by Emily Rose
I couldn’t stop my eyes from rolling. This girl would do anything for an ounce of attention. When I looked back up, Aiden was still staring at me.
“It is such a significant sacrifice, isn’t it?” The king spoke to everyone. “For hundreds of years, Aslan’s people have shown courage and dignity in the Ring of Angels. How special it must be to be a part of something so much bigger than yourself.”
My temper flared at his words. How could the people in this city be so ignorant? “Yes, killing my own people is special,” I said. It could have been the wine, but I didn’t care about the danger I was literally sitting across from. The air around me stilled, but Kind Xavier’s smile didn’t even flicker.
“Everyone dies, Ruby. The strong ones, like yourself, simply live longer. It takes a certain dauntlessness to take someone else’s life. Don’t you think?”
I paused before I spoke. “Sometimes, yes. And sometimes it’s the work of a coward.” Someone to my right dropped their silverware.
“Well, that’s quite an opinion.” I picked up my wine and finished the glass as he looked at me, waiting for my rebuttal.
Opal chimed in from the side. “You know, killing other people really humbles you.” She placed her hand on Aiden’s arm, leaning in to speak. “Some people just aren’t up for it.”
“And how many people have you killed, Opal? I’m sure you have quite the collection. Your mother would be proud, I’m sure. What a great commitment to the crown,” I said. My voice was stronger than I meant it to be. I couldn’t help but notice her hand still on Aiden, and his reluctance to remove it.
“Funny of you to say that, Ruby. I believe your own collection is starting to rival mine. Wouldn’t you say so, your highness?” she said sharply to Aiden.
He finished his glass of wine, clearly startled at the mention of his name. He even coughed twice, sitting up in his chair. “I believe you are both very talented.”
Both. Heat creeped up my neck. How dare he compare me to her, this monster. I was nothing like her. At least, I didn’t think I was. But I knew nothing about this girl. I didn’t know why she was here. Maybe she was kidnapped like me. Or, maybe she had volunteered years ago. There was no way to tell. Part of me hoped she deserved this life. She was nasty. Merciless.
Sometimes, though, once you’ve worn a mask for so long, you forget what’s underneath.
Aiden didn’t seem to notice the way my eyes were blaring into him. He was acting like a coward. He let Opal slide closer to him. Maybe he liked the attention, anyway. Opal wasn’t ugly, and the Prince was a young, unmarried man. The thought alone made me tighten my jaw. He seemed to ignore me entirely, anyway, as he downed another glass of wine.
I thought back to the conversation we had weeks ago, when he first told me about his magic.
You’re afraid of your own dreams?
Yes.
I wondered if King Xavier had dreams. The way he devoured his meal disgusted me. It was like a repulsive, old animal feasting on live prey. We ate in silence for what seemed like hours. I lost track of how many times the servants had filled my wine, but my cheeks started to warm up. I found myself endlessly annoyed at Opal. She was basically floundering in front of Aiden. They talked about politis, and about the importance of training in combat. Aiden mostly just nodded at everything she was saying, but it still unsettled me. He didn’t owe me anything, but some amount of recognition would have been nice. Did he forget everything about the past couple of weeks? Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was seeing too much into this.
“Well, everyone!” Prince Aiden announced as he leaned back in his chair. “It has been a long night. We have a difficult week of Champion fights ahead of us, so look around you. These will be your opponents for the week. Prepare yourselves.”
Champions fighting Champions. I could have sworn I saw the King smile from across the table. I set my fork down and sighed, no longer hungry.
Aiden decided then to focus his attention on me. “Is something wrong, Ruby Castiel?” He announced to the room. The way his words slurred together told me one thing: This man was drunk.
The entire room looked at me. My heart pounded in my chest, pumping warmth through my body. I felt my temper flare. How dare he call me out like this, after blatantly ignoring me for the entire night! Thank the gods I wasn’t the only one drinking too much wine, though. I smiled up at him graciously. Two could play this game. “No, your highness. Not at all.” He was taunting me, and he knew it.
