“We simply wish to warn you about those who would seek power for themselves.”
I frowned.
“You seem like a strong young woman. I want to encourage you not to let anyone push you around. Including a certain king.”
They all chuckled as if sharing some secret joke. My lips thinned.
“That certain king seems to regret ever bringing me here.” The ground beneath me began to slope, so I knew we were close to the arena. Gelf gave a soft laugh, pushing me gently ahead.
“He only wants you to think that. I’ve never seen him so distracted or riled in all our years here. You are the cause. Do not underestimate your strength.”
He grasped my hands again, letting go with regret. I bowed to the other two drakens, and they bowed back. I couldn’t shake the image of Benedict’s tortured face above me, his fangs bared in a snarl as he thrusted in my body. I shook my head.
“Enjoy the Games,” I said, and they went off down a separate corridor.
Benedict barely even shot me a glance as I took my seat, his eyes trained on the pit. Not that I blamed him; there were much more interesting things on display in front of me. My days of never having seen a lykos were over: three of them were staked down in the corners of the pit, heavy chains leading to rough iron collars around their necks. I couldn’t help but grab Benedict’s forearm in alarm.
“They won’t touch you,” his voice rumbled, even as I frowned.
“It isn’t that.” I argued, as the drakens in the bleachers sneered and catcalled the trapped creatures in the pit.
“You missed the introduction. D’Arcy was in his element.”
“I’m sure he was,” I said darkly, as one of the lykos howled and yanked his chain, foam flying from his mouth. They were in their wolven forms, large hulking beasts covered in fur and rippling muscles. D’Arcy must have planned this in advance to line it up with the lykos’ moon cycles, or he knew where to get three lykos on extremely short notice. Neither of those options brought me any source of comfort.
“Let me guess, the drakens get to kill them even though they’re already chained and captured?”
He raised an eyebrow.
“You object?”
“Of course, I object!” I yelled. “The small one looks like a child!” I gestured to the smaller bundle of fur on the far left. It didn’t fight back like the other two lykos did, instead quivering and pulling itself as far into the corner as it could. Benedict shifted uncomfortably.
“D’Arcy would never—"
I silenced him with a glare, and Benedict waved a hand carelessly.
“If you protest it that much, then stop it. How many times must I tell you? All this is for you. If you don’t like it, stop it.”
He made it sound so easy, didn’t he? I had to at least try.
I stood as D’Arcy approached the small lykos with a sadistic grin on his face, moving to the edge of the balcony and flipping a dagger into my hand. The two adult lykos howled in fury and fear, injuring themselves as they struggled uselessly against the chains that held them. I wasn’t overly confident of my abilities, but I had been practicing. I could do this if it were needed. And it was very much needed.
“Wren.” I ignored Benedict’s irritated growl. He rarely used my name, but now wasn’t the time to revel in such luxuries.
Just as D’Arcy bore down on the young lykos I let my dagger fly. It soared through the air, and cleanly hit the pin that held the collar on the young lykos. The small ball of fur pulled free, running desperately towards the direction of the balcony, and the black lykos chained directly beneath me. I jumped over the edge as D’Arcy lunged, careful of my sword as I tucked and rolled, disbursing the momentum of my landing. My blade was in my hand as I popped up, standing directly between D’Arcy and the two lykos. I pointed my sword at his chest.
D’Arcy towered over me, and I was struck with the reminder that I was one puny, human woman in a pit with three lykos and one blood thirsty draken. My courage wavered, and for a moment I considered backing away. D’Arcy smirked, as if he could read my thoughts. I wouldn’t let him win, I couldn’t, not while I stood here with the ability to do something. I could choose fear, or I could choose something else.
If I’m alive, there’s hope.
I tightened my grip on my sword, swallowing heavily. Sweat beaded on my forehead.
“Release them.”
Gasps and grumbling reverberated around the stadium, before falling into startled silence, wondering what would happen next. D’Arcy laughed; a dark, patronizing sound that sent chills up my spine.
“I highly doubt you want me to do that.”
I licked my lips, fear threatening to overwhelm me. The lykos’s head was bigger than me, their growling felt deep in my gust. I questioned whether to call his bluff. He rolled his eyes and gestured grandly around us.
“The moment I release them, they will rip your throat out.”
I turned and met the large golden eyes of the beast behind me, his black fur rippling with exertion. The smaller one whined from between his legs.
Choose fear or choose something else.
Right now, I was alive, and so were they. If we were alive, there was hope. I raised my head, easily meeting D’Arcy’s turquoise gaze.
“I don’t think they’ll attack me. I’m sure they know that the moment they do, hundreds of drakens will descend on them and shred them to pieces. Certainly, they don’t want that.”
I could have sworn the lykos chained in the corner on the right grinned at me, his large tongue lolling out of his mouth. D’Arcy crossed his arms, as if the whole affair didn’t concern him one bit.
“What if I release the lykos, and we will simply see what happens? They could choose to
