by T J Kelly
My burden eased, and I felt lighter. I could get through the trials if I had faith in what we shared together. I could still win as long as I wasn’t dangerously distracted.
I fixed my makeup, patted my hair into place, and then walked back out into the waiting room. I stood by the windows, gazing out at my rivals.
The Unguis and Perdo families had decimated each other. Most of them had to be carted out on stretchers. That meant they were disqualified since they couldn’t complete the round one tasks.
The Robus family was diligently working. They had needed to defend themselves from the Spinigers once or twice, so they were trailing the Taine family, but just barely. Finally, the bells tolled when the timer ran out.
Money shifted hands in the audience as the bets were settled. The results were already on the scoreboard. I was in first place, the Taines a distant second, the Robus family close behind them in third place, and the Spinigers in fourth place.
I pulled my banquet gown out of the closet and disappeared into the bathroom again, recalling the steps to change my hairstyle into what my aunt called a “stunning display of beauty and magic.” I would have been lost without her. She knew the best designs and spent hours planning out every little detail. She strategized everything, so it all looked effortless.
The result of her hard work was a golden gown that looked like it was held together with starbursts and sparkles. She had given me several spangles to add into my up-swept hair. Peony was right. When I looked in the mirror, my eyes were glowing, reflecting the gold. I had never looked better in my life.
I smiled at myself, but then let out a snort, thinking about how a cute dress and awesome hair gave me more confidence than shattering fireballs and juggling crystals. Talk about messed up priorities.
An image of Clarissa flashed across my mind, and my smile faded. Oh, yes, my priorities might be messed up, but I didn’t care. My heart’s desire was to outshine Clarissa, and that’s exactly what I was going to do.
Emerging from the bathroom transformed, I stood once again by the windows. Before me was a wall of flashing lights. The cameras were taking my picture. I smiled and waved.
◆◆◆
The most annoying thing about the banquet was that I couldn’t sit with my family. As the front-runner, I had to sit next to the judges. That was supposedly an honor, although they weren’t interested in speaking with me. I guess they were worried they would be accused of favoritism. Which made me wonder why they had any of the competitors sit at the same table as the judges in the first place, but who was I to challenge centuries of tradition?
On my left sat Vir Fortis, the Mayor of San Francisco. I hadn’t seen him since the funeral which meant the last memory he had of me was my humiliation. Way to knock down a girl’s confidence.
When I left the waiting room, I journeyed down a long red carpet where I was asked ridiculous questions about my dress, my hair, and my favorite fashion designers. In spite of my annoyance, I honored the hard work and talent of my stylist because she really did deserve recognition. My dress was amazing.
Then I was expected to eat my way through several courses of saucy dishes without dripping any of them onto my elegant gown or get something stuck between my teeth, or worst of all, use the wrong fork.
Good thing I had that snack during round one. That meant I could skip actually eating most of my meal and avoid the pitfalls without starving to death.
“You look beautiful, my dear,” Vir Fortis said. His eyes took in my gown, then lingered on my chest. I thought that was pretty gross, especially since he was older than my father.
“Thank you, Mayor. It’s lovely to see you again. You look quite dashing, yourself,” I answered with a glittery smile.
The mayor sat up straighter and cleared his throat, making appreciative noises and winked at me.
Ew.
“You flatter this old man,” he said. I shook my head in denial, but laughed to myself, wondering if he realized he was indeed an old man, or if he was just saying that because it was a typical response.
“No flattery, sir. You look very handsome tonight,” I said politely. I was stretching the truth a tad, but he wasn’t a bad man even if he couldn’t keep his eyes aimed at my face. I wasn’t going to hurt his feelings. “I’m sure the crowd is afraid you might sway the judges on my behalf, though. Charm them into taking my side.”
“I admit that I was most impressed with your use of magic,” he said. I sighed and braced myself. After my experience with the reporters on the red carpet, I was starting to hate talking about my magic. All of the questions were either insulting or ingratiating. “I was relieved to see you finally ascended.”
He wasn’t trying to be mean by alluding to the fact I spent my entire childhood incapable of performing magic, but it was still embarrassing to think about the disaster on my seventeenth birthday.
“Thank you, sir. It was a great relief to my family and me when it finally worked.”
The mayor leaned closer and murmured, “My dear, I wish you the best of luck. You’re going up against some of the worst dark magicians imaginable. I know I’m not supposed to tell you this, but I, of course, want you to win. You performed some incredible feats of magic today. But do you think it was wise to show your hand like that? Now everybody knows you use Light and Air. It will make their attacks against you much easier to direct.”
It was nice to know he fell for my gambit. The mayor’s assumption gave me hope that the competitors had misidentified my magic source as well. It also warmed my heart to know that the mayor wanted what was best for me and tried to warn me.
“Thank you, Mayor, I appreciate your kind words. I’ll keep that in mind when it’s time to face them tonight.”
