Alistair looks at me and his hands curls to fists. My stomach flips.
The game has changed, but the veydra doesn’t like the new rules. He’s in charge here. These decisions are his, unless...S’lach.My gut twists uncomfortably. Why now? What’s the purpose? Why would he want to?—
Agony burrows into my brain. I list against the side of the barrier. It’s all I can do not to fall to my knees. A second stab of pain sears the skin above my pelvis. It’s excruciating. And familiar.Not now. No. I’m strong enough.
I force my eyes open and find myself staring into Alistair’s ruby-red eyes. He mouths something, but I’m hurting too badly to understand. Using every tool in my arsenal to wall off the pain, I drag my attention back to the fight.
Whatever this is, Celine pushed for it—negotiating to free usboth. The least I can do is watch, even if she shouldn’t have bothered on my behalf.
The ground shakes.
My vision blurs, but it’s not so blurry that I miss the enormous beast entering the arena. With the body of a cat, the face of a man, and the tail of a scorpion, I’ve only ever heard of the beast in passing:manticore.They’re rumored to have been hunted to extinction—rumors, clearly exaggerated. This one makes Luca’s basilisk look like a pet.
It stalks the three of them, keeping its gaze away from Luca’s face and showcasing the intelligence it’s famous for.
Celine and Ciprian retreat to the tallest rock. Luca curls around the base and emits a terrible warning rattle.
The crowd gasps with delight as the manticore paws the ground, sending clouds of dust and snow high into the air. Its flanks are covered in scars. I wince as I catalog the marks.
This monster has seen many battles.
The three of them have never fought together before. If they fall out of step, this beast will kill them as easily as they killed the snakes.
Ciprian whispers in Celine’s ear, then focuses on the monster. It careens to the left and crashes into the arena wall face-first.
Terrified bystanders scream, tripping over each other to get away.
Shaking its massive head, the manticore regains its footing and begins to vibrate. The human face disappears, replaced with a lion’s. The animal crouches low, belly grazing the sand, and advances toward their position by crawling from rock to rock.
Ciprian frowns, curls his fingers around Celine’s hip to orient himself, and closes his eyes. His face twists into harsh lines, every angle sharpened.
A single drop of blood drips from his right nostril. It splatters on the rock below.
The manticore doesn’t stop.
Every few steps it pauses to shake its head, and then crawls closer. A fissure of fear creeps up my chest. It’s locked on its prey, throwing off Ciprian’s nightmare as it advances.
This creature is too strong.
My legs tremble, and I drop to my knees. My eyes long to close, but I won’t allow that.
Celine looks at Ciprian, at Luca’s basilisk, then at Alistair and me.
Her eyes burn.
There’s no part of her giving up this fight.
I force myself back to my feet, hating myself for my show of weakness. If Celine struggles. If she hurts. If she falls, I’ll be here. I will stand with her—whether it’s by her side with a sword in my hand or here on this platform trapped by magic—until we’re ripped from this world and all the others.
I made vows to her, and I’ll keep them no matter what it costs me.
The manticore pauses and studies them cautiously, its yellow eyes drifting between them one by one. Searching for weaknesses. An opening in their defense.
Celine adjusts her grip on the sword and nudges Ciprian.
His cheekbones return to normal, and his black eyes lock on the beast. He stumbles slightly and widens his stance to stay upright. I grimace. The nightmare weakened him, and there’s no hiding it. Not from me, or the manticore, or the bloodthirsty crowd.
Celine positions herself in front of him.
