Resolute

by Alicia Rades

  Take it easy, would ya?

  Neither Valkas nor his men said anything. I was a little disoriented trying to stay upright in the swinging cage, but I saw enough to know we were headed down the grand staircase. About a dozen vampires stood in the entrance chatting. They caught sight of Valkas and immediately went silent, bowing their heads at him while he passed. He didn't even acknowledge them, keeping his head high and eyes on the front door, like they were mere decorations.

  Just before we slipped outside, I caught the eye of one of the women in the foyer.

  Brown.

  Her eyes were brown. It suddenly occurred to me that only half the people there were vamps. I didn't even have to look at their eyes in the dim lighting to know which ones they were. All the vamps stood close to their respective blood slaves, laying claim to them as if they were some piece of property.

  The door swung shut behind us, blocking my view of the people inside. Outside, the sky was dark, and the air was cold. I couldn't see the stars behind the clouds, but the moon peeked through just enough that I could see the shadows of the trees.

  I thought that maybe Valkas was taking me to the slaves’ quarters. Maybe he'd show me off and use me as an example or something. But he veered in the opposite direction down a narrow path that led up a hill and toward the cliff.

  It wasn't long before I heard the sounds of chanting. I couldn't make out the words, since there were various chants all going on at once, but it sounded like a bunch of people all getting psyched up before a big football game or something.

  Valkas turned down a trail even narrower than the one we'd been on, then stopped when we reached a small clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a long wooden table with all sorts of weapons on it. I saw various types of knives, along with a sword, an ax, a bow and arrow, and even one of those chains with a spikey ball on the end.

  What was this? Were they going to hold me down and fillet me or something?

  Valkas set my cage down on the grass. Or rather, threw it. The cage landed upright but tipped over and rolled a few feet when my body slammed into the bars. He removed the keys from his pocket and bent to unlock the cage. He didn't even set it back upright before standing.

  “Choose your weapon,” he said, then he whirled around and started back down the trail. His men followed close behind him.

  I quickly scurried out of the open cage, using my wings to hoist me out, then shifted.

  “Wait!” I called before he could get too far.

  Valkas paused, but when he turned and his men stepped aside so he could look at me, he didn't look pleased. Valkas wasn't the kind to take orders from anyone. I was pretty sure the only reason I was still alive was because he was curious to know what I had to say. Beneath the turned-down lips and narrowed gaze, I thought I detected a hint of amusement.

  “Aren't you going to tell me what this is all about?” I asked, gesturing to the table of weapons. “Do I get to know what I'm up against?”

  Valkas smirked, bringing all that amusement to the surface. “No, but that's the fun part.”

  “I don't even get a hint?” I protested. “How can I choose an adequate weapon if I don't know what I'm fighting?”

  Valkas was upon me in a second. Wind rushed by my hair, and he reached out to smooth it down.

  Ew! Don’t touch me!

  I tried not to let my detest for the man show, for my sister's sake.

  “Pick the weapon that will do the most damage,” he said coolly. “I'd very much like to see you survive the night.”

  “What?” My whole body went rigid. I wasn't scared to die. Not really. But I was scared of leaving behind unfinished business. That simply wasn't an option.

  “Yes, darling,” he said, taking note of my fallen face. “You're going to want to choose wisely. This one's a fight to the death.”

  7

  A fight to the death? Was he serious? Against whom? Him? Another vampire? His witch crony? His hint wasn't exactly helpful, though he strolled away looking positively pleased with himself.

  I turned back to the table, surveying the weapons under the moonlight.

  I could run, I thought to myself. No one was around to see if I escaped into the forest. But then again, where would I go? Valkas had made sure I couldn’t fly away, and I couldn’t exactly swim to the mainland. I’d drown before I made it. Chances were the boathouse I’d heard about was heavily guarded after what had happened earlier. I’d never make it off this island before I was found, and Valkas didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would forgive such an incident.