“Wonderful. I believe everyone is dismissed, then, if my father is pleased.”
King Xavier stood from his chair, nearly knocking it over. “May your souls rest with the crown!” Red wine spilt from his glass as he turned, walking out of the dining room. Fighters began to stand, also. Everyone was ready to return to the comfort of the cages, even me.
“Guards, please escort the fighters back to the Courtyard. Not you, Ruby,” Prince Aiden said quietly. That earned me a wicked glare from Opal. Satisfaction bubbled in my chest as I suppressed a giggle. Anything that made her mad was sure to please me, even if it included entertaining the arrogant Prince.
I bowed my head as fighters brushed past me, heading out of the dining hall. After a few seconds, Aiden and I were the only ones left. The heavy doors boomed shut in the distance.
He stood slowly, raising his gaze to me. A chill ran down my spine as his eyes moved across my body, lingering over the bare skin on my chest.
“Can I help you?” I asked sharply.
“Yes. I think you can. Walk with me.”
I followed him around the table, through a set of doors on the opposite side of the hall. We walked in silence for a few minutes. For a second, I thought maybe he forgot I was walking with him.
“I’m sorry I haven’t had time to see you,” he said eventually. “I’ve been busy with… Prince stuff.” His words still slurred lightly, but his voice was much softer now.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve just been busy fighting, the usual.” I kept my voice strong and unwavering. I didn’t want him to know how much I missed his company, or how excited I was when I got to see him today. I didn’t want him to know that I hated seeing him with Opal, or that this entire thing was just a waste of our energy. Part of me thought he might already know these things though.
“Have you been thinking about the plan?” he asked.
I had been dreading those words all night. I couldn’t stop thinking about Aiden’s plan to save the King. It was absolutely ridiculous to think that someone who harnessed that much evil could be saved. I couldn’t tell him that though. When he told me the plan in the Shadow Forest, it took everything in me not to tell him it was crazy. Deep down, he had to know. I shook my head slightly, not trusting myself to speak.
I saw him look at me from the corner of my eye. A lingering gaze, one that was most likely initiated by all the wine from dinner.
“You know, Ruby. You’re not as awful as people think you are. I think you’re actually quite amazing.”
A breath of shock escaped me, but I quickly recovered. “How noble of you to think so, Prince.”
He laughed. The sound was low and deep. Butterflies rumbled in my stomach. Or maybe that was the wine.
We turned a corner. “How long have you been pretending to be a sinful, heartless individual?” the Prince asked.
I stopped walking and faced him. This man had just treated me like a random girl from the cages for the past hour. Like a nobody. As if I didn’t know his biggest secret, and he mine. I did not owe him my kindness. I hardly owed him this conversation. “I’ll tell you if you tell me.”
He stopped too, coming inches from my face. I could feel the heat of his own body merging with mine. Fire and fire.
His gaze dropped to my lips. For a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me. I expected it. In fact, I craved it. His presence was something I had been missing for days now. I caught myself leaning into the comforting smell of roses, letting the butterflies erupt in my stomach.
&
nbsp; We were so close, our breath becoming one. Heat rushed up my neck. I could almost feel him on my lips when-
“Oh, Prince Aiden, sorry I didn’t know-” Soren’s voice boomed through the empty hall. We jolted apart, quickly grabbing our bearings.
Aiden looked frazzled as he glanced between Soren and I. “It’s fine,” he said as he coughed and straightened his shirt. He didn’t meet my gaze as he stepped away from me. “Soren, please escort Lady Castiel back to the cages.” Without giving me so much as another look, he stormed down the hallway.
Was he that embarrassed to be seen with me? I was left there alone with Soren, the smell of roses still lingering in the air. He didn’t say anything as I walked past him with my head down, leading the way to my personal prison.
“You know,” Soren said, breaking the silence as we approached the long corridor. “Aiden has never supported the fights. That’s why he signed up to train the fighters. He wanted to give them a better chance. And I’ve never seen him care about one fighter so much.”
