I cry out, covering my mouth with my hands. Kaelun rolls and gets to his feet, seeming unhurt, but Aurelion is getting close to breaking my rule. I suppose no blood was shed, though.
He charges again, giving Kaelun no quarter to recover. Kaelun dodges again, but he is slowing down. Aurelion almost catches him.
Most of the sand is still at the top section of the glass. There is still far too long left in this match. Far too many chances for things to go wrong.
Kaelun scoops up his broken weapon and jumps out of Aurelion’s way, never keeping still long enough to let his opponent get hold of him. When Aurelion steps forward next, he throws one half at the dragon prince’s face. Instead of dodging, Aurelion simply opens his jaws and blasts a jet of fire out, incinerating the pole, which drops to the sand in ashes.
Solen gasps.
I’m just grateful it wasn’t Kaelun getting burned.
Kaelun attacks again, but Aurelion doesn’t even dodge. He runs straight toward Kaelun, letting the pole strike his chest, then knocking his opponent to the ground. He strikes him roughly around the head. Kaelun lifts his hands to ward offAurelion’s attack, but it’s no good. I can hear the blows land from where I sit.
“Yield!” Aurelion growls.
“No.” Kaelun takes blow after blow. Solen stops counting them.
Finally, when Aurelion will not let up, I jump to my feet. “Stop! Stop it.”
Neither of them can hear me. Or they do not react.
I am wondering if I will have to physically get between them when something makes Aurelion start and look behind him.
Kaelun wriggles free and rolls out of his way before the dragon can hit him again.
“What was that?” Aurelion snarls.
They circle each other, each crouched low.
“What are you talking about?” Kaelun’s face is covered with dirt and blood. He spits into the sand beside him.
“Something grabbed my leg, and it was not you. What are you hiding?”
“I have nothing to hide.” Kaelun holds his arms out beside him. “But feel free to yield if this is too much for you.”
“Ha! You’re beaten, and you know it. You have resorted to cheating, and you still cannot defeat me. Let us continue. I wish to finish this and claim my prize.”
Is Aurelion truly imagining things, or does Kaelun have more secrets?
Kaelun
My head is still spinning from the impact of Aurelion’s blows. I brush something wet out of my eye, fairly certain it’s blood.
The funny thing is, I don’t know how I escaped his grip. One moment I was lying there getting pounded, the next it was like something pulled Aurelion. Only I didn’t ask Jah’ruud to help. Did he step in of his own accord? And what does that mean?
We haven’t spoken about the things we did last night. Once I’d cleaned myself up—and that took a while—he was nowhere to be seen. He has been hiding from me all day. I thought he’d abandoned me.
I’m letting the whirling thoughts in my head distract me. I almost get hit again when Aurelion lunges, swiping with sharp claws. He is fast. I’ve never had such trouble dodging anything.
I glance over at the glass where the sand has almost all trickled out of the top into the receptacle at the bottom. Thank the gods this will be over soon. Only if I lose, I miss the opportunity for another night with her—and hand it to Aurelion. I wish I could say with confidence that she will pick me after what we shared last night, but I can’t. At least she seems to have forgiven me for lying to her. I guess I probably should have told her about Jah’ruud too, only there didn’t seem to be an opportune moment.
Just then Aurelion dives for me, and I try to jump out of the way, but I’m too slow. I squeeze my eyes closed, brace myself to feel the sharp sting of his claws in my flesh, but as I do, something yanks me forward, and I fall into the sand. I land heavily, the air leaving my chest in a rush. Instinctively I curl up, expecting another attack.
Nothing.
Aurelion’s roar echoes through the courtyard arena. “Liar! Cheat! Show yourself and fight me!”
I’m lying right next to him. Why can’t he see me?
