“Because this is supposed to a battle of skills, not a brawl where the dragons win by brute force.”
“I really don’t see the difference. It takes skill to fight as a dragon, too.”
“Rules are rules.”
I huffed and turned away from Charmingface, directing my attention to my enemy and the area surrounding him.
I eyed Cendri and Aland, who stood amongst the students. Their perfection allowed them to stand out despite blending in the shadows. “I want a weapon,” I said. “I was promised one. I’m starting to doubt what you fae said about not being able to lie, because all I’ve experienced since coming here is deception.”
Charmingface spun toward Nemreth. “Could we—”
“Why should I provide my enemy with the means to beat me?” Nemreth asked.
“I was promised,” I growled. “You told me you’d give me a weapon, and I want it. Are promises meaningless here? Are the fae so lax with their words that—”
“Hmmm,” Charmingface said. “No need to slander the reputation of our entire race just because you don’t get what you want. She doesn’t seem happy, Nemreth. Are you sure about this? You could allow the poor girl at least a weapon. A fight this unfair just doesn’t seem right.”
“It’s unfair whether she has a weapon or not.” Nemreth sighed, still wearing a patronizing expression. “Somebody give her a sword. Does that soothe your feelings, princess?”
The awfully sweet way he asked caused a nerve on my forehead to twitch.
I huffed. “You mentioned something about confidence in an earlier lesson. I hope you don’t have too much of it.”
“My confidence isn’t misplaced.”
Charmingface moved toward the audience. A moment later, he returned with a glass sword in his hand. “Catch!” he shouted, tossing it toward me. I lifted my hand and grabbed the weapon.
Immediately, I sank into fire stance and readied myself. Around me, the pressure faded away. I homed in on my target, giving him all my attention. I always got like this whenever I dueled. I awaited the call for the duel to start.
“I haven’t given my terms,” Nemreth said. “If I win, you return to Constanria. I do think the king has a point about inviting dragon-kind here, but Cendri is vehemently against the idea.”
“Why’d you agree with the fae king, then?”
“I was hoping that Cendri might change his mind. I don’t hate you, princess. I do admire your spirit. But I was unable to convince Cendri, and it’s always his feelings that I’m most concerned about. I had to change my decision because of that.”
“I agree to your terms. Enough talk,” I said. “Let’s fight.”
Nemreth chuckled. “You’re too eager to get beaten.”
I slowed my breathing. It was dark in the pit. And the thousands of pixies were a distraction. They couldn’t seem to stop getting in the way. The brightness only came from the glowing of the pixie wings, and they constantly flashed, disorienting me. And the ball of energy in the center of the pit wouldn’t stop whirring. It was a constant sound, however, and it helped me focus.
Charmingface stepped to the center of the pit. A glowing amber flag had appeared in his hand. It seemed to be made of magic. He waved it back and forth. “The moment this flag disappears,” he said, “the duel shall begin.”
I counted the number of times Charmingface waved it.
One.
Two.
Three.
It vanished, and Charmingface along with it.
I tightened my grip on my sword.
“Hello,” Nemreth said, flashing right before me.
My breath hitched in my throat. Nobody should be able to move that fast. Not even Kael did.
He gestured upward, and I shot upward.
The pixies were chanting, cheering Nemreth on as he pinned me to the ceiling. “Defeat her. Defeat her!” I pushed against the force of his magic with my weight. I wanted to demand that he let me down. It was just like royalty to demand things, but I was certain my frustration would only please the gloating fae, and so I focused my efforts on fighting against Nemreth’s terrible magic.
“Glacilis provoto,” I whispered, calling to my own magic. Ice wisped around my fingers, but the chilling sensation dissipated quickly, and the soul beads I kept in Mayhem’s pouch dimmed, losing their essence with nothing to show for it.
Nemreth laughed. “You try to use your weak dragon-kind spells against the fae? Are you stupid?”
The amount of power Nemreth wielded was ridiculous. I doubted even Gaius, my father who was the most adept at spells, could defeat Nemreth. And I was told that my fathers were sons of Gaean himself.
