“Because I wouldn’t leave you alone?” I say, driving the prongs of the spear toward him, which he easily dodges.
“No.” He sweeps his own trident beneath my legs, and I fall hard to the ground. “Untapped potential. The same as I see in you now. Wells of it.”
I push to my feet, barely blocking a blow aimed at my face.
“I watched your brothers fight in the arena,” Justus continues. “They were as powerful as they would ever be.”
“So, you took pity on me, the youngest brother.”
“No, I saw in you the only one worthy of Summer’s Blessing.”
“That’s not true,” I growl, anger rising in me. “My brothers were near gods.”
Justus gives a humorless laugh, slashing across my shoulder.“Damocles was so obsessed with glory, it made him brash. He made decisions to elevate his status as a revered victor. Decimus was strong, but it made him reckless, made him think he was invincible. They were unworthy of Summer’s Blessing.”
“Be quiet, old man.”
“Why? It’s what you’ve always known deep in your bones, Daytonales. That’s why they’re dead.” Justus lunges, his trident slicing through the air. I narrowly avoid his attack before countering with a swift thrust of my own. Our tridents clash with a metallic clang, the force of the impact reverberating through my arms.
“That’s not true,” I growl.
“You’ve been holding yourself back your whole life. Admitwhy.”
I shake my head, hair falling in my face. “I haven’t. I’m the only undefeated gladiator to fight in the Sun Colosseum. I couldn’t have done that if I was holding back!”
“Another lie. Even holding back, you’re twice as good as anyone there.”
I press forward, seeking an opening in Justus’s defenses, but he moves with fluid grace, deflecting each of my strikes effortlessly. His experience is evident, his movements calculated and precise. I grit my teeth.
“I watched you spar against Damocles your whole life,” Justus says. “Watched you fumble and lose every time. Maybe not consciously, but still, purposefully.”
“He had Summer’s Blessing!” I shout.
“Even with it, you could have beaten him. Couldn’t you?”
Memories of sparring with my brothers come back to me in flashes. Could I have defeated Damocles? An uncomfortable sensation pricks in my belly as I realize I already know the answer.
“You’ve always been able to see every tell of your opponents. You saw theirs too. Tell me the truth.”
My heart careens in my chest. Feinting to the left, I quickly pivot and lunge toward Justus’s right side, aiming for an exposed flank. But he anticipates my move, smoothly sidestepping my attack and countering with a rapid series of strikes. I barely manage to parry each blow, feeling the strain in my muscles with each block.
“Damocles,” I grit out, “was always observing the crowd in the arena. Even when we practiced, he was always looking around to see if our parents were watching. It made him distracted.”
“And Decimus?”
“He was overconfident,” I say. “He’d come out swinging, but in a prolonged battle, he’d tire easily. Put him against a quick opponent and he couldn’t keep up.”
“Yes. Magic never called to them the way it did to you, isn’t that right?” Justus continues. “They made you feel lesser for your call to the sea, for the wind at your command, but it was only because they knew they could only reply with their blades.”
As the intensity of our fight escalates, I struggle to keep pace with Justus’s relentless assault.
“Your brothers were right about one thing,” Justus says. “You are afraid.”
Sweat beads on my brow as I focus on maintaining my footing, searching for an opportunity.This needs to end.I turn to Rosalina. One hand is clutched to her heart.
“You are as afraid now as you were then,” Justus continues. “Afraid of what it would mean if you challenged your elder brother and won. Admit to me what you’ve always known!”
“I don’t know what that is!”
