Page 19 of The Fated and the Damned
Iren lashed out, a surge of roots splitting through the soil aimed right for Kitarni’s legs. She darted back, burning them easily with a swish of her fingers. Iren didn’t stop, shooting vines so fast they were a blur, one of them slicing Kitarni’s cheek open as she narrowly avoided being fully bound.
My eyes narrowed as blood dribbled down her cheek, my fingers itching to wreak havoc of my own. Lukasz put a hand on my shoulder beside me, his brown eyes stern as he shook his head. Right. To intervene in a sacred ritual—especially as an outsider—would only earn severe punishment, possibly even banishment.
Kitarni grunted, her hands moving with precision as she fought off barrage after barrage of greenery, the arena lighting up with pops of colour from her fire. Sweat beaded on her temple; her brows pulled together. I could almost see the cogs in her mind turning, wondering how to fight a foe she could not touch.
Fire and blood magic were both too dangerous for her to equip with the odds stacked against her.
Iren laughed as her vines slipped past Kitarni’s defences time and again, the cords slicing Kitarni’s flesh like a knife through butter. As she focused on the vines flying at her face, she didn’t notice the root curling quietly towards her boot until it was too late.
With a sharp tug, the root wound itself around her ankle and pulled taut. Kitarni crashed to the ground, seething as the line pulled her along like a hooked fish. Red wreathed her hands, glimmering in her eyes, but just as quickly it disappeared. This wasn’t a battle she could win by blood magic. With a frustrated snarl she slammed the ground with one palm, fire catching on the vine until it burned all the way to Iren’s fingers.
Iren shrieked, clutching her hand to her chest, her eyes filled with bloody murder. She closed her eyes, her spine locked and her hands outstretched as she summoned the very earth ahead of her—soil, rocks, and roots quaking and ripping from the ground as it floated up. Her eyes snapped open, and my stomach twisted with fear as she hurled it with a grunt.
Kitarni wasn’t quick enough. The earthly matter collided with her torso, sending her flying backwards and skidding along the ground.
“Kitarni,” I yelled, just as Eszter did. Our eyes met—a mutual need to protect her, to defend her against all odds. But Nora, white-faced and grim, whispered words in her ear. Whatever she said was enough to get the girl to back down, her eyes shimmering with fear.
Lukasz grabbed my arm before I could do anything stupid. “Go to her and you’ll forfeit her chance at High Witch,” he hissed. “Kitarni will be banished from the coven.”
I looked into my brother’s eyes, seeing them soften at the pain in my own. To see Kitarni suffer was unacceptable, but to cause her to fail would be even worse. I swore, shaking him off, tearing my gaze back to her crumpled form, then to Iren.
The latter was grinning victoriously, already assuming she’d won the match.
“Get up Kitarni,” I whispered. “Get up.”
She groaned, her fingers twitching as she pulled herself together, dragging her nails through the dirt slowly as she rose. Iren’s smile faltered, and a part of me wanted to howl like a wolf at the fury on her face.
Kitarni limped to a stand, favouring one foot and clutching her stomach with a grimace. Her face was a mask of dirt and blood caked her cheeks and teeth, but she was smiling.Smilingas she raised her hands and unleashed her true power.
That’s my girl.
Fire erupted from her hands, rising higher and higher into the sky like a tidal wave that could crush towns and wipe out everything in its path. Heat seared into my skin, making my leathers almost unbearably hot. Sweat dripped slowly down my chest and, for a moment, it felt like the world had stopped as we all stared in awe at her might. Slowly, the fire came crashing down, curling like a snake around Iren’s form, enclosing her behind a wall of flames, red hot and then flickering sapphire blue.
Iren gasped, sweat pouring down her face in waves. She conjured vines, the earth, roots, but everything curled inwards and fizzled to ash from where she stood. In mere moments, Iren’s flesh would begin to melt, and the best part was Kitarni hadn’t laid a lick of magic on her.
The spider shrank back, her limbs twitching.
And Kitarni … her eyes blazed like the sun, scorching and unstoppable.
“Yield,” she commanded, lifting her chin, her hair billowing from the power still pulsing from her hands.
Iren uttered a strangled cry of frustration, but she lifted her hands palm upwards, and with a submissive bow of her head she choked out, “I yield.”
One test down, one to go.
NINE
Kitarni
Idevouredmychickenpaprikash like it was my last meal on this earth, groaning as I savoured every drop of the juices. Mama had made it—a special treat for winning the contest, she’d said. With the explosion of flavour in my mouth, the warmth of the hearth and the comfort of my mother and sister beside me, I could almost forget the looming threat of Sylvie and Death.Almost.He would have my head if I didn’t deliver on my promise of finding the crown.
But that was a problem for another day. For now, I was happy to celebrate some small wins.
Iren hadn’t just yielded to me with the combat trial. She’d bowed out entirely, too proud to endure a second beating of her ego. I had no doubt she was licking her wounds somewhere, cursing me for my victory.
“I’m proud of you,” Mama said, beaming at me over her bowl. We were having dinner in the family home, András, Lukasz, Erika andhim, joining us. “I never expected to see a Bárány heading our coven, but there’s a peace in me now, knowing you will lead us to safety.”
“You earned your place,” Erika agreed, her dark eyes sparkling. “Iren will be nursing her wounds for a long time to come. You should’ve sent her on her way, turned her own foolish bargain against her.”