Vir Fortis nodded to me and winked conspiratorially. He then turned to engage some of the other guests in conversation. That left me without anyone to talk to, so I glanced around the room to see what everyone else was doing.
Oberon Taine was glaring at me from a few chairs away. He still had that smug look, and it made me worry about the next trick he was going to pull. I hoped it wouldn’t be too awful and looked down at my dessert. I smiled to myself when I saw it was a cheesecake covered in whipped cream and strawberries. Now, this was something I could enjoy in spite of the fact I had to eat in front of a global audience.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Round Two Begins
I changed quickly when I returned to the waiting room. Peony had acquired something similar to an Irregulars uniform for me to wear, in a dark navy and black camouflage. It would allow me to blend into the dark stadium but keep my connection to the elite organization on the down low.
I pulled out all the spangles and brushed my hair, plaiting it into tight braids, one high and one low on each side, and then combined them all at the base of my neck into one large braid. I twisted that into a low bun since I couldn’t afford for it to be used as a weapon against me.
The competitors all used the same rooms as we had in round one so I had the same view of the arena and my family suite. Men and women in Council uniforms were working on the battlefield. They had already cleared the mess from round one, likely while we were eating. Council magicians were everywhere erecting obstacles like brick half-walls, swamps, and a war zone similar to the one I had used for practice at home. It was impossible to see the entire layout from where I was standing, which was probably why they let me observe.
The work prep area the Council had set up was only a short distance from my waiting room at the top of the stairs. All the competitors already knew what supplies they would have so they weren’t hiding that, either. If I moved quickly enough, I would have time to map everything out in my head before the other teams were allowed on the field.
The floor in the prep area was painted with a traditional Wheel of Fortune and followed the compass lines. Mounds of herbs and crystals, tools and knives, and magical instruments littered the surface area of the tables. Everything a competitor could possibly des
ire. The Council provided anything they could think of with the hope that the competitors would use it all. Rector Enterprises had a line of popular products, and we provided vital services to the Council. They wanted the best CEO available, but they also wanted a good show.
The audience had always been touted as a way to maintain transparency and fairness, but since its inception, the competition for the rights to a business was just another way to make money and carve out a stake in the power structure.
As the winner of the first round, I was awarded more time in the ring. Most teams used that to create weapons and diversions. But I wouldn’t. Except for making a few light crystals, I would ignore the workstation the Council provided.
Since I had yet to learn most mechanical magic spells, the odds and ends they had graciously supplied would only get in my way. Instead, I would run a circuit of the stadium, throwing a mapping spell over all of it so that I could get the lay of the land. That way I would know every nook and cranny of the area set up, and hopefully stay one step ahead of everyone else.
Mort and I had discussed torching the other workstations before anyone else entered the ring. It was legal, but the truth was, I thought it was a cheap thing to do. Dirty. Besides, it wasn’t like any of the other teams had to use mechanicals to perform magic, either. And I wanted to prove I was the best magician without using slimy tricks that delegitimized my win.
If I won.
I wasn’t sure I could circumnavigate the entire stadium before the Taines entered the ring if I wasted time setting things on fire. That was the argument that convinced Mort, who had wanted me to pull every dirty trick in the book since I was up against a lot of experienced magicians. But he knew I was right. I would be cutting it close even without the tricks.
Backing away from the windows, I entered the small pod that was carted inside the room during the banquet. I cast a calming spell on myself and fell into a meditative state immediately. I would need as much time as possible to generate the skin tight, almost impenetrable shield. The ancient spell I used in round one wasn’t nearly as strong as the spell I was about to cast. It took way more time and energy. My best chance was to go into a trance. With one last deep breath, I planted the suggestion for what time I needed to awaken and let go.
◆◆◆
The warning bells tolled for round two as I emerged from the security pod. After some warm-up stretches, I took a pit stop and retouched my makeup for the sake of the cameras before striding to the glass door. The corners of my mouth twitched at the memory of the last time I strode confidently into my future and almost knocked down a maid at Castle Laurus. So many things had changed along my path to the trials that it was like I was living an entirely different life.
The bell released me to enter the ring. The audience applauded as I made my way to my workstation. I concentrated briefly on each crystal as I slipped them into the pockets of my battle vest, implanting spells without letting the audience see. I stuffed several more into a small leather pouch hanging on my belt, also without fanfare. All of my flashes, sparkles, and glitter in round one were for show. The magic I was about to do worked best if unannounced.
The task took a few minutes longer than I planned since my pouch had a new type of clasp that took me too long to figure out. It was easy to open, but I had over-complicated it. I hoped the cameras couldn’t tell that my movements and gestures were desperate attempts to break into my own bag and not for flair.
A second set of stairs led to the main field. I climbed them confidently, gave the audience a wave, and then turned to my right, launching into a steady run.
There were several minutes of confused murmurs from the audience before the commentators realized what I was doing and announced that I was mapping the field. The crowd must have liked that because I heard cheers and whistles.
