“The rumors are false,” he taunted, stalking down the stone path after me, shrouded in his smoke. “Black Scales is never prepared for battle.”
The guy was calling me weak, and I’d been here long enough to feel the insult for what it was. Being called unprepared for battle was like singing your heart out on a talent show, only torealize your mother had lied to you about your skill level since birth. To be fair to his assumption, demons with white scales really were weak, so I could follow the logic.
Was Oyx Wehy badass or a weakling? Only one person knew the answer, other than me.
This red scale had guessed, but unfortunately for him, he’d guessed dead wrong.
Emphasis on the dead part.
He was really pouring out the smoke. A foolish amount, and a volume that told me that despite his taunting words, the demon really wasn’t sure of my power.
The other purples and reds had to be close. Or watching. Or surrounding me as I deliberated whether to run or fight.
Even if I ran, I’d have to fight one of them.
So much for keeping under the radar in the first week. Things couldn’t have just gone fucking easily.
The despair around my heart unfurled to fill me. This was it, then. Once the demon king saw me, there would be no return to the refuge I’d carved from nothing. Everyone I held dear could be ripped away because of my decision to take the biggest gamble of my life.
“Just keep your royal eyes closed, asshole,” I muttered.
I sheathed my two daggers and drew my father’s sword. The red smoke cleared, and before the demon’s eyes had fully widened, I’d driven the blade under his ribs. Working quickly to limit how much of my black smoke escaped, I slid the crimson smoking blade free and kicked the demon back, sending him sprawling face-first across the ground.
He wasn’t quite dead.Ugh.
Giving the reins over to my demon side—and certainly my demon morality—I leaped forward and landed behind the maimed demon. Spinning, I brought the blade down executioner style. There were a few ways to kill a demon. Some delightfullycreative and repulsive. Decapitation was usually the quickest method.
I didn’t bother cleaning the blade. I’d made my kill, but there was another rule to uphold before this week’s game ended for me.
I had to make it to the checkpoint.
Sheathing my father’s blade, I ran across the uneven and slippery ground, moving far faster than was wise considering the spikes and bodies littering the way.
I made it all of twenty feet before my gut twinged again. I slowed, blinking through the feeling of doom warning me not to continue on my current path.
They are surrounding you. The knowledge drifted to me, and I had learned to listen to that voice very carefully.
The hunting pack was still gunning for me.
I peered to the left. According to my gut—mysight—that direction was my best bet. Of course, that way led me on the longer route to the checkpoint. Because life was never simple.
I launched in that direction and kicked off a rock to my right to sail through stinging purple smoke.Ouch.Rolling across smooth stone, I evaded the crushing blow of a spiked club from a red. More converged on me, but a few were slinking away, hoping to avoid a fight with serious risk now they had glimpsed my skill.
Popping up, I broke into a zig-zagging sprint, operating entirely on the instincts of my sight. I didn’t pause as demons collapsed in on me, but my ears picked up a chant that filled me with dread.
“Black scale! Black scale!” The chant was low and booming. Really loud.
“Black scale, black scale!”
“Shit.” I sped up.
But their chant was designed to bait one person and one person alone, and the crowd wouldn’t rest until they succeeded.
I had to make the checkpoint.
I doubled my pace, releasing a funnel of black smoke to clear a path in the blues who’d decided to give me a run for my money as well. If I didn’t make the checkpoint, then despite my kill, I wouldn’t qualify to return to the Pinnacle for next week’s round.
I ran harder, not daring to stop even when the crowd hushed. I didn’t stop when the demons between me and the checkpoint conveniently found other places to be. I couldn’t stop.
