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My last memory before death,de magere Hein,took me was Beth’s horrified expression as she turned and ran. But then I woke up in theymladd’smedical hall. The chief medic, responsible for stitching up the arena’s fighters, informed me I’d survived against all the odds, only to be destined for the arena.
Again, I survived longer than any of the other fighters. And now I held Beth in my arms, marveling at the strength with which she clung to me.
During my time at the arena, I’d killed more Fae and their monsters than I could count. My hatred for what they’d done to my sister reared its ugly head until I didn’t care anymore how many fell under my sword.
I’d given up any hope of seeing Beth again. The Fae had turned me into a killer who didn’t deserve to live, nevermind love. And yet, watching her surrounded by an incubus and a merman, I wondered if there might be a space for me in that group?
When we entered the arena after our reprieve, there was a tower made of sheer blackness waiting for us. I didn’t know how they managed to erect it in the half hour we’d been in the tunnels, but magic had to have been involved. Nobody spoke as we waited for instructions.
We were to climb to the top and retrieve something hidden on the flat top. I looked up, guessing the height at roughly seventy feet. There were hand and footholds in regular intervals, so scaling the structure would be difficult, but not impossible. There had to be more than a simple feat of climbing, though. I’d seen what the Fae bastard overlords were capable of. I feared neither of us would survive the coming challenges.
The first warrior, a tall Hydref Fae with the autumn territory’s distinct auburn hair, stepped up. He looked up at the tower before laying down his sword, keeping only his bidog and a viciously curved knife. He secured them against his body and gripped hold of the stone wall. Methodically, he pulled himself up and up as everybody watched, assessing his technique.
The muscles of his shoulders and back bunched and released, making his ascent look effortless. I wasn’t fooled—the warrior was lithe and strong, ideally suited to the task. It would be far more difficult for me. And nearly impossible for Beth.
The warrior was within reaching distance of what was hidden at the top when several creatures materialized with faint pops. They resembled snakes with wings, about four feet long. Pulling his weapon, the male waited for the right moment. Holding on with one hand, he took the head of the first monster. Its body fell and hit the ground with a damp thud.
The Hydref’s bidog swirled around his head so fast, it created a metal arc of light. More and more of the creatures descended, threatening to overwhelm the Fae. I looked around, trying to understand where they came from.
A man, dressed in black, had joined the mayor on the platform. Instead of watching like everybody else, his eyes were closed, and he stood stock still, I’d seen enough Fae mages in my time to recognize him for what he was.
And then he pointed up, his lips moving. A different monster emerged among the black creatures. It was green and yellow, and I’d never seen anything like it before. The warrior noticed it at the same time and watched its flight with increased concentration.
Something flew from the creature’s mouth and hit the Hydref in the face. For a second, nothing happened. Then the warrior wailed in such agony, my stomach turned to liquid. He held on for another moment before he released his hold and swayed back, away from the tower wall.
He screamed all the way down and didn’t stop until the ground smashed his bones. He lived for another while, gurgling pitifully, until one of his fellow competitors took mercy and finished him. Then the man turned away and retched until his stomach was empty.
I stepped closer to see what had caused that reaction, and then wished I hadn’t. Where the Fae’s handsome face had been, there was nothing but bone, and even that was melting to reveal brain matter. Whatever the monster had spewed at him had corroded the flesh off his face, dissolved his eyes, and would have killed him if the fall hadn’t.
When I turned back, tears glazed Beth’s wide eyes. “What was that?”
Dyf answered. “It is anEiddigwyrm. I never knew them to fly. There is dark magic involved.”
I waited until Dyf and Daeary met my gaze, then gestured with my chin toward the mage on the platform. Both watched the man before turning back and nodding. Beth hadn’t noticed our nonverbal interaction, her fearful gaze riveted to the top of the tower where more eiddigwyrm had appeared.
There was a commotion on the platform, and the mayor stepped to the edge, addressing the competitors. “Warriors. These are the trials to join the king’s forces. You did not think it would be easy? Since you seem hesitant, I have decided to add a time limit to this trial. Whoever has not attempted to scale the tower by sunset will forfeit their lives. The king has no need for cowards.”
At his signal, scores of guards streamed into the arena and lined the perimeter. Each carried a bow, ready to unleash death upon us when given the signal.
Nobody moved.
The mayor shouted, his voice shrill with impatience. “The king has honored us with his visit, and this is how you show your dedication?”
Some of the men closest to the tower shuffled and looked up to its top, but still nobody made an attempt to climb.
The mayor gave another signal, and the archers released a volley of deadly arrows. I grabbed Beth and pulled her against me, hiding her face against my chest. She didn’t need to see this.
One by one, the targets fell, some silently breathing their last as they clutched the arrow protruding from their chests and necks. Others screamed until the last spark of life left them.
None of us were strangers to violent deaths, but the casual disregard of this new king to his subjects shocked me to the core. King Rhys had never hesitated to put criminals to death or charge into battle, slaying enemies with his own hand. But this? This was a slaughter so heinous and cruel, it shocked me to the core.
And so it did the spectators. Where before, the Fae had cheered on their favorites and grumbled when they fell under the swords of their competitors, now a pall as heavy as death itself had wrapped around the audience. The only sounds were the groans of the wounded and dying.
The archers had killed one third of the remaining competitors. Our choice was clear: climb and face the horrors above or die right here.
And so, one by one, the men and some women attempted to climb the tower. Some lost their balance under the attack of the flying horrors. Others covered their faces with their shirts. They made it as high as the first man, but all suffered the same fate.
“Fools,” Dyf muttered. “The eiddigwyrm’s poison will dissolve everything but iron.”
