it shook me to the core of my bones. His teeth glistened with saliva and blood, and I didn’t want to think about what he’d been munching on before he was brought before me.

  I jogged a step back, and then another. The lion paused as he watched me, taking slow steps with his massive paws. He was circling me now, just as I was circling him. He was stalking me, his eyes glittering underneath the pale light.

  I needed to figure out a strategy for beating this creature. And fast. Because it would only be a matter of time before he launched another forward attack.

  My feet slowed, and I stilled, more to see how the lion would react than anything else. He stopped as if in unison with me, his meaty paw hovering above the stony ground. With a deep breath, I took another step, and he mimicked the movement.

  “Oh, hurry up and get it over with,” the king said in a bored tone of voice as he lounged upon his throne of bones.

  “You never said anything about defeating the lion within a certain timeframe,” I countered.

  At the sound of my voice, the lion’s ears flicked.

  The king let out a belabored sigh. “Fine. You have sixty seconds. Defeat the creature within a minute or your life is forfeit.”

  Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t have pushed him because that certainly changed things and not to my benefit. I’d planned to keep out of the lion’s range, waiting on the defensive until it tried to leap again. But now I had to go on the offensive, and that seemed like the best way to get killed.

  Curling my hands into fists, I stalked toward the lion. At my sudden movement, it leapt through the air and swiped its claw right at my throat. Pain exploded in my neck, and stars dotted my eyes. With a scream, I dropped to the ground and saw a splash of red as blood poured from the gaping wound in my neck.

  Despite the horror churning through me, I peered up to see the lion’s face only inches from mine. He sniffed and bared his teeth. Any second now, and he would open up those jaws and wrap them tight around my head. I might be a goddess, but I couldn’t survive that. No one could. Not even the most powerful being in the world.

  “Don’t,” I whispered. “Stop.”

  The lion cocked his head, and his ears twitched again.

  That was interesting. So, my commanding magic could work on animals, even vampire ones.

  Pushing the pain aside, I slowly eased off the ground and stood unsteady before the lion. He was still watching me, regarding me with eyes that were far more intelligent than they’d seemed moments before.

  “Stop,” I repeated. “I’m not your enemy. You don’t need to hurt me.”

  “What is the meaning of this?” The king rose from his throne and pointed at me with a screech, a sound that was repeated by the crowd of spectators. But I just ignored them all, because the glint I saw in the lion’s eyes was unmistakable. He heard me. He understood me. And it wasn’t just because of the magic swirling through my veins.

  I reached out a hand and placed my fingers against the fur near his mouth. He stayed still and calm and quiet. With my heart throttling at top speed, I let my fingers slide into his fur, and I gave him a soft little scratch.

  The lion purred. He actually purred. And then he leaned right into my hand.

  A moment later, he was sprawled in the center of the arena fast asleep.

  When I turned to the king, I held my head high and met his glittering gaze straight on. The wound in my neck had already begun to heal, and the blood that painted my skin was the only evidence that I’d been hurt at all. I felt strong, powerful, and in control.

  I’d passed the first trial.

  “That wasn’t what I told you to do,” he said, gripping the arms of his throne.

  “You told me to defeat the lion, but you didn’t say how.” I shrugged. “He has been defeated, has he not?”

  “You were meant to kill him,” he said in a low, dangerous growl.

  “You never said kill.”

  “Fine.” He threw up his hands. “You may have tricked your way out of this one, but you won’t be so lucky during the next trial. Guards, take her to her cell.”

  Chapter 17

  They put me in a cell opposite to that of my mates while the king mulled over the details of my next trial. I filled the gargoyles in on what had happened. At first, they’d been scared out of their minds, especially when they saw the amount of blood caking my skin. But then they grew quiet and awed. They couldn’t believe I’d won by petting a vampire lion.

  Truth be told, neither could I.

  “Rowena, love,” Marcus said, gripping the bars of the cell tight in his hands. “I am happy and relieved that you’ve managed to win your first trial, but you need to be careful. That vampire king is not going to be happy that you’ve won the way you have. You’ve made him look bad in front of his subjects. And if there’s one thing I know about vampires...”

  “They have egos the size of Texas,” Sebastian said with a grunt. “In other words, princess. You showed him up. He’s going to try to put you in your place.”

  Tears pricked my eyes as I stared at my mates, trapped within that tiny cell. Of course, not all of them were my mates, and I needed to stop thinking of them that way. Alaric and I were merely friends. He’d shown no romantic interest in me, and I’d never felt a spark toward him. He was still mine though, and it hurt me to see him trapped like this because of me.

  Sebastian, on the other hand...well, I couldn’t think about that. Not right now.

