I guess I wasn’t as quiet as I’d thought because Ainslee snarls. “Taldor’s eye. I guess we’ll need to find a new place.” She glances at Darian. “Do you know who you want to work with? I’d suggest Erik and Rurik Halden. They’re not complete idiots, and you don’t know what Nyxthos is going to throw against you. It’d be nice to have some people who can be artillery.”
Darian glances at Elara, who’s looking around at the other competitors. “It’d be good to have a Rider with us, and Elara isn’t nearly as stuffy as the rest of them.”
Ainslee arches an eyebrow. “You know you’re supposed to be winning the competition, not trying to win a girl, right?”
I look at Elara again, this time trying to see what sets her apart from the rest of the Riders. She’s pretty, and her personality was decidedly less acrid than the rest of the people I’ve met here.
Darian grins at his sister. “What’s wrong with making this month a little less miserable? I’m pretty sure that Fi’s already declared her true love for that cloak she wears, so I doubt I’m going to win her over anytime soon. The nights get so very cold…”
Ainslee shakes her head, but there’s a smile on her lips. It’s Darian that speaks next, though. “She’s an excellent warrior, and we work well together. Truthfully, she wouldn’t be the worst option as Nyxthos’s next champion. Certainly better than Serica…”
They both cringe, and I feel the same, though my face doesn’t change. I’m doing my absolute best to mimic my father and remove any emotions from my facial expression. “That’s five of us,” I say. “Two more?”
“Isola’s an option,” Ainslee says. “She’s moody, but she’s powerful. It wouldn’t hurt that she’s one of the few people in this room that doesn’t cringe when Azric shows up.”
Darian winces at the suggestion. I wish I knew who these people were. Cedric and I could only put names to faces for eleven of the competitors, and half of them are dead now. “Isola… She doesn’t like to listen, Ainslee. She’s hardheaded and slow to convince.”
Ainslee shrugs. “Who else from Averna would you choose? You needsomeonefrom the Kingdom of the Undying or your team will be weak to them.”
He sighs. “Fine. But Jorren is my pick for the seventh spot.”
“Why in the thirteen hells are you going to pick one of Kaelith’s Lost Ones for your group? They’re not warriors, and this is going to be a war game. You know that, right?”
“He’s incredibly smart, Ainslee. We have warriors. Even Fi can stand on her own in a fight. What we need is someone who can work out puzzles, who canhelp me. These are supposed to be Nyxthos’s trials, and you can’t tell me you think it’s just going to be a battle royale. Plus, the Lost Ones’ powers are valuable.”
She snarls again and shakes her head. “I hate dealing with Nyxthos’s horseshit. If it were a battle royale…”
“…we’d lose,” Darian finishes. “We couldn’t win a clash like that, and you know it. No matter who we pick, Fi and I can’t stand against the Chained and Burning Ones. We can’t win a fight in the skies against Riders or a fight on terrain against Stormbringers. We’re bound to lose if that’s the situation, so we need to prepare for what we hope it is: literally anything else.”
Ainslee lets out a deep breath and nods. “Fine. Go round them up.”
I interrupt then, not having had any thoughts or advice about the right people to work with. “I actually need to leave, and I kind of need to do it alone.”
Ainslee and Darian both frown at the same time that Rhion appears next to his wife. “Is your…friend from beforehere?” she asks, her lips turning into a very serious line. “You know that leaving the Great Hall right now is dangerous.”
“It’s Azric. He told me to meet him somewhere. Alone. I have a feeling that he won’t appreciate you being there.”
This time, all three of them swear, but it’s Rhion who speaks up. “Go. Do you want me to walk you out? I don’t have the samelimitationsthat my wife does.”
I shake my head. “I have a feeling that no one will bother me if I’m going to meet him. He seems to be wherever he needs to be, and no one wants to get into anything with him.”
“That’s an understatement,” Darian says.
“Go,” Ainslee says. “Don’t keep him waiting. You’re probably safer being watched over by him than anyone else. We’ll stay here until you get back, and then we’ll find a place to stay for the next month.”
I nod to her, and as I turn to leave, Rhion says, “Thanks for killing Corentin, by the way. He was a miserable prick.”
For the first time since the trial ended, I feel a smile creep across my face.
Chapter 19
No gods may interfere in the Champion Trials. In this, our champions are bound by the same Laws. Each of us may design our own Trials, but once they are set, they may not be altered regardless of the outcome.
~Directive Forty-Seven of the Pact
Fiona
I feel that darkness lingering around me as I stride out of the Great Hall and around to the back of Castle Lachlan where none of the guards can see me. While I retrace my steps to the overhang, I can’t help but feel nervous about spending any more time alone with Azric.