My chest ached. I don’t know why I cared. But I did. Aiden was the most confusing, infuriating man I had ever met. I caught myself smiling at Soren in the dark as he closed the cage behind me, leaving me in the silence with my shadows.
15 The Beginning of the End
My body felt bare after changing back into the fighting clothes. The heavy, comforting weight of the dress abandoned my body from the night before. I cursed to myself silently. A dress was not a luxury I could afford. Actually, I couldn’t afford any luxuries right now.
“So what did you eat?” Harvey asked as the cages unlocked. “Was it like giant meat platters and servants to feed you? Or did you all sit there and watch the King eat? Wait, was Prince Aiden there? Did he talk to you at all? He must have loved that dress you--”
“Yes, Harvey. The food was great. I could hardly eat it, though. Just looking at the King made me lose my appetite.”
“And the dress? Is that what the other Champions wore, too?” She was so excited for more information. It was like feeding a baby sweets.
“No, mine was different. I guess Aiden wanted me to wear it.” I tried to make my voice sound as uninterested as possible, but heat creeped up my neck at the thought of last night.
Harvey’s jaw hit the floor. “Wait, are you serious?” She grabbed my arm as we walked toward the Courtyard. “I knew it! I knew he liked you!”
“Shhh, keep your voice down. I’d rather not have everyone here knowing that. And no, he does not like me!”
I quickly shut Harvey up, but was she right? I mean, why else would he pick out a dress for me and not any of the other fighters? Why would he want to steal more alone time with me? I had been telling myself it was all just because of my magic. And that was probably the truth. There was nothing special about me other than the fact that I could burn people if I needed to. Prince Aiden was so much more than that. He was more complex than I ever would have imagined. I doubted he would ever be interested in someone like me. I was merely a murderer for the crown.
Riley jogged over to us. “Ah, look who it is! Champion royalty! How was the big fancy dinner last night?” I rolled my eyes as he stepped into pace beside us.
“Delicious,” I responded. “We ate the souls of our opponents as our first course.” Riley shoved my shoulder and laughed. Somehow, even at the beginning of Champion week, he still had the ability to make me laugh.
The realization quickly hit me as I took in the empty Courtyard. Where the usual crowd of Champions huddled together for morning training, there was nobody. We would not be training together this week. This was the one week of the year that the Champions would be fighting one another. We were no longer allies. There would be no practicing. Only fighting. Only killing.
I met Naomi’s gaze from across the field, and a small chill shivered my spine. Part of me hoped that Aiden could pull some strings and match me with someone who deserved to die. Or at least someone who wouldn’t kill me.
“Okay guys,” I said to my friends. “Let's start training. We have work to do.”
I spent the next few hours going over tactics with Riley. He wasn’t nearly as strong as Jax by any means, but Riley remembered nearly every skill he had been taught by his brother. And thank the gods for that. Sweat was beading off my body. Harvey patiently observed as Riley and I went over the basics.
“And remember to stay low. Most of the other girls seem to be your height, but you don’t wanna give ‘em any more room to land a hit.”
“Right,” I remembered as I crouched a little lower. Riley threw a half-hearted punch toward my torso, but I easily blocked it and swung back toward his face.
“Good,” he said. “Jax would be proud of you, you know.”
I dropped my fists and took a long, shaky breath. I had tried not to think about Jax lately. He would hate who I had become. He would hate the brand, the kills, the dress. He would definitely hate Aiden. I’m sure he wouldn’t feel too good about me lying to everyone about my magic, either. Humiliation creeped into my body.
“Hey,” Riley interrupted. “I didn’t mean it like that.” He must have seen the emotion on my face. “I just mean, you’re doing everything you can to stay alive. To get out of here. He would do the same thing.”
Would he? Jax was the most honest, courageous person I had ever met. Would he kill innocent people over and over again? Of course, he might still think that we are all volunteering to join the fights. Gods, I hoped he could forgive me. He would never volunteer, but part of me wondered if he would ever kill another person to save his own life.