My response was a useless cry and a futile attempt to pull my arm free.
“If you beg,” Nemreth said, “I just might change my mind.”
I spat at him.
He stepped aside, my spit landing beside him. “Hm. That’s not good.”
I hissed. Being pressed so hard to the ceiling hurt me, and an ache at the back of my head began. The pixies liked that I was locked in such a vulnerable position. They flew around me, zipping back and forth while tugging at my hair or pinching at my skin every so often. Their hands weren’t very large, but still, those pinches hurt. They giggled as they tormented me, finding far too much enjoyment in my pain.
“Since you won’t beg,” Nemreth said, “I’ll ask nicely. Admit defeat, or I’ll have to humiliate you in different ways. I can keep this up for a long time, but I don’t have the patience. And if you do think to spit again…” It was as if he was reading my mind. I needed to be more original with my means of fighting back, but I didn’t have many other choices. “I’ll strip you. Right in front of the rest of the fae.”
He wouldn’t really do that, would he? The indignity of it would be too much. It was one thing to be naked through choice—if I displayed my body to the fae willingly, I’d be embracing the beauty of my own form, being comfortable in my own skin. It was different when I had no choice, when I was stripped against my will. The act seemed vile. How could he demean me like that?
“Ah,” Nemreth said. “Still headstrong. How could I forget? You enjoy displaying your body.”
“It’s not that…”
“I could invoke an orgasm, too. With magic. How would you like that? Your face of pleasure, shown to all of the fae.”
“That’s disgusting.” The taunt made me absolutely abhor Nemreth. How had I been drawn to him earlier? He was meaner than even Cendri. I had failed to see what a terrible person he was, which made his actions hurt even more.
Nemreth curled his tongue over his bottom lip. Was he trying to tease me into being attracted to him? He might have an entrancing face, but his shitty personality made him ugly.
“Call it,” Aland said from amongst the crowd. “You’ve lost, Lyra. Just admit defeat and we can return to our training.”
“Don’t let her off easy,” Nemreth replied.
“She’ll go home either way. Knock her out.”
Nemreth tugged my vest down to threaten me. “All you’ll have to do is admit that your people are a dishonest, insufferable bunch. Tell us that Constanria is filled with barbarians who go back on their word.”
But I was too loyal to say that. “It’s not true. Aren’t you the one who lied to me?”
“Say it.” The green of Nemreth’s irises flashed. He was enjoying the power trip. He didn’t have to torment me like this, but he was getting a kick out of seeing me, the helpless foreigner, subject to his will. “It’s not that hard an admission.”
I couldn’t take this anymore. I doubted there would be enough room for me to maneuver in this small cavern, but I called to my inner beast. I waited for the yellow, flashing light to come, and for my bones to contort and expand.
Nemreth lifted a hand and balled it into a fist. With that, it felt like a channel in me closed, and I was unable to shift. “Sorry, princess, but that would be cheating. You’re making my point clear with your bad conduct.” I wa
nted nothing more than to make Nemreth eat his lies before killing him. “So disobedient,” he said.
“I hope you and all your loved ones d—”
An invisible force slapped me across the face. My breath caught in my throat. That stung. The force of it was so great that my ears rang. I seethed, clenching my teeth together. “Say that you’re from a country of scumbags.” He slapped me again, then pried me from the wall. He released me from his magic and I crashed to the ground.
“Admit that your ancestors hurt the fae.”
I was thrown across the arena and landed before Cendri’s boots. Cendri lightly kicked my head away. That was terribly demeaning. I steeled my nerves before pushing myself to my feet.
“I won’t say things that are untrue,” I said.
“Even if it means your life?”
I nodded. My family deserved better.
“You fool. It’s always better to choose to live another day. Time is precious, even if it does last a long time for both our kinds.”
“I forfeit,” I said. I had to admit that I was no match for Nemreth, even if the fire in me refused to die. I held no candle to the fae, and I couldn’t see a way to escape. Were all the fae this strong?
