I’m going to take the Queen's head.After I take Koen’s.
A BOOT KICKS INTO MY back, and I fall to the solid ground as I catch my breath. I moan and groan with agony, rolling my body on the ground as I hear a loud, metal door slam shut.
“I swear…” I grunt out. “I’m going to kill them… damn it, I hate this place.”
I’ve never taken a soul before and I promised myself Koen would be my first. I should have done it when I had the chance. But as they said, I am no killer.I have never been a killer.But now that I am on my own, I suppose I must fight anyone or anything that comes in my way to leave this place. Tilly must be trapped in the Darklands. There is no way she would be there willingly.
I rip the rough leather bag off my head, and my fists slam into the hard ground, sending up a cloud of dust particles that swirl around me. I cough as the gritty air fills my lungs, raising my arm to shield my face from the dirt.
As I glance through my arm, the sight of polished onyx boots and leather laces fills my vision, gleaming darkly under the dim light. I reluctantly let my gaze travel upward, my chest heaving.If it's Koen, I plan to attack. But as I trace him, from his midnight-black pants that hug his legs up to his belt where four silver daggers are attached at his hip, I catch his bare arms with his sleeves rolled to his elbows.
It isn’t Koen.
With a surge of adrenaline, I force myself upright, frantically scooting backward across the cold, solid floor until my back collides with a harsh beat against the metal door.
“A woman?” he scuffs with his arms crossed. “Theon, come take a look at this!”
My chest rises and falls at a rapid pace, my heart thumping against my chest, feeling as if it might just shoot right out of it. I can still feel the blood from my arm trickle down, but I don’t move. His curious stare makes my skin boil, but I glare back. His towering figure looms over me, casting a shadow over my body. His long, midnight-black hair cascades nearly to his waist, and his wavy strands blend perfectly with the surrounding darkness.
Yet, it is his eyes that captivate me… a vivid teal tinged with a fiery ginger halo encircling his cornea, shining with such intensity it pierces through the gloom. As if the stars are sparkling through his eyes. My gaze drifts from his soft lips to his ears, subtly protruding outward from his dark waves.
“Wha—” I choke on my words. “What thehellare you?”
He is taken back, his chin dipping in as his brow lifts. “I’m sorry,” he tilts his head to the side, “what did you ask me?”
“Your ears.”
I feel nausea rushing up my throat. I am not supposed to be here. My hands grab at my chest, trying to breathe as the corners of my eyes darken.Shit. Don’t pass out.
A man approaches, his hair a striking shade of icy white, woven into two long braids that start from his forehead and gracefully cascade down his back as the rest of his hair flows down to his mid back. A few untamed strands escape the braids, falling messily in front of his face, adding a touch of wildness to his presence. Reminding me of Koen, which makes my teeth grind.
He wraps his broad arm around the man with pointed ears. Four daggers are wrapped around his left arm, their silver blades shimmering in the flickering light above us that dares to give out any second.
“Has she never been to the realm of Ekane?” The man with braids gives me a concerned look. “Most women always run off to the sky.”
The sky? What the hell is happening?
“I’m going mad.” My eyes widen in terror as I begin to gently slam my head against the steel wall. “I’m going mad!”
“Woah…” The man with daggers wrapped around his broad bicep kneels down towards me. “She might be crazy.”
“I am not crazy!” I screech, my head shaking as I rub my eyes. “This shouldn’t be possible.”
“What… being thrown into the battle games?” The man with pointed ears shrugs. “We do it every year.”
I rest my elbow on my knee, dazing out to the dark corridor and noticing the bunk beds that are scattered around the room. My trembling hand lifts to my lip. “I’ll never be able to find her,” I whisper under my breath. “I'm going to die here because ofhim.”
“I’m Kaine.” He brushes his midnight locks behind his pointed ear, completely ignoring my panic. “And this is Theon.”
He nods, one of his braids falling over his thick chest.
“Welcome to the games.” Theon pauses. “Your name?”
“Serene.” I glare at them both before scanning the beds once again.
One.
Two.
