Chapter 56
56
Selena
T he crowd roared louder than before, the air buzzing with exhilaration as the arena shuck with their excitement.
Ryzen strode toward me with a steady, purposeful gait, his long golden hair catching the sunlight. His confidence was palpable, radiating off him as strong as his glowing emerald runes. Swiftly, he crossed his arms, touching the tips of the blades of his pair of spirit daggers to the runes on his biceps, which glowed in tandem as they vanished from existence.
The pulse of his spirit dagger throbbed in my hand, a steady rhythm that somehow matched the erratic pounding of my heart. Why had he given it to me when I’d been told only the wielder may touch them?
I dared not consider whether it was because my instincts were correct…
There was too much going on, especially today, and attempting to explore the exact reason why I was given this… spirit weapon… when it was something intimate and personal for the Verya.... wasn’t a luxury that I had.
It was a much needed conversation I needed to have with my teacher about why exactly I was given this, when I was told touching a Verya’s spirit weapon could potentially kill me when I was on the asteroid base.
How was I capable of holding it now, with nothing more than a tingling sensation coursing off of its halt?
I stood, unable to remain seated as his presence loomed closer, compelling me forward. The Stars be damned if I was going against protocol. I was the Beacon, and this event was forced upon me.
I stepped to the railing, ready to return his blade, to thank him for what he’d done. But before I could call out to him, Kaede was there, moving like a shadow, his hand covering mine where I gripped the spirit dagger.
His other hand grasped my chin, pulling my face upward, and his lips locked against mine as he pressed his body up against me. The kiss was fire and fury, his frustration pouring into me as he opened his mind and allowed me in. His fangs grazed my bottom lip, placing his claim on me for all to witness. My knees weakened, but his grip held firm, anchoring me as my senses spiraled.
“You’re mine, Selena,” he pathed, his mental voice fierce and unyielding. “ Don’t ever forget it. I will prove it to you again and again, even if it means fighting this entire arena of dimstars. They don’t stand a chance.”
A shiver raced down my spine as his mental presence enveloped me, a heady mixture of possessiveness and protectiveness. His lips softened, turning the heated exchange into something full of longing.
He nipped my bottom lip, tugging it gently before releasing me, his eyes blazing with untamed resolve. Then, without a word, he vaulted over the railing, landing with predatory grace on the sands below, standing between me and Ryzen.
Kaede strode toward Ryzen, pausing beside him only long enough to throw him a pointed smirk over his shoulder. “Thank you for putting the dimstar in his place,” he said casually, loud enough for the crowd—and me—to hear. “Hopefully, he’s learned to keep that tail of his tucked in his sol system where it belongs.”
Ryzen raised a brow. “A spoiled cub, no matter how disciplined, will always push boundaries. Let’s hope he doesn’t need another lesson.”
Kaede chuckled darkly, dismissing Ryzen as he marched to the center platform where Zyxel awaited him, his footsteps leaving sharp impressions in the sand.
Izyana limped past him, his tail dragging and his fur matted with sweat and blood. He didn’t so much as glance at Kaede, too focused on slinking away, his shoulders hunched in humiliation.
Now I knew why Zirene and his siblings wanted nothing to do with Izyana, and never spoke of him. I agreed with them—he wasn’t someone pleasant to be around—and hopefully, this would be the last time I would see him…
I reached for the railing, steadying myself as my pulse refused to calm. My fingers brushed my lips, still tingling from Kaede’s kiss. With his back turned toward me, Ryzen stood below, his emerald runes glowing faintly as he stared at the center platform.
His mental signature brushed against my mind, and I instantly accepted him. “Are you okay?” he pathed, concern laced his tone.
“I will be, once this is over.” I let out a slow sigh. “Thank you for what you did… even though I know Kaede could easily participate in both rounds, I would rather not have him injured by Izyana.”
“I understand… and you’re correct. Kaede wouldn’t have any problems fighting him, but it’s the least I can do to put your heart at ease.” His mental voice was steady, a soothing balm to my frayed nerves. “Especially after everything you’ve done for me—for all of us.”
Glancing down at the spirit dagger in my hand, I flipped it over and studied its design and how the big emerald stone seemed to pulse with his runes. “Have you changed your mind about exploring what’s between us?”
“Now isn’t the time for that conversation,” he replied, heavy with finality. “But you can rest easy knowing I won’t join your clan’s nestbed. I know my place, Selena, and it’s not there.”
