He kneeled before me again. This time, his hands rested around my thighs, gripping me with desperation. “Ro, you have a queen on your side. Leave now and screw what Taja wants.”
I stared at my cloth wrapped hands, shaking my head. “His soldiers are posted all over the kingdom. I wouldn’t be able to sneak out.”
“Then take the mountains.”
Mountains hugged the entirety of Windguard, save for the strip from the Splits to the ocean, and the break from Witches Pass.
“I’m not equipped to travel those, and I don’t know how long it would take me to cross them. Trust me, I’ve already considered every possible way out of this, but there’s only one that guarantees their safety.” I raised my hands between us, displaying the only form of protection I would have. “And I’m doing it.”
Yep, this was definitely how I was going to die.
The man circling before me may as well have been part ogre, his stature was of such a behemoth nature I questioned how his mother could have survived the birth. A crowd had gathered, shouting sentiments I chose to drown out. Sadistic assholes.
He lunged, and I ducked his oncoming swing. Being nearly half his size gave me a small advantage—ironically. I twisted in time to return to a defensive stance, watching him catch his stumble. The crowd couldn’t compete with the steady drum beating in my ears. I tried pulling from all my experiences in the pit with Rav.
“Bigger opponents may have strength on their side, but you can use their center of gravity to your benefit if they don’t know to protect it.”
This hulking monstrosity with a missing tooth and piss-poor tattoos swaggered with no regard for his balance, and I latched onto that. Our weapons had been removed and set on racks outside the perimeter of the circle. The rule was ‘first not to rise loses’, not necessarily fight to the death, so if I could knock him out cold, that should be enough to claim victory. Would have been nice if someone had taken the time to explain the rules to me, though. There had been no formal announcements, no established respect between fighters. Just two bodies, a line in the dirt, and bloodthirsty onlookers. Even Val smirked from the sidelines, all too happy to see me get my ass kicked.
On his next charge and swing, all mass and no precision, I ducked and slid between his legs, driving the point of my elbow into the back of his knee. He buckled, and I didn’t let these precious seconds slip. Using all the force I could, I spun, driving my heel between his shoulder blades. The force nearly knocked me on my ass, but I found success when he splayed forward from the impact, collapsing into the dirt.
My shoulders sagged, and I dropped my fists. He wouldn’t stay down, but if I could just repeat that like a dozen more times, maybe? Glancing to my side, Dae stood on the sidelines between the circle and the weapons rack. I almost let the smile on my face grow out of control, but the flick of his dark eyes, mixed with his sharp inhale, spelled trouble for me.
I turned to see the man stagger upright. Seemed my move only pissed him off, because when his gaze locked with mine, it was sired from a deadly rage. The next series of sequences was purely reactive because I sensed if he got his hands on me, I wouldn’t be walking away.
He charged. I twirled out of his way.
He swung, I dipped beneath his reach.
Bending at his waist, he ran full speed to tackle me, and I rolled. Torches flickered within the camp and around the ring, the only light left to battle the oncoming shadows.
It was only a matter of time before he made contact. He knew it, hence the evil grin curling his lips. I knew it, because each time he came at me there was less and less safe distance between us. My lungs burned and my skin became slick with sweat. Best-case scenario, he was seriously going to fuck me up. Broken jaw, broken ribs, internal bleeding. Worst-case scenario…
My glance wandered toward the weapons rack as the seconds began choking me with fear. A reminder and a plea for my last ally in the world to finish what I couldn’t. Only I didn’t find him there. Instead, I saw my bow knocked off the rack, and a scattered array of arrows within arm’s reach.
My opponent let loose a war cry, but I’d already taken off running. From the corner of my eye, I could see him gaining on me. We would converge at the edge of the circle within a second of each other.
But a second was all I needed.
I ran with everything in me, dropping to my knees and skidding along the dirt covered ground. My hands swiped the bow and an arrow and had it nocked before I’d fully turned to face him. I released it, striking him in the thigh.
A collective “ooo” rang from the crowd when the man reared back, roaring in pain, and tumbled out of the circle. I remained frozen on my back, eyes wide, chest expanding and deflating so rapidly I thought it might explode.
“She cheated!” the fallen man cried out. “Execute her!”
Fuck. If I’d broken the rules, saving my ass would be for naught. It’d been instinct. Sue me for going down fighting. My mind had been so primed on survival, I didn’t weigh the potential risks. Was I going to be the next limbless decoration on their death polls?
“The only rule, Tresson, is not to use magic, and not to leave the circle,” one of the women with black veins around her eyes said, “neither of which she did. Unless you heard her in your mind, which would confirm to all of us that you’re an animal.” Degrading laughter bellowed from the crowd, and the man grumbled and winced as he limped off, shoving anyone who stood in his way.
No applause, no congratulations. The gathered simply dispersed, the night air returning to its usual peaceful quiet. I rose shakily, trying to keep that unbothered mask of strength on my face, adrenaline still coursing through me. You wouldn’t catch me walking around this camp without protection from now on, considering I’d definitely made at least one enemy tonight. Armed with my bow, quiver, and new assortment of arrows that I hoped wouldn’t be considered stealing from the plump display, I stepped out of the ring.
Dae emerged from the shadows, angled enough to let me see it was him before walking deeper into camp without addressing me. I followed, somewhat holding myself together until I walkedinto his tent. I collapsed when the tent flap fell closed, cutting us off from the rest of the camp.
Dae was immediately there, kneeling before me, taking me in his arms and holding me while I sobbed. My escaping cries were relentless, uncontrollable, as overwhelming relief flooded my system.
“You’re alright, you’re alright,” he spoke softly, petting the back of my head in soothing strokes. He held me until I settled, finally able to regain some semblance of myself.
48
