Page 3 of A Lick of Flame

The hushed whispers of the crowd fade into complete silence, adding to the tension in the air. Time seems to stretch on endlessly as seconds turn to what feels like an age. And then finally, just when I start to grow restless, my opponent emerges from the darkness.

My blood runs cold. The gods be damned, for I am surely cursed.

The creature that emerges is terrifying. I have heard stories told of these beasts but have never seen one myself. According to legend, no human has ever conquered such an animal. And only a handful of fae have lived to tell the tale.

The crowd goes wild as a wyvern worm slithers toward me.

Worm.

The name is very deceiving since a wyvern worm is nothing like the small, sightless creatures you find living in the dirt. They’re huge and scaled with a head that could be on any dragon. My mind prickles with a memory that won’t come to me. It has happened more often than I would like, this forgetting. It feels like there are whole gaps in my memory.

The crowd goes wild once more, and the worm, irritated by the noise, thrashes its barbed tail from side to side. It roars, showing a mouth full of gleaming white, razor-sharp teeth.

It takes everything in me to hold my ground. It won’t help to run, since there is nowhere to go. I have to fight the great beast.

I steady my trembling hands, gripping the sword and shield tightly, and take a step forward, my heart pounding in my chest. The wyvern worm stares at me with its dark, menacing eyes; they’re bright with keen intelligence. It snarls, its serpentine body coiling and uncoiling with an eerie grace. It growls, and I sense its irritation and anger. I only wish I could convey to the beast that I am not the enemy. Instead, we have a common adversary: the fae.

Our eyes lock. My jaw clenches.

The crowd’s cheers fade into the background as a primal instinct takes over, drowning out the fear that threatens to consume me whole. I draw upon every ounce of courage and determination within me.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. And I will be sorry if I kill this creature. It doesn’t deserve to die. Not like this…for sport. I say the words, even though it will more than likely be me left broken and bleeding this time.

With a sudden burst of movement, the worm lunges toward me, fangs bared. I raise my sword and shield just in time, blocking its attack with a sharp cut to its side. The impact sends a jarring pain through my arm, but I clench my teeth and hold my ground…only just. The creature hisses and thrashes as it falls back. Its thick, armor-like scales prevented my blade from penetrating.

My heart is racing, with adrenaline surging through my veins. I can feel my muscles pulsing with the energy. Will it be enough?

Only Kakara will know for sure, but I am not optimistic.

The beast lunges again, and I parry its strike with my sword, only just managing to sidestep its sharp, barbed tail. Its tip digs deep into the hard ground beside me, wrenching free almost immediately in a spray of dirt. That was close. The crowd roars to show their excitement. I’m sure they can already smell my blood.

I need to get away from its sharp teeth, far away from its tail. There is only one answer, so I leap onto the body of the beast, straddling its back. Using every ounce of strength I possess, I attempt to drive my sword into the creature’s flesh, but its scales are too thick. Stronger than any metal, fae or otherwise. My blade bounces off. The wyvern lets out a deafening roar of anger, its body writhing beneath me in its attempt to unseat me. I cling on tightly, my legs gripping its massive form as I struggle to keep my balance. The crowd’s cheers reach a fever pitch, their voices blending into a cacophony of excitement and bloodlust.

I grit my teeth, determined not to fall. I know that if I do, it will only be a matter of seconds before the worm will have me in its sights. But as much as I try to hold on, the creature is too strong. It bucks with all its might, shaking its head violently, knocking me backward. I crash into the dirt, landing on my back, the wind knocked out of me. I watch in horror as my sword goes flying, landing a few feet from my hand. It may as well be a lifetime away.

The beast roars in triumph, its eyes glowing with certain victory. The crowd is going wild, cheering and jeering. They’re shouting for the beast, their champion already forgotten. With a deep breath, I steel myself for what is to come.

2

Maya

The bottom of my dress is damp with seawater, and beach sand clings to my shoes. I ignore it, grateful that I am inside the cave, which is instantly warmer than it was out there a minute ago.

It looked like another storm was brewing as I made my way up the beach. Dark clouds were rolling in. I don’t have much time. I need to get back to the orphanage. I am helping serve dinner soon, and I don’t want to get wet. Mother Trinity won’t be happy if either of those things happens.

My heart swells that Mother is safe. She says that the fae didn’t want her on account of her age. She didn’t tell them where we were hiding, but when a big, burly fae put his hand on her forehead, she instantly got a head-splitting ache between her temples. She says that he took the information straight out of her skull. A strange mist appeared around them, dissipating as soon as he was done.

Then they left. Poor Mother was left reeling with worry and guilt. She got down on her knees and prayed until we returned to the orphanage.

Of course, Mother was thrilled to see us return unharmed. Although we were missing three. I wonder to myself what became of Xander, Thesha, and Olivia.

Then I almost stumble on a loose rock and remind myself to concentrate on the job at hand. Namely, putting one foot in front of the other. If I hurt myself inside this cave, I am doomed. No one will come looking.

Why am I here again?

“This is so stupid,” I mutter to myself. The words echo back at me as I hurry down the tunnel, holding the lantern in front of me.

I’m sure it was nothing. It had to have been nothing. The problem is that I can’t think about anything else other than what I saw…or what I think I saw in that flash of light. I didn’t sleep a wink last night thinking it through. Replaying the events over and over.

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