Of Silver and Beasts (36 page)

Our kiss deepens, and I wrap my arms around his neck, bringing him closer. Not caring that the other contenders are watching. Then too soon, the horn sounds and we break apart.

The goddesses have aligned the stars for this very moment. All the players are in place, and we’re all placing bets right along with the gamblers in the stands.

It’s time.

Bax turn to us and says, “Give them a good show, contenders.”

We line up at the barred door. Quiet. Determined. Three matches until we make a stand against the ring leaders. Some will not walk away from death, but I trust Bax to free as many as possible.

The door to Krewl’s chamber opens, and Kai steps out. My legs go numb, my body shakes, but I hold steady, believing everything is the will of the goddesses. Collar’s door grinds open, and a tall, muscled contender runs into the ring. He pumps his fists in the air, calling the cheers of the crowd.

The announcer shouts out the fighters—Kai and Tor—and my mind churns so violently that I miss Tor’s ranking. It really doesn’t matter, though. Kai is a seasoned Nactue. She’s had the best chance to become the reigning victor from the start.

She looks much younger and vulnerable without her eye makeup. Her hair is pulled back in a low ponytail, and her pants are rolled up past her shins. She circles the lofty contender. He strikes first and she blocks his blow easily, then sends her knee into his stomach. They dance around the ring like this, connecting and blocking, trading punches, until the horn blares and the weapons drop down.

Kai reaches for a sword just as Tor jumps for a spear. The breath I’ve been holding releases in a relieved exhale. She’s a protector, and the sword is our practiced weapon. She can do this. A cackle sounds inside my head, and I back away from the bars.

I’m tired of the dark goddess taunting me. I wish I could open my vein right now and free myself of the silver conduit swimming in my blood. But I have to hold on—just a while longer.

Tor is only a man. So far, I haven’t seen any Otherworlder mutations on him. It’s a fair fight for Kai, and she wields her sword like a goddess herself. As the spear lunges for her head, she knocks it to the side and thrusts her blade toward Tor.

His side is lanced, and his knees buckle, sending him to the ground. The crowd chants, demanding his death. Kai looks to me, and I nod. She has to do this. She’ll have time to seek forgiveness later, but right now, we’re in a war of our own.

She raises the sword above her head, wrenches a cry from her lungs, and drives it through the back of Tor’s neck. It’s a quick death. A merciful one. The only thing she can offer him.

The announcer calls the winner, and Kai turns her back to the roaring crowd and walks to the chamber. Her head is bowed, and I can feel the shame rolling off her.

She’s a Nactue. A protector. This is not what we spent years training to become. A killer.

Glancing to the risers, I spot the dark priest. His pale face alight, his thin lips turned up in a crooked smile. I can nearly feel the mercury seethe beneath my skin. Maybe the goddesses will grant me one swift blow to the bastard before this is over.

“We’re getting closer,” Caben says. He locks his arm around my waist and brings me to his side. I savor the warmth, the feel of his body pressed against mine.

After Tor’s body is removed from the Cage, the announcer calls forth two more contenders. Crew and Carnage.

“At least I’ll get one kill in,” Crew says as he walks past. He beats his chest once, and enters the Cage.

Caben glances at me and I raise an eyebrow. “Do you still trust him?” I ask.

“Yes,” he says. “I trust that he’ll keep his word because it serves him.”

I agree with his logic. Crew and Carnage meet in the middle of the Cage. My eyes roam over both contenders. They’re nearly the same size, and nothing but huge stacks of muscles. Carnage still favors his left leg as he did when we fought. Crew’s overconfidence in gaining a kill worries me. Though Carnage has his weaknesses, he’s still a fierce opponent.

Even if the Nactue weren’t able to sway all of the contenders in their leagues, Crew will solidify our alliance. If Crew wins, then we have the advantage, and will easily defeat the contenders not standing with us while we take on the ring leaders.

Collar must be out of his crazed head right now. He only has one contender going into the final, free-for-all battle. I know he pitted Cannon against me instead of Caben to take me out early. He wanted Primal and Cannon in the final battle. But his loss is our gain. He knows that the contenders will take out Primal before they turn on each other, and he paces his chamber. He yanks on the spiked collar around his neck, watching each blow the contenders send closely.

I turn my back on the bloody scene. Crew is my league mate, but I’ll be experiencing the bloodshed soon enough. I need one moment of solitude. I close my eyes and attempt to block out the noise.

The crowd stomps, cheering like they do when a killing blow has been delivered. My eyes snap open. I look over to Bax, and he shakes his head. Crew has fallen.

My body thrums with tension. I spin around and stare into the Cage, my stomach tumbling. Crew’s body is splayed out over the black floor of the Cage. Carnage looms over it. He kicks dirt on the body of his dead foe.

No
.

I march over to Bax. “There’s no need for the next fight,” I whisper. “Collar’s league is through, but we may need an extra contender.” I glance over to the lone feather brother. “Kaide and Lilly don’t have to—”

“Protector,” Bax interrupts, his eyes hard on me. “I need the contenders to create a distraction at the right moment for this to work. This has to be done in order for everything to align. I’m sorry.”

I shake my head, anger boiling in the pit of my stomach. “You said nothing of this before.” I glare at him. “If the Nactue weren’t successful in swaying the remaining contenders, it will be a close battle—too evenly matched. And we may not have enough numbers on our side to pull it off.”

Bax levels me with a knowing look. “Your sister will not fail.” He glances at Kaide. “And it’s a sacrifice he’ll make that will save many.”

