AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Miriam never used them. In sixteen years of watching the tournaments, Juliana had never, ever seen Miriam take a vial. She had triumphed over ogres imbued with flight, pixies gifted super-strength, and werewolves with enhanced speed.
Juliana didn’t know if she ought to be flattered or very, very scared.
Miriam’s steely eyes met hers, and she offered her a curt smile. They nodded their heads and necked back the vials.
The liquid crawled down Juliana’s throat like ice, sharp and tingling, spreading to every corner of her body. After the immediate effect, she found herself feeling no different as she took her place in the ring. She was no stronger, no lighter. She hadn’t sprouted wings. She wasn’t deaf, she wasn’t blind—
Although, there wassomethingdifferent about her vision. Colours seemed enhanced, everything clearer, sharper. She could see beads of sweat on Miriam’s face, detect the slow blinking of her eyes. Details she couldn’t have picked out before.
Fae sight. She’d been gifted with fae sight.
And Miriam…
Well, that was for her to figure out.
The trumpet sounded.
Miriam and Juliana circled each other, touching nothing, making no move. Of course they did. Juliana had learned that from her, to let the enemy expose themselves first. Which one of them would move first?
The crowd held their breath.
Juliana watched Miriam’s footsteps, trying to work out if she had received strength, if she trod faster or slower than before. Everything was impossible to discern; Miriam gave nothing away.
So Juliana would have to make her.
She charged towards her, changing her course at the final moment before they collided, swooping under her arm and slicing through one of the nearby barrels.
Her father always taught her to avoid them in the final rounds, but he also likely hadn’t expected her to be up againstMiriam.
Butterflies splurted from the barrel as Juliana skittered out of reach. They were harmless, by the looks of things, and Miriam seemed to know it too. She walked out of the cloud calmly, betraying nothing still.
There’s something,Juliana knew. The vials were never empty. But whatever Miriam had drunk, was it aiding her or hindering her?
Juliana’s mind whirled as she tried to make sense of it. If she had a gift, why wasn’t she using it? Was she trying to be kind to her, to give Juliana a chance of a show?
Finally, Juliana swung. Miriam’s blade met hers with force and precision, making her heels creep backwards in the dirt. The ground cheered.
Juliana withdrew, darting for an opening, Miriam’s blade colliding with hers again. She was slick and fast and showed no mercy. Juliana was sweating in seconds.
Still no signs of boons or weaknesses, and Miriam wasn’t letting her out of her sight.
She wasn’t letting her out of her sight.
Even when the butterflies were swirling around her, Miriam had kept her eyes on Juliana, as if determined to keep track of her.
Why? What happened if she went out of sight?
She had to test it.
Dropping to the floor, she let Miriam’s blade slice overhead, and kicked up a cloud of dust in her face, scurrying behind one of the shelters. She kept her ears open, waiting for Miriam’s approach, certain it wouldn’t be long. A little dust wouldn’t stall her, and Juliana was breathing too hard to disguise her location.
But Miriam didn’t come.
She had no visible boon. She hadn’t received extra strength or speed. She could see—
But could she hear?
“Over here!” Juliana called.
