Even now, he’d found a way to protect her.
A blade sliced inches from her face and she flung her body to the side and crouched into her fighting stance, hips low, sword high.
The fighter that faced her had a wicked grin on hisscarred face as he swung his sword again. She brought hers up to meet his and sparks clashed from the blades as she pushed as hard as she could, shoulder screaming as she did so. He must’ve been a few years older than her and she recognized him from one of the lesser noble houses, covered in scars from a lifetime of training for this exact moment. His sandy brown hair matted to his face with sweat and blood as he lunged for her again.
Ambrose ducked beneath his strike, twirling around his body and threw herself into his back, using his own momentum to knock him off his feet as her body fell on top of him. She brought her sword up with both hands to bring the point down on his neck but he easily countered and sent it flying away from them.
She planted her hands on the ground and called it. Called the dirt to respond before he could strike her with his blade and the dirt turned soft, melting into quicksand as it claimed his body. He screamed, arms flailing to the sides to grab the edge.
But there was no edge.
It swallowed his body as he sank like a rock thrown into the ocean. Never to be seen again. Ripples from the air of his scream broke the surface as he vanished.
She used the sand to push her legs up to the surface again and pulled herself to her feet as the ground returned to a solid. Running for her sword, she ducked as another fighter tossed an axe at her head. She threw her body forward and crouched as her feet slid beneath her and swept her blade into her hand, whipping around to face the warrior.
He held a second silver axe in his hand as the previous one went flying back into his other extended fist.
Anothermetal mage?
Stocky and awkward, it was clear he relied on the power behind his throws rather than accuracy, his movements too obvious to be anything else. He’d grown lazy combining his magick and axe throwing, relying too much on his magick to do the work, rather than skill. His bright golden hair flared in the light as he reared his hand back and threw an axe at her again.
Ambrose raised her sword to block it but before they could connect, a dagger shot through the air and landed in the mage’s throat. Her sword smacked his axe so violently, her arms shook but she managed to block it just as he clutched his bleeding throat with fat fingers. Not even they were enough to stop the river that flowed from between them and he dropped to the ground, soaking it crimson.
Ambrose’s head shot to the new assailant, recognition and shock mixing on her face.
“Lily?” Ambrose shouted as Lily ran to her side, running her hands over her body for wounds to heal. Ambrose pushed her hands away. “I’mfine. What are you doing here?”
“I told you, I’d heal you.” Lily’s face was already coated with blood that Ambrose was smart enough to know wasn’t hers. She shook her head, deep red-brown waves bouncing around her head. The gold dagger hairpin was gone and most likely buried in a body somewhere.
“That’s not an explanation,” Ambrose demanded.
Lily dipped her head. “I’m sorry. I lied to you. I’m so sorry. I swear, I can explain everything.”
Her words sank in as Ambrose threw her dagger at an oncoming fighter, sinking it deep into his chest and he fell a few feet away from them. Running to grab it, she finally saw what she hadn’t since the day they met. What had made her unsure how much she could trust Lily. “Are you aTrial Champion?”
Of course.
How had she been so blind?
Casimir said it at her trial.
‘No one may harm her outside of an agreed upon duel between her and another Trial Champion.’
Only a Trial Champion could challenge another. She met Lily while training againstTrial Champions. Ambrose prided herself in usually seeing what others couldn’t. Had she been so desperate for a friend she missed what was right in front of her?
Shame sank into Ambrose’s core and settled into her stomach. She’dbeen an emotional fool.
Lily swung a leg around, knocking a fighter to her knees as Lily pulled her sword fromgods-knew-whereand sliced it across the woman’s throat. “Yes. I’m sorry. I promise, I’ll tell you everything.”
“Now isn’t thegreatesttime,” Ambrose gritted out. A fighter donned in way too much armor came running at her as she twirled around him and sank her dagger into the gap where his helmet met the shoulder of his armor. Blood squirted out and coated her hand.
“I know.” Lily’s face was twisted in pain, shame, fear. Ambrose wasn’t sure anymore. “I’ve got your back. When we get out of this, I’ll tell you everything.”
“Ifwe get out of this,” Ambrose countered, pressing her back against Lily’s as they faced the arena.
Lily shook her head, brows set into hard lines. “When.”
Body parts showered them with crimson as the Behemoth threw pieces of dead warriors into the air, its snouts curled into mirrored snarls.
