Chapter 18 #2
I don’t say a word, but it doesn’t seem necessary, as he turns back to Lucine.
His eyes move from her to the rest of the champions, and he speaks.
“It is not our place to decide what is cheating and what is not. How many times did my aunt do something you hadn’t expected?
Do you think she would have simply accepted a night of torture? I certainly don’t.”
There are grumbles in the crowd, but acceptance seems to flow through them.
He smiles at Lucine one more time, and then he says, “Enjoy your success, competitors. I cannot wait to watch the next trials. Maybe in them, a few more of you will take up Echo’s banner and come up with clever solutions that we can all marvel at for weeks. ”
My body’s almost relaxed when he turns back to me.
This time, when Azric approaches, he doesn’t stop inches away.
He runs his nails over my cheek as he has every other time he’s seen me, and I feel that burning start deep inside.
The words he whispers in my ear turn that lust into fear, though.
“Tell my Uncle you don’t think your hiding place is safe any longer.
I will meet you, and only you, where you heard a story about how to kill two hundred Stormbringers. ”
My face shows my shock as he reveals just how little I can hide from him. Before my eyes, he slowly disappears, so similar to how Nyxthos did. He fades, his body turning to shadow, until only the glowing red blade on his hip and his orange eyes are left. Then they’re gone as well.
As soon as I get control of myself, I meet Darian’s eyes. We don’t have time to talk, though, as that’s when Nyxthos appears. With a wide smile on his face, he ignores the threat of violence that had just occurred. Instead, he floats high above the crowd just as he did before.
Slowly spinning, so he can see each of us in turn, he says, “Congratulations to all of you who have passed the first two trials! Your stalwart suffering has been entertaining. You’ve proven you can face your own issues, and you can protect secrets.
Now it is time that you prove you can be warriors as well.
All champions are their gods’ blades. Remember that I do not carry a spear or a longsword. ”
As he finally faces me, I look into those black eyes, and I see the fury in them, even though he’s outwardly smiling.
His words don’t falter as he holds my gaze in a stranglehold.
“There are thirty-five of you left. As some of you do not know each other very well, I will give you all a month to separate into groups of seven. I suggest you learn to work with each other.”
He finally turns past me to look at other people, and it’s like I can breathe again. “My champion must be both a blade and a mind, so both will be tested in the third trial. May Veris bless you all. Enjoy the rest of the feast!”
He fades out of view, yet I can’t help but feel a lingering darkness around me. It’s as though Nyxthos is staying, but only near me.
Darian immediately moves to my side, and Ainslee’s there almost as quickly. “What did Azric tell you?” he asks in a hurried whisper.
“He said that our prison cell isn’t safe any longer.”
I guess I wasn’t as quiet as I’d thought because Ainslee snarls.
“Taldor’s eye. I guess we’ll need to find a new place.
” She glances at Darian. “Do you know who you want to work with? I’d suggest Erik and Rurik Halden.
They’re not complete idiots, and you don’t know what Nyxthos is going to throw against you.
It’d be nice to have some people who can be artillery. ”
Darian glances at Elara, who’s looking around at the other competitors. “It’d be good to have a Rider with us, and Elara isn’t nearly as stuffy as the rest of them.”
Ainslee arches an eyebrow. “You know you’re supposed to be winning the competition, not trying to win a girl, right?”
I look at Elara again, this time trying to see what sets her apart from the rest of the Riders. She’s pretty, and her personality was decidedly less acrid than the rest of the people I’ve met here.
Darian grins at his sister. “What’s wrong with making this month a little less miserable? I’m pretty sure that Fi’s already declared her true love for that cloak she wears, so I doubt I’m going to win her over anytime soon. The nights get so very cold…”
Ainslee shakes her head, but there’s a smile on her lips. It’s Darian that speaks next, though. “She’s an excellent warrior, and we work well together. Truthfully, she wouldn’t be the worst option as Nyxthos’s next champion. Certainly better than Serica…”
They both cringe, and I feel the same, though my face doesn’t change. I’m doing my absolute best to mimic my father and remove any emotions from my facial expression. “That’s five of us,” I say. “Two more?”
“Isola’s an option,” Ainslee says. “She’s moody, but she’s powerful. It wouldn’t hurt that she’s one of the few people in this room that doesn’t cringe when Azric shows up.”
Darian winces at the suggestion. I wish I knew who these people were. Cedric and I could only put names to faces for eleven of the competitors, and half of them are dead now. “Isola… She doesn’t like to listen, Ainslee. She’s hardheaded and slow to convince.”
Ainslee shrugs. “Who else from Averna would you choose? You need someone from the Kingdom of the Undying or your team will be weak to them.”
He sighs. “Fine. But Jorren is my pick for the seventh spot.”
“Why in the thirteen hells are you going to pick one of Kaelith’s Lost Ones for your group? They’re not warriors, and this is going to be a war game. You know that, right?”
“He’s incredibly smart, Ainslee. We have warriors.
Even Fi can stand on her own in a fight.
What we need is someone who can work out puzzles, who can help me.
These are supposed to be Nyxthos’s trials, and you can’t tell me you think it’s just going to be a battle royale.
Plus, the Lost Ones’ powers are valuable. ”
She snarls again and shakes her head. “I hate dealing with Nyxthos’s horseshit. If it were a battle royale…”
“…we’d lose,” Darian finishes. “We couldn’t win a clash like that, and you know it.
No matter who we pick, Fi and I can’t stand against the Chained and Burning Ones.
We can’t win a fight in the skies against Riders or a fight on terrain against Stormbringers.
We’re bound to lose if that’s the situation, so we need to prepare for what we hope it is: literally anything else. ”
Ainslee lets out a deep breath and nods. “Fine. Go round them up.”
I interrupt then, not having had any thoughts or advice about the right people to work with. “I actually need to leave, and I kind of need to do it alone.”
Ainslee and Darian both frown at the same time that Rhion appears next to his wife. “Is your… friend from before here?” she asks, her lips turning into a very serious line. “You know that leaving the Great Hall right now is dangerous.”
“It’s Azric. He told me to meet him somewhere. Alone. I have a feeling that he won’t appreciate you being there.”
This time, all three of them swear, but it’s Rhion who speaks up. “Go. Do you want me to walk you out? I don’t have the same limitations that my wife does.”
I shake my head. “I have a feeling that no one will bother me if I’m going to meet him. He seems to be wherever he needs to be, and no one wants to get into anything with him.”
“That’s an understatement,” Darian says.
“Go,” Ainslee says. “Don’t keep him waiting. You’re probably safer being watched over by him than anyone else. We’ll stay here until you get back, and then we’ll find a place to stay for the next month.”
I nod to her, and as I turn to leave, Rhion says, “Thanks for killing Corentin, by the way. He was a miserable prick.”
For the first time since the trial ended, I feel a smile creep across my face.