Lord Lucien was unlike any combatant I’d ever fought. He’d trained me, but he’d never gone all-out on me during practice.
This was different. His movements were sharp and quick. I barely had time to raise my sword to combat him before he went to strike another blow. Once, I was too slow, and the tip of his sword cut into my bicep. I cried out and grabbed my arm, blood droplets spattering the snow. Lucien swung again, and more blood poured out of my arm as I raised my weapon to stop him from cleaving my skull in half.
I was tired. I’d had little rest and hardly any sustenance during my imprisonment. I couldn’t keep up a fight with a master swordsman like Lord Lucien for long. Yet it was all I could do to reflect his blows and back away as Lucien more or less chased me to the center of the arena.
I used two hands on my hilt, to stop the relentless assault that was Lord Lucien. His eyes were blank— his stare, merciless. I could nearly convince myself he wasn’t my mentor at all, just a man on a mission.
By the gods. He was really going to kill me. Terror swarmed in my intestines and made my skin crawl. This was real. Lucien was testing me, seeing if I had the stomach to defend Emma at any cost. If I did not, he’d take my place.
The only way out of this would be death— by my hand, or by his, I didn’t know.
The flames of the pyre behind me made my back warm, as if I was against the very precipice of hell. I had nowhere to go. Lucien had me cornered against the pyre, trapped.
Lucien moved so quickly, I forgot who he was. What took over was a primal need to defend myself, and save my own life. If he struck, it would be a fatal blow.
Lucien swung his sword backward, to sever my head. Emma’s face broke into my mind, and I reacted. I screamed and dove my sword forward, aiming the point at his gut.
The blade sunk in. I heard him audibly wheeze as the dull blade punctured his stomach, burying itself past his innards and through to the other side.
I stood there for a moment, both hands on the hilt of the blade as I processed what I had done. Blood dripped out of Lord Lucien’s body, and the sword fell from his hand. He coughed, and I made a wretched sound. I pulled the blade out of his form— had I really done that?— and felt the sword scratch bone as it came free.
The Field was utterly silent. Lord Lucien fell to his knees. I collapsed beside him, and caught him before his back hit the ground. Redness covered my clothes and stained my hands, and a vital liquid dampened the snow, filling out in pools around us.
“Well done.” Lucien spoke past the blood pouring past his lips. “A worthy strike. I never saw it coming.”
My voice trembled as his warm blood stained my hands. “I didn’t— I didn’t want to—”
“I have always considered you a son,” Lucien gasped. “Malovia should be proud, to have a hero like you.”
The light dimmed from his eyes. Lucien let out a dying breath. His hand fell to the side, and his body went utterly still in my arms.
No. This… it couldn’t be real.
I shook him a little, but Lord Lucien didn’t stir. His gaze remained blank toward the cloudy skies, and the warmth was already retreating from his body.
He was dead. I had brought about his end.
Tears stemmed from my eyes and landed on Lord Lucien’s cloak. I threw my head back and let out a cry of grief. It was like watching my father die all over again. Now I was responsible for the deaths oftwomen I’d held dear— my father, and another man who’d I’d considered my father just as well. When would my rampage end?
I heard footsteps running across the snow to get to me. Emma fell by my side— she’d been let go and unbound. Tears streaked her face, but she pulled me back. I fell into her arms, clutching her tightly as Lord Lucien’s corpse remained sprawled across my lap.
I heard more footsteps. Lady Magdalina herself came forward— elegant, but stiff. With tears coursing down her perfect face, she used her telepathy magic to levitate Lord Lucien’s body into the air.
I cried out and tried to grab his body, to keep it within my reach, but Emma snatched my wrists. “Ethan, stop. He’s gone.”
The fight went out of me. Lady Magdalina set Lucien’s body gently down on the flaming pyre. I watched in agony as the flames burned Lord Lucien’s body into nothing but ash, the flames eating away at his form until only his skeleton remained, and even then… nothing.
Emma buried herself in my shoulder, so she wouldn’t have to watch it all. I held Emma, and my gaze went upward, toward my hated, bastard cousin in the stands.
Elijah was quivering in anger. Even Gabby appeared frightened. She didn’t rush to comfort him, only remained still. He was moments away from losing control in front of the entirety of Dolinska.
I hoped he did. I wanted everyone to see what a psychotic maniac he was. His rage was the only consolation prize in this hell. My release, the only redemption. He couldn’t contain me now. I had won my trial.
But at a terrible cost.
Elijah couldn’t seem to speak, so Solomon did so for him. “The defendant, Ethan Hasek, has been found not-guilty. He is officially cleared of all charges, and is now free to go.”
There was only light applause. Most of the crowd was shocked that I’d managed to kill Lord Lucien— a respected warrior of the Circle.
