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I did it.
I let out a breathy laugh in disbelief. When I was preparing myself for this trial, I never thought I would be facing a riddle. Agility and fighting, yes, those were the exact trials I was expecting, so when he read out the riddle, I thought it was game over.
“You completed the first part of this trial.” There are no congratulations in the councilman’s statement. In fact, he doesn’t sound pleased by this turn of events. A small cheer comes from the stands at the announcement, and it makes me feel giddy. Perhaps I really can do this.
“Next, a warrior is strong in battle, even when the odds are stacked against them,” Ruby announces, his voice returning to his usual timbre. “Using only a dagger, you must defeat your opponent.”
The partition falls before I can comprehend his words, and I come face to face with my opponent.
Alpha Bates.
His smirk instantly raises my internal hackles. This male has always put me on edge with the way he looks at me. His hatred for me is so strong that he can barely control himself around me, and he’s finally been given the chance to kill me in front of all these people.
This is the kind of challenge I was expecting, and for once, I feel okay about it. I’m not a fighter, and it’s going to take everything that I’ve got, but Iwantthis. A confrontation between us has been a long time coming, and it looks like now is my chance. He took Nicolai from me and is a threat to everyone, both werewolf and witches alike. Everything is coming together. I can feel the goddess with me, and with Syn observing and Star at my side, I know I can do this.
Crossing over the fallen partition, I see a plinth to my right, and on closer inspection, I see a single dagger waiting for me on a black velvet cushion. Picking it up, I test the weight in my hand. It’s a decent blade and sharp enough to do what I need it to. Nodding in satisfaction, I turn to face my opponent.
Smirking, Bates crosses his arms over his chest. Everything about his posture looks relaxed and completely unbothered about the fact that he’s about to take part in a fight to the death. “Hello, little halfling. Are you ready to face your death?”
Snorting, I shake my head at his intimidation tactics. “Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing.” Raising my brows, I nod towards his booted feet. “Are your feet okay?”
He doesn’t want to ask, but his confusion and curiosity get the better of him. “My feet?”
“Yeah, from when you ran away from Haven when it looked like you might be beaten. Your poor feet must be so sore.” I really shouldn’t bait him, but I just can’t help myself. “You won’t have that option this time, I’m afraid.”
He growls, his hands partially shifting so his claws appear between his knuckles. “I’m going to make you wish you were never born.”
I’ve been moving slightly the whole time we’ve been talking, keeping my steps light and falling into the defensive stance Atlas taught me, so when Bates finally loses his patience and leaps forward, I’m ready for him. Jumping to one side as he barrels towards me, I slash out with my dagger, catching his arm as he passes.
The disadvantage may not look huge, but he has his full strength, speed, and skills as a werewolf. His claws alone are like ten versions of my dagger. Realising that I’m out here alone, I glance back to see Star is being restrained by some sort of force, unable to assist me. They were serious when they said I could only use a dagger.
That half second glance costs me, and Bates is on me. It’s a stupid mistake, I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off him, I know better than that. Barrelling towards me, Bates slashes at my exposed side. Crying out in pain, I stumble backward, pressing a hand against the wound. Thankfully it’s not too deep, but that manoeuvre could have killed me if he hit me harder. Brandishing my dagger, I try to wound him back, but he’s too quick, twisting out of the way and slashing at me with his claws.
I need to be smart about this. I’m never going to out fight him when he’s got his claws and superior skills, which means I have to use my brain to figure out how to beat him. Scanning him for weaknesses, I try to figure out any places he leaves unguarded when he attacks. Unfortunately, I have to focus so completely on making sure I don’t get sliced to pieces that I struggle to find one. The only thing I notice is that he favours his left leg, preferring to keep his weight off the right.
In a move too fast for me to track, he manages to barge into my left shoulder, the force causing me to twist and fall to the ground. From the pain screaming there, I’d say it was dislocated, but I don’t have time to worry about that. Scrabbling to my knees, I crawl forward so I can get to my feet. That never happens, though, as a booted foot stamps on the back of my leg, the pain making black stars appear in my vision as I’m pinned and unable to move. Pressing his knee into my back, he keeps me immobile with his weight. A hand yanks on my hair, and I cry out as he twists my head and slams my cheek into the dirt so he can look at my face.
“It looks like our fight is over,” he coos, his features twisted into an evil smile. He scrapes his claws across my cheek, but the sting of the small cuts is nothing compared to the panic I’m experiencing. I can’t believe this is how I’m going to die.
“It’s a shame.” He clucks his tongue, his voice sounding anything but upset like he’s claiming to be. “I would have liked to stretch this out.”
That’s when I realise what his true weakness really is—his ego.
Forcing myself to laugh, I roll my eyes up so I can see him and raise my brows. My heart is pounding, and I’m so afraid of the fact that this might be it and I’ll never see my family again, but I know I need to keep my calm for this to work. Channelling my anger, I focus on all the shit Bates has put me through.
“Then let me go and let’s have a real fight.” Amazingly, my voice is steady, containing only a hint of anger. “Are you really going to stab me in the back like a coward? I suppose you already proved yourself to be one during the fight at Haven, so I shouldn’t be surprised.”
I don’t have to wait long to see that my jibes work.
“Get up,” he growls, his anger palpable as he shoves my face into the dirt once more.
His weight finally lifts from my back, and he steps backward to allow me up. That’s not part of my plan though. Rolling over, I swing my leg out and hook it around his right ankle—the very ankle I noticed he was avoiding putting weight on—knocking it out from under him. He falls to the ground with an agonised cry.
I move instinctively, my training from Joel and Atlas kicking in, as I climb onto his fallen body and pin him down as best as I can with my small stature. It’s the knife pressed against his jugular that makes him still beneath me. I have to be quick, as I know he’ll figure out a way to get me off him once the shock has worn off. When something like fear flashes in his eyes, I bare my teeth and snarl in his face.
“This is for Nicolai.”
With a quick slash of my blade, I cut his neck, and he bleeds out beneath me. He moves his mouth, but no sound comes out. The light fades from his eyes, and he dies like the piece of dirt that he is. I should feel horrified by the fact that I just took a life. When I killed Grove, it made me physically sick, yet this doesn’t seem to have affected me at all.
