AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The one metal rarely found in Gwerin,” Daeary added.
The two Fae stood shoulder to shoulder, discussing strategy while glancing at Beth, who still hid against me. The odd shiver ran through her, and I wasn’t sure whether she was cold or scared. Or both.
Dyf’s gaze met mine, and the hopelessness in his eyes nearly undid me. He was as ready to die as any other Fae in his brutal realm, but we all knew that Beth had no hope at all to survive the next hour. And there was nothing I could think of to change our fate.
The black-clad mage raised both arms and shouted something. We all looked up. Another warrior, his white winter hair stained with blood, had evaded the stream of acid and hit the loathsome wyrm in the chest. The creature squawked and fell until it hit the layer of bodies at the bottom of the tower. Before it could recover, another warrior had cut its head off, taking care not to get splattered in the process.
We all cheered at the tiny victory, but we knew it couldn’t last. While the mage continued to chant, the surface of the tower changed color from black to red and then to white. The winter Fae held on as long as he could, while acrid smoke rose from his skin. Finally, he had to let go.
He was silent as he fell, even though his last moments must have been agony, the heat of the tower wall having burned off his clothes and blistered the skin below. The horrible crunch of bone when he crashed to the ground was a merciful release of hisenaid, his soul, to the mercy of the Goddess.
One by one, they fell until there was only a handful left. A young woman, no older than Beth, straightened her shoulders and kissed the Fae next to her on the mouth. He looked surprised but took her goodbye as the gesture it was: a last farewell.
And when she died, it was Beth’s turn.
Chapter thirty-three
BETH
I’dnevergetusedto the screams, to the smell of death as the bodies rained down like a macabre downpour. At the rate this was going, there wouldn’t be anybody left to join Prys’s army.
The second round defeated every single contestant who attempted to climb the tower. If the wyrms didn’t take care of them, the mage did something, and the goal posts shifted again. One moment, the walls burned so hot, there was no way to hold on. The next, it froze like liquid nitrogen until fingers snapped and warriors fell.
“He is an elemental mage,” Dyf said, squinting at the black-clad figure. The late afternoon sun was streaming over the top of the arena walls, blinding us. I had no doubt it was intentional. It made the challenge even more difficult.
The stands above us were emptying rapidly. In the beginning, the audience had been cheering. But as the competitors fell one by one, the Fae had begun to disperse. It didn’t bide well, as if they knew none of us would make it out of here alive.
But then a particularly large male got all the way to the top, reached for something we couldn’t see, and howled his triumph. On this way down, the flying creatures paid no more attention to him. When he reached the ground, there was a smattering of applause. The Fae was taken away by guards who slapped his back and grinned broadly. He was the first to join the ranks, it seemed.
But when the next two contestants tried their luck, the wyrms attacked them with renewed vigor. They died within seconds of getting beyond halfway, their screams echoing through the empty arena.
Dyf was still squinting at the mage. Talking softly with Daeary, he didn’t notice the group of armed guards that approached us. Than stepped in front of me, growling a challenge at them.
They ignored him and instead addressed me. “You. Girl. It is your turn next.”
My face went cold with shock. I hadn’t expected to be challenged just yet. Maybe I’d hoped that once enough Fae had died, they would make it easier on the rest. Otherwise, they’d be left with nobody left.
The guards towered over me, and I had to twist my neck to look up at them. Their expressions weren’t unkind, but there was no give. They wouldn’t accept my pleas. Begging would get me nowhere.
My stomach twisted until I had to swallow hard to keep the bile down. My palms were covered in cold sweat, and my lips trembled. My own stupidity and pride had brought me to this place. I would climb the tower, and then I would die. The question wasn’t if. It was how.
“No. I won’t allow it.” Than tried to push me behind him, and the Fae pulled their swords. I knew they wouldn’t hesitate to cut him down if I didn’t comply. Daeary and Dyf both tensed, readying themselves for an attack. But what would that achieve? They’d be dead, and I’d still have to climb that damned tower.
I shook off Than’s hand and stepped forward. My voice didn’t shake, although my legs barely carried me. “It’s not your decision, Than. It was my idea. Maybe I’ll be lucky.”
Standing on my tiptoes, I reached up and pressed my lips against his. Then I turned to Daeary who watched me with so much sadness, I blinked once, twice, until I managed a tremulous smile. “Wish me luck, demon.”
He lifted my face and brushed his lips against my ear. “Do not give up just yet, my Beth.”
Ignoring the unwelcome injection of lust, I reared back and stared at him, but his expression gave nothing away. Deep inside his eye sockets, a spark flashed like a promise. When I glanced at Dyf, he nodded. And suddenly, I felt better. Those two had figured out a plan.
The guards surrounded me, separating me from the guys I was considering my friends and so much more. I turned to catch one last glimpse as I was walked to the tower, but the Fae were so tall, their chests blocked my view.
And then I found myself at the foot of the challenge that had defeated so many before me. At least, most of the bodies were gone except for the last two. Their empty eyes stared up into the sky. I hoped their goddess had gathered their souls and that they were in a better place. If I was wrong about Daeary and Dyf having figured out a way to save me, I’d be joining them soon enough.
Close up, the tower wasn’t as black as it had looked from the distance. It was solid, but the stones spun with an energy I’d never encountered before. It was strangely beautiful—dark blue swirls mingled with blacks and grays, circling slowly toward the center of each block of magic. If I looked too long, it would pull me in, and I’d be lost to the dark allure.
“Get going, girl.” The command tore me from my reverie, and I stretched out a hand to touch the tower. I’d half expected it to be unbearable, either too hot or too cold, but the material felt exactly like rough stone. Nothing more, nothing less.
