The judges rush to the man, quickly assessing the shot before shouting, “The Princess of Daramveer is the first trial winner.”
The crowd bursts into a thunderous round of applause, and the men I’m officially up against appear as if they’ve seen a ghost.
I blink in realization at what I’ve just done: the rebellion I’ve declared against the King of Daramveer. Instead of running as I have in the past, I soak in the cheers from the townspeople, ignoring the fact that I’ve just killed a man. Glancing over my shoulder, I wink at the competitors with no remorse showing in my eyes even though I’m moments away from collapsing.
Challenge accepted.
My father is upon me within seconds of the declaration, grabbing my arm so tightly I fear it may snap in two. He grinds his teeth in my face. “You little shit.”
He smiles at the crowd and waves as he shifts us back into his study, slamming me against the leather couch. He snarls in my face, and pushes off me.
“How dare you embarrass me like that. You should be ashamed. What would your mother think of this? Your brother? You have embarrassed us all. You can’t truly expect to win this. You have no idea what’s in store, and not to mention, you just murdered a man.”
“Embarrass you? You’ve embarrassed yourself. You just locked up your daughter instead of letting me be my own person—you’re using your own daughter for gain due to your paranoia. Pathetic. They see right through your antics, Father. You will never be taken seriously. I’ll murder hundreds more if that means beating you at your own game.”
The words taste sour leaving my mouth.
A hand collides with my cheek as my father stands before me, his chest heaving with rage. “You had best stop right there, Briar, before you are the next one being punished in front of this entire kingdom. I’ve warned you once already. Don’t make me do it again. Do you think you’d be embarrassed then if you were strapped to a target?”
The shadows rip around him like a dark chaos.
“If you want to compete in this competition so badly, then go ahead. I grant you permission. If you die, the blood is not on my hands, and when you are beaten at the end of this, you will marry whoever wins immediately. You will forever be linked to Daramveer, not as a queen but as a prisoner. And if these trials get too much for you, remember, if you back out, you die. That rule applies to you now as well. Do we have a deal?” He extends his hand.
My jaw strains so tightly that I fear my teeth might shatter. I will not hide in the shadows any longer. I will not fear what lives within me. Instead, I will fight, and I will show my father what his daughter is truly capable of. Extending my hand, I take his. “Deal.”
As our hands touch, pain shoots down my arm like a lightning bolt, causing me to jerk my hand back.
“Very well, Princess. I do hope you know what you’ve just got yourself into. Let me get back to the competitors and crowd and do what damage control I can. Let’s hope for your sake you haven’t ruined everything.”
He steps out of the room, leaving me alone in this study for the first time in my life. I glance down at my hand, still tingling with pain. A dark vein runs down my middle finger as I tuck my hand into my pockets and look around.
Chapter 14
Books, scattered papers, and scrolls clutter my father’s desk—the room looks no different than a few hours before. I glance toward the closed door as I make my way to his massive oak desk sitting in the middle. I scan the various scrolls for any information that could be useful, but half of the papers are in an old language long forgotten by Shadow and Lumor Wielders.
I move around the room, looking at the bookshelves covered in dust—a musty smell tickles my nose as I crack open an ancient text bound in thick leather that catches my eye. The book feels heavy in my arms as I turn the pages slowly. I notice a marking scribbled at the bottom of a page—the same marking I found on the crystal in the woods. I tear out the page and place it in my pocket as the crackling of the wide fireplace catches my attention.
As I near the violent fire, the black flames call to me in a whisper. My eyes squint against the blaze stinging my vision as I spot a figure standing amid the flames, burning.
Fear washes over my body like the flames before me as the figure emerges, its black cloak completely engulfed. It strides across the carpet, leaving burning footprints in its wake. I stepback into the desk, the wood pressing into my legs as the creature approaches.
Even wrapped in flames, I know this is the creature that haunts me. My shadows swell inside me, trying to provide protection. The air drains from my lungs as a wall of darkness surrounds me, creating a barrier between me and the burning figure. It attempts to push through the shadows—its face pushes against the barrier, creating a horrifying shape against the darkness.
The creature behaves as if it wants to touch me, coming closer to me than it has in the past. It knocks against the wall of darkness once more, and I shut my eyes.
“It’s here,” the dark creature whispers, pointing to my chest.
Fear sets in alongside desperation, and my stomach rolls—my magic thunders within me, almost as hard as my pounding heart.
“What are you?” I ask.
“Nothing of this realm, child, but I see you. The real you and what lies inside. Do you know what lurks beneath your surface?”
I attempt to move backward, but the desk prevents me from gaining more distance. I gasp, my body rigid and too frightened to scream. A few books tumble to the ground, producing a loud bang that echoes through the study.
The door flies open as Axl steps through, the creature vanishing as if it never existed. My shadows dim in its disappearance. “What are you doing in here?” he asks.
I can’t shake the slight tremble when I say, “My father left me in here after my grand announcement. I hope you didn’t miss it, Axl.”