  “I’m sorry I’ve gotten us into this mess,” I said, giving them a pained smile. “This whole thing was my idea. You tried to talk me out of it, but I wouldn’t listen.”

  Marcus let out a low chuckle. “You never listen, love. It’s part of what we love about you. Your fierce, independent spirit. Of course, it also means you can be a pain in the ass.” He winked, and I didn’t take his words to heart, because he’d said it far more nicely than I deserved.

  “I am going to get you out of here,” I said.” I’m going to get us all out of here. And then I promise that I will never again say that we should sneak into a vampire city and steal something of theirs.”

  Marcus cracked a smile, and Sebastian let out a bark of a laugh. The others looked amused, but I could tell they were worried. Not about themselves but for me. And I knew I’d feel the same if the situation were reversed. If they’d been the ones forced to take part in these trials while I could do nothing more than sit behind some metal bars.

  Footsteps echoed down the long thin tunnel, and the red-haired vampire stopped just outside my cell. “King Alexand
er is ready to see you now. He’s determined your second trial.”

  We were back in the “arena” as I liked to think of it. This time, there was no lion. Instead, four vampires stood within the circle at an equal distance apart. They were all large and fairly muscular, despite the fact they’d been living underground their entire lives.

  I frowned and took my place within my circle, glancing at the king for his instructions.

  “This is your second trial,” he said, perching on the edge of his throne and looking far too delighted for my comfort. “In order to win this one, you must kill all four of your opponents. Not defeat. Not maim. Not mind control them into submission.”

  “Okay,” I said with a nod. “Where’s my weapon?”

  He tipped back his head and let out an eerie laugh. “You are the weapon, are you not? A goddess would not need access to a sword, a dagger, or anything else in order to defeat her enemies. You and you alone should be able to accomplish this task. You can only use what you have in that circle.”

  Right. So, he was determined to make this as difficult as possible for me. I turned to eye each of my opponents. They all stared blankly ahead, refusing to meet my gaze.

  “Go.” King Alexander’s voice echoed through the expansive space, and I jumped from my circle with my knees bent. This time, my training would be much more useful. These creatures might be vampires, yes, but it wouldn’t be much different than fighting against a gargoyle or a magic hunter. Minus the sword, of course.

  The four of them blurred toward me, and I called upon my magic. Electric energy pulsed through my veins, and the darkness in the cavern surrounded me. The vampires blurred past me, whirling when they realized I’d disappeared right before their eyes.

  The king swore and jumped up from his throne, his eyes wild and full of a vicious red anger.

  Heart thundering, I ignored him. He hadn’t said anything about me using my magic to win this fight, just as he hadn’t told me to kill that lion. I would take any advantage I could get and my cloaking spell was one of the only ones I had right now.

  “Where has she gone?” The king’s voice thundered as he shouted at the guards by the exit that led into the maze of tunnels. “Go find her. Now!”

  “Wait.” One of the vampires in the arena paused and cocked his head, sniffing at the air with narrowed eyes. “She’s still here.”

  He whirled toward me, listening and scenting my presence. I had expected this though. They might not be able to see me, but they would know I was here. The vampire lunged toward me, but he miscalculated my position. He flew right past my shoulder and stopped when he realized he’d misjudged. With my heart roaring like a lion, I stepped up behind him and cracked his neck.

  His body fell with a thump on the stone ground.

  Regret immediately filled my gut. I hated killing, even if my enemies were bloodsucking murderers. But I didn’t have long to wallow in my guilt because another of the vampires had already launched himself my way, counting on the fact that he now knew where I was standing.

  I barely got out of the way in time. His hand brushed against my elbow as I danced back several steps, and victory lit up his face in a devilish grin.

  “She’s over there,” he said, pointing in the exact location where I now stood.

  I made two large steps to my right, but the vampires had their heads cocked, listening.

  Out of the corner of my eye, the fallen vampire’s body caught my attention. A single white tooth had fallen from his pocket and had landed right by his finger. I didn’t think anyone else had noticed it except for me. With my breath held tight in my throat, I tiptoed over to his body, knelt down, and whisked the tooth from the ground, hoping no one had noticed.

  “I think she’s rustling around over there now.” One of the vampires pointed my way. “Let’s form a circle and surround her. She won’t be able to get away from us then.”

  King Alexander let out a low chuckle. “Excellent tactic.”

  Still kneeling on the ground, I tossed the tooth in the air, throwing it as far away from me as I could. It fell with a clink halfway across the arena. The vampires froze and turned toward the noise.

  “No, she’s over there now,” one said.

  I smiled.

  As the vampires fanned out to form a circle around where they thought I was standing, I rose from my crouch and stalked toward them. My footsteps were quiet. The only sound I could hear was the blood roaring in my veins. I reached them before they understood they’d been tricked. I snapped the nearest vampire’s neck and got to the second one before they could react to another tumbling body.

