Chapter 35
He swears softly under his breath as he tucks a hair behind my ear. “I never get more than a few minutes with you. I hate that; I hate everything about this.”
I’ve stayed quiet so far, but now I can’t keep quiet. “Kaldar, what’s happening?”
He takes a deep breath, and then his face changes. “Vaelor has called for the Reckoning.”
“What does that mean?”
“Kal, we gotta go,” Taren says from just a few feet away.
Kaldar’s face tightens, and I watch the muscle in his jaw pop again. “It’s a fight.”
“A fight?” I take this in. “You versus him?”
He smiles softly, and I can tell he’s not telling me something. “Yes.”
“Kaldar,” Taren says again.
Kaldar jerks his head to the side, like he’s trying to crack his neck.
A blast of a horn startles me, and he curses again.
He takes my hand, and we’re suddenly walking once again.
We hit the stairs at almost a full-out run; I can barely keep up with him.
He looks behind him as we race down the stairs.
“Are you with me?” I know Taren’s behind us, keeping pace.
He must agree to whatever Kaldar is asking because Kaldar nods and keeps going.
We get to ground level, and he strides past the guards at the door and we walk through the huge entryway into the arena.
Kaldar picks up his pace, and now we’re running across the dirt floor.
I want to ask questions, but it’s impossible over the roar of the crowd.
He walks over to the center of the arena and stops.
Vaelor stands just a few feet away with a man that’s huge.
He’s got a wicked looking scar on his face and screams dangerous.
I look up at Kaldar, and he turns to me.
There is no expression on his face now. I watch in confusion as he unclasps his jade robe.
Without saying a word, he places it around my shoulders and clasps a small golden chain to make it stay on.
I stare up at him in confusion and absently notice the entire arena has gone silent again.
Then he pushes up his sleeve and unclasps something I’ve never seen before.
I meet his eyes, and I see a flicker of something that looks like regret for just a moment before his eyes clear.
Then he looks at me and kneels in front of me.
“What are you doing?” I whisper hoarsely.
He picks up my wrist, and I watch him fasten a jade bracelet around my wrist. “I surrender my crown and my rule to Kinsley, my queen,” he projects to the entire arena.
I stare at him in horror. He stands to his feet.
Then he looks out at the crowd, still holding my hand.
“Kinsley is my queen, and she is now yours as well.” Shock ripples through me, and I try to pull my hand from his.
His grip tightens almost painfully on mine.
“No matter the outcome of this battle,” he pauses and there is nothing but silence. “She will be your queen.”
I hear a cry of outrage from Vaelor, but I ignore it because I can’t look away from Kaldar.
He faces me and frames my face once again with his hands.
“I love you. I will always love you, whether in this life or in the next.” I open my mouth to protest, but he silences it with his lips.
The kiss is far too brief. He pulls back and turns away without another word.
I look at Taren, trying to get a feel for what insanity is going on; but he doesn’t look at me.
He faces Taelor with the same intensity Kaldar does.
“Taren!” somebody cries out. I watch as Taren’s entire body stiffens, and he turns just in time to catch Mae as she throws herself into his arms. I watch as his arms wrap around her, and he holds her close.
He bends and says something to her. When she steps back, he wipes a tear off her cheeks and then takes a step backward.
A second later, he steps forward and pulls her into his arms, kissing her.
I look away; somehow, it’s too private a moment to watch.
Kaldar looks back only once and he nods at somebody behind me, because his eyes don’t meet mine. A moment later, Jorren and Reika flank me. I want to demand that they tell me what’s happening, but there’s only silence in the arena.
One of the men that was upstairs in a green robe stands between Vaelor and the giant man next to him and Kaldar and Taren on the other side.
“Who fights with you, Vaelor, son of Terenibus?”
“Brenes,” Vaelor calls back. The man in the green robe seems to be waiting for something, but then he turns to Kaldar.
“Who fights with you, Kaldar, son of Raelor?”
“Taren, son of Thesemus,” Kaldar says.
The man in the green robes turns so he can see all four of the men in the center of the arena. “You all understand that this is a fight to the death?”
A cry is wrenched from my lips, and I stare at Kaldar in horror. “Stand strong, my Queen,” Jorren says quietly next to me. “Every eye in this arena will be on you. You will honor Kaldar by staying strong, no matter what happens.”
My legs feel like they might give out on me.
I miss the rest of the instructions because I can’t hear over the roaring in my head.
I stagger a moment, and Reika elbows me hard.
“Pull it together. Now. The only thing you can do to help right now is to be strong. Either be the queen Kaldar needs right now, or leave because you falling apart won’t help him now.
