“Our champion isn’t from around here,” I say, feigning a camaraderie with the blood tourists that I’ve never felt. “Let’s see how an angel holds up against the monster realm’s finest!”
Gasps and cheers. Oohs and ahhs. I tune them all out and give the signal, my heart beating dully against my ribs.
Spherical cages shoot up from pillars spaced around the arena. Per my order, there are qnoksu monsters inside each one. Searching, always searching, they rattle the bars of their cages, eyes bulging, tongues lolling as they taste the emotions of the crowd.
Sword in hand, Celine studies the orbs, a slight frown spreading across her face as she waits for them to open. She doesn’t notice the sand caving in, holes the size of my thumb appearing in a loose circle around her.
When the eighth one appears, she spots it. After one second of consideration, she heads for higher ground, ignoring the boos from the crowd.Smart woman.I once watched this exact clutch of infinity serpents devour a centaur. He made the mistake of ramming his sword into one of the holes. The strike killed one snake, but the others fell on him brutally in revenge.
Celine retreats to the tallest rock and waits.
The first serpent shoots from its hole. It’s six or seven feet long, straight as an arrow, and almost as thin. It lands in the sand and hisses, a signal to the others. They shoot out in unison, all fifteen of them landing in formation on the sand.
Light gray, they blend in with the snow-covered rock and sand.
Another hiss from the leader, then they roll to form hoops, locking into place by hooking their fangs through two corresponding holes in their own tails.
My fingers curl around the podium. I know what comes next. Once locked on a target, infinity serpents are known to be ruthless. They won’t stop until they strike.
Moving at incredible speed, the snakes roll over the rough terrain, absorbing every dip and bump. They’re too lightweight to sink in the sand—I’ve seen them roll over water if they have enough momentum. Orbiting Celine’s rock, they speed up until they’re moving so fast their bodies resemble a planetary ring.
I clear my throat into the microphone.
“Some of you may recall I told the angel she would fight one-on-one.”
The crowd murmurs.
“Some would argue one clutch counts—a loophole, if you don’t mind the joke.”
They laugh uproariously.
“But I think it violates the spirit of this competition. And I’ve been wondering—these men our angel protects with her life—would they do the same for her?”
The chatter grows, and I give the signal, activating a partial sound barrier around the arena. Mirrors drop into the spherical cages, showing the qnoksu exactly what they’ve been searching for—a reflection so terrible they can’t bear to look away: their own.
One by one, they begin to wail, then weep, then scream with hopeless rage.
Celine drops to her knees, pressing her palms over her ears to drown out the terrible squalling. She thought the qnoksu were her opponents, but they’re my failsafe. Their wails are a universally effective repellent. Listen long enough, and even the most powerful monsters will lose their brains through their ears, liquefied by the vibrations of the screams.
The infinity serpents retreat to their holes, leaving a trail of blood in their wake.
I snap my fingers, and the mirrors retract.
“You have a new opportunity to wager,” I tell the crowd. “Who will live and who will die? Today, we’ll learn if any of them are brave enough to fight by her side.”
The uproar in the stands is deafening. Bets fly in, the odds changing in real time on the ticker as the spectators make their wagers.
“Hey, Riven,” Celine shouts.
I freeze.
The crowd goes deathly quiet.
“If you’re changing the rules, I am too. After we win, you’ll free them both. Alistair and Malach. Multiple opponents equal multiple incentives for me to perform, right? It’s only fair, after all. These people deserve good sport.”
Good girl.The thought rips through my head before I can stop it. I wall it off and address the stands. “Do you agree? Should the angel be rewarded if she wins?”
Two new columns appear on the ticker. A simple yes or no. Votes pour in, and I’m surprised to see the affirmative option win.Are they rooting for her, or do they only want to see the maximum amount of blood shed?
