by Linsey Hall
“Yep.” No more, no less.
His gaze turned to Cade. His brow wrinkled as if he had a hard time placing him. “Healer,” he finally said. “But what else?”
“Gladiator,” Cade said.
Smart. He was no gladiator, but claiming the species was smart. Gladiators were a type of supernatural who were descended from the original Roman warriors. They were strong and fast—two skills that Cade had in spades.
The trainer nodded. “You fight next. Do well, you’ll be rewarded.”
“What are we fighting?” I asked.
“I don’t know. But you’ll go in together.”
That was good. I preferred it that way. Teamwork was better every time.
A flash of energy hit me—an awareness. I gasped.
My sister was here.
I could feel her.
Vibrating, I turned toward the arena. Searching. Searching.
There were warriors and fighters and slaves.
But no Rowan.
No Cocidius, either.
“Where is Cocidius?” I asked, not wanting to mention my true interest.
“He doesn’t attend the preliminary fights.” The trainer turned toward the fight, leaning his arms on the railing.
Dang.
So I had to survive this, get some rewards, like he’d said, and level up to the next round. Then I could fight in front of Cocidius. My fists clenched. I couldn’t wait to get ahold of that abducting bastard.
Cade reached for my hand and squeezed. I leaned slightly into him, appreciating the gesture. It gave me strength. Patience.
I needed a lot of patience, considering that Cade and I could bust right out of here if we wanted. But that would alert Cocidius, and we couldn’t risk that.
The fighter in the ring finally got lucky and landed a blow, plunging his blade through the heart of the demon. The monster roared and flailed, falling backward.
The victor shouted, raising his arms and bloody sword in victory, then stomped toward us.
The trainer opened the gate, and the man charged through. As soon as he’d passed, the trainer gave Cade a shove.
Cade stiffened, clearly not used to being bossed around, then strode into the ring. I followed, heart pounding as the roar of the crowd rushed over me. Their bloodthirsty gazes burned.
I stepped up next to Cade, glancing at him. “I can’t figure out if this sucks or if it’s is going to be fun.”
He chuckled. “Maybe a bit of both. But use minimal magic.”
That definitely meant no wings, then. Still… “Let’s give them a show.”
To the right, a man in a long white cape stepped up onto the front of a rock. I blinked at the brightness of his garb, realizing that everyone in this realm wore some shade of beige or brown. Up till now, the only color was green.
Yep. He was the Ring Master.
The man raised his arms, magic sparking around his hands.
The crowd roared louder, their faces red.
The man lowered his arms, and the crowd silenced. His voice boomed out over the arena. “The first to reach the other side of the arena wins a boon! You must jump through your own rings to qualify.”
I glanced at Cade, whose brow was creased.
“He wants us to compete,” I said.
“Fat bloody chance.”
From across the arena about a hundred yards away, flames burst to life. Two sections of flame broke away from the main body of fire, shooting toward us.
“Go!” The trainer shouted from behind us.
The rings were flying toward us, large enough to jump through.
They were literally making us jump through hoops to complete this task.
I sighed and glanced at Cade, who nodded. We started running, each of us headed for our ring. The circle of flame moved incredibly fast and was on me within a few steps. It hovered two feet off the ground and was about six feet tall.
I leapt through without issue.
Cade, who was taller, had to pull some kind of weird ducking leap, but he made it fine.
Another flew at us, this one a little higher, and I leapt through, barely making it. Then the rings came faster and faster, some going left, then right. I darted across the arena like I was in a weird video game.
Soon, my lungs were burning and my skin was singed where the flame had hit me. Not all the rings were wide. Some, I could barely fit through.
Sweat rolled down my temples as the crowd roared. I was going as fast as I could, and Cade could have left me in the dust ages ago, but he stuck at my side, jumping through his own hoops with ease.
I passed the Ring Master, who was positioned roughly at the midpoint of the arena. He looked frustrated. By Cade holding back?
Because I was looking at the Ring Master, I nearly missed the flaming hoop that flew right at me. I leapt, muscles aching, and barely managed to clear the bottom of the hoop.
Were they getting higher?
The next caught my foot as I jumped, and I sprawled in the dirt.
Shit.
I scrambled up before Cade could dart over to help me, but he paused, waiting.
We were nearly to the end. If we could just make it…
The next ring that flew toward me was so damned tall I didn’t stand a chance in the world.
Double shit.
Cade ran toward me so fast I hardly saw him. He knelt before the ring, holding out his cupped hands, and I took the hint, sprinting toward him full speed and then stepping high.
He vaulted me up, and I flew through the air, the hoop’s flame singing me. As I sailed to the ground on the other side, I saw Cade race back to his own ring and jump through just in time, using his immense speed and strength.
Ha! Try to make us work against each other, my ass.
I sprinted toward the end of the arena, pulling to a panting stop in front of the wall of flame. Cade finished at the exact same time, considerably less winded. He looked like he’d had a nice jog, his hair nicely ruffled.
The flames died down, and I turned back to face the arena and the Ring Master. He raised his arms again, cape flapping in the wind.
I tried to catch my breath and waited for the next challenge.
