The Arena

by Bradford Bates

  Seriously, what did this change? Who says stuff like that? It was almost as if he got lost inside of his own thoughts and forgot I was even there in the room with him. “So what does this change?”

  Adam’s eyes fell on me, obviously being pulled from some internal memory. “There is a prophecy that says when a child is born between a Gifted and a Lycan that Demons will rise again. It was thought that it would be almost nearly impossible for that to happen. Both races have extremely low fertility rates, and that would only matter if it was even possible for a Gifted and a Lycan to have a child together at all. The Council further ensured those odds by starting a war against their kind after the prophecy was foretold.”

  Adam favored me with a kind smile before continuing. “I had renewed our relationship with the Lycans here in America, much to the Council’s displeasure. In the early 1900s, I had such a couple working under me, and they helped to stop the Demons while falling deeply in love. The Council worked to break apart our organization, and with the help of a spy, that same couple was eventually killed. I always thought their son died with them, but here you are today.”

  I had to take a moment to think about what Adam had just said. My father was clearly one of the Gifted, and that made my mom . . . what? A werewolf. I wondered what that would mean for me. Obviously I had inherited use of the gift; would I also inherit something from my mother? Did Adam say 1900s? That would have made my parents at least one hundred years old when they had me. “So what does that mean for me? In class, it seemed as if the Lycans were our enemies and we would be hunting them.”

  Adam slowly moved back to his chair and sat down. “I guess that remains to be seen. Our move away from the Council has bought us some additional time, but it won’t last forever. Eventually they will come for you. If your last battle in the arena was any indication, they already have. As for who your mother was, it won’t mean a thing in the Ascendancy. We have worked with the Lycans in the past, and now, without the Council’s oversight, hopefully we will again. You could probably tell that the teaching material had a heavy Council influence. Now we can break away from that and teach you the way we truly operate.”

  He let those words sink in before continuing. “We have to move forward and work at reestablishing old alliances. It will be harder for us to do so than ever before. The betrayal that killed your parents also affected many of our Lycan partners. I doubt they will be eager to work with us again. We also need to get you and the rest of the students ready to defend yourselves. Without the fear of the Council to shield us, we have become targets for both the Gifted and the Pretenders.”

  That was a lot to take in, and I was still thinking about my vision. So the Council might send other Gifted to fight us. To kill us? We also had to worry about enforcing the accords and policing the Pretenders. Not to mention, Demons had reentered the world. This wasn’t going to be easy, but nothing in life that mattered was.

  Adam watched me before speaking again. “We need to prepare the students for what is coming. Now is the time we shift the focus on how you learn and where you learn it. Students need to learn out in the world instead of in class. The Demons will be setting up seats of power until they are ready to strike us again. The road ahead is filled with danger, and you especially will be tested many times. Surround yourself with people you can trust.”

  My entire life until now had felt like a struggle. Thinking that I was losing my mind had only been the beginning. The loss of family and friends still haunted me, but now I had new friends—in time, maybe a new family. Adam was looking at the negative. There would be dark days ahead, but there would also be life, and love.

  I turned my thoughts back to Adam. “Can you tell me more about the prophecy?”

  “I have already addressed most of it.” He rubbed his beard in thought. “Your visions have shown you some of the events that led to where we are now. Your parents falling in love, a pact made with the Demons, the battle in the arena, and finally the rise of a greater Demon. Outside of that, the prophecy is really not clear. It could go in either direction, based on the different paths you choose. The redeemer or the destroyer—in the end the choice will be yours.”

  I was still thinking back to my vision of my parents. Other than seeing their picture for a brief moment, I had never seen them. I wanted to burn their image into my mind. I never wanted to forget what they looked like again.

  Now I had to start to focus on what was coming my way. Life was going to get harder now. I was being thrust into another situation that I did not fully understand. Whatever happened, at least I had friends who would stand by me. Friends who would dedicate their lives to making sure the Demons never had a chance to win.

  A knock sounded at the door, and Adam spoke. “Ah, it looks like we have company.”

  I was happy to see April and Marcus walk in. Both of them were beaming. I couldn’t help but smile back. Then I saw a face peek around Marcus’s back before rushing toward me. Britta! As I was thinking her name, her warm body slammed into me, wrapping me into a hug. It seemed a near-death experience also earned you a kiss on the cheek, which I accepted gracefully—if turning beet red counts as being graceful.

  Marcus broke my embarrassment by saying, “It’s good to see you again, bro; we all thought you were dead for sure.”

  “I’ll take that as you are happy to see me, and not as a slight on my magical prowess.”

  “Good, because that is exactly what it was.”

  I looked at April and Marcus. “If not for you two, I probably would have been dead. The training and extra work we did together is really what kept me alive.”

  Britta just sat there holding my hand. I got the impression she felt like if she let go, I would disappear. Marcus was eyeing the staff I was holding, and April just kept giving Adam nervous glances. I had a feeling she hadn’t expected to be so close to the leader of the Ascendancy again so quickly.