  Which meant I was still playing his game, whether I liked it or not.

  My eyes fell upon the bow, which had two arrows sitting next to it. That would be helpful for a long-distance shot, but I’d never shot a bow before. There was a pretty good chance I wouldn’t hit anything with it. I continued down the table, fingering the spear, then moving on to the sword. Most of these would kill a vampire, but what if I wasn’t up against a vampire? Would I have to fight from close or far range? The chanting grew louder in the distance.

  Just pick something, I told myself.

  Without contemplating it too hard, I picked up the sword, which was heavier than it looked but would do a lot of damage. I grabbed one of the knives for good measure and slipped it in my boot.

  Hey, Valkas never said anything about rules. He wanted a good show? I’d give him one.

  A few moments later, I heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching down the path. I whirled around with my sword held out in front of me, poised for attack.

  A huge vampire stepped into the moonlight. He was at least six and a half feet tall with biceps bigger than my waist. He was shirtless, so I could see every hill and valley on his six-pack abs. I didn’t care how much shifter blood I had in me. This guy would snap me like a twig.

  He stopped at the entrance of the clearing and folded his arms over his chest. Interesting. I expected him to launch an attack right away.

  “So, what’s the deal?” I asked. “I attack, you rip my head off?”

  Giant Vamp huffed and spoke in the deepest voice I’d ever heard. He spoke in a thick Russian accent, too. “If only it were easy. Come.”

  He turned back down the path, and it suddenly occurred to me. He wasn’t my opponent. He was my escort. Clutching the hilt of the sword tightly in my hand, I hurried down the trail behind him. The guy’s legs were super long, so it practically took me running to keep up with him.

  “Any idea what I’m up against?” I asked, hoping for a little warning.

  Giant Vamp scoffed. “Your opponent very fierce.”

  “Fiercer than you?”

  The chanting grew louder as we walked. Up ahead, I saw lights flickering through the trees. Torches, I realized.

  He smirked. “Nobody fiercer than Anton.”

  “Good to know. I’d hate to be the sorry loser fighting against you.”

  “Maybe one day,” he said. “For now, you fight.”

  We reached a large clearing in the trees. I only had a moment to register the scene before me. Torches had been set into the ground, surrounding an empty square the size of a basketball court. The far end of the clearing met up with the edge of a tall cliff. I could barely see the water through the darkness, but I knew it was there. On either side of the torches sat people on raised bleachers, and beyond them, trees. The trees sloped down the hill, giving a wide view of the chateau.

  There must've been at least two hundred people in the arena, which looked like a lot more all packed into the clearing. I couldn’t tell if they were vampires or human, but my bet was most of them were vamps. Valkas sat in a big chair in the front row, like he was a king sitting on a throne, waiting for a jousting match to being. Rogers, the witch, sat at his side.

  That was all I could process before Anton grabbed me by the back of the shirt and shoved me into the middle of the ring. I landed hard on my knees in the dirt, pinching my fingers between the hilt of my sword and the ground. I shot to m
y feet immediately, looking around for my opponent. Chants of fight, fight, fight filled the air, but I faced nothing but empty water at the other end of the ring. I whirled around to the trail entrance, but there was nothing there, either. Anton was already gone.

  Valkas stood from his chair and held his hands up. The arena quieted without him having to give the command. It was eerily silent. The only thing I heard was the sound of the breeze rustling through the trees and the water against the rocks below the cliff.

  “I'm sure by now you all know that we have a new shifter among us,” Valkas said. He didn't speak loudly, as it was easy enough to hear him. I remained alert the whole time. “As with all our new recruits, she must be initiated.”

  Recruit? Is that what he was calling me? I didn't get any credit for finding this island when it was hidden beneath a cloaking spell?

  I suppose not. He wouldn't want his loyal followers questioning his power.

  “Only the strongest survive on my island.” Valkas smirked at me. “So, without further ado, let the game begin!”