“You must reach the other end of the arena. The first one wins their freedom!”
I glanced at Cade. “He’s upped the ante.”
“Or so he thinks.”
“Doesn’t know we’re perfectly content being captives for the moment.”
On the other side of the arena, a wave of blue water rose up, surging toward us. It was forty feet tall and roiling with white surf.
The first challenge had given Cade the advantage.
This one was mine.
I reached for Cade’s hand. His strong grip closed around my own.
“Let’s go.” I sprinted toward the wave, Cade at my side.
As the huge wall of water crashed toward us, I peeked at the Ring Master out of the corner of my eye. Frustration seethed on his face.
As the wave neared us, I called on my gift of water.
We plunged into the liquid—intentional on my part, since I needed a bath—and then I forced the water away from us, forming an air pocket on the bottom of the wave. We never even lost our footing.
Cade and I ran through the blue wonderland, trapped in our own little bubble of air that moved with us. The mud underfoot stuck to my boots, and I sprinted faster.
Magic pressed in on me, an intense force that crushed my muscles.
The Ring Master was pitting his power against my own, trying to win control of the wave and drown us.
“You feel that?” Cade grunted.
“Do I ever.” It was damned uncomfortable. “But he doesn’t know who he’s up against.”
“A god.”
“Sorta.” I threw my magic outward, forcing the water away from us.
The Ring Master’s magic weakened, almost snapping. I’d nearly overpowered his control!
Shit.
That wasn’t good.
Look before you leap.
I didn’t want to go too intense and reveal the extent of my strength.
“Pull back,” Cade said.
“I know.” I loosened my grip on the magic, not forcing the water as hard, and it flowed back toward us, decreasing the size of our bubble until there almost wasn’t enough space to run without my knees splashing into the wave.
It took everything I had to manage the perfect amount of power that would keep us from drowning without igniting the Ring Master’s suspicion.
By the time we reached the other side, I was panting and sweating.
We stumbled to a halt near the stone arena wall, and the water crashed away. I struggled to catch my breath.
“Well done,” Cade murmured. “You’ve never controlled your magic so well.”
“Practice makes perfect.” And it wasn’t controlling the water that was hard. It was making sure my godly powers didn’t go haywire and fix every problem with a sledgehammer.
I turned around to face the Ring Master, who was staring at us with fiery eyes. Apparently his audience liked competition, and we weren’t giving it to him.
“You will fight each other!” he roared.
“Nah,” I shouted.
Cade chuckled.
From all sides of the arena, spears appeared. They floated on the air, pointing inward, their wicked points glinting in the morning sun.
“Seriously?” I muttered.
The spears pressed inward. The ones closest to us poked at my back, and I hurried forward. Cade followed, strolling leisurely across the ground. These weren’t easy challenges, but the god of war was always confident.
Weapons appeared on the ground in front of us. Two swords and two shields.
“I suppose we could pretend to fight,” I said. “I could throw myself onto the ground and pretend to be wounded.”
“They won’t buy it if there’s no blood.”
“Yeah, they look bloodthirsty.”
The spears pressed us farther in, decreasing the size of our ring substantially.
I ignored the weapon on the ground. “We really aren’t going to fight each other!”
“One must defeat the other in the trials!” the Ring Master shouted. “Then one shall pass through.”
“Still not going to happen,” Cade yelled.
The Ring Master yanked his raised arms down. The spears disappeared. “Then you will fight the Grallag!”
The crowd roared, the most bloodthirsty and excited sound I’d ever heard.
“Uh-oh,” I said. “I bet the Grallag is super bad.”
Black clouds of smoke began to waft up from the arena floor. It stank of sulfur and death. The black cloud rose high into the air, blocking out the direct light of the sun.
As the smoke slowly billowed toward us, I trotted over to the swords that were on the ground, deciding not to call my own from the ether. Best to keep that skill a secret.
I grabbed a sword and shield. Next to me, Cade grabbed another set.
Heart pounding, I turned to face the dark smoke. We might be prisoners of our own will, but the power radiating from the smoke made even me nervous.
“Keep close,” Cade said. “Something big is coming.”
Boy, was he right. The strength of the dark magic made my stomach turn. It absolutely reeked.
In a rush, the smoke flew away on the wind. In its place, a massive black monster loomed. The thing looked like a giant land octopus made of slimy, dark gray skin. A great mouth gaped open, fangs glinting in the sunlight.
I tried to count the legs, but there were so many. Far more than eight. They curled up into the sky, whipping in the air.
Oh, shit.
We’d been in control before this. Nothing we couldn’t handle.
But I was pretty damned sure we couldn’t handle a Grallag. It was the biggest monster I’d ever seen.
My heart thundered, fear chilling my skin.
“Ever seen one of these before?” I inched toward it, sword raised and heart thundering.
“Only heard of them. It’s not a real animal. Just dark magic.”
“Scary dark magic.”
Cade frowned. “Aye. And there’s something I can’t remember about them. Tip of my tongue.”
“Well, crap.”
“Aye.”
“Go for the legs, I assume?”
“They’re its greatest weapon, so aye. Go for the legs.”