“Yeah, you’re right,” I said eventually. “Harvey, why don’t you practice a few with Riley for a second. I need a break.”
Her eyes widened. The weeks we’ve spent in the cages hadn’t helped her fear of fighting. At least she agreed to practice every now and then.
I watched as she prepared the stance I had shown her hundreds of times. Her scrawny figure was beginning to show signs of muscle. A pang of hope rang through my chest. Her and Riley went back and forth, slowly going over the motions of basic defense and offense. Riley was patient with her. He portrayed a seriousness I had only seen in him a few times. It was refreshing to see. Maybe we had hope here, after all.
A low voice echoed from behind me. “Your hit will land a lot harder if you use your size to your benefit. Duck lower, hit from below.” I turned around to find Soren standing there, leaning against the wall of the Courtyard. He had been watching for some time by the looks of it.
Harvey nervously tensed beside me. “Thanks,” she muttered.
“Ruby, may I borrow you for a moment?” he asked. Riley stood up tall. I gave him a reassuring smile and walked toward Soren. Of all the people to be afraid of here in Aslan, Soren was not one of them.
“Keep practicing guys, I’ll meet up with you when I can,” I said as I walked toward the guard. I wiped away the sweat on my face as I paused in front of him, hands on my hips. Soren’s voice had seemed calm when he spoke, but his eyes no longer reflected the cool and confident Soren that I had met multiple times. They were tired. Weary. Concerned.
“What’s going on?”
“Aiden sent me. He has a message for you.”
I straightened. We hadn’t spoken since our encounter after the King’s dinner. Maybe he didn’t want to help me anymore. Maybe he changed his mind completely. My heart sped up. Soren pushed himself off of the wall and began walking slowly, a silent invitation. I didn’t hesitate before falling into step beside him.
“What does he want? Is everything okay?” Worry creeped into my voice, but if Soren noticed he didn’t show any signs of it. He was strong. Composed.
“He said time is running out. And that he’s working on a new plan.” Soren hardly whispered as he said the words that I dreaded most. Time is running out.
“That’s all I know. But Ruby,” he continued. His face was full of seriousness as he stopped walking and turned to face me. “Something is happening with
the King. He is planning a lot more fights than just the Champions vs. Champions. I have a feeling Champion week is going to be like none other we have ever seen in Aslan’s history.”
After Soren left, I spent the day running laps around the yard. Not only did my stamina need serious improvement, but my mind was swarming with the words from our conversation. I needed to be alone. After meeting Isobel, I had felt such a relief. Aiden and I had a plan for the King, which gave me the smallest amount of hope. The plan, however, was based on the idea that I was going to survive this week. But now, it was all ripped away from me. I hadn’t practiced my magic at all, and the dinner just proved to me that Aiden might not care as much as I did. I felt deep, dark dread. What did he mean? And why couldn’t Aiden come and tell me that himself?
“I’ll tell you and Riley all about it at breakfast.” I sighed to Harvey that night after she bombarded me with questions about Soren. I decided to tell them. With Champion’s week in the air, there was no guarantee that I would survive to get them out of here. Especially with Soren telling me that there would be more fights than any other Champion week. But Aiden could help them. I could practically feel the weight on my shoulders already beginning to lift. My only friends here. They were about to know my greatest secret. My death sentence. Chances are, they wouldn’t even believe me. The flame still would not come when I called for it, unless Aiden was with me or I was close to death. They would have to take my word for it.
Either way, tomorrow would be the day.
I thought so, anyway.
Until I heard the guards stomping through the corridor.
“Harvey Bearmore,” the deep, automated voice of the guard boomed through the stone cages. “Get up. It’s time for your fight in the Ring of Angels.”
After my parents died, I had never truly experienced heartbreak. In fact, until this moment, I was certain I was unable to feel such emotion again. I felt anger, yes. Disgust, absolutely. But heartbreak? Pure, gut-wrenching grief? I hadn’t felt it.