  At his cue, a small creature flew out of the darkness as if someone had tossed it. It had gray fur and a long ringed tail.

  A raccoon.

  They thought I'd be afraid of this little thing? They obviously didn't know much about me.

  It rolled across the dirt and immediately sprang to its feet when it came to a stop. An ax landed in the arena in the same manner, skidding to a halt beside the creature.

  The raccoon lifted its gaze to mine, and an expression I couldn't quite read crossed its features. I thought I detected a hint of surprise, but it quickly turned to fury. Something about that look seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place it. The raccoon didn't even shift and grab its weapon before it sprang on me.

  I ducked out of the way. The image of its tiny little paws reaching out for my face would forever be seared in my memory. The shifter landed on the ground behind me, clawing into the dirt to stop its momentum. It landed only a few feet away from the edge of the cliff.

  I didn’t want to hurt him. Killing humans and shifters wasn’t my thing. I was all about slaying vampires. But I didn’t want to die, either. The raccoon bared its teeth at me. Damn, it looked vicious. I had to make up my mind. And fast.

  It lunged for me again, all while people screamed from the bleachers.

  “Get her!”

  “I wanna see some blood!”

  “Use your sword!”

  This time, I threw my hand outward and thrust it into the fur on the raccoon’s chest. I followed his trajectory and spun around. I bent to one knee, using his momentum to slam his body into the ground. It earned me a round of applause.

  I thought maybe if I got the shifter in the right position, we could talk something out—fake a death or something like that. He could go free, and I didn’t have to kill him. It was a win-win for both of us.

  But the little sucker didn’t even hesitate. He gasped at the impact, then lifted his head and sank his teeth into my hand. I let out a yelp but didn’t let go. I curled my fingers tighter in his fur, and he bit back harder. I bent down to his level, where blood dripped out of my palm and onto his fur. He used his little paws to scratch me, sending stinging shoots of pain up my hand.

  “I’m trying to help you,” I hissed. “Maybe there’s a way we can both survive. You game?”

  Instead of clawing at my exposed arm, he swiped his paw out and sliced across the skin on my cheek. I reeled backward.

  “I’ll take that as a no,” I snapped back. I could barely hear my own voice above the cheering.

  The raccoon bit down again, and I finally jerked my hand away. It hurt a lot, but the pain barely registered as my opponent righted himself and readied to jump at me again.

  “Shift, shift, shift,” the crowd cried out. I wasn’t sure if they meant me or the raccoon. Either way, they wanted us to fight in the same form. No way was I shifting into a raven without my flight feathers. I was staying close to this sword the whole damn time.

  I was ready for the next attack, but what I didn’t expect was for the raccoon to shift mid-jump. A human body slammed into me, knocking me on my back. Another chorus of cheers broke out from the crowd. I held my sword up, but the shifter was already running away, heading for the other side of the arena to grab the ax. I jumped to my feet to see that the figure had short hair but a slim middle and wide hips. A woman?

  Aw, shit. I really didn’t want to kill her.

  If you don’t, she’ll kill you, I told myself. And then there was no hope for getting rid of the vampires. I was the only one who could do it, and I’d do whatever it took until that happened. Even take innocent lives…

  The thought made me sick, but it was what had to be done… for the greater good.

  I hated when the greater good screwed you over.

  I raced up to the woman just as she bent to grab her ax. She whirled around at the last second and moved so fast I didn’t even see her face. The head of her ax clanged into my sword, knocking it out of my hands. Less than a split-second later, her fist swung out and slammed right between my eyes.

  I stumbled to the ground, and my elbows skidded across the dirt. Judging by the sting, a good couple layers of skin came off. My vision blurred from the impact, but I wasn’t ready to give up just yet. The girl stepped forward, her face masked in shadows.

  “Ardeat ignis,” I shouted, aiming my hands at her. But all that came out was sparks.

