Chapter 16: Day Three

DROSK

Being the heir to the Fire Court is a burden few would understand. Since the death of my older brother, Vulcan, the responsibility has fallen on my shoulders, along with the duty of maintaining order and honor in our court. My younger brother, Zareth, has always been reckless, impulsive. Entering these games was his ultimate foolishness, and though I despise him for his recklessness, I am here because I must protect him.

I cannot allow the last of my bloodline to fall as well.

Vulcan’s death remains a mystery. There was no reason for him to sneak into the world of human scum. What could possibly have interested him there? And yet, they found him bleeding out on a cliffside. The greatest warrior and hunter of the Fire Court, annihilated under impossible circumstances. No one could explain how or what killed him. My father believes it was a greater beast, something stronger, deadlier than him. I believed it too.

Until I caught her scent.

The first time I sensed Sienna’s scent, something inside me tensed. It was the same scent that clung to Vulcan’s body when we found him, a dagger lodged in his throat.

It’s impossible.

That little wretch couldn’t have done anything to him. Vulcan was an unbeatable hunter. And yet, his essence lingers on her. I sense it in every breath she takes, in the way her scent permeates the air. I am not the only one who notices—Zareth does too. He watches her with curiosity, trapped by something he doesn’t understand. But I do. And that’s why I hate her.

It infuriates me that everything about her seems fascinating. Her hair is fire. Her green eyes, deep as emeralds, pierce through the darkest parts of me. And those damn freckles… They shouldn’t unsettle me, shouldn’t draw my attention, but they do. Her mere existence disturbs me. I hate her. I despise her. And yet, her scent ensnares both Zareth and me, as if nature itself had brought her to our courts to punish us.

This morning, when I tried to bend her mind, to make her yield to my will and reveal the truth, it was the first time in my life that I failed. Her mind wasn’t just closed off—it was a battlefield of chaos, an enigma that even I, with all my power, could not break through. It was a mockery, an insult. It eats away at me.

And now, watching her stand tall on the platform, with the determination of someone who believes she belongs here, my rage morphs into a burning need. I don’t just want to defeat her. I want to break her. I want to see her beg for answers she will never receive. And I will.

I will uncover the truth. No matter what I must do, no matter who I have to crush along the way. Sienna owes me answers, and I will rip them from her, even if I have to destroy her in the process.

SIENNA

Day Three:

I look at what lies before me and can hardly believe it: the Earth Court's arena... they have recreated a forest. Not just any forest, but ours. The scent of damp earth, the density of the trees—everything is identical.

The announcer begins his spectacle, his voice booming just like in the previous days. But this time, the trial feels different. More brutal. More lethal.

—Poisons and bow —I whisper to Astrid.

She nods, her gaze sharp, and we both prepare. The gong thunders.

We run.

—Trees! —I shout, and without hesitation, Astrid climbs with feline agility, camouflaging herself among the leaves. I slip through the underbrush, moving in the shadows, ready for any attack.

But then, the air shifts.

A shiver runs down my spine. The light turns grayish, the forest feels heavier, more oppressive. Something is wrong.

The Nimbaris.

How is this possible?

I signal Astrid to stay alert. I slow my pace, sharpen my senses, and brace myself. Astrid remains above, hidden in the shadows of the trees, while I move through the undergrowth. In the distance, the other competitors seem disoriented. This is not their terrain. They are intruders in this living forest, and that gives us the advantage.

The first Nimbaris attacks without warning. It lunges at Naeris, the warrior from the Water Court. She fights fiercely, using her powers, but the creature is too much. Astrid gives me a pleading look. I curse her soft heart but nod. We can’t leave her alone.

I climb swiftly, signal her, and we prepare our attack. We coat our arrows and knives with poison. We leap into battle.

I land on the Nimbaris, plunging my knife into its neck with all my strength. It growls but doesn’t fall immediately. Astrid fires from above, hitting another one. Naeris breaks free, though she is injured. When the beast beneath me collapses, I finish it off without hesitation. I rise, on guard.

—Shit! —I yell as three more emerge from the trees.

Astrid runs toward Naeris. Her leg is shredded, barely able to hold her weight.

—If we leave her, she’ll die —Astrid says.

—Damn you, Astrid! —I growl. Her damn soft heart. Naeris looks at us in desperation. We help her up and start running as best we can. I fire arrows every few steps, but the Nimbaris are closing in.

We turn and prepare to fight. Astrid fires, I charge with my knives. The beasts are fast; they don’t seek to kill us instantly but to contain us. I notice it. They’re trying to surround me. One lunges at Astrid. I don’t think. I step in and slash its throat in a clean motion.

Chaos erupts.

Zareth bursts into the battle. There is no time for questions. We are only blood, arrows, and blades. The warrior Vaelis from the Wind Court reaches us and joins the fight. Now it’s all of us against the Nimbaris.

Astrid and I exchange a glance. Poison. She knows. She knows what we have to do. We prepare. Astrid shouts to the others:

—On the count of three, run and don’t breathe!

But they don’t wait. Cowards. Except for Zareth. He doesn’t run. He looks at me, nods, and readies himself.