Nemreth laughed, his eyes crinkling. “You can’t do that.”
“Let me be defeated!” A blow to the head shouldn’t be hard. Not when he had me in his grasp, my body subjected to his magic’s will. “P-please…” My cheeks heated from shame. I was happy Kaji couldn’t be here. What would he think? It would be his first time seeing me in such a vulnerable position. Gods, I wanted to go home so bad.
To make his point clear, Nemreth lifted me into the air again, before throwing me to the other side of the pit with his magic. I smashed into the side, my arm scraping against the rocky surface. Before I had time to recover, Nemreth swung me over the ground, the jagged edges of the rock tearing my skin off. I smelled my own blood, the stench of iron filling my lungs.
The pixies continued to chant. “Defeat her!” They laughed and chattered as they zipped around me.
But when my eyes met those of the other fae judging me from the darkness, I sensed that even this was too much for them. Their expressions were dead serious. Nemreth was going too far.
I felt so helpless and useless.
Before I could take a long look at the fae, I was snatched from the ground again. With a few careless motions, Nemreth thrust me toward the glowing ball of energy in the middle of the pit. I sucked in a sharp breath as the power from the energy reached toward me, curling around my fingers. The energy longed for me. Why?
“It’s easy to end this, princess,” Nemreth said. “It might not even be lying. You can speak the truth of Constanria.”
The rage that boiled in me grew uncontrollable. My family might have been crazy, but I loved them with every inch of my heart. Nemreth could cross me. He could speak ill of me. But how could he spread such lies about my family? The pain and humiliation consumed me. My fingernails had lengthened into claws, and my eyesight had heightened, letting me know that my eyes were flashing yellow. A low growl rumbled from my chest. I racked my mind for the ways I could defeat him.
But there was just too much power.
Nemreth tugged me toward him. I zipped across the pit then hovered in front of him, my feet lightly brushing the ground. Nemreth regarded me coolly. I sensed desire in the way he looked at me, but I hated him so much that the attraction I felt for him disgusted me.
“You’re a stubborn one,” Nemreth said. “I’ll give you that.”
“Just end this,” I pleaded. “I’ll go home right after.”
“But it’s so fun to toy with you. It’s a pity you’re not enjoying this as much as I am.” Nemreth studied me like I was his test subject. He reached for my chin.
“Don’t touch me,” I said.
“Hm,” he replied. “You are uniquely pretty. It’d be a shame when I no longer get to see your face, with you returning to Constanria.” His tone was sickeningly sweet.
I bared my teeth at him. Being swung around like that had made my vision turn hazy. I was so tired, and even the teasing pixies failed to bother me. I merely wished for all of this to end. The tip of his finger brushed my face. With that, it was like a force in me awoke. I swung my arm upward and grabbed his neck. Blue magic zapped from my hand, shocking Nemreth. His green eyes changed to the same blue as the magic.
The world around me stilled.
I heard my own heartbeat pounding inside my ears. Nemreth’s power stopped wrapping around me. I felt clarity as I stared Nemreth down.
Somehow, I just knew that he’d turn into my puppet.
Let me down, I thought. His hold on me dropped and I landed on my feet. I caught my balance as soon as I regained freedom, my prior training returning to me. Stay still.
Nemreth blinked. His eyes glazed over, and he looked ahead as if in a daze.
I had gained control of him. I peered at the ball of energy. What was it? Why had it given me such power? I decided not to question my good fortune. Aereala had blessed me by giving me a lifeline, and I needed to use it to get what I wanted.
I smirked at Nemreth. He displayed no confusion or panic and merely continued standing there, swaying back and forth with his hands at his sides. Whispers broke out amongst the crowd, no doubt about how they despised the fact that I was winning, or how they hadn’t seen this coming.
“What did you do to him?” Cendri growled from amidst the spectators. His anger thrilled me.
