A pang of alarm bolted through me as I said it.
From the firm look on his face, he hadn’t thought about this either.
A terrible shrieking sound of metal dragging against stone made us both snap to attention, looking across the way for the source of the sound.
Melanie stood with one hand on her hip that was popped to the side, the other lazily holding the sword she’d let drag across the stone tiles. Her long dark hair blew across her forehead, catching in the breeze. She never once looked at Blake, only right at me.
As much as I couldn’t stand Melanie, seeing her always took my breath away. She looked like she’d been drawn and couldn’t possibly be made of flesh and blood.
Blake squeezed my hand and murmured, “We shall talk later. Remember, I will be here the entire time. She is a stronger fighter than Roslyn, but she is not unbeatable.”
Facing her, I approached, halting several paces away. She watched me carefully, circling me slowly, never taking her eyes off me like a predator analyzing how to quickly and efficiently neutralize its prey. I’d never seen Melanie fight but judging from her calm and focused demeanor, she was no novice. I tried to remember my training and I slid into my stance. My left hand shook as I tightened my palm outward defensively before me, my right hand gripping the hilt of my sword as if my life depended on it.
Melanie’s leather armor exposed her upper arms, midriff, and thighs. She should’ve been freezing but she looked comfortable. Only a maniac would be comfortable in freezing temperatures.
Her attack was swift and abrupt. She moved so fast I barely saw her. Our swords clashed in a ringing of metal, the blades grinding hard, sparks crackling as they parted. She spun and brought her blade around so quickly that I was barely able to block again, this time, skidding back from the force of her attack.
My eyes flew open as a wave of energy hit me, knocking me to the ground.
What the hell? I jumped to my feet quickly, scanning my surroundings and found her standing at the top of one of the marble columns. She watched me ominously, only her long tendrils of hair shifting in the breeze. She was perfectly still.
That attack was powerful. It wasn’t brute strength; that was her everi. I summoned my everi from within, feeling it flowing so quickly it shocked me. It was her. Melanie. Being near her was so real, so volatile, it synced me with my own everi. It was a good thing too, because fighting her, I had to brace myself better.
She jumped from above, her sword descending overhead like a cleaver coming to split me in half. I dodge-rolled quickly and searched for her as I crouched to the ground. Seeing her coming, I gripped the hilt with both hands to block her thrust, gritting my teeth and forcing a surge of my everi into the blade and shoved.
She was thrust back, her shock evident.
She watched me, not moving. “He won’t be able to stay here forever. He will be a king one day. Your lack of perspective on our world has allowed you to succumb to the enchantment of the Aurkai.”
I narrowed my eyes. I couldn’t let her distract me.
“It is unlikely you will be selected,” she said. “Which means you will never see the Realm. And eventually, sooner than later, you will never see Blake again.”
Her next blow caught me off guard and I didn’t block it well, but instead of letting her knock me back, I grabbed her arm tightly with my fist, my everi wrapping around the hold like vines. A small growl escaped her as she tried to free herself. Taking my window, I launched a powerful kick at her neck, knocking her to the ground. We tumbled as we each tried to regain control, but her everi was powerful, and she pinned me to the ground, our swords forgotten. She held me down, her hands around my neck and her violent violet eyes pouring into me. Her hair framed her face, falling towards me, and there was no hint of pleasure as she tightened her hands.
“My world is not the fantasy realm you think it is,” she whispered. “It is a backward, terrible place where most people live like slaves. Anyone who wishes to save it has no idea what it is like for others. The Fall of the Great City is not some tale—the southern lands of Valyria are still cursed to this day, swallowed by the Bloodmist Void. Whatever has kept that curse from afflicting the rest of Valyria is weakening, and the bloodmist is coming—and so is what lies within it. Not you, not Roslyn, and not Ash can stop it. You should do everything you can to not be selected.”
When she released her grip, I gasped desperately for air, the cold dragging through my lungs like knives.
“Why are you telling me this?” I gasped, my throat aching and my voice raspy.
She glared at me. “Because you have no idea how easy your life is here. You are a fool for wishing it away. My brother told me you were naïve, but I disagree. I think you are desperate.”
Brother? I thought of Malakai, realizing their names were both Blackstone. I had never made that connection before, butI should have—they looked exactly alike. I shoved her, but a painful jerk on my wrist hauled me toward her, her expression menacing.
“The only reason this alliance of the Realm exists is because our goals are aligned but for vastly different reasons. No one in The Falls thinks the Realm can be saved. It is a dream that never had a chance at life. Roslyn and Ash chase a glimmer of hope that no one else sees. There is not enough light left in that world for it to be saved,” she said, rising to her feet.
Ash? Was that the same Asher that Ros mentioned before?
“Then why are you here?” I asked, sitting up.
Blake’s everi was sharp and penetrating but I resisted it, willing him to stay away. I wanted her to answer me and she wouldn’t if he intervened. “Because this world will be the only escape from oblivion. And only a few will make it through the rift, as you will likely not survive should you be selected. You will never be what we are because you were brought up here. You would never adjust to the mere weight you will feel in the Realm. It would slowly kill you to be there and you would lead a short life. That is what the others are not telling you. They hide behind the belief they will find a mage with significant power lying dormant but it is a lie they mask with hope. If you fall for it, you are as stupid as they are.”
I watched her closely, the vein in her forehead pulsating, her eyes flashing as they narrowed.
“Why did you say I make you feel pain? Is it because you’re threatened by me?” I asked.
Her eyes widened and I noticed Blake out of the corner of my eye, hovering within range to intervene. Melanie’s everi was flowing from her in uncontrolled waves of energy before it withdrew. She was closing herself off from me, but it wasn’t soon enough. I felt it.