I kept up the pace, throwing my magic towards the center of the arena every few feet, desperately hoping I would make it all the way around the perimeter of the arena before the bell tolled again. If I had any hope of surviving, I needed to know everything about the layout. I also needed to be in my home territory when my rivals arrived.
The Council always set up the stadium the same way. Family suites in the north, judges in the west, and the competitors in the south and east. As I mapped the room, I discovered a swamp area near the center of the arena hidden by tumbled down mock buildings and rubble. There was a hilly area to the south near the waiting rooms and a flat sandy field in the north at the base of the family suites. Unfortunately, there weren’t a lot of places to hide.
As I was rounding the last several lengths of the stadium circuit, the warning bell for the next team went off. I kicked it into high gear, racing as fast as I could, sprinting through the last bit when the bell tolled twice for the Taines to enter the arena.
I needed them to stay in their work area for just one minute more so they wouldn’t realize I was right there in front of them, in their sector. I panted, gulping in air as I raced by, my heart thundering.
If I could complete the circuit, I would disappear before the Taines knew I was there. Of course, I wasn’t that lucky. Titus and Keaton saw me and ran my way. I generated a fireball and threw it at them, forcing them to take cover. Thankfully, that bought me the time I needed to finish.
Power jolted through me when I reached my starting place, the circuit complete. I was exhausted, having sprinted for so long instead of using the planned steady, long-distance pace. I managed to find enough energy to continue, though. Probably because the alternative would be to collapse with exhaustion and lose the competition.
I caught my breath and then jogged into the center of the arena towards the swamp. Trees, vines, moss, and algae covered absolutely everything in that region. It was the best way for me to disappear quickly and thankfully close.
Someone in the audience booed. They were probably hoping I would show them some more pyrotechnics, but popularity was no longer a part of the plan. I already received the benefit of their favor - first entry into the ring, granting me uninterrupted time. The second round was all about survival, not pretty displays.
The Taines shouted at me, but they didn’t follow. They needed to prepare their supplies, and it was too soon to bother with me anyway.
My lungs hurt by the time I found an impression behind a boulder bordering the north side of the swampy area. I slid under the rock so I could catch my breath. My heart was beating so furiously in my ears that I couldn’t hear anything else.
Closing my eyes, I cast my magic outwardly but didn’t sense anyone nearby. I set a thick Wall-shield on my exposed side and then wiggled my way deeper into the soil, letting it surround me. The Earth element soothed me, and I felt stronger and rested and cool.
I decided to trust Chas’s information about his family. He couldn’t have been lying to me the entire time. At least not directly because I would have been able to tell. Although, it was entirely possible for him to try to seduce me into telling him my weaknesses as long as he was careful about what words he used. Tell a lie without directly lying. But I remembered the look in his eyes when he told me that Oberon used the Light. Telling me had cost him.
My fingers outlined the crystals through the fabric of my pouch, checking them over before slipping the bag off of my belt and stuffing them into a depression in the ground. Crystals were a part of the Earth element, and I buried them under a light coating of soil to help set and maintain their magic. I also implanted Dark deep into the crystals. Thanks to the connection to my magic, I knew they would work, even though nobody had ever done anything like this before, and I had nothing to compare it to.
Each crystal, instead of shining with light, would cast my target in shadow. In spite of everything that happened later in the Taine family suite, Chas revealed his family’s weakness on our picnic. I was going to exploit that knowledge to get myself out of the ring alive. The Taine clan had been using their affinity for Light to win for centuries. The time had come for them to learn a l
esson, and I was happy to teach it.
Almost by instinct, I turned a little further on my side, looking through the shield I created. There he was, sitting in the Taine family suite, in my direct line of sight.
Chas Taine.
He was next to Clarissa, who had changed into a formal gown the same blue-green color as her eyes. The light gold accents on her dress matched her hair. She was both supremely beautiful and icy cold.
An irritated huff of air escaped my lips. I hated her with a passion.
The warning bells tolled again, indicating the Robus family was about to enter the ring. I dropped my shield, fully recuperated, and climbed out of my hiding place so I could check on my rivals.
Searching the field, I cast out my magic. The competitors were still nowhere near me. I glanced up at the Taine family suite again. Clarissa and Chas were standing right next to the windows. From my vantage point on a small hill, I could see Oberon’s team working on something at one the tables just below them on the arena floor.
Oberon was looking up at the suite, too. He seemed to be engaged in a staring contest with Chas. I wondered what they were thinking. Whatever it was, neither of them looked happy. Chas finally turned away when Clarissa said something that made him smile.
Then he leaned down and kissed her.
◆◆◆
There was no excuse for what happened next. I was in an arena where I would soon be fighting for my life, and instead of making preparations or fleshing out my map spell, I stood frozen as I watched the love of my life kiss his Promised fiancée.
No matter what Oberon had said to me, I still believed in Chas, still thought there was more to the story and I just didn’t know what. But I believed.