” Her harsh words slam into me, and I might hate her in this moment, but I listen to her.
I stiffen and stare straight ahead, willing every ounce of emotion from me.
I channel Harper in this moment; that’s the only thing I know to do.
The man in a green robe says something else, but I don’t bother trying to listen.
I focus on standing up straight and not falling apart; I can do that later.
My eyes are trained on Kaldar as he crouches and prepares to fight with his sword in one hand and that long blade in the other.
Taren is ready as well. I don’t want to look, and yet, I can’t look away.
The man in the green robe raises his hand.
When he drops it, Taren and Kaldar attack.
I’m not sure how I expected Vaelor to do, but not that he would fight nearly as well as Kaldar.
I feel my hope that this will be quick and easy and over soon fade.
I wince as Taren takes a brutal hit from Brenes, but a quick jab of Reika’s elbow reminds me to stay expressionless.
I can’t watch the battle; it’s too awful.
I rest my eyes on the arena floor, just a few feet from where they’re fighting.
I stare at that small spot and pray over and over and over again that Taren and Kaldar will survive.
Your mate is strong; he will survive.
I can’t even respond to Veyra; it hurts too much. I hadn’t even realized she’d followed me. But I pull from her strength as she brushes against my leg. Where is Jespar? That’s the only question I can ask.
They had to give him something to keep him from defending his bonded one.
My stomach feels sick, but I don’t respond.
I can’t. I continue to stare at the ground.
That’s how I notice the spray of blood hit the dirt.
I don’t look up to see whose it was. I can’t.
If they want me to stand here emotionless, then I can’t watch.
Please. Please stay alive. Please. Those are the only thoughts I’m capable of having right now.
I hear the sudden collective gasp of the audience, but I can’t bear to watch.
I hear a thud, and I lift my eyes off the floor.
I can’t bear to see who it was that fell.
I continue to hear the sounds of battle, and I know it’s not over.
I hear a cry of pain, and my heart hurts so much, I worry it’s going to give out on me.
Please, please keep them alive. Please. The prayer is a whispered sob in my mind.
Your mate is winning. He’s going to end this—
Veyra’s voice cuts off in my head, and there’s the sound of silence for a moment.
Then there’s a scream. Then another and another.
I feel the ground shake, and the crowd around me is suddenly filled with terror so intense, I can feel it.
I can no longer look away. My gaze snaps up and up some more. My breath leaves my body in a flash.
Get out of here! Veyra shouts in my head.
I can’t move, can’t do more than stare at the huge guivre that’s standing only a few feet from Taren and Kaldar.
I can’t even feel relief at seeing Kaldar and Taren still standing.
Then the guivre lets out a shriek and sprays the arena floor with fire.
Veyra jumps into me, pushing me out of the path of the fire.
The crowd has erupted in panic and chaos, and I look up to see people trampling each other to get out.
Horror crashes through me, and I don’t know what to do.
Jorren races to help Taren and Kaldar, and I take a step forward.
Reika jerks me back. “We have to get you out of here.”
“I’m not leaving them.”
Reika lowers her head until her face is right in mine. “You are the queen now, and whether either of us like it or not, you are the ruling authority.
“I’m not,” I argue.
“You are!” Her words are fierce. “And my job is to protect you at all costs, and that starts right now. So move, or I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here.” I don’t even doubt that she’d probably be able to do it.
“I can’t.” My words are a hoarse cry. But when the guivre shrieks again, she shoves me forward. I trip over the robe, and she picks it up.
“Go!” she screams at me. The force of it makes me move against my will.
She keeps shoving until we’re near the entrance.
I stare in horror at the people shoving each other to escape.
I hear agonized screams behind me that cut off abruptly, and I know what that means.
I start to turn my head. “Don’t!” Reika says harshly, shoving me forward again.
“You can’t do anything to help them now. ”
A sob catches in my chest, but she just pushes me towards a door.
“Out! That way!” As soon as we get close, somebody opens the door from the inside.
Two guards grab my arms and drag me into the hallway.
My first instinct is to fight back, but Reika’s words keep me from doing so.
“Take her to the safe room!” I don’t get a chance to respond because two guards take my arms, and then we’re running.
I glance over my shoulder, but Reika is racing away, back to the door that led us here.
I know she’s going back to help. Soldiers converge, and I’m suddenly in the midst of a group of more than ten guards.
Somebody shouts orders, but I can’t hear them over the panic coursing through me.
We go down a set of steps and then another one.
Somebody throws open a door, and then we’re inside.
Somebody closes the door, and I watch as a guard slides a deadbolt over the door.
Several more deadbolts engage in quick succession.
And then silence falls. I glance around the room. It's just me, and five guards.