The words landed like stones in my chest, but I nodded, trying to mask my disappointment as I held his spirit dagger out to him, over his shoulder, his focus locked on the arena. “Keep it,” he said aloud, his tone indifferent, though his mental signature lingered like a whispered promise. “I’ll reclaim it another time.”
Before I could respond, he withdrew from my mind completely, severing the connection and leaving me to clutch the weapon’s pulsing warmth. The arena buzzed with the crowd’s energy, but my focus was divided between the mysterious blade in my hand and the storm of emotions warring in my chest.
Masmi lifted her paw, commanding silence.
The roar of the crowd quieted into a low murmur of anticipation as tension built in my chest. This was a fight that I didn’t want to witness. It would be foolish for me to believe that someone wouldn’t become injured… They were both desperate to prove themselves by winning.
“For the next match,” Masmi announced, her voice cutting through the arena with practiced authority. “We have the Beacon’s royal guard and consort, Kaede, versus Zyxel. The winner will face Ryzen for the chance to earn the Beacon’s hand.”
Though I understood I was a distraction to him and he needed all his attention on the fight, it didn’t mean it didn’t sting that he thought it was necessary for him to cover connection, temporarily muting our bond.
His pacing began immediately, each step deliberate, his arms hanging loose at his sides, but I could see contained power coiling beneath his suit. His muscles tensed, gaze focused on his competition.
Masmi’s gaze hardened, fixing on Kaede. “You both know the rules. No technology. No enhancements.” Her eyes narrowed pointedly. “I want a fair fight.”
Zyxel raised his hands in mock surrender, his crimson scales catching the sunlight. “No need to worry, Masmi. I only fight fair.”
Kaede clicked his tongue, shaking his head. “I won’t need them,” he said, his fingers flexing as if aching for the first strike.
Behind me, Zirene leaned closer, his arms caging me against the railing. His presence was warm and reassuring, grounding my nerves. “You’re in for a treat, my Beacon.”
I frowned, clutching the dagger tighter as I rested it on the railing. “I don’t want anyone getting hurt,” I muttered under my breath. “And I know how fiery Kaede’s temper can be—combine that with his worries about my pregnancy and the bitterness he holds toward Zyxel… please, I’m begging you, promise me you’ll help me stop him before he does something he can’t take back.”
“Like killing him? He won’t, but I won’t lie to you. Someone—perhaps both—will have marks from this fight.” Zirene’s laugh was deep, rumbling through his chest and into my back. “Whoever does will get pampered by you. A worthy reward.”
Before I could respond, the horn blasted, signaling the start of the match.
Kaede moved first, lunging forward with a predator’s grace, his strikes immediate and unrelenting.
Zyxel met him halfway, his coiled tail springing him up into the air, avoiding Kaede’s first strike by a hair’s breadth. Kaede’s claws raked the air where Zyxel’s chest had been, but the serpent male twisted mid-leap, landing behind him in a flash of crimson and gold.
Kaede pivoted with unnerving speed, his psydaggers were nowhere in sight, yet his hands moved with lethal precision. He struck low, aiming for Zyxel’s belly, but Zyxel countered, using his tail like a whip to block the attack. The impact of their clash sent a shockwave through the sand, dust rising in a fine mist around them.
The crowd erupted, but I barely heard them over the rapid thud of my heartbeat. Kaede pressed forward, his movements a blur of calculated strikes, silent and focused. Zyxel danced around him, his serpent tail aiding his balance, weaving through Kaede’s onslaught like water slipping through cracks in stone.
Zyxel’s sheer size didn’t hinder his movement. Everything I had heard about Zyxel spurring with others on the base, and how he was often the victor, was true. He was giving Kaede, my lethal assassin and royal guard, a challenge. Something he’d thought no one would be able to do.
“You’re fast,” Zyxel taunted, dodging another swipe. “But your size and speed alone won’t win you this match.”
Kaede didn’t respond, his lips curling into a sharp smirk as he feinted left, forcing Zyxel to dodge into a calculated trap. His fist connected with Zyxel’s ribs, the sound a satisfying thud that made me wince despite myself.
Zyxel hissed, his tail snapping forward like a whip. Kaede leapt over it mid-strike, forcing Zyxel off balance. He used the moment to close the gap, his fist aiming for Zyxel’s throat.
But Zyxel wasn’t done—his tail snapped back, faster this time, and twisted his body, using the momentum to pull Kaede into a spin. They both stumbled back, struggling to regain their positions.
“You fight like you’ve got something to prove,” Zyxel sneered. “What is it?”
Kaede’s smirk deepened and he let out a dark chuckle. “To you? Hardly.”