The pixies hated that I was winning. Perhaps that was why Nemreth had chosen this location for our battle; he knew I’d be at a disadvantage. As soon as I gained the upper hand, the little pests flew quicker around me to blind me. They grew increasingly annoying, their wings buzzing and buzzing.
“Go back to Constanria!” one shouted.
“You’re ugly! Ugly!” another added.
The insults and jeers did not stop, but with Nemreth under my command, victory was far too easy for me to obtain.
Knock yourself out, I ordered him through my thoughts.
Nemreth ran through a swarm of pixies, across the pit, and smashed himself against the nearest rock. A smack sounded through the pit, made louder in the quiet.
Nemreth fell unconscious.
The pixies stopped bothering me. Their wings ceased flapping and their shrill voices went quiet, just like the rest of the spectators.
This outcome.
I hadn’t expected it.
Charmingface strolled up to me with an amused expression, unlike the worried looks the others gave me. “An interesting turn of events,” he said. “I suppose you’re the victor. Congratulations, princess.”
He clapped for me.
But nobody else joined him.
Twelve
“Smells a lot less like horse dung here,” I said as I trailed behind Charmingface to the new barracks. The interior of the students’ barracks was pleasant. My dragon sense of smell enjoyed the fresh scent of foliage and dirt. Rows upon rows of rooms were lined up next to each other, and the principal led me toward my new lodgings.
Charmingface glanced over his shoulder, regarding me. “What you did there was impressive. Have you heard the rumors?”
“No. I’m assuming since I’m not well liked, I should avoid them.”
“They aren’t bad ones this time. Most of them are impressed by your display.”
“How so?”
“The fae are curious about how you managed to defeat one of the triad. They’re the most powerful fae around.”
One of the doors opened. A horned, short-snouted male, a student, walked out. He looked at me with catlike eyes. As soon as he recognized me, he closed the door again. Did he fear me? He sure acted like he did.
Charmingface chuckled. “Word has spread. They’re calling you the Feared Princess now.” He was grinning.
I shrugged. “I don’t even know how I did it.”
The principal slowed. “I might have a clue.”
<
br /> I cocked my head in question.
“You used Rakarth’s essence.”
“The energy ball in the center of the pit?”
He nodded. “It’s a conduit of Rakarth’s magic. They say that when Rakarth died, his energy was split all over the fae lands, gathering in different areas of Thesnan. Mostly, they’re just beautiful balls of energy that the pixies like to fly around. They do, however, help the fae channel their natural magic better. It’s one reason why Nemreth picked that place. My guess was that he wanted an advantage.”
“The cheater,” I muttered. I wasn’t surprised at this point.
“It backfired on him,” Charmingface said. “You used the essence against him.” He fiddled with the tip of his beard. “It’s puzzling, however. I don’t think any other fae could have used the well like you did. Cendri senses fae magic in you. It’s odd. It shouldn’t be the case.”
“I haven’t wrapped my head around that matter, either.” I sniffed. “I’m my mother’s child, and my father is dragon-kind. There’s no way I have fae blood.”
Charmingface scratched his head. “We’ve sent inquiries to the mage meister. Maybe he’ll know a thing or two about what happened. He’s been spending too much time with that new wife of his. He’s been neglecting his duties more ever since that Bellquaine’s arrival. Sacrificed his powers for her, too. What a nut.”
I wasn’t sure what he was talking about. I would have pressed, but we’d stopped in front of a door. Charmingface fished out a key from his pocket. It was made of glass, just like the new weapon I’d been given. “Here,” he said, passing the key to me. “Your new home, as promised.”
I took it from him. “You’re actually giving me my room? I had a feeling I wouldn’t receive this.” I unlocked the door.
“And why?”
“Because you fae go back on your word all the time.” I used the edge of my boot to push the door open. “It’s funny, ’cause you guys can’t seem to stop talking about your inability to lie.”
Charmingface toyed with his beard more. “We’re not allowed to do it, hence why it’s so appealing to us.”
“Will the students mess with me less now?” I asked. “I did defeat Nemreth and all. I’ve earned a title for myself.”
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