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“Or it shows the pure, selfish desire to win at all costs,” I pointed out loudly, and Merden whipped her head to me, baring her teeth. Hey, I was all for pride in your people, but sometimesthe world changed, and you didn’t want to keep repeating history.
“True vampiresalwaysdesire to win. It is the ancient way,” she hissed, and all her noble pets cheered her on. I snapped my fangs back at her, but I kept quiet. We would solve this in the battle arena soon enough, and if I didn’t lose, I didn’t have to worry about a sacrifice.
“Remember, competitors - only use the sacrifice if you’ve lost two rounds. Taking the blood of your loved one gains you an extra point, allowing a draw if you go on to win the final round. Only one sacrifice is allowed for each of you in the Trial. If you lose again, you will be eliminated by the mist!”
“I wish she’d get on with it,” Blaise grumbled under her breath. Her hands were clenched around her knife hilts already, and I could practically smell the adrenaline on her.
I raised an eyebrow as the mist curled toward us, evidently running short on patience as well. It swirled up and around Blaise’s leather-clad legs, circling her chair as everyone gasped.
“Look, everyone! Our first competitor in the ring!” Merden announced, throwing her arms wide. “The mist has chosen - it is time to begin.”
The crowd erupted into excited shouts as Blaise rose. She moved like she’d truly been expecting it, every muscle in her lean body tensed for the coming fight. She looked up and down the six of us, then at Merden, impatient to see her opponent named.
Finally, the mist slunk toward the opposite end, thickening before Jillian. Her lips parted in a vicious grin as the mist twirled around her chair, naming her as Blaise’s first fight.
Merden called out instructions to her guards, and we all turned around to watch as they pressed the crowds back into the walls and up into the empty balconies, clearing the center of the cavernous room. I stared and Kas barked out a laugh of disbeliefas the guards took positions at two giant cranks I hadn’t even noticed before.
As the cranks were turned, thick chains pulled apart two sections of the wooden floors from a seam in the center, revealing a deep pit beneath the Vault’s floors.
“Behold, the Vault of Bones!” Merden cried, very much too full of herself. The crowd pressed to the edges of the pit even as the guards strung more heavy chains around the opening to hold them back. As I shoved my way to the front and could see down into the pit, I cursed in disbelief.
Sure enough, there were the promised tombs. Bones of long-dead vampires lined every side of the pit in the shape of intricate towers and arches, and dark tunnels led away from the room in all directions, indicating many more unexplored graves.
It would have been fascinating if it weren’t so morbid.
The crowd cheered as Blaise took a running leap down into the pit, stalking the perimeter and checking for any tricks or unseen danger. None of us expected Merden to play it straight and fair.
“Fuck me, I’m glad I’m not first,” Kas whispered in my ear.
“At least we didn’t have to wait long this time. I’m so ready to get this over with that I’m not even mad she started early,” I answered, my gaze sweeping the pit, intent on gaining any new intel I could. Jillian hopped down into the arena next, almost tripping over the fancy gown she’d stupidly chosen to wear. After the tricks of the third Trial and the labyrinth, she had to be an idiot not to dress in battle gear.
Of course, Blaise was dressed in men’s clothing and her own reinforced leather armor, and from the crowd’s point of view, it would have been impossible to tell if she was aiming for Queen or King. I grinned, enjoying that fuck-all attitude in my friend. I truly hoped she lived through the final Trial, even if it meant surrendering.
I wanted Blaise to be there with us when we resurrected our city.
“Choose your weapons from the racks!” Merden cried, making a sweeping gesture toward a glittering rack two guards were wheeling out of the dark tunnels below us and into the center of the arena. There were shining new weapons of every kind to pick from, and Jillian sprinted over eagerly, grabbing for several things at once.
“I brought my own, thanks,” Blaise called to Merden, strutting to the center of the arena. She did indeed have a full set of knives sheathed over her leathers, and two gleaming swords crossed at her back.
I gave her an approving grin when she caught my eye - every true warrior knew you fight better with your own weapons.
“The first round is with weapons only - any use of magic will result in an immediate loss,” Merden warned, as the mist began to pour down into the pit to play referee, lining the edges in dense gray fog.
There was a beat of silence as Blaise and Jillian regarded each other, and the crowd waited for Merden to give the go ahead. Almost before Merden called out the words, Blaise charged, knives flashing as she overtook Jillian with both surprise and skill.
Jillian shrieked and darted to the side, but Blaise was like a silent cyclone. Her feet were a blur as she cut off Jillian’s attempt to escape, and all the weapons in the world wouldn’t have been enough.
Within moments, Jillian was on her back, a blade at her throat and another against her ribcage. She was heaving and cursing, but a ripple of laughter began to make its way through the watching vampires.
“Well, that’s an obvious loss,” one of them yelled, and the crowd began to jeer.
Merden struggled to quiet everyone so she could officially call the match - not that anyone would have thought Jillian had won. The guards stepped in to separate the two competitors, taking all of their weapons as well.
“I better get those back,” Blaise threatened one of them, who flinched backward, nodding hastily.
“The second match is only magic - any attempt to touch your opponent with fangs or weapons will result in a loss,” Merden called, just before shouting that they could begin.
The pit crackled with cold as both vampires pulled up their ice magic, seeking to freeze the other’s mind into numb compliance. It wasn’t as exciting to watch, but nobody looked away either. None of us wanted to miss the moment when one of them cracked.