  There was only one left now.

  And he was viciously angry. He whirled around in a circle, his entire body trembling with rage. His eyes were on me, hard and piercing, and I swore he could see me even though it was next to impossible.

  He drew a sword from his belt and held it aloft before him. “Show your face. Let’s see if you can defeat one of us head on.”

  “I agree,” King Alexander commanded. “Show your face, girl.”

  I dropped to the ground, took a sword from one of the vampires, and stood. When I released the cloaking spell, I was ready. The weapon was held before me, like an extension of my arm. I perched on the balls of my feet, ready to move.

  My opponent narrowed his eyes and glared at me from across the arena. “Cheating again, are we?”

  “No,” I said in a tone of voice that was just as icy as his. “King Alexander said that I could use anything inside this circle. Well, these swords just so happen to be inside this circle. Looks like I can use them, if you ask me.”

  The vampire roared and launched himself at me. I swung my sword just in time, steel clashing against steel. He gritted his teeth as he tried to push the weapon toward me, his eyes narrowing with every passing beat.

  But I was stronger now, and his strength could not match my own. I held my ground and shoved my sword against his. With the unexpected burst of force, the vampire stumbled back. And then I shoved my blade right into his neck.

  Chapter 18

  I was back in my cell again, though this time my mates were nowhere to be seen. I tried to tell myself that their absence was nothing to worry about. Maybe they’d been taken to the bathroom. Maybe they’d been given some food.

  But the knot of worry only grew as the hours began to tick by.

  My little demonstration had pissed off the king even more. I’d used magic, he’d growled. And I’d used a weapon when he’d explicitly said I couldn’t, though even he couldn’t argue that the technicalities ruled in my favor.

  I had a feeling this last trial was going to be a doozy though.

  Something shuffled down the hallway, and I stood from the hard cot to stare down at the approaching torch. Were my mates being returned to their cell? Or was it time for my next trial already?

  But it was only one lone figure who strode toward me this time. The redheaded female vampire who had caught us all entering the city in the first place.

  She hovered on the other side of the bars, her face a strained expression of pure torture.

  “What’s going on?” I asked her. “Where are the gargoyles?”

  “That’s what I came to speak to you about,” she said quietly, her voice a low murmur. “I believe the king intends to use your mates in the third trial. I don’t know what he’s planning, but I’m certain they’re in trouble. He ordered some of the guards to come get them as soon as he saw you use your magic to make yourself invisible.”

  My heart thumped hard. “Are you certain? Where are they now?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. “For all I know, this could be some kind of trick by your king.”

  “I assure you this is not some trick. He isn’t clever enough for it, for one.” She took a deep breath and plowed forward. “And secondly, I don’t think what he’s doing is fair.”

  I raised my eyeb
rows. “A vampire cares about what is fair?”

  “Despite what you might think, we’re not monsters or animals. We have feelings and emotions just like everyone else. We just also happen to like the powers that come along with drinking human blood.” She shook her head and glanced away. “Which is why I’ve come to warn you. You are clearly who you say you are. If magic vanishes from the world, so does my life. I’m over three hundred years old. Without the magic of immortality to keep me alive, I imagine I’d die within an instant. You have to defeat Eris.”

  So that was why she’d come to me. To save her own skin. Not that I could blame her.

  “If I’m going to defeat her, then I need to get out of this cell,” I said. “I need to get that coffin and get the hell out of here.”

  She held up a key and unlocked the door, letting me out of the cold, damp cell. “This is all I can do to help you. I don’t know where the coffin is, and I can’t imagine you’d get out of here with it even if you tried. King Alexander has spies all through these tunnels. Nothing happens in here without him knowing about it. You’re going to have to win that third trial.”

  “The third trial, which involves my mates.”

  She gave a nod. “Go find them. See what King Alexander has planned.” She pressed the key into my hand. “Then, come back here and lock yourself inside. It’s not much of an advantage, but it’s the only advantage you’re going to find here.”

  I gave a nod and pocketed the key, taking her hand in mine as she turned to go. “Thank you, by the way. I know it probably took a lot of guts for you to do this.”

  “You don’t need to thank me.” She gave me a tight smile. “Just win this thing and save magic. Then, I’ll call it even.”

  Cloaking myself once again, I flew down the tunnels like a midnight ghost. My heart raged hard in my chest, and mental images of my mates in the hands of the murderous vampires flashed through my mind. The redheaded vampire had thought the king intended to use them as part of my trial, but what if it was something far worse than that? What if I’d angered him so horribly that he’d decided to feed them to his subjects before I had a chance to win once and for all.