Chapter 64
CHAPTER 64
Rosalina
I ’m not sure what’s more terrifying: Kairyn’s cross-armed stance as the crowd in the Sun Colosseum chants Dayton’s name, or the gorgon slithering toward us.
My feet slide over the gritty sand as I retreat further. The gorgon is massive, twelve feet tall and twice as long. With a male humanoid body, it sprouts a coiling serpentine tail with shimmering green and brown scales. Its fae-like face is marred by two protruding fangs.
“Don’t stare too long, Mads,” Dayton says, darting in front of me.
“I thought you said it had to be staring at me and touching me in order to turn me to stone,” I snarl.
“Better not to take any chances.” Dayton turns to the audience and flashes a dazzling grin that is met with thunderous applause. “Cover me. I’m going back in.”
“Okay.” My webbed fingers clutch tight to the wooden bow.
I’m okay with hitting targets, even moving ones, but I can’t seem to land a shot here. Not under the eyes of thousands of people, beneath the oppressive heat of the Summer Realm. Not with the traitorous High Prince of Spring watching with his calculating gaze and my bow glowing on a pedestal beside him.
This is what we’re fighting for: the way to defeat him.
“Ready to dance, snaky?” Dayton says. An echosphere, a small glowing ball, swerves before him, booming his voice to the entire arena. Dayton rushes forward, and the gorgon raises its curved sword.
I take aim at the creature’s unblinking gaze and release an arrow. It goes wide. Dammit . I need to get closer.
Dayton’s running around the gorgon now, making the shot even more difficult. A clang rings out as their swords meet. I’ve seen Dayton fight before, but never like this. His intent is razor-sharp on the sands. He’s a blur of elegance and lethal precision.
But the gorgon is no easy foe. It’s a creature of the Below, created by Sira herself, a horrific blend of fae and snake. They live in deep caves in the Suadela Sands, Dayton had quickly explained when we first saw our opponent. They’re vicious, often known for sneaking into Summer villages and taking prisoners. No doubt they volunteered to be here to try their might against the gladiators.
With a deft flick of its wrist, the gorgon slashes at Dayton, aiming for his exposed side, but Dayton is too fast. He deflects the blow with one of his swords and strikes with the other.
I can’t let him do this alone.
“I will take pleasssure in gutting you, Ssssummer Prince,” the gorgon hisses.
Dayton dodges another blow, leaping over its tail. “Someone’s hiss-terical today, but your insults are as sharp as your tail.”
Fury flashes across the gorgon’s face, and it lashes out its tail carelessly. Dayton easily jumps backward and slashes a line across the gorgon’s back, dripping inky-green blood. He’s riling it up to make it careless.
The Summer Prince leaps back again, and the gorgon is wide open. This is my chance. I nock an arrow to my bow and run closer. Dayton told me to stay back, but I can’t hit it from that far away. I plant my feet firmly and fire.
The arrow strikes the gorgon in the arm. His curved sword drops. The monster reels, flashing its fangs. “Where are your sssscales, little sssiren? Should have ssstuck to the sssea, instead of drying up on the sssand.” It lunges at me, coiled tail unfurling, venomous fangs bared.
Dayton jumps between us. He strikes it across the chest, but it whirls, wrapping its massive tail around Dayton’s body, pinning the Summer Prince’s arms to his sides.
“No!” I cry out, my voice mingling with the collective gasp of the crowd.
Barbs in the gorgon’s tail dig into Dayton’s skin, and his blood drips out of the coil onto the sand. Every instinct in me wants to call my thorns and rip this creature in two. I can’t reveal myself, but I won’t let Dayton fail.
Dayton’s got his eyes closed, and the creature bends in closer. If he locks gazes while it’s touching him, he’ll turn to stone.
“You’ll make sssuch a pretty ssstatue,” it hisses, drawing a clawed hand along Dayton’s face. “Asss will your sssiren.”
“Don’t you fucking touch her,” he snarls, then, “And you spit on my cheek.” He struggles but can’t get his arms free of its tail.
“Trust me, Day!” I call. Then I draw my bow, my hands steady despite the chaos and roar of the crowd. I take aim, my focus narrowing to a single, critical point.
With a twang, the arrow flies true, slicing through the air and making a satisfying thud as it pierces the gorgon’s tail. Dayton breaks free from its grasp, his swords flashing in the bright light of the arena. He launches himself forward, blades singing. With a swift, decisive strike, he plunges both swords deep into the heart of the monster. A final, fatal blow that sends the creature and Dayton crashing to the ground in a tangle of scales and blood.
For a moment there’s only silence. Then like a storm rolling over the sea, the crowd begins to roar. Dayton rises from the corpse of the gorgon, shaking green blood off his blades. He walks over to me, flashing a dazzling smile. “There it is. Have you ever heard such a beautiful sound?”
“They’re cheering for you.”
“They’re cheering for us. ” He sheathes his sword and grabs my arm, raising it up.
We did it, our first victory. Only two more until we win our chance to claim the bow. The crowd is on their feet, Dayton’s name ringing through the air. My breath is ragged, heart pounding. But as I look at Dayton, he’s not staring at the crowd. His gaze is straight on Kairyn, watching from the precipice.
A challenge. A warning.
The High Prince of Summer has returned.