Chapter 16 Thayla #3
“No, you’ll see in a second, but the opponents will be announced then commanded to a side. They’ll be instructed when to start. Everyone will race to a weapon if they need one and the battle begins.”
“What all do they announce?”
“Your name and sentencing. The God of Judgment will give his taurnshit slogan, ‘May you receive your desired judgment.’ Then it begins.”
Yemi and I exchange looks.
“As soon as we step out of here, our power returns, right?”
“Yeah, but don’t do anything until they tell you to start. Attacking prematurely is immediate disqualification, and you’ll be killed.”
Yemi tightens her grip on my hand as the first barrier positioned diagonally from us drops. The seven men walk out with their heads held high and bloodthirsty determination scripted across their faces.
The words coming from whoever is saying something are still too muffled to understand, but the fourteen men now lining up out there take turns stepping forward every few seconds.
After a moment, they all pivot to the left, bow, then retreat to opposite sides. Some bounce on their toes, crack their necks, and shake their shoulders out. Others stand statue-still.
A whistle rings in my ears as handfuls from both sides begin sprinting around while power explodes.
I struggle to breathe when I think about the fact that some of them out there—well, all of them have power, but some don’t have abilities that can be pushed onto someone.
Amick instantly pops into my mind.
He’s the only one of my Valtrue whose power doesn’t provide him with the ability or opportunity to harm someone before they could harm him. Kyzen can slow or speed up time, giving him an incredible advantage to use as a weapon.
Creed’s and Riven’s abilities speak for themselves.
The fight in the Abandon rushes me and I’m just now seeing how disciplined, talented, and strong Amick really is.
The biggest benefit he has is anyone who has a power level beneath his, their abilities won’t do much to him.
It’ll glide across his skin like a breeze.
It can bring awareness but not harm. Unless they touch him or take him by sheer surprise.
Valories. Please let my noncompliant, mysterious power be strong enough to protect me even if it doesn’t cooperate.
Yemi shrieks and steps back as two men collide into our invisible wall. Each punch they exchange causes hollowness to settle in my stomach, and I place my fingers on my lips. Neither of them is using power or weapons.
They’re beating each other to death with their bare hands.
Brutal doesn’t cover what we’re watching.
I can’t look away.
This is a savage, almost desired, bloodbath.
The crowd is on their feet, screaming in excitement rather than horror. They’re living on the thrill of this and that speaks volumes about what kind of gods these beings are.
My eyes drift shut as Yemi lets out a piercing wail. It doesn’t block out the echo of that man’s neck being cracked. That horrifying tune travels all the way back to our cell.
“Gods, Thayla, I can’t do this. I can’t go out there.”
I turn to grip her, but Sevryn beats me to it. I want to knock him the fuck out of my way, but I freeze.
He holds her shoulders so tenderly, the action has the back of my eyes burning.
“You can do this. I’ll protect you. You stay behind me at all times.”
“I…”
“Listen to him.” I can’t muster up a smile when they both whip their heads to me. “Do as I told you. Use your abilities to protect yourself and stay behind him.”
“You as well,” he demands.
“Don’t worry about me, lover boy.” I chuckle, although the sob stuck in my throat makes it more strained than lighthearted. I shoot Yemi an apologetic glance, then focus back on him to block out the sound of screaming behind me. “Can you tell me what to expect about Dimitri’s group?”
He lets my little nickname slide and nods.
“I only know things about him, and the two others who’ve been with him.
The other four are new additions. Ferris and Hugo.
Ferris is the bald one. His ability is shockwaves.
Don’t let him get his hands on you. Hugo is the tall one with brown, shoulder-length hair.
His ability is under the Goddess of Nature, which doesn’t help him much, but he packs a brutal punch.
And Dimitri…he has a domain under the Goddess of Seduction. He…” He stops, shaking his head.
“He’s vile with the use of his power out here. He’ll cause you to grow so delirious with arousal you can’t think straight. The only advantage you’ll have against him is his power is passed through touch. He has to have his hands on you to affect you.”
Bile collects in my mouth. The thought of that disgusting excuse of a—I can’t even call him a man.
My skin shivers at the fear of being turned on against my will.
It’s one thing when Jay accidentally does it.
She’s trying to heal me and take my pain away.
Granted, now that her powers have healed all the damage done to me prior to coming here, I don’t think her healing ‘edging’ will happen anymore.
Unless, you know, I’m on the verge of dying.
Dimitri, on the other hand. I have no doubt he gets sick satisfaction turning you on like that before he takes your life.
Fuck.
“Do they attack in any sort of formation or just rush us?”
“The three of them usually take out my two teammates, while the other four gang up on me to keep me distracted. Once my teammates are gone, the God of Judgment usually lets the fight carry on for a while, get the crowd going, then he’ll call it.
I don’t know how this is going to play out when he announces us and the change in my situation. ”
“So the three of us will stay together. Make them come to us. I’ll need to get a weapon, though.”
“What are your abilities?”
“That’s a very good question.”
“I don’t think now is the time to keep that from me when I’m trying to help you.”
“I completely agree with you. I answered you very seriously, though.”
His brows scrunch in confusion and he turns to Yemi, who’s still shaking like a leaf.
“S-she’s not lying. Her powers have a mind of their own. It’s possible they aren’t going to come out at all, or they will, and she destroys this whole place. My abilities will keep people from getting close to me as long as I can hold it.”
He blows out a harsh breath like the two of us are stressing him all the way out.
Air that’s far stronger than what poured through his lips blasts through our archway. I lift my arm to cover my eyes from the dirt whipping in here, but that doesn’t mask the intensity of the new noise.
“What the fuck?” Sevryn shouts.
“What is happening?” Yemi asks.
I don’t answer her. Neither does he. My feet drag me forward. My hand rises even slower.
It falls completely through the threshold.
“We should not be up this soon.” He growls as he steps up beside me.
His hand is wrapped around Yemi’s wrist, but he’s positioned her behind us.
My chest clenches, building with suffocating pressure as Dimitri and his teammates jog to the center. They pump their fists in the air and beat on their chests. They have the crowd going wild, while my mind and heart rebel with the force of an entire Defender army.
“We have to go out there,” Sevryn murmurs and I nod once.
I take a single, unsteady step alongside him.
The ground vibrates under my feet and the block that’s kept everything locked away inside of me slithers off my skin.
My soul erupts out of me.