“I’m nervous,” I whispered.
“You’ll be fine,” he said, his voice steady and certain. “But it is normal to feel anxiety before a battle.”
I nodded, biting down on my lip. I fiddled with the end of one of the braids Thyme had done for me this morning, two intricate plaits coiled against my head before falling over opposite shoulders.I felt battle-ready in appearance, but not in my mind. And there was no more time to prepare.
Blake cleared his throat.
“I came to walk with you to the Culling,” he said, a tinge of formality in his tone. It was enough for me to quirk an eyebrow in amusement.
Except he offered his hand.
A moment of hesitation before I took it—my palm gliding across his calloused skin. He rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand before pulling me carefully closer, dropping his mouth to my ear.
“My songbird,” he whispered, before pressing a kiss to my temple and breathing in. As if taking the scent of my hair with him. “Shall we go?”
—
The street was packed withwarriors; their broad shoulders and battle-worn armor gleamed dully in the light. Some were older, clearly retired and back for the boon, some young and willing to prove themselves without an ounce of training.
No weapons were allowed, but several had protective sigils stitched into their clothing.
Some had scars etched across their faces and bodies, trophies of battles fought and survived. Others stood with quiet intensity, their eyes hard and focused, exuding the calm confidence of seasoned fighters. Yet despite their fierce appearances, there was a tension in the air, an almost imperceptible edge of unease. Even the most battle-hardened among them couldn’t hide the slight shift of their feet or the flicker of doubt in their eyes.
Still, amid the chaos, eyes locked onto me. Fingers pointed.
“Flame Rider.”
“The tygress queen’s chosen.”
“The fake Silver.”
“The Azure Tyger Warrior.”
The words floated to me from the crowd, whispered and awed. Any who came too close or sounded too disdainful quickly hushed when their eyes met the furiously protective ones of their Ambush Master, the Twin Blade to the king, by my side.
He let go of my hand as the streets grew more packed, but he stayed close, steady as a bodyguard. The city center was alive with noise, rickshaws rattling over the cobblestones, merchants shouting their wares, the ring of hammer on metal from a nearby smithy. The crowd moved like a living thing, brushing past me, a mix of nervous families, grim warriors, and vendors hawking everything from sticky rice cakes to red-thread charms meant to bring luck during the trial. The air smelled of sun-warmed brick, roast chicken, and sweat.
The Arena loomed, a massive ring of stone and fluttering silk banners, already thrumming with the energy of the coming Culling.
“Rubi!” Calla’s voice cut through the clamor.
She stood near the old fountain with Quinn, waving both her arms like she thought I might miss her. A bright smile lit up her face. Was she never afraid? I’d tucked the leather bracelet she gave me into an inner pocket, for luck, to have a piece of her fearlessness with me.
Quinn leaned against the fountain’s cracked edge, his arms folded, watching me with that familiar half smirk, before his eyes flickered to Blake at my shoulder and his expression changed into a quick scowl.
I turned to Blake, not needing to a say a word, before he leaned down close.
“Stay safe, songbird,” he whispered, his lips brushing my ear. He pressed a quick kiss to my cheek before backing away. “You’re not dead yet, Rubi,” he said, expression boyish.
The same words he’d said to me before the Bonding.
After watching his bronze locks a head above everyone else disappear into the crowd, I pushed my way through the press of bodies toward Calla and Quinn, my heart hammering.
“What under the Kingdom of Sky are all these people doing here?” I asked.
Quinn threw an arm over my shoulder and gave me a quick squeeze. “Everyone wants that boon. They think they have a chance, even though only five Silvers and a handful of Azures will make it. Since our people are now scattered through the Four Dominions, Azures will be selected from them all.” He considered me. “What were you doing with Axefire?”
“The Ambush Master?” Calla asked, waggling her eyebrows.