Their lethal dance continued, their bodies colliding with raw, unrelenting force.
Zyxel’s strikes became more desperate, his tail lashing out without any signs of slowing down, but Kaede anticipated every move. His precision was surgical, his patience unnerving, each strike designed to exhaust and weaken his opponent—and yet, Zyxel wasn’t backing down.
Watching the two males clash for my hand should have been exhilarating—a spectacle to relish, like the Aldawi females always did. But my chest tightened with every blow, my breath catching in shallow gasps.
Their movements were heavy with unspoken rage, and a sharp ache pressed against my ribs as if the tension itself had turned physical.
Each strike, each taunt, felt like a crack splintering through my composure, the unshakable certainty that this wasn’t just a fight.
Someone was going to break—I could feel it deep in my core. And no matter how hard I tried to look away, I couldn’t force myself to pull my gaze from the vicious scene.
And it pained me that this fight, this event, was all in my honor.
Kaede lunged forward, catching Zyxel’s tail mid-swing. He used the momentum to flip Zyxel over his shoulder, slamming him into the sand with a resounding crash that echoed against the walls. The arena fell silent as Kaede dropped to one knee, pinning Zyxel beneath him with a clawed hand pressed against his throat.
The serpent male hissed, momentarily stunned on the arena floor. “Yield,” Kaede demanded, his voice low and unrelenting.
But Zyxel wasn’t finished. His tail whipped forward with startling speed, coiling around Kaede’s torso in one fluid motion. The crowd gasped in unison as the serpent male twisted his body, tightening the hold until Kaede was completely ensnared, his arms pinned to his sides.
My breath hitched, my hand flying to cover my mouth. The sight of Kaede, my most lethal consort, now trapped, sent a wave of panic crashing through me. Zyxel shifted his weight, using the sheer strength of his coils to lift Kaede off the ground.
Kaede snarled, thrashing violently within the serpent’s grip. His muscles bulged as he attempted to free himself, but Zyxel’s hold was unrelenting, his tail squeezing tighter.
The crowd erupted, a deafening storm of cheers and shouts. Their excitement teetered on the edge of chaos—as if even they wanted the fight to continue to spiral beyond this point.
Behind me, Zirene leaned in, his lips against my ear. “Kaede’s become too reliant on his tech. He underestimated Zyxel’s agility… and his tail.”
Kaede’s growl deepened into a feral sound as he turned his head, his fangs bared. Without hesitation, he lunged forward and sank his teeth into Zyxel’s tail.
Zyxel hissed, his body jerking reflexively from the pain, but his grip didn’t loosen. Instead, he tightened his hold as his hands shot forward, grabbing Kaede’s horns in an attempt to wrench him free.
Tension crackled between them, their raw strength colliding in a savage battle of dominance, each refusing to yield.
Tears stung my eyes as I watched Kaede’s jaws tighten. My heart pounded against my ribs, a frantic rhythm that drowned out the noise of the arena.
I silently begged the Stars for Kaede to stop, for him not to go too far. Please, Kaede, don’t inject him. Don’t kill him .
“I can’t… I can’t watch,” I whispered, though I forced my eyes to stay locked on them, my hands gripping the railing so tightly my knuckles ached.
“Kaede won’t kill him,” Zirene soothed, his tone calm but firm. “He knows his limits.”
But I wasn’t so sure. Kaede had been on edge ever since he’d rescued me, even more so with my pregnancy and the looming prophecy from the Stars.
Zyxel hissed again, releasing Kaede’s horns and instead grabbing a fistful of his hair. With a sharp yank, he forced Kaede’s head back, exposing his neck. His fangs bared, Zyxel struck forward, aiming to deliver his own deadly blow.
In a flash, Kaede teleported, vanishing from Zyxel’s coils and reappearing behind him. His clawed hand wrapped around Zyxel’s neck, pulling his head back.
“The only one who is allowed to bite me is my star.” Kaede’s mouth opened wide, his fangs glinting in the sunlight as he prepared to lunge.
“Stop!” I screamed, slamming my hand down on the railing as Masmi’s voice rang out over the speakers.
“Enough!” Masmi demanded. “Kaede is disqualified for the use of tech. Zyxel is the winner by default.”
The arena fell into a stunned silence, the crowd’s earlier fervor now muted. Kaede froze mid-strike, his fangs against Zyxel’s throat.
Slowly, his grip on Zyxel slackened, his body trembling with restrained rage.
“She’s mine ,” Kaede growled as he seized a fistful of Zyxel’s hair and yanked him close, his lips brushing against his ear.