Chapter 60
Chapter
Sixty
SABLE
T he roar of the crowd feels like it’s pressing against my skull, a cacophony of voices chanting for blood. My blood. Rothgar’s blood. Someone’s blood. The warlocks encircle the ring, their faces twisted in anticipation, eyes gleaming in the torchlight. My heart thuds against my ribs like a war drum, but I push the fear down. There’s no room for it here. Not now.
I glance at Kael and Torin, their towering figures flanking me like unmovable shadows. Finn’s not in the ring, but I can feel him, his presence like a steady hand on my back even though he’s standing just outside the fight. His voice slides into my mind, calm and commanding.
“Breathe, Sable. Focus. You’ve got this.”
I nod slightly, exhaling the tension that’s coiled in my chest. Rothgar steps forward, his sneer cutting across the space between us like a knife. He’s bigger than me, bulkier, his magic coiling around him in a way that makes the air feel heavy. But I’ve faced worse. I’ve survived worse.
“I’ll take him,” I say, stepping forward. Kael’s hand shoots out, gripping my arm like a vice.
“You don’t have to fight him alone,” he says, his voice low but firm.
I pull free, turning to look at him. “Yes, I do. This is my fight.”
Torin smirks, his blade resting lazily against his shoulder. “Don’t get yourself killed, kitten. I don’t want to have to clean up the mess.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I mutter, stepping into the center of the ring.
Rothgar’s eyes narrow as I approach, his lips curling into a feral grin. “So the little witch thinks she can take me on? Alone?”
I don’t answer. Words are useless now. Instead, I slide into a fighting stance, my hand hovering over the blade strapped to my thigh. The crowd hushes, the tension thick enough to choke on.
Rothgar lunges first, his blade slicing through the air with brutal precision. I dodge, my movements sharp and practiced, and his strike bites into the dirt where I stood a heartbeat ago. My counter is swift—I draw my blade and slash upward, catching his arm. Blood beads along the cut, but it’s shallow, and he barely flinches.
His magic flares, a pulse of energy that slams into me like a battering ram. I stagger back, the breath knocked from my lungs, but I keep my footing. Finn’s voice slips into my mind again.
“Stay light on your feet. He’s stronger, but you’re faster. ”
Rothgar presses the attack, his strikes wild but heavy. I duck and weave, using the natural terrain of the ring to my advantage. Rocks and roots jut out of the ground, and I use them to trip him up, forcing him to adjust his footing.
Then his magic shifts. A burst of flame erupts from his hands, licking toward me with deadly intent. My instincts scream at me to run, but Finn’s voice cuts through the noise.
“Your powers, Sable. Use them. Feel the fire, don’t fear it.”
I grit my teeth and extend my hand, focusing on the heat radiating toward me. The flame wavers, then splits, parting around me like water around a stone. The crowd gasps, the air buzzing with disbelief. Even Rothgar falters for a moment, his confidence cracking.
“That’s it,” Finn encourages. “Now push back.”
I channel the energy, redirecting the flames toward him. They spiral in a controlled arc, slamming into his chest and sending him sprawling. He scrambles to his feet, his snarl more feral now.
Before he can recover, Torin’s voice booms from the edge of the ring. “You’ve had your fun, kitten. Now it’s our turn.”
Kael and Torin step into the ring, their presence a wall of strength that bolsters me.
“You’re not alone,” Kael says, his tone leaving no room for argument. “You never will be.”
The three of us fall into a rhythm, a deadly dance that leaves Rothgar scrambling to keep up. Finn’s voice guides us, slipping into our minds like a thread weaving us together.
“Kael, flank left. Torin, keep him off balance. Sable, hit him where he’s weakest.”
Rothgar’s magic flares wildly, desperation seeping into his movements like poison. Fire erupts from his palms, swirling violently before morphing into a gust of icy shards that cut through the air with lethal intent. Wind howls around us, whipping dirt and debris into a storm meant to disorient and destroy. It’s chaos—raw, unfiltered power—but I don’t feel fear. Not anymore.
Through the bond, I can feel them—Kael, Torin, and Finn—all of them, their strength thrumming in perfect harmony with mine. The connection between us is no longer jagged or strained. It’s smooth, seamless, like the pieces of a puzzle finally locking into place. Each of them is there, unwavering, and for the first time, I understand what it means to fight as one.
