“I have to go,” I said.“He’s not so much taller than me—”
“If you even try it, I will knock you unconscious,” Broga said, leaning over Finnrey.“Sit here and keep quiet.”
I glared at her.
“Mara, please,” Finnrey said.I glared at her too.I no longer believed she was my ally.I felt betrayed and hurt, and watching Cameed stand in the Zulenii’s shadow, I felt helpless.
Cameed assumed a fighting position, but the prince looked past her and into the pit.His eyes traveled over all of us and then settled on me.I felt that sizzle of lightning when our eyes met.He raised his brows, flicked his gaze to Cameed, and then back to me.
“He knows it’s not me,” I murmured.
“Shh!”Broga commanded.
The prince held my gaze a moment longer, then inclined his head as though acquiescing.He seemed to be saying,If this is what you wish, I’ll play along.
“On my command,” I heard the king say, “the challenge will begin.The first opponent who stays down for a count of ten is defeated.”
The crowd roared.My head jerked up in surprise since the spectators had been so quiet up until now.I studied the faces of my neighbors and kinspeople.I spotted Theud, and he nodded at me.He knew that wasn’t me in the center of the arena.Did everyone else know?
“Mara!Mara!Mara!”the crowd began to chant.I wanted to shrivel up and die.What would they think when it was revealed, one way or another, that Cameed had taken my place?Would everyone call me a coward?Would they whisper about my dishonor for years to come?
“Begin!”my father said, his voice echoing.A roar sounded from the crowd, and Cameed attacked.I moved to the edge of my chair, my hands clasped tightly in my lap.Cameed had done exactly what I would have done—attack first and hard.Leave the prince off-balance and on defense.She kicked out with a booted foot, the blow hitting him in the abdomen.I knew it hit because I saw the mark when her foot came down again.His skin, paler than ours, showed a red blotch in the shape of her boot.But he wasn’t off-balance.It was as though her kick hadn’t affected him at all.I expected him to attack now, but he stood in a fighting stance, waiting for her to strike again.Cameed glanced at us then back at him.Clearly, she was as confused as we were by the ineffectiveness of her attack.
“Attack him, Mara!”Morga yelled.“You can take him.”
Cameed squared her shoulders and crouched.Don’t kick again, I thought to myself.He’ll be ready for that.But Cameed couldn’t read my thoughts, and though for a moment I thought she would ram into him with her head, at the last minute, she pulled back and delivered what we called a rounded kick because her leg arced from behind, came around, made contact, and landed having made a half-circle.
The Zulenii expected this.Her feint hadn’t worked, and he reached out, caught her ankle, and pulled up.Cameed fell back, hitting the ground so hard I thought I could hear the thud even above the roar of the crowd when she landed.I was on my feet instantly.Finnrey grabbed me about my waist, holding me back.My other sisters were standing now too, hands on the railing in front of the pit, craning their necks to see if Cameed would stand up again.
“Un.Duo.”This was coming from the pit across from us.The Zulenii had begun to count.I might not have recognized their words, but I knew counting when I heard it.“Treh.”
Cameed rolled and rose to her knees.The Zulenii was well within his rights to hit her again now and make sure she stayed down.Instead, he held out a hand.Was he offering to help her up?Was it some sort of trick?
She smacked his hand away, and the crowd laughed.I glanced at the seats again.People were smiling.This was entertainment for them, while to me it was deadly serious.What would happen when everyone realized Cameed was not me?If she killed the prince, the other Zulenii would cry foul.If the prince won, he would unmask her and know he’d been tricked.This plan would never work.
My gaze slid to an unsmiling face.Gaz.He stood above the Zulenii pit opposite us with Nize beside him.Gaz’s face was unreadable, but Nize had always been easy to understand.His look now was the same one he wore right before he attacked a group of Hollows.He was preparing for a battle.My eyes slid to his hand, and I saw the glint of a dagger.
No matter who the Zulenii prince chooses, he won’t win.
Now I understood what Gaz had meant.He intended to kill the prince.This had been the plan all along, and I knew it was not one Gaz had engineered himself.He’d been ordered to kill the prince if Cameed didn’t manage it.I didn’t want to believe my Papa would consent to this.All my life I had been told stories of the honor of Earsleh and its royal house.My ancestors had been men and women of integrity.They set the standard for Earsleh.We didn’t resort to deception and trickery.We fought hard, but we fought fair.
I didn’t have to think very hard to know who had been behind this deception today—my mother.She must have convinced my father to go along because they couldn’t risk me being chosen.I was the heir.
I looked at Finnrey.Did she know this deception had been planned just in case I needed to be saved?She must have suspected.Why else would she be so distant?She must be angry that my safety and well-being had been put above the honor of our people.
Gaz’s hard eyes met mine.Looking at him had always made me feel warm and fluttery inside.This time I felt sick.
By now Cameed had risen to her feet.The prince had taken a step back, giving her time to catch her breath before returning to the fight.Shame burned through me.He was behaving more honorably than my people.He didn’t have to give her time to recover.In fact, he shouldn’t.His life was at risk today.And yet, he took no advantage of Cameed’s momentary weakness.
Cameed appeared to bend over, ostensibly to catch her breath.I knew this move well.The tactic was a favorite of hers.I winced when the prince put his hands on his waist, waiting her out.He’d dropped his guard, which was exactly what she wanted.Suddenly, Cameed swung around, low and fast, her fist thudding into the prince’s abdomen.The crowd roared, and yet I imagined I could hear the thump of her fist against his flesh.The prince doubled over, and Cameed brought her hand up, connecting with his jaw.His chin went up from the force of her punch.My own chin ached in sympathy.My jaw was still tender from Broga’s punch the other day.
The prince stumbled back, and Finnrey rose on tiptoes, anticipating, like all of us, that he would go down.
He didn’t.
Cameed came straight for him, sensing his weakness.I would have done the same.She pulled her arm back to land another blow, but he was faster.In fact, he moved so quickly, I didn’t understand what had happened until I saw him flip Cameed upside down.Dust from the ground rose at the violence of her fall.
“He caught her arm,” Morga said.
