Page 40 of Empire of Flame and Thorns

“The rules are simple,” Imar continues, and once again, I swear that I can hear the grin on his face. After pausing for dramatic effect, he finishes with, “There are no rules.”

Several shifters laugh from the audience.

“Stay inside the circle,” Imar repeats. “That’s the only thing you need to do. If you’re forced outside the circle, you’re eliminated.”

“Same if you get knocked unconscious,” Emperor Bane suddenly calls.

“Or killed,” Empress Jessina adds.

“Yeah, that too,” Imar says. He holds up a hand, counting off on his fingers. “If you’re outside the circle, unconscious, or dead, you’re eliminated.”

Dread spikes through me.

Suddenly, I’m starting to regret that I was ever annoyed at their fake generosity and that it took so long to get the real trials started. I’ll take dancing at a ball over this any day of the week.

“Once there are only forty people left inside the circle, I’ll call an end to the trial.” Wicked amusement creeps into his tone. “And you’ll definitely be able to hear it, even over all the noise.”Once again, he pauses for dramatic effect. “Because I’ll be in my dragon form.”

No one speaks.

Apparently, Imar had expected a different reaction, because his voice is laced with annoyance as he barks, “Begin.”

Then he shifts into his dragon form.

Black smoke billows across the stone ledge, and then a red dragon shoots out of it. He roars, the sound echoing through the arena, and then flies up to the top. Stones crumble and clatter down as he lands on the edge of the highest tier. His tail swishes impatiently through the air as he angles his head towards us.

For a few seconds, no one moves.

Then a thud and a wet gurgle cleave the tense silence.

I whip my head towards the sound.

Shock crackles through me, and I jerk back in stunned surprise as I stare at the scene before me.

Lavendera stands a short distance away. Her arm is outstretched. Two steps away from her, Maximus stares at her with wide eyes. A tree branch is buried so far in his chest that the sharp end sticks out of his back on the other side. He coughs. Blood sprays into the air and dribbles down his chin.

“I hate cheaters,” Lavendera announces, and then yanks the branch back out of his heart.

All hell breaks loose.

I throw myself sideways right as a blast of water shoots through the air in the space I was previously occupying. A short distance away, Maximus topples backwards and hits the ground hard. One more gurgle makes it out. Then his chest stills.

Shouts rip through the cool midday air as everyone lurches into motion. Within seconds, the arena floor has descended into chaos.

I roll out of the way as a block of stone flies towards me. Twisting up to my knees, I leap back onto my feet and thensprint away from the worst of the throng. I need space to think. To breathe. To come up with some kind of plan.

Because this is the worst possible trial for someone like me.

I don’t have battle magic. I barely have defensive magic. How the hell am I supposed to keep myself inside this circle?

Air explodes from my lungs as a guy with short blond hair slams into me from the side. The force of it sends me crashing down on the ground. I gasp, trying to suck air back into my lungs, as we smack into the packed dirt together. The hit makes my head spin, worsened by the lingering effects of the poison.

Twisting on the ground, I try to get out from underneath him and get to my feet. But the blond man has already shot to his feet and circled around me. I blink furiously, trying to figure out if the poison is still affecting my eyesight.

But then a memory from the power demonstration slams into me.

I don’t remember his name, but this blond guy has enhanced speed.

My stomach lurches as Blondie grabs me by the ankle and starts sprinting towards the circle. I cry out in pain as the muscles in my leg pull taut. Pebbles dig into my back as I’m hauled across the ground.

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