20. Lira
20
LIRA
O ut of every possibility, of course it would be him , the man who might want me dead more than anyone else here.
Lorne.
“What’s wrong, Princess ?” The tall guard chuckled, taking in my expression. “Too good to be chained to a man with a bad leg?”
Understanding dropped on my shoulders as I took in his mangled calf. I didn’t know what I’d expected, but it wasn’t the large scar, like his entire calf might heal despite the damage it had suffered.
The guard laughed, hitting Lorne on the back, almost friendly, and said, “Yeah, we’re surprised he survived as well. However, you two won’t make it far, based on what Eldrin has in store.”
“And Caelan, right?” I lifted a brow, my gaze settling on him. I wanted to make it a point that it wasn’t only Eldrin behind the planning. Eldrin already had too much power and control, and Tavish’s wings were bound, just like the prisoners’ wings, on what he could do. I hated that he owed Eldrin such a large debt, but in the next hour, that wouldn’t matter. With all eleven of them teaming up on me, I’d be dead.
The blue-haired guard who’d been there the night I arrived shook his head as the tall guard scowled.
“Just like a Seelie to believe they can correct us in our own house,” he spat and tugged on Lorne to move him forward to chain me to him. “You’re the reason why the king has killed two of our own, and you deserve the slowest, most torturous death we can provide.” He glanced at the other ten, ignoring Lorne. “Anyone who delivers your death for me will be heavily rewarded since I can’t do it myself.”
“Oh, don’t worry.” The dusky-haired woman rubbed her hands together. “She’s our priority once the game begins. After what she’s done to all of us and killing my boy, it’ll be an honor and privilege to slice her neck.”
My lungs seized, but I forced my face to remain relaxed. I didn’t want to encourage them by showing fear. I’d already come to grips with what my future held. Instead, I focused on the guard and Lorne.
With each step Lorne took on his injured leg, he limped and winced.
He wasn’t well enough to be part of the game, but pointing it out would be useless. No one cared. This was a form of punishment and a means of entertainment. Besides, most of the contestants here appeared to be his friends or allies, so that would gain him even more favor.
His injury gave me a slight advantage since it would impact his ability to lug me around. Despite his strength, the extra weight on his leg would cause him problems. He’d want to help me get to the end of the trial before he tried to kill me. I could only hope that meant he’d protect me in the meantime, but hatred did funny things to people. I’d realized that with Tavish. Underneath his hostility, he was kind and gentle, but his parents’ deaths and his banishment from his home had changed him into something else entirely.
The taller guard reached me, and when he squatted, he slammed his armored shoulder into my side.
I stumbled back, but slender arms slid underneath my armpits, holding me up. “I got you,” Finola grunted as Torcall appeared at my side.
Torcall wrinkled his nose, shoved the taller guard back into the dark-blue-haired guard and said, “Struan, you know better than to harm any of the prisoners before the gauntlet.”
I managed to swallow, but my chest tightened more. I hadn’t realized that Finola and Torcall hadn’t left yet, and if we hadn’t been in a roomful of other people, I very likely would’ve thanked them. Instead, I forced my feet back underneath me and stood tall. Finola released me.
“Of course the king would have his most trusted guards watch over his pet .” Struan’s wings spread out, fluttering to help him back on his feet. “I don’t know how you can stand to protect her.”
Torcall didn’t flinch and instead leaned forward. “Because I’m loyal to the king of frost, darkness, and nightmares. His royal blood is the only reason we haven’t been weakened more than we already are by these blasted lands we’re forced to live on. Without him , we’d all be starving and near dying. You’d best remember that before your words and actions are seen as treasonous.”
“I’m certain the people would be thrilled to have a new contender in the gauntlet,” Finola added firmly .
“I didn’t speak ill of the king, only of the Seelie sunscorched and why she’s still breathing.” Struan held the cuff and gestured to my leg. “I’m just putting this on her, so don’t attack me.”
“Then don’t do anything foolish,” Torcall countered.
