side, a combatant unsheathed a large ax and banged a fist into the thick blade.
The time had come.
I withdrew my swords, readying for an attack. Multiple combatants watched me, their excitement palpable. Hoped to take me out first? No doubt they’d break my wings to ground me the moment I became preoccupied with another opponent. I’d have to remain aware at all times. No getting lost in thought, wondering what the bane of my existence was doing.
“Today, the rules are simple,” the master of ceremonies announced from the dais. “If a combatant leaves the battlefield before the final horn, he will be disqualified and pay with his life.” The crowd liked the punishment. “They may attack an opponent however they wish, no action off-limits. The one who slays the most combatants will earn the right to eliminate a competitor of his choice, without that competitor dying.”
New cheers. Whoops and whistles.
Well. I couldn’t risk being eliminated once the fray ended. So, I couldn’t allow anyone else to win this battle. So... I needed to alter my plan. No targeting the trolls first. I would slay as many combatants as possible, however possible. Anyone who stepped into my path would die.
Pressure building...
Ignore. Focus.
“Are you ready?” the master called, the cheers that followed this time almost deafening. “The battle will begin in ten seconds. Nine...eight...”
As the male counted down, adrenaline seared my veins with increasing intensity. I had no fear. Why should I? I’d spent each of my lives training for combat. I had centuries’ worth of skills.
“Five.”
Deep breath in. Out. No one would defeat me. Today, Ashleigh—my people—would see my abilities. They would be forced to accept the truth: there was no better king.
“Four.”
I would do this. I would do this well. For the avian. For Roth, Everly, and all our friends. For myself.
“Three.”
After the battle, I would oversee Ashleigh’s next punishment. She’d dared to attend the tournament without permission. Just as I’d hoped she would.
A smile grew. I had the perfect punishment in mind, something guaranteed to bring Leonora to the surface.
“Two.”
The spectators went still and quiet. Even the breeze died down. Every combatant stiffened, preparing for the carnage to come.
I purged the fire witch from my mind—
A horn blast cut through the air. Combatants launched at each other. Swords, daggers, and axes were swung. Metal clanged against metal.
With a war cry, I kicked into a mad dash. Anyone I passed, I killed, as planned, racking up my kill total. A jab-jab here, a slice there. I zigzagged as I fought my way forward. A mound of motionless bodies ahead. I flew over it, rolling in the air to avoid a volley of arrows.
The song of battle accompanied my every strike. Screams of agony. Moans of pain. Grunts of exertion. The whistle of metal. The pop of bone. The spurt of blood. The sound grew louder and louder, until each noise hit my ears like a hammer. Still I struck when I needed to strike, ducked when I needed to duck, always motoring onward, killing again and again. Hot blood soaked my hands and splattered my face.
I came upon a troll and snake-shifter, the two trapped in a fierce battle. Guess I’d get to kill a troll, after all. I pulled back my arm to strike—
Incoming. Sensing an approach at my back, I spun and switched the angle of my blade. Ah. I hadn’t been the one under attack. A combatant had lifted a crossbow, his double arrows sailing over me to embed in the troll’s eyes. The fiend screamed and toppled, batting at his face. He didn’t rise, especially after the snake-shifter removed his head.
The one who’d unleashed the arrows looked like a mighty fae. He had pale hair, red eyes full of fury, and glowing symbols branded into his arms. He claimed his name was Blaze and he hailed from the House of Fire; unlike everyone else, I knew the truth. He wasn’t fae at all. He was King Roth, his true visage hidden behind a veil of illusion magic, courtesy of Everly.
We exchanged nods before turning our focus to other combatants.
As I advanced on the snake-shifter who’d decapitated the troll, someone leaped on me—a wolfin. He knocked me to the ground, flashing sharp teeth, clearly planning to rip out my throat. Good luck. I’d already worked a dagger between us.
I stabbed him in the gut and ran the blade up his torso.
As he split apart, I rolled out from under him. On my feet, I pushed