  Adam made a motion for me to join him at his desk for a moment. He had silently moved toward it as we had been talking. He placed a box on his desk and pushed it toward me. “Take this with you when you go, and for God’s sake, keep it safe. It belonged to your father.”

  “Thank you again, Adam, for giving me these things. I’d like to come back and talk with you about my parents sometime.”

  I could see the sadness in his eyes. I knew speaking of them was hard for him. I wanted to find out why. “That can be arranged.”

  He motioned for us to leave. I tossed my staff over to Marcus so I could carry the box with both hands. “Let’s head back to my room so we can talk.”

  April and Marcus led the way. Britta walked next to me as we made our way back to my room. Once we were securely inside, I let out a deep breath I hadn’t realized I had been holding in. I was alive, and I had friends who cared about me. There was one question burning in my mind. What’s in the box?

  Marcus called down to the kitchen while I headed back to take a quick shower and get cleaned up. I hoped that the kitchen would make an exception for us and send up some food. After being awake for a while now, I was starting to feel famished. The water eased away some of the stress that was left behind from the fight. With a clean set of clothes on, I made my way back out to my friends.

  I was happy to see, when I entered my living room, that all three of them were having a conversation together. I had been worried that April and Marcus wouldn’t want Britta around. I was ecstatic to find out that wasn’t the case. I continued my walk into the room; the smell of warm garlic bread and a hint of sausage let me know a huge bowl of pasta was coming my way.

  I took a seat on the couch next to Britta, and she slid the box Adam had given me into my lap. I just sat there staring at it.

  Marcus broke the tension. “Seriously, bro, open it already.”

  I let out a little chuckle as I unlatched the lock. Opening the box revealed two short swords wrapped in an oilskin cloth. They were about the size of the escrima sticks that April and I trained with on a regular
basis. There was also a leather harness wedged into the end of the box. I stood up and set the box down on the ground, removing one of the blades. I spun it around in my hand before passing it around the room for everyone to check out.

  April picked up the sword and spun it around. “The balance on this seems perfect, Jackson. Whoever your father was, he had excellent taste in his blades.”

  I smiled inwardly at the thought that one day I would walk into battle with my father’s swords strapped to my back. I looked around the room at all of my friends and felt a sense of being at the right place at the right time fall over me. I was going to need them going forward, more so than ever before.

  All of us headed to the table, ready to chow down on some pasta. As we sat around the table stuffing our faces full of garlicky goodness, I filled in my friends on what Adam had told me. The mood changed slightly at the reveal of all that was to come, but not in the way I expected. April’s eyes sparkled at the thought of the battles to come. She was a true warrior. Marcus looked like he was in deep thought. As much as he liked to pretend to be completely laid back, he planned out almost everything. Britta looked slightly shocked, but she placed a hand on my leg and gave it a little squeeze. I knew she would stand beside me as our relationship grew.

  The road ahead was going to be filled with ups and downs, and it was more than likely that one of us would eventually end up dead. No matter what happened, I would stand and fight, and it felt better knowing I had people who would stand by my side.

  The darkness was coming, and I was ready.

  Also by Bradford Bates

  Available On Kindle Unlimited

  After reading this, did you want to find out more about Jackson’s parents? I know that I found their characters to be interesting enough to continue writing about them. Check out Ascendancy Origins book one Rise of the Fallen. You can pick up your copy here http://amzn.to/1lxLGOo

  Interested in finding out what happens to Jackson next? Check out book two of the Ascendancy Legacy Series on Amazon. Jar of Souls can be purchased here. http://amzn.to/25JslMO

  Maybe looking for something a little more science fiction, well I have that too. Check out the Fortune Hunters Series. Book one Star Talon can be found here. http://amzn.to/1r8ZoJL

  Author’s Note

  If you liked the book and have a spare moment, please consider leaving a review. Reviews are the lifeblood of any independent author, and are always greatly appreciated. I heard somewhere that every review might, just possibly, earn me a cookie, and I love cookies. Maybe if I’m extremely lucky those review could turn into tacos. Don’t you want to help me earn tacos, and cookies.

  I have to start by thanking my wife as always. Without her unwavering support, none of this would be possible. Thank you for everything you do. I couldn’t do it without you, babe! The late nights, the secret brownies, you lift me up when I’ve fallen down.

  I would also like to thank you, yes, you, the reader, for picking this book up and giving it a chance. I hoped you enjoyed the story. Jackson’s tale continues in Jar of Souls. If two books aren’t enough for you, then get ready for the third book to launch June 2016.

  I have to give a special shout out to the designer of the new cover on this title. Rebecca, you did an amazing job bringing Jackson to life. If you need a cover, you can find her here. http://bookcovers.rebeccafrank.design

  A special place in my heart exists for my three furry minions. Blizz, the destroyer of worlds, Handsome Jack aka Jackson, and their minion, Cisco Ramon, who won’t let a face go without kisses for too long. Without your daily tail wagging and uncontrollable love and your ability to snap me out of any funk, I seriously doubt anything would ever be accomplished.