Taking a moment, I scanned the area and noted the way the ten other contestants glared at me. They weren’t even paying each other attention, making my blood run cold. Even if Lorne didn’t plan on killing me right away, the others did. I needed to remember every damn attack and defense Finnian had taught me. They would come in handy.
The cold, dark metal slipped around my boot, and when the lock clicked, he dropped the chain, making me realize how heavy the metal was as it clanked against the cool, smooth floor.
“Is everyone prepared for the game?” the guard next to the door asked.
“Yes,” Struan answered. “She’s chained.”
I forced myself to inhale and exhale slowly to calm my galloping pulse. We weren’t even on the arena floor, and I could feel sweat gathering in my armpits. My only salvation was that Eldrin still hadn’t arrived, which meant it wasn’t time for the games to begin.
Then the guard opened the doors to the arena, and Eldrin stood a hundred feet away with the thick nightmare gas billowing behind him. The gas was more condensed, like when I’d had to crawl through it and could barely move in the last game. There wasn’t a lighter patch anywhere, and I wondered if this was set up for the twelve of us to fight covered in gas the entire time.
I wasn’t sure any of us would survive that.
“Move forward!” Struan shouted from his spot beside me in the back.
Lorne crossed his arms, his wings still bound, as were the others’. At least, that put me on more even ground with them, even though they’d trained with weapons for most of their lives and I had two days behind me … that I could remember.
The other ten before us moved. They’d put Rona with the dusky-haired woman and Bran with the silver-haired man. I had no clue what most of them were capable of, but I’d learn all too soon.
The twelve of us filed into the arena in a line, with Lorne and me at the very back. He kept as far away from me as possible so our chain had no slack. This would only end with us in a disastrous situation, but if I tried to tell him that, he wouldn’t listen.
“We’ll be right here if you make it back,” Finola whispered as I stepped into the lion’s den.
Most of the Unseelie stood, cheering like the last time, but a handful remained seated without any bloodthirsty joy on their faces.
How odd.
My gaze inadvertently landed on the one person it shouldn’t.
Tavish.
And I immediately wished I hadn’t looked at him. His face was whiter than I’d ever expected was possible, and his hands were fisted at his sides. Finnian stood on one side, his hand on Tavish’s shoulder, trying to look casual. But his grip was too firm, like he was holding Tavish back.
Eldrin extended his wings, making a show of them, though they weren’t as large as Tavish’s. I couldn’t be sure if it was for the audience or a reminder to the contestants that they couldn’t use their wings in these trials. Either way, it made me hate the bastard even more.
“For these gauntlet trials, Calean and I have ensured that the times and activities of each one are different.” Eldrin rose a few feet off the ground, spinning slowly to take in the entire arena.
Despite it being morning, the sky remained dark, but a little sunlight shone through, casting twilight over the area.
“This trial will be different for many reasons.” He gestured to our feet, pointing out the obvious. “Each person is chained to someone, which serves a greater purpose. This is not just a test of strength but of agility and grace, even when you’re chained to a person who desires to end you.”
The more Eldrin talked, the more I wanted to kill him. The urge was so damn overwhelming that it stole my breath, especially after reliving the death of the man I’d killed over and over again. This man was a problem, not only for me but for Tavish and his people as well.
“This trial will last two hours.” He smirked, and there was a collective gasp from the competitors. Eldrin stared at us and said, “Some advice. Make sure you get on the platform, or the gas will consume you.” He flew upward, heading toward his spot next to Tavish. “Without further ado, let the games begin!”
A guard blew the horn, and something hissed behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see more gas rising from the ground, closing in around me.
“Blighted abyss,” Lorne groaned as the other ten people hurried ahead, risking getting closer to the wall of gas directly in front of us, which began to dissipate. He moved forward, catching me off guard. My body jerked as his injured leg gave out, and he landed on that knee.
I managed not to fall into the dirt, and I hurried to his side, wanting more slack in the chain so we each could move without fighting each other’s weight. I reached his side and helped him to his feet.
He glared at me and took a few steps forward to gain distance. He rasped, “Don’t touch me, wildling.”
His reaction didn’t surprise me. He saw me as beneath him and didn’t want to risk even the illusion that I’d helped him.
