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The water around him remained still. If there were monsters in it, Avriel had yet to awaken them.
Behind him, Rhea followed. I watched as he turned back to look at her, a scowl marring his handsome face.
“She’s bold,” I observed.
“She’s smug and she’s cocky and she’s getting too close to something far more dangerous than goblins,” Crescent murmured.
Sure enough, as Rhea reached the middle of the pool, her arms out as she balanced on a rock, Avriel stepped onto solid ground. He turned, grabbed a small rock from the ground beside him and threw it back into the pool where it landed with a splash near Rhea.
Instantly the waters around the blonde girl erupted.
Goblins surged up from the depths, churning the water with their frenzied movements.
I watched in horror as clawed hands reached out, grabbing at Rhea's feet. She hopped, moved back, but there was nowhere to go. The rock was small. And the goblins had her completely surrounded.
"Her bow is useless," Odessa muttered angrily from beside me.
"Not useless," Crescent corrected. "But she's forgotten she has it."
She certainly seemed to have.
A shout rang out over the caves. Draven's voice.
Rhea's head shot up, looking across the water at the other challengers who seemed to be shouting suggestions and encouragement.
On the opposite bank, Avriel stood, his arms folded over his chest, grinning and watching.
He was fucking enjoying this. Of course, he was. What did he care that there could be more than one winner? That these Siabra could be his advisors and helpers if he ever managed to win.
He wanted to be the sole survivor. The one and only.
His ego demanded it. His vicious nature called for it.
And that was why he could never be emperor of these people. A man like Avriel would spell their certain doom and ensure another tragic mistake like the one Draven's father had made would soon be repeated, tenfold.
Rhea had pulled out her bow. She was notching an arrow with shaking hands.
A goblin had her by one ankle. She kicked it off. My heart beat faster. Maybe she could do this.
She took a shot. An arrow pierced through the face of the goblin nearest her. She started to notch another.
A goblin's hand shot out, wrapping around one of Rhea's ankles, then around her other. She tried to kick out but it was no use. Her footing faltered. As she stumbled forward, her feet literally pulled out from beneath her, she let out a piercing scream that echoed through the caves.
Her body slipped down the rock. She dropped her bow, hands clawing out, clutching at the wet rock behind her. But a hand hold was impossible.
Her body was half in the water now. The goblin's collective strength was too much. One greedy creature lunged forward, mouth opening hungrily to reveal jagged teeth as he tore a hunk of flesh from Rhea's midriff.
Her scream echoed through the caverns.
And then she was gone. Her body disappearing beneath the surface, disappearing amidst the swarm.
Only ripples remained, spreading outwards before finally dissolving into stillness.
A residue of red appeared on the surface of the water.
I looked away, my stomach churning.
“A little too close to the undead children, don’t you think?” Crescent muttered.