“On it.” I sprinted toward the monster, sword raised.
The crowd roared, voices deafening.
My head buzzed with fear.
The first tentacle whipped down toward me, so big and so fast that I couldn’t get my sword up in time. I dived, rolling to the side and avoiding the slam of the tentacle by a hair’s breadth.
I leapt to my feet and spun. As the octopus retracted its tentacle, raising it back toward the air, I sliced down with my blade, severing the limb.
The end of the tentacle flopped to the ground, black smoke billowing out. The stench made my eyes water. But at least the tentacle withered to dust.
“That’s the way!” Cade shouted as he severed another tentacle, diving aside to avoid being blasted by the smelly air.
I sprinted around the Grallag’s tentacles, darting and diving as they tried to smash me into the ground. I severed three, my head swimming with the stench of dark magic. Cade was even faster, using his godly speed to slice off many more.
High overhead, the Grallag hissed, a sound that sent shivers down my spine. I dared a glance upward, catching sight of its gleaming onyx eyes.
I froze dead, staring.
So beautiful.
So terrifying.
I shook my head, or tried to. But my head wouldn’t move. No! I needed to look away.
But the monster’s gaze had me snared.
I strained, trying to pull away. But I couldn’t. Tentacles neared me.
“Move!” Cade shouted.
I tried to cry out that I couldn’t, but my mouth wouldn’t open.
Oh shit. Was this what Cade hadn’t remembered? The Grallag had a stare that would freeze you if you met its gaze.
Yep.
The tentacle wrapped around my waist, squeezing tight. I gasped, struggling. But I couldn’t move. No matter how I strained my muscles, none of them did a thing.
The Grallag looked away, no doubt searching for Cade.
Suddenly, my straining muscles jolted into action. I struggled in the Grallag’s grip as it raised me high into the air, kicking and clawing and trying to stab with my sword.
Another tentacle knocked the sword from my grip.
“Bastard!” I searched for Cade, my ribs aching.
He raced around the Grallag, removing limbs with deadly efficiency. But there were so many.
One snuck around from behind him.
“Cade! From behind!”
He whirled, but it was too late. The tentacle wrapped around his waist, yanking him high into the air. He leaned over and swiped at the limb with a mighty strike of his sword.
It severed the tentacle, and he plummeted toward the ground.
I cheered.
But then another tentacle swooped in from below, pulling him up. A third tentacle yanked the sword from his grip.
Damn it!
The ground receded farther as the Grallag lifted me high. I thrashed, trying to break free, keeping my gaze riveted to Cade.
He struggled, his face turning red, but was unable to break the Grallag’s grip.
For the first time, real fear spiking. Acid sliced through my veins, and my skin chilled. When the Grallag began to raise Cade high into the air and opened its mouth, I screamed.
It was going to eat us.
Holy fates, this giant hell octopus was going to eat us.
Terror and power welled inside of me.
Now was not the time to play it cool. We needed all the power we could get.
But water and healing and illusion wouldn’t do me any good as long
as the Grallag had me in its grip. And Cade might be able to shift, but he couldn’t break the monster’s grip.
Panic rose in my chest, my mind buzzing.
Clouds rolled overhead, thunder cracking in the air. Cold wind whipped by me as the atmosphere changed. Lightning struck high in the sky, a brilliant flash of gold.
I swore I could feel the electricity of it crackle through me.
Use it.
I gasped, eyes darting upward.
Lightning struck again. In my chest, I felt it, sparking with life.
Use it.
Holy freaking Thor. I’d felt this before. I was getting a new power.
Lightning.
From Thor.
I raised my hand to the sky, reaching for the lightning. Envisioning it in my mind and the energy shot through me. It smelled of ozone and felt like sparks.
The Grallag raised Cade directly over its mouth, maw gaping wide and fangs glinting in the light. He was just about to drop Cade inside—a crunchy god snack.
I called upon the lightning, imagining it striking down from the sky, strong and fierce. The power cracked through me, energy rising in my chest.
There was a risk that the lightning would flow through the Grallag and zap us too, but the gods wouldn’t tell me to use it if that were the case, right?
I had no other options, and Cade was about to get it.
I reached for the lightning, desperation fueling me.
A massive bolt shot from the sky, plunging down toward the Grallag and striking it right in the head. The beast disappeared in a poof of smoke, a massive billowing cloud that rose up around me as I plummeted through the air.
I slammed into the ground, pain streaking through my leg. Residual lightning shock raced through my muscles, making them clench with pain. Had the Grallag been flesh and blood rather than magic, we might have died from the shock as it traveled from him into us.
I cried out, nausea welling up inside me. Tears stung my eyes as I leaned over and grabbed my leg. The pain shot harder.
“Ow!” Bad idea. My muscles twitched from the lightning shock, but at least we weren’t dead.
“Bree!” Cade’s voice came through the smoke.
I looked up. He limped through the dark fog, his arm wrapped around his chest. Broken ribs from the Grallag? My own hurt like the devil, too.
He knelt by my side. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah.” I gasped, pain streaking through me. “Just a sprained ankle. Broken maybe.”