Someone began to laugh. I didn’t need to search for the culprit to know it was Tomin Hopkin, utterly delighted by the turn of events. I swore, given the chance, I’d cut that man’s vocal cords out.
“This is certainly going to be an enjoyable game,” Tomin said, eyes glittering with thrill.
“I agree. However, you must pick someone, Tomin Hopkin,” Bahmet answered, displeased with how much he was delighting in the chaos. “Even you are not above my rules. And this is not the type of trial one would like to find themselves alone in.”
Tomin stared down the demon lord with no fear on his face. In fact, he looked as desperate to cause pain to the demon as I did with him. “Then I pick my son.”
“His name.”
Arwyn’s entire body tensed, and yet he didn’t open his mouth to refuse his father. We all knew what was coming.
“No,” I shouted for him. “You can’t have him.”
Arwyn took my wrist in his large hand, fingers gentle. He lifted them quickly to his mouth and laid a tender kiss there. “Let him. This way I can keep you safe by leashing the wolf.”
I shook my head, blinking away tears. In an ideal world, if I didn’t need to hide Kai’s truth from Bahmet, I would’ve picked Arwyn. But he knew too that Kai needed protection—not necessarily from those out to hurt him, but from himself.
Tomin was gracious, allowing us to discuss the inevitable. When there was nothing left to do or say, he lifted his chin and gave the name we all expected.
“Arwyn Hopkin,” Tomin finished, tongue clicking over the last syllable.
Bahmet spun quickly on his heel, satisfied that everything was in order. “So be it. Oh, wait. One more rule to really spice up the stakes. You are not permitted to harm your partner in any way. Magic, as I mentioned, is outlawed. Violence towards others, however, is encouraged. Just make sure that you don’t harm a single hair on the head of your partner, otherwise it will automatically lead to a fail, and both will suffer the consequences.”
“Sir—excuse me—but…”
All heads turned to the meek voice that spoke up from the back of the room. A singular Hunter stood, trembling, hands clutched before him. Trepidation rolled off him in waves.
“Yes, contestant?” Bahmet cooed, glancing subtly over his broad-suited shoulder.
“I haven’t got a partner… I mean, there is no one left for me to pick,” the nameless Hunter said.
Bahmet considered his words for a moment, burring softly in his animalistic throat. “Well, that just will not do, will it? I was confident the numbers were even before I brought you all here to feast.”
My eyes fell on the slumped and battered form of the Hunter that Arwyn had just killed.
“Oh dear, never mind,” Bahmet cooed, his voice the type of soft that was like a serpent hiding in a wicker basket, unseen but promised. “Come to me, my child. Let me see what I can do for you.”
The Hunter, not wanting to displease the entity ruling this fucked-up place, walked across the room and came to stop before Bahmet. A gloved hand lifted to his cheek, running down the side in a gesture of kindness. “It would not be fair for me to allow you to partake,” Bahmet said, amber eyes darkening as he leaned in, mouth brushing the soft of the Hunter’s ear. “You really should have picked a partnerquicker.”
Death came swiftly for the Hunter. He couldn’t get out a scream before rivers of black shadow filled his veins, starting where Bahmet touched him. Rot and ruin spread like a wildfire across his face, ageing skin until he looked as though he was a puppet made of old leather.
Bahmet opened his mouth and inhaled deeply, sucking the life force out of the Hunter before our very eyes. Soul, as black as ink, left the human’s slack mouth like an exhale on a frosty morning, before drawing into the demon lord… feeding him.
I had wondered what it was like… Bahmet sustaining himself of the life force of hundreds of witches who’d died during previous Witch Trials. Now, I knew. Witnessed it first hand. And it brought me no joy to know that this was how it would end if we didn’t find a way to destroy him.
Bahmet released his hold on the Hunter. The corpse crumbled to the ground, skin cracking apart and spreading across the stone floor like ash. “Needs more seasoning.” Bahmet licked his lips, a displeased moan escaping the deep bowls of his twisted soul. “Humans. Disgusting creatures. Is there anyone else who has any issues before we begin?”
No one spoke. I still hadn’t made a move to get to Kai and enter the doorway as previously instructed. Suddenly I feared my hesitation would lead to that very same death as we’d witnessed. Then again, none of the other partners had moved. Not even Tomin with all his confident bravado.
“I take your silence as a satisfaction,” Bahmet added, lifting two hands up beside him, palms cupped like claws. “If that is the case, may the trial begin.”
With the sharp turn of his hands, the room tilted on an axis. Hell, it didn’t just shift, it turned upside down. Gravity betrayed us as our bodies lost all sense of control. And like a box of toys overturned by a child having a tantrum, Bahmet used his powerover this realm and tipped us out the open door, into the next arena.
** *
My skull softenedmy landing as I hit the ground. A dull ache speared up my spine, making sure every bone in my body felt it. Mud and dew-slick grass did nothing to catch me, nor did the slab of stone that I happened to roll and crack the side of my ribs into without discrimination.
“Shit,” I groaned, digging fingers into soft mud to try and gain purchase.
