Page 112 of Daughter of the Drowned Empire
Rhyan gestured for me to follow him out of our corner until we emerged beyond the statue of Athenaya and her horse. Raindrops ran in rivulets down the statue, and a small puddle was forming at our feet.
The crowded field began to clear as apprentices exited toward their seats and novices took their positions. Those in the fives all braced themselves as they passed through the burning cold rings of silver. The movement caused the bindings to all spark with energy and life, buzzing with each body that passed through it, reforming and reinforcing its power each time, until one by one they were all trapped. I was next.
“You’re in the seventh circle,” Rhyan said.
I nodded. Of course. Front and center to entertain the Imperator and Bastardmaker, so they could prove to everyone the idea of me being a soturion was a complete and total joke. The weight of the night, the stakes of what was about to happen, started to hang heavy on me.
Rhyan squeezed my arm. “Call it. I’m ordering you to. Now, Lyr.” He gave me one last glance, then he was off, vanishing into the crowd on the sidelines.
I took a step forward, willing my body to find its own energy and strength, something to keep it going when the kashonim ran out. But my knees shook, and I still felt that horrible aching exhaustion I’d had this morning, now coupled with my new injuries and what was probably a swollen ankle. Only pure adrenaline and fear kept me going.
More rain fell. The already damp ground was quickly becoming soaked. My sandals sank into it. A raindrop splattered across my nose, and I closed my eyes, chanting the words quickly and quietly.
“Ani petrova kashonim, me ka el lyrotz, dhame ra shukroya, aniam anam. Chayate me el ra shukroya. Ani petrova kashonim!”
Fire erupted in my wrist, right where Aemon had cut me, the opening where Rhyan’s blood had crossed and mixed with mine. All at once I felt it, a rush of energy and power, ice cold strength shielding my body and a raging fire within breathing new life into my muscles. The soreness in my body was wiped away, the pinch in my ankle was stitched back into place, and even the swelling in my face went down. The fire and ice raging through me now were all Rhyan, and for a second, I felt him so closely, so intimately it was like we were joined and I couldn’t recall where my body ended and his began. His voice was in my head as if I were reading his mind.
You can do this, Lyr. You’re strong.
As quickly as the connection was bridged between our minds, the feel of him inside me was lost. The blood magic was complete. All of Rhyan’s strength, all of his power and energy, was mine. I felt as if I’d slept for days and drank several cups of coffee.
The moment the power settled inside of me, I found Rhyan on the edge of the field. His skin went white, and his scar reddened, standing out, obvious even at a distance. His eyes found mine. Rhyan took a step, his gaze focused on me, and he stumbled, reaching for the nearest wall for support. His chest heaved with exertion.
“Welcome to the first novice habibellum of the year,” Aemon called out. His voice echoed across the arena, his volume created by an amplification spell. “We’ve just completed a full month of training. Now it’s time to show your work.” Aemon’s eyes found me again. His mouth hardened before his chin jerked ever so slightly to the Imperator by his side. “We are also honored tonight by his highness, Imperator Kormac, and Arkturion Kormac. Reassuring to see our allies here, especially after the unfortunate fireworks this morning.” There was a collective bow from all the soturi in the arena. “Novices, prepare for battle.”
I reached the circle assigned to me, standing right before the Imperator and Bastardmaker. Inhaling deeply, I entered the binding, feeling the cold snap at my skin, the silver of the ropes reflect against my armor. I moved to the center, standing feet apart, knees bent, hands in fists.
The entire arena lit up. Golden light illuminated the flaming torches circled over us, and for the first time, I could see my opponents clearly.
Viktor, Naria, Pavi, and two other brutes from Ka Kormac. All five sneered at me, hungry wolves ready to pounce on prey they’d desired for a long time.
Then the light vanished. Thunder clapped in the sky. The clouds had finally moved from scattering random raindrops to the full storm that had been brewing since this morning.
Even with Rhyan’s power coursing through me, energizing me, heightening my awareness, I knew the truth. I was the lamb these wolves would rip to shreds.
I swallowed hard, the fires flickering above my head faded into a black night sky.
Naria took a step forward, her arms taut at her side, ready to fight. Raindrops pelted against my face.
Aemon lifted a torch into the night, his eyebrows drawn, and mouth tight. “Begin.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
NOONEMOVED.Iheld my fists before my face, an instinct I had from facing Meera. Slowly, I turned in a circle, seeing Viktor, Naria, Pavi, and the two Kormac brutes. No one attacked. My heart pounded harder. What was their plan? To kill me with anticipation?
Naria stepped forward, and I tensed before she stepped back. Pavi did the same, then Viktor did, all laughing hysterically as I prepared for each attack only to be left spinning on my heels alone.
“Like getting wet?” Viktor asked.
I dug my heels into the ground, hoping I’d have a moment like before when I was with Meera. I hoped my mind would clear, and I’d know what to do, how to fight back. But my mind felt fuzzy as a raindrop splashed across my nose and another landed on my cheek.
Pavi licked her lips. “Finally getting yours, bitch,” she said.
I whipped toward her, my arms shaking with the force of keeping my hands fisted.
“Finally,” I said, hoping I sounded braver than I felt. “Your little dog Tani wasn’t well suited to the job.”
I fell face forward. Wet, muddied dirt and grass exploded inside my mouth, and I coughed and wheezed, the wind knocked from me. Stars blinked in my eyes. I’d been kicked from behind by one of the Kormac brutes. His knee dug into my back, and my arms and legs splayed out around me. Someone grabbed my hands, and someone else took my legs as he climbed off. I was flipped onto my back and slammed into the ground, hard. I wheezed, seeing more stars pop in my vision and feeling raindrops smacking against my cheeks. Naria grabbed my head, pulling it up hard enough to snap my neck, and pushed it back down into the ground. I tasted blood in my mouth.