I rolled my eyes and noticed that the wall of gas was closing in. “If you don’t want my help, then move.” I pointed over my shoulder. “Or we’re both going to die.”
The others were twenty feet away, watching us. The dusky-haired woman frowned, staring at Lorne, but the other contenders focused on me with giant smiles, anticipating my death.
Fuck that. I wouldn’t let them win that easily.
“Come on, or do you want to die?” I bit out, moving forward without checking on him.
I almost expected the chain to snag from his refusal to move with me, but after ten steps, I realized he was keeping up.
When we were a few feet away from the others, Bran rushed forward. He threw a punch at my jaw, but I ducked at the last second, leaving his right side open. I punched him in the gut, and he doubled over in pain. I kneed him in the face, but the chain yanked me back, and I fell onto my back hard with a gust of dirt kicking up around me and getting in my eyes.
“You sunscorched Seelie,” the dusky-haired woman croaked.
I opened my eyes despite the grit and saw the woman lunge at me. I tried to roll, but she landed on my side and clawed my face. I elbowed her in her side, making her groan, and changed my momentum so that I rolled on top of her.
My vision edged red as I straddled her stomach and punched her in the jaw. Her head jerked to the side, but before I could strike her again, someone reached around my shoulders, grabbed me by the neck, and lifted me off her.
I gagged, trying to gasp for air, and kicked my leg backward into my attacker with as much muscle as possible before my strength could vanish. The chain jerked, holding some of my strength back, but I’d caught the person by surprise, and they’d loosened their grasp on my neck.
Not wanting to lose my leverage, I reached behind my head, grasped a handful of hair, and yanked. A moan rumbled deep from a man’s chest, but he didn’t loosen his hold, so I dug my nails into his skin and ran my hand down his face.
Warm liquid trickled out as the dusky-haired woman recovered enough to stand before me. She bent down, grabbed the loose chain, and rasped, “Rona, get closer to me.”
Rona moved, a smirk on her face, watching me struggle as the dusky-haired woman picked up more of the chain, readying to slip it over my head and choke me. There wouldn’t be a way to get out of that, so my goal was not to get into it in the first place.
A noise clicked from below, and we all froze.
The sound was similar to the noise right before a bomb exploded … from what I’d heard on TV.
Suddenly, a platform sprang from underneath us all, lifting us into the air, and then dropped back to the ground.
I landed hard on my feet before crashing on top of the dusky-haired woman. And just as soon as the motion stopped, it lunged us upward again .
Two loud screams echoed from below, and I lifted my head and counted. One of the six groups must have fallen off the ledge from the sudden stop.
Silence.
“Blighted abyss,” Rona rasped, looking over the ledge. “I can’t even see them below us now because of the gas.”
I slowly climbed to my feet, all of us stunned and confused. Gas hovered thick below us, and we were suspended in the air, though I had no clue how far up we were because we couldn’t see the ground.
Taking in our surroundings, I couldn’t believe what I saw. If the last trial had been horrible, I wasn’t sure how to describe this. It was some sort of obstacle course in the sky, but unlike the shows back home, I suspected these were deadly. There were five obstacles with a flat platform between each one, leading to one in the center. That had to be where we needed to go before the two hours were up.
I further understood why they’d paired me with Lorne. Even if the prisoners didn’t kill me, it was unlikely we could get through all these obstacles with him injured. The platform closest to us, about two feet away, had the swinging axes from the last trial, and we had to crawl in the dirt to get through them. Next was a plank with swords below and around it. If that wasn’t bad enough, the third course was a steep incline with a chain, a blazing fire underneath, and you had to climb up one side and down the other.
Something a man with an injured leg would struggle to achieve.
Then there was a collapsing walls course and monkey bars suspended over quicksand like last time.
Five obstacles that we had to survive, with an empty platform like the one we stood on between each one, and then the final one in the center after the monkey bars.
My heart stopped, and my mouth went dry.
The ten of us glanced around and stared at the course then at each other.
Then, there was another click, and my heart lunged into my throat.