Torin’s presence is a steady drumbeat in my mind, wild and unyielding. He moves with brutal precision, his blade slicing through Rothgar’s defenses like they’re nothing. I feel his exhilaration, the primal joy he takes in the fight, and it surges through me, making my heart race.
Kael is a wall of icy resolve, his magic a shield that absorbs Rothgar’s relentless attacks. He’s focused, every movement calculated, his mind a fortress of calm determination. Through our bond, I can feel his resolve bleeding into me, bolstering my own.
And Finn—though he’s not in the ring, his presence is just as strong. His voice threads into my mind, smooth and commanding, directing us with the clarity of a master strategist. “Torin, keep the pressure on. Sable, pivot left. Kael, close the gap.” His guidance weaves through our bond, pulling us tighter together, making us unstoppable.
Rothgar hurls another burst of fire, but Kael deflects it with a sweep of his hand, the flames dissipating into harmless sparks. Torin lunges forward, his blade slicing through the air with deadly intent. Rothgar stumbles back, his magic faltering, and I see my opening.
I dart in, quick and sharp, my blade catching him across the side. Blood blooms against his tunic, and I feel his pain through the bond, a sharp, satisfying pulse. He’s weakening. The rhythm between us—Kael, Torin, Finn, and me—becomes a symphony, each of us playing our part to perfection.
For the first time, I can revel in their strength without hesitation. Their power doesn’t overshadow mine; it complements it. I feel Kael’s cool focus, Torin’s unrelenting ferocity, and Finn’s calculating mind, all flowing through me as if they were my own. And in return, I know they can feel me—my determination, my grit, my refusal to back down.
Rothgar staggers, his breath ragged, his magic flickering like a dying flame. Torin presses forward, his blade a blur of lethal intent, while Kael holds the line, his magic creating a barrier that forces Rothgar into a corner.
“Finish this, Sable,” Finn’s voice slides into my mind, steady and sure. “This is your moment. Show them your strength.”
I step forward, power surging through me like a tidal wave. Rothgar tries to throw one last burst of magic, but I feel it before it even forms, twisting it back on him with a flick of my hand. The energy slams into his chest, sending him sprawling to the ground.
He looks up at me, fear flickering in his eyes for the first time. The crowd falls silent as I approach, my steps deliberate, my blade glinting in the torchlight. Through the bond, I feel Kael’s pride, Torin’s exhilaration, and Finn’s unwavering support. They’re with me, every step of the way.
I press my foot harder against Rothgar’s chest, pinning him down as he struggles beneath me. His own blade feels heavy in my hand, its sharp edge gleaming with finality. The crowd holds its breath, the silence almost deafening as I lower the blade to his throat .
“This is your champion?” I call out, my voice sharp and cutting through the stillness. “This is the man who thought he could take everything from us? From me?”
The warlocks surrounding the arena erupt into cheers, a deafening roar that shakes the trees and echoes into the night. I glance back at Kael and Torin, their faces bloodied but alive, their pride surging through the bond like a flame that warms me from the inside.
But this isn’t enough. Rothgar isn’t defeated until I make him so.
I tighten my grip on the blade, feeling the balance of it, the weight of the moment. Rothgar glares up at me, his teeth bared in defiance, but there’s fear in his eyes. He knows what’s coming. He just doesn’t have the strength to stop it.
“For everything you’ve done,” I whisper, my voice low enough that only he can hear. “For the lives you’ve taken, the pain you’ve caused, and the fear you tried to sow—you don’t get to walk away.”
I thrust the blade downward, the steel cutting clean through his throat. Blood spills, dark and hot, soaking into the earth beneath him. His body jerks once, then stills, the life fading from his eyes.
The crowd’s roar crescendos, shaking the very ground beneath my feet. I step back, my chest heaving, and toss the bloodied blade to the ground beside him. It’s done. Rothgar is dead, and with him, his hold over this place, over us.
Kael and Torin stand a few feet away, their expressions fierce and proud. Through the bond, I feel their approval, their relief, and something deeper—a connection that binds us tighter than ever before. A warmth spreads through me, unbidden but welcome, as I turn to face them.
Torin shifts into his saber-tooth form, his massive body radiating power and strength. I climb onto his back, standing tall as he roars into the night. The crowd’s chants grow louder, their voices a thunderous wave that crashes over us all.
Through it all, I feel them—Kael, Torin, and Finn. Their pride, their strength, their unwavering connection to me. This is our victory. Our moment. And it’s only the beginning.