Page 134 of Trial of Thorns
And the trials are not yet finished.
“Good luck,” a voice calls. “I’m rooting for you, Cae.”
I jerk toward the row of former champions to find purple eyes pinned to me, a smile on her face.
“Me?”
“I’d be dead without you.” Kari shrugs. “You didn’t have to save me, but you did. And I’d love to see the look on his face when you’re crowned savior.” She nods towards Drake. “It was all one big political move for him. You? I’m sure you have your reasons, but there is real good in you. You’re the one who should win this.”
I swallow.
“Agreed,” Tyadin says. “Although, you know I’d take Rev too.” He shrugs.
I smile. An actual, honest smile curving my lips. No one is more surprised than me.
“Approach, champions!” a voice booms. I don’t bother to see who the announcer is today. All four of us walk forward to the center of the arena until our toes touch a red line.
“Drake of the Whirling Court,” the announcer shouts over the cheers.
“Brielle of the Flicker Court.” Brielle waves and smiles as the crowd roars, much louder than Drake’s. Home field advantage apparently.
“Reveln of the Luminescent Court.” More shouts, blending into a cacophony of sound.
“Caelynn of the Shadow Court.” I blink as the crowd roars even louder than Brielle’s. There are definitely boos mixed in there, which probably adds to the overall noise level, but I am still shocked at the support.
“See?” Kari mouths from the sidelines. “I’m not the only one.”
Did she have something to do with this? Spreading stories about me saving her life? Or is it the rebellion gaining more traction? All of the lesser courts using me as their symbolic hero? Proof they’re still powerful enough to rival the ruling courts.
I don’t know. I don’t care.
I take what little fuel I can gather from the surprising support, and I pull my power in. Win, so I can find Raven and take her home. I’ll make sure no one ever touches her.
“Today, your champion will be chosen by way of hand-to-hand combat.”
The crowd roars.
“The rules will be as follows.”
The edges of the arena floor begins to drop, leaving us on a rectangular island in the middle. I blink and focus on the shifting ground.
“Any weapon, any tactic, and any magic may be used against any opponent. Once a champion is deceased or falls from the platform, they are out of the competition. They will fight until only one contestant remains.”
Stay on the platform.Stay alive. Got it.
“Champions, please choose a corner.”
I wait, watching the others choose. Drake and Brielle march across the platform dramatically, choosing corners closest to each other. They turn to face Rev and me, still in the middle. Rev gives me one short nod before marching toward the corner opposite Drake. I take the last remaining place.
“Ready,” the announcer hollers. “And FIGHT!”