“You scum,” I say. “He’s unaware of that sacrifice. We can draw out the stand-off. You don’t have to send Kaide out there.”

“Stop—” His red eyes rake over my face. He shakes his head, and I take a step backward.
Alyah, help him
. He presses his pale fingers to his temples, and says, “I won’t stand a chance against My Liege if he’s not taken completely by surprise. Just do as I say.”

His eyes have returned to black. I look at the ground and then at the Cage. I don’t want Lilly to fight. And I feel that Kaide would join us if we show him mercy right now. But I know Bax is right. Glancing to the corner, I watch Kaide prepare to enter the Cage. I swear under my breath and head for the barred door.

Caben intercepts me before I reach the bars. “She’ll be fine, Kal,” he says, his eyes searching mine. “She’ll make it.”

“I know.” I nod. “I know she will.”

When the horn echoes through the Otherworld, my chest tightens with anticipation. I latch on to the bars as I wait to see my best friend enter the Cage.

They’ve been staring each other down for minutes now, neither one willing to make the first move. The Otherworlders sling insults and curses from the risers, and the dark priest watches with a scowl etched on his pasty face.

“One of them has to strike,” Caben says, his hand gripping the bars just as tightly as mine.

“They’re going to fuck everything up,” Lena snarls. She levels me with a cool glare. “I thought you said your protectors were in? What the is she doing?”

“Shut the hell up, Lena,” Caben snaps, and grips my hand. “It doesn’t matter. They’ll toss us all in, regardless.”

I turn my back to them and stomp toward Bax. “Put us in,” I say. “Now.”

He shakes his head. “Your girl better fight or else the priest will have them both killed.”

I run toward the barred door and shout, “Lilly!” Her head jerks my way, but it’s too late. Three guards are already entering the Cage. The dark priest follows behind them, a vissa display covering one eye.

“Otherworlders,” his raspy voice booms. “This is your sport, your bets. Would you have these contenders slain for breaking the rules?”

Glancing around at the standing crowd, I take in the glowing red eyes of the Otherworlders. They’re silent—their minds are not their own. At once, they shout for the contenders’ death.

Panic spurs my chest and I push Bax aside. He stumbles backward, and I lunge toward the controls on the side of the door. I slam my hand against the blue button and the giant gears spin. The door begins to open.

“Kal!” Caben calls as he darts toward me. One guard latches on to him while the other raises his rod to strike me—but I’m already slipping through the cracked opening.

The dark priest’s eyes lock on to me, and I jerk to a stop mid-run. Something wraps around my neck, squeezing off my air supply. I claw at my neck, trying to break whatever hold is there, but there’s nothing. Just the stale air of this realm. The priest sneers as I gasp and try to gulp in air.

“Place your bets, gamblers,” the priest shouts. “Eleven contenders are about to face-off for the freedom ring!” The Otherworld rocks as a clap of thunder crashes, and the projected sky webs with lightning.

More guards move into the Cage, steering steam-powered carts of boiling mercury. The cogged wheels grind against the black dirt as the tubes pump the mineral into the trench surrounding the inner cage.

Above my head, a hiss spits out, and pneumatic pipes pump along the bars. Copper tubes drop from the center of the Cage and mercury rains down. Silver beads and pools together along the dark ground.

I’m still trying to fight off the unseen hold choking me as they fill the ditch to the brim. Mercury spills onto the earth, meeting and connecting with the silver bubbling over the hard dirt. Another boom of thunder sounds from above. I manage to look up, and the blood-red ring circling the moon bleeds across the black sky.

A sliver of darkness slides against the pale orb—the eclipse. Everything is aligning for Bale. The Reckoning. The ritual.

The dark priest raises his hand and spreads his fingers wide. Air rushes into my lungs and I fall to my knees. Mercury seeps into my pants, beading against the material. The doors to the chambers groan open, and the guards use their electric rods to force the contenders to the center of the Cage.

“Kal . . .” Caben leans over and grasps my arm. “Are you all right?” He runs his fingers over my neck. I give a stiff nod. “Okay. All right.” He presses his lips to my forehead before backing away. “You and Lena take Primal. Kadie and I have Carnage.”

“What—no,” I say. Caben can’t fight the contender that took down Crew. “We’ll fight Carnage if he won’t stand with us. The Nactue can help you—”

“Kal, Bax showed me the placement on his screen. There’s no way you and Lena can get to him before he—”

“Before he gets to you.” Carnage is in position to battle Caben. “Do anything you have to do to stop him. But don’t kill, Caben. Don’t light your cuff.” I quickly name off the weaknesses I discovered while fighting Carnage to him before he takes his spot.

Lena joins my side, and I massage my aching neck. Kaide never officially joined us, but by refusing to fight Lilly, he’s made his stand. “No one touches Kaide,” I say.

Lena steps up to me. “This better work, protector.” Her violet eyes slant, and she whips her hair around as she marches to the center of the mercury-sealed ring.

Lilly rushes over, wrapping her arms around me. “I’m sorry, Kal,” she says, her voice thick with regret. “I couldn’t fight him. I thought I could—”

“Shh,” I soothe, rubbing my hand over her back and tangled curls. “I’m sorry about Willa.” I pull back and stare into her glistening, amber eyes. “I’m sorry for so much, but know that I love you. You didn’t ruin anything.”

She nods quickly. “Whatever happens—I love you, too. I’ll see you again.”