AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The troll grunts, revealing yellowed, uneven teeth as he rips flesh from the fallen in the arena. Did he stop for a snack in the middle of a blood bath? As if hearing my thoughts, his beady eyes snap toward me, gleaming with bloodlust as he sizes me up. He roars, not even bothering to finish the half-eaten limb in his teeth. He’s far too eager to crush my skull between those ham-sized fists.
Tossing his meal, the troll charges. I step into the shadow of the island, emerging in another near the pillars of the skull bridge. He spots me and I hold steadfast, letting him gain ground. I wait until he’s just a few feet away before stepping through the shadow to another nearby, popping up behind him. Lifting my sword, I leap and drive it down the exposed flesh of his back, but it doesn’t so much as scratch him. He whirls, eyes filled with rage.
Fuck…
Ten feet of muscle and tusk towers over me. His arm lashes out and I drop, rolling across the sand to evade it. His fist smashes into the sand, sending black specks flying. I close my eyes, trying to keep it from getting in them. He apparently wasn’t as wise. The troll thrashes his head from side to side, his fists rubbing into his eyes. Gritting my teeth, I gather my shadows and hurl them at him, but even blind, he bats them away as though they are mere insects. My shadows scatter into nothingness.
So much for that.
My vision swirls due to the venom, and I stumble a step to the right, trying to regain my balance. Before I can register that he’s crossed the distance, something slams into me and I fly through the air.
7
Scarlet
Icanhearthebeat of my heart. It’s battering into my ribs as I watch the chaos unfold below us. The gauntlet has always been brutal, but this… I didn’t expect this. Each pledge is out for blood, fighting for a title they’ll likely never be able to use. It’s pointless to be named an heir if the king is immortal–at least in my opinion.
My father’s on his throne to my left, chewing on his fingernails. Even he is uneasy, eyes narrowed into slits as he takes in the scene before us.
“Did you know?” His voice is calm and controlled, but his bouncing knee and his antsy movements say otherwise. I don’t answer him, sure he must be talking to one of the guards. “Answer me, woman.” Maybe not…
“Know what?” I ask, playing dumb. He’s asking about Sebastian, but I won’t disclose anything I don’t have to. I straighten my shoulders, being mindful not to turn my head away from the fight. We’re not supposed to, but it doesn’t stop me from seeing his head swivel toward me, revealing his cold gaze.
As a princess, we’ve been taught to be seen and not heard, and not to speak unless spoken to. Our entire lives we train for this day, when we’re supposed to stay silent, look pretty, but remain numb. Sadly, nothing has prepared me for reality. Everything has changed and nothing is what I expected it to be. Not even Sebastian.
Turns out, he’s humanoid, just like me. From here, I can see his messy dark hair, still the same as before, even though whatever illusion he cast has dissipated. Except where his skin held a grayish tone, like the dark elf he presented himself as, it’s now beige. His dark linen shirt hangs over his form, bellowing out around his middle and tucking in at the waist of his leather pants. The sleeves are rolled up to his elbow and the neckline plunges, revealing dark inky lines of tattoos across his chest and arms. The linen is torn in many places, but still covers more of his torso. Whatever he is, it’s clear he’s an elemental, due to his magic, and that he’s not wearing a cuff.
He’s clearly not noble, based on his clothes and messy appearance, but his power would have granted him a high standing in the king’s court. My father would’ve jumped at the chance to have him on the royal guard, yet I’ve never seen his face before. I’d remember it if I had.
He’s… a mystery. I’d say handsome, but that doesn’t even begin to cover it. Though lethal is the word that sits on my tongue.
“Scarlet, are you listening?” My father’s voice cuts through the fog settling in my mind.
“Yes. I’m sorry, there’s just a lot going on.”
He snarls, grunting as he leans into his chair. “Despicable. I should have you lashed for that. I asked if you knew who the man you danced with was? Did you know he was deceiving me?”
“No. I didn’t. He seemed nice and genuine. I don’t even know who he is now or why he had to pretend to be an elf.”
My father pinches the bridge of his nose before sitting back up. “He’s the Dark One. A pirate.”
Cocking my head to the side, I let that soak in. A pirate? “Like the ones who protect your fleet?”
“No. The kind that sinks them. Not just any pirate either. He’s their god-awful leader.” He tossed his hand toward Sebastian, effortlessly slaying the wolves with an air of confidence that sends shivers down my spine.
“How do you know it’s him?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady despite the unease writhing within me.
My father rolls his eyes as if it should be obvious. “There’s only been a handful of elementals capable of controlling darkness.”
I can’t tear my eyes away from Sebastian as he continues to fight, his movements swift and graceful. A mix of fascination and dread washes over me. This man, this criminal, has somehow managed to insert himself into my life with the promise of adventure and freedom, but how can I trust him? He’s already deceived me once about who he was, and he did so in a way where he never truly lied, just omitted the important parts.
I never anticipated living after today, since not many of my sisters have after their wedding night. Yet, Sebastian promised me a good life full of the adventure I’ve only dreamed about. What if that was just to get me to help him? If he truly is the Dark One, what if he intends to use me to get at my father?
Honestly, I’m not sure it even matters at this point. The dire wolves are dead. He just slaughtered the last of them. I’m not even sure why they bother pledging. They’ve never made it to the final five, but they’d have been the only creature other than Sebastian in this arena that might not kill me the moment we’re married. At this point, trusting in our deal is worth the risk.
“If he’s your enemy, what will you do if he wins?” I ask before I can think better of it. If my father means to kill him the moment he exits that arena, then it doesn’t matter if I help him or not. It’s not even worth thinking about. It’d just mean my father would host another gauntlet and I’d be given to someone else.
My father weighs his head from side to side. “I can’t simply arrest him. The clans are watching, and if I break my own rules–if I don’t honor the tradition and let him take his prize–then the people won’t want to participate in future gauntlets. Not to mention, I gave him my advantage… I never thought I’d be rooting for my enemy, but here we are.”