  It took me by complete surprise. Since learning the spell for fire, I hadn’t had trouble using it in a fight. Now I’d failed at the spell twice? The theories I’d developed earlier about my magic no longer seemed credible. My latest theory, and worst of all, was that something was blocking my magic, something beyond my control.

  Just another obstacle, I told myself. I’ll figure it out.

  Says the girl who lost her magical dagger, lost her ability to fly, and now lost her magic.

  A heavy shoe connected with my gut. I grunted, and my arms instantly came to my abdomen, protecting from another blow.

  Time for my back-up plan. I swung my leg out to connect with the back of the girl’s ankle, then grabbed the knife out of my other shoe. She landed on her back on the ground, and her ax flew from her hand. The crowd shouted all sorts of things I couldn’t process. I quickly scrambled to my feet and loomed above her, shoving the blade of my knife up against her throat.

  Her face finally came into view. Shadows flickered across it from the torches, but there was no denying that I’d seen that face a thousand times before. The straight nose, pale skin, blue eyes… they were all just like mine, only slightly tweaked.

  All the air rushed out of my lungs. “Jenna?”

  She smiled up at me. “Hey, sis.”

  8

  I should’ve been overjoyed to see my sister, but all I could think was, A raccoon! You never told me you were a raccoon! Heck, I didn’t even know she was a shifter! Then again, I’d never gotten the chance to tell her I was one, either. I guess I should've assumed as much.

  “Jenna Bean?” I asked breathlessly.

  Her hand shot out to grab on to my wrist, forcing the knife away from her throat. “What? You expected someone else, Rugrat?”

  She spoke with such malice that I could hardly believe it was her. But there she was. Her hair was shorter, and she’d lost some weight, but it was definitely her.

  “Yeah,” I admitted. “I kinda did.”

  “Fight!” someone in the stands roared.

  Jenna responded by slugging me hard on the inside of my arm, where she knew from many scuffles as children was my weak spot. I dropped the dagger on instinct. Mostly, I was just too shocked to fight back.

  “What are you doing?” I demanded.

  “Beating you up,” she sneered. “What does it look like?”

  Jenna’s fist swung out again, connecting with the side of my jaw. The taste of copper filled my mouth. She jumped to her feet and readied herself for another blow.

  “J
enna,” I protested, still on my knees. “I’m not going to—”

  Her foot slammed into my chest, knocking the air from my lungs. Seriously, what was her problem? Had the vamps messed her up that badly? Oh, God. What had they done to her?

  That was all I could think as her fist connected with the side of my face again. Pain shot through my cheek, but I just couldn’t bring myself to fight back. Everything I’d done, all the vampires I’d killed, had been for her. Suddenly, it felt like maybe there’d been no purpose in becoming the Ravenite. Maybe I shouldn’t have come to Gregor Island at all.

  “Jenna, stop!” I cried.

  Her hands flew toward me again, but this time she didn’t hit me. Instead, she fisted her hands in my shirt and pulled my face close to hers.

  “I waited for you,” she hissed. “For two damn years. Do you have any idea how long that feels when you’re trapped on an effing island?”

  “Jenna, I’m sorry—”

  “Why didn’t you come sooner?” she snapped, delivering another blow.

  I barely felt it this time. I didn’t care. I deserved it, because she was right. I should’ve come sooner.

  “Because I—”

  “Because you’re selfish,” Jenna bit, tossing me across the ground.

  The momentum took me a mere foot from the edge of the cliff. I stole a quick glance at the steep drop, but I could barely process it. I was still trying to take in the fact that my sister was standing right in front of me after all this time. Jenna reached down and grabbed my clothes again, pulling me to my feet. She had a strong punch, and my eye was starting to swell because of it.

  “Are you going to kill me?” I whispered. I loved Jenna more than anything in the world, but this wasn’t the Jenna I knew. It broke my heart.

  She heaved my body upward and slammed me to the ground. The sound of cheers grew so loud around me that I hardly heard what she said when she bent to whisper in my ear.