They were hoping to tire Vaxa out, so that the last warrior, the most skilled, would have a better chance of killing him.The others were just warm-ups.This grim realization didn’t help to settle Kate’s nerves, even though she knew that Vaxa should have no problem defeating them.
The second Luxirian went down just as quick as the first and the third had stepped into the arena.There were no breaks, apparently, for Vaxa.He got a brief moment of pause, using it to connect eyes with her, as if he needed to reassure himself that she was still there, before the next fight began.
It wasn’t fair.It was brutal and one of the most horrible things she’d ever witnessed.Back on Earth, she would have been even more horrified had she seen this happening among humans.On Luxiria, it was commonplace.Bidan had told her during the second fight that all Prime Leaders in their history had been challenged at one point or another and it had been centuries since one had fallen in the Trials.It was simply Vaxa’s turn in the ring.
The third opponent took her mate longer to bring down and this warrior managed to make contact, drawing blood that made her heart sink in her chest.But the strike against him only seemed to motivate Vaxa and, like some gruesome chess game, he brought his opponent down within three moves.This time, he managed to get behind the warrior and with one quick twist of his neck, his challenger dropped to the mountain stone floor, unmoving.
Still, there was no break for her mate.The fourth hardly waited a few seconds before rushing Vaxa and Kate could see the beginnings of sweat bead on her mate’s forehead, could see that his chest heaved a little bit more with every passing breath.She worried about his endurance and fidgeted in her seat, hardly daring to take her eyes off the grisly scene.Briefly, she had to take a look at Vaxa’s ambassadors, at Lihvan and Rixavox, but their expressions gave none of their thoughts away, surprise surprise.Luxirians hardly showed an ounce of emotion unless they were fighting…or mating.And only then were they expressive.
Vaxa’s opponent landed another blow.With his claws extended, he managed to rake them over one of her mate’s horns and down the left side of his face, narrowly missing his eye.Kate’s stomach lurched, trying to prevent herself from crying out in distress.Blood ran down Vaxa’s face and she saw him blink hard, trying to clear the dark blue fluid that ran into his eye.
This warrior wasn’t as quick to strike again.Instead, he circled Vaxa, seeking out another opening rather than forcing one, which had been the second opponent’s mistake and one that her mate had taken full advantage of.This warrior was smarter, more seasoned.
Vaxa, however, defeated this fourth challenger as well, although the kill was slightly sloppier and less restrained than the others that had come before it.Her mate was covered in the warrior’s blood by the time he dropped him down to the floor.
There was no mistaking her mate’s fatigue, but he pushed on.He met her eyes and even with blood smearing half of his face, with cuts and claw marks adorning his flesh, he was still the most handsome male she’d ever seen.
The last opponent stepped forward, the one that would determine everything.The entire amphitheater realized this too as a sudden calm seemed to take hold of the crowd.Kate imagined them all with bated breath as her heart steadily tried to beat its way out of her chest.She wondered if Bidan could hear it.
It took some time for either to make the first move.Vaxa’s face was completely drawn in concentration, in determination.His body might be tired, but his drive wasn’t.The other warrior, who Kate guessed was more experienced and trained than the others, waited as well, biding his time, observing her mate as intently as he was observing the warrior.The warrior’s body language spoke of confidence.
It began with a grappling.They rushed at one another at the same time, connecting loudly enough that Kate swore she heard a crunch.Grunts and growls filled the arena, echoing off the cavernous mountain.For a brief moment, they were both just a tangle of limbs and flesh, body parts undistinguishable from one another.When they sprung apart finally, their chests heaved and the opponent had a slash across his abdomen that was gushing blood.It gladdened Kate to see it.Anything to weaken him, to give Vaxa an advantage.
Her stomach clenched during the entirety of the fight.Every blow, every punch, every side-sweeping kick that connected made her wince.Her heart sank when the opponent gouged his claws into Vaxa’s side, but she inwardly cheered when her mate tore a chunk of flesh from the challenger’s arm.It was madness.It was chaos.It made everything in her hurt.She wished more than anything that she could tap into their blood bond, to potentially offer him comfort, but she didn’t want to distract him.She needed to trust that Vaxa knew what he was doing, that he was strong enough to defeat his challenger.
Kate didn’t know how long the fight lasted.From one moment to the next, it seemed either Vaxa or the warrior had the upper hand.But once her mate managed to grasp the challenger by the shoulders and drive his knee up into his windpipe with a sickening crunch did Vaxareallyseem to have the upper hand.
It was then that she saw him.
The warrior from the marketplace that had grabbed her wrist hard enough to bruise, who had called her a ‘human whore.’
Kate didn’t know why she happened to glance at the edge of the arena.Perhaps she had seen movement, or perhaps she just sensed that something wasn’t right.
Regardless, it took her only a moment to recognize him, but in that moment, he lunged for the circle.In his hands was something that glinted in the blue light.
A silver dagger.
A silent scream lodged in her throat as she watched in horror as the unknown warrior took aim for her mate.
Vaxa’s challenger was between them and she saw the moment Vaxa spotted the dagger.With a jerk, he threw his opponent out of the way, but in doing so, he allowed an opening for the attack.
Black dots burst into her vision when she saw the dagger sink into Vaxa’s flesh.He had turned at the last moment, but the weapon still made contact.Rixavox cursed and Lihvan was already jumping down from the dais, the rest of Vaxa’s ambassadors following suit.
Her eyes were glued to her mate, glued to the silver dagger that protruded from his side.In a flash, Vaxa pulled the blade from his body with a grunt before taking aim at the warrior, who had just turned to flee the ring.But Lihvan got there first.He brought the warrior from the marketplace down and then restrained his arms behind his back as Cruxan and Vikan joined to help.Rixavox was at Vaxa’s side.Kate scrambled from her seat, wanting to go to her mate, but Bidan held her back.
“Be still, Kat,” he said in her ear as she struggled in his hold.“The challenger still remains.Vaxa’an would not want you put in any danger.”
Her eyes immediately darted to the challenger that Vaxa had tossed out of the way when her mate could’ve easily killed two birds with one stone.He could have used the warrior to shield him from the dagger, thus ending the Trials,andhe could have prevented getting stabbed himself.
But my mate has more honor than that, she thought, tears rushing down her face.She prayed to God and to the Luxirian Fates and every other higher being she’d ever heard of that Vaxa would be okay, that the wound he received didn’t hit anything major within him.
“Luxirians heal fast, don’t they?” she asked, her voice breathy and slightly desperate.She was still being restrained by Bidan, but she hardly noticed.All her attention was on her mate.
“Tev,” Bidan murmured, but she heard his frown.“We do.”
Vaxa pushed to his feet in the center of the arena, brushing off Rixavox’s assistance.He held a hand over his side, where she could see rivulets of blue blood running over his fingertips.He stood to face his challenger and Kate’s lips parted in disbelief.He couldn’t possibly be thinking of continuing with the Trials, not when he had a wound like that.Kate might not be a doctor, but even she knew that he was losing a lot of blood.If he continued to fight, he could bleed out more quickly.
The warrior stood and faced her mate.The crowd was completely silent, waiting, watching.They seemed to be in as much shock as all the rest of them were, some with horrified expressions, others with grim expressions.
