Behind me, a male crashes across the arena and Baelen thunders after him, loosing arrows at the same time.
I swing back to Garrett. The Elven Command would always have a Plan B. “And what if I came to the fight? What then?”
“May the ancients forgive me, my grandfather told me to take your power. The first male you touch will have your power. He told me… He ordered me…”
I throw my head back and scream. “He told you a lie. My power will kill you.”
I slam the dagger into the earth beside his neck. Lightning leaps from my hands and zaps his skin. It’s the lightest touch, but he flinches, scooting away from me to escape the deadly energy.
Despite the threat, he shakes his head. “No, it’s true. He said you’re different. You’re not like the other Princesses. He said that one of us has to claim you and…” His eyes flick to the fighting males. “It can’t be Baelen Rath.”
The Phoenix told me I wassomething else. Now I know why that sounded like a really bad thing. When I nominated myself for the trials, the Elven Command was unprepared. But while I was away on the mountain, they had the chance to think and plan. They had time to change the rules—because I changed them first. I opened that door and now they’re running through it. Baelen told me he was a target. Now we both are.
“If you truly believe that you can take my power, then do it.” I hold out my bare hand to him. It’s bathed in energy that crackles at the edges, leaping beyond my palm in strikes and flashes. “Take my hand.”
He reaches for me even though it means letting go of his wound. I can’t believe it. He actually believes what his grandfather told him. He’s going to try…
At the last moment, lightning leaps out and bites his hand. He cries out and snaps his hand back, nursing it and trying to press his wound again. His face is seriously pale. He’s lost a lot of blood and won’t last much longer at this rate.
I say, “That is what happens if you touch me. Now tell me that you yield.” I slam the dagger into the ground again, closer this time. “Tell me that you yield!”
“I yield!” His voice cracks as his eyes meet those of his furious grandfather. “The House of Glory yields.”
Inside the shield, Gideon Glory is like ice. He turns his back on his grandson. I jump to my feet and slam my fist against the shield. Lightning travels through it, bending and wobbling it so much that Gideon flinches back in alarm. If I struck it hard enough, I’m sure I could break through, and he knows it.
I shout at him, disgusted that he turned away from his injured family member. “Come and get your grandson before he dies.”
Then I take both weapons and spin to the battle raging behind me. Of the four elves who were fighting Baelen and Sebastian, only two remain standing. They’re both large males and they’re putting up a solid fight. The other two have dragged themselves to the side of the arena, badly wounded, seeking safety away from the battle.
The two fighting Jasper haven’t given up so easily.
I launch myself at one of them, shoving him aside. I’m careful not to touch him with my bare hand, connecting only with his armor, but I allow electricity to flow through me for a second before I release him. He shudders, shaking as he collapses to the ground. He’s alive, but he’s not in good shape. I’d love to zap the other male too, but I’m angry enough to kill him. Despite the chaos, the Elven Command ordered that nobody can be killed. If I break that rule, they’ll force me out of the trials. Which is exactly what they want.
I throw a glance back at Jasper and the male he’s now fighting one on one. Jasper is light on his feet and the other male is tiring fast. At least it’s now a fair fight.
I step over the fallen male on my way to Rhydian, advancing on him behind his protective boulder. From across the room, Baelen suddenly increases his attack strategy against the male he’s fighting. Every angry frown he casts in my direction tells me he wants me to stay with Jasper, but what Garrett told me drives me on. The males were ordered to take Baelen out of the competition. I’m not going to let that happen.
I round on Rhydian. “You don’t get to sit this out waiting for everyone else to yield.”
“Just waiting for you to come to me,” Rhydian says without budging. “I figured you would eventually.”
I grip the dagger in one hand and the sword in the other so tight that my knuckles turn white. I circle around the boulder to find that he’s clasping a dagger in each hand.
I’m three feet away from him when he suddenly shouts. “Now!”
There’s a flicker of movement from the side of the arena closest to me. The two males who crawled over there have nocked arrows into their bows. I frown, not sure what they’re aiming at because they don’t seem to be pointing at me. They let loose and the arrows fly harmlessly to either side of me, easily missing my torso, but too late I realize their real targets…
My hands!
No!Pain explodes through my fingers as the arrows nick them. The wounds are only grazes but I can’t stop the reflex…
My fingers open. I drop both my weapons. The lightning spirals away from me, draining away without the steel to harness it. The Storm’s power goes with it.
I drop and stretch for the steel I need, but Rhydian’s on me already. He plows into me, using his shoulder and brute force to knock me to the ground, following me down to the ground. I land beside the boulder, the grass cushioning my fall so I don’t crack my head. With my body behind the rocks, I can only just see the rest of the arena.
The other males’ attack strategy suddenly changes. The males fighting Jasper and Sebastian launch themselves forward, tackling both of my friends and shoving them as far away from Baelen as they can. The two males with bows and arrows leap to their feet, shooting at Baelen as they run at him. Now there are three males circling Baelen and their methods turn savage. Swords and daggers drawn, they bait him with cuts and nicks, but their real target seems to be his lower spine—his injury.
I have to get to him, but Rhydian slams me down, his body a dead weight against mine. I jam my hands against his armor, pushing as hard as I can. I have to get him off me but I can’t let him touch me. Not just because of what the Elven Command believe but because I couldn’t stand it if he did. I can’t let Rhydian Valor be the first male to touch my bare skin.
