Page 18

ELI

What is all the commo—” Walter said sharply as he stuck his head into the spacious stall. “What the—? You can’t be serious.” He took a step inside but hovered in the doorway, taking up the majority of it.

I grunted, feeling my abdominal muscles quiver as they strained in a poor attempt to stay taut. “I can talk to Cal. And Mendax. And—” My legs dropped to the ground, eliciting a relieved grunt. “And they can both hear me.”

“What? There’s no way,” Walter exclaimed, stepping closer.

“Way,” I shot back.

“How? They severed the tie. That’s why you died. And you can talk to Mendax too? That’s impossible.”

I grunted, feeling my face turning red with effort as I tried to loop my foot into the circle of rope.

“I have no idea, but I’m certain it’s another game the Fates are playing with us.

Our lives must seem like darts to them. I’d have a hard time believing anything else at the moment, especially with the predicament I’ve most recently found myself in.

I’m glad you’re here. Tie my ankles together, would you?

Make sure they are high enough so they don’t choke her. ”

Walter blinked slowly. “You’ve heard Anna is playing in the red keys as well?”

“Oh yes, I heard. The spawn herself informed me as she gathered her horse. She made a point of sharing that she and her equine manifestation of horror and slaughter had played together many a time and have yet to lose,” I said haughtily.

“It’s so fucking fitting that that horse would be hers. He’s the biggest one.”

“Yeah…she’s the best player Kaohs has had in over a century.”

“Of course she is,” I grumbled, thinking of her stupid pretty face and her magnificent ass.

“I hate that I didn’t know she is who she is. Maybe I could have helped Caly.” His brows pinched together in thought and I was reminded of just what a great friend Walter had been to her.

I waved him off. “How could you have known?” My legs fell from around Thistle’s neck again as I struggled to find a way to fit on the small mare.

I stood, completely frustrated. Being mad at Walter wasn’t going to help me stay alive, and it wasn’t worth my energy when there were countless other things to be mad about.

“Help me tie my ankles together so they don’t drag on the ground.

” My stomach felt like I’d visited one of the old practitioners in town that just beat the shit out of your belly with a belt to get you into shape.

“Your horse is across the aisle. I had to threaten the keep to get you that horse. Wraith is the best one available right now. Take Wraith. This isn’t a game of sentiment, Eli.

It’s a game of maneuverability and skill.

Also, I’ve been thinking about it, and when you kill Anna, you are going to have to get as far away from Kaohs as possible or he’s going to kill you for killing her.

She and Eletha are his everything since the other sisters deserted him.

He holds nothing more dear than those two.

When you kill her, it’s going to be bad. ”

The blood drained from my face and pooled at my feet.

It hadn’t actually occurred to me that I would have to kill Cal’s sister.

I hated killing anyone who didn’t deserve it, and even though she probably deserved it (suns knows what a fucking demon she must be, having grown up here), the thought of me or anyone else killing her made me sick.

What would Cal say? I shook my head. What was I thinking?

Cal would probably tell me to kill her if she knew everything that was going on.

Cal was not exactly tenderhearted. Here I’d thought Cal would be the evil sister and Adrianna would be the sweet and gentle animal lover.

“Agggh,” I snarled to myself. “I don’t want to kill her.

Maybe one of the others will kill her first and then my worries about this stupid situation will be over.

” The thought of someone else laying a hand on her sent a barrage of murderous thoughts through my mind. No, I didn’t want anyone to hurt her.

“Eletha will kill you if you hurt Anna,” Walter mumbled as if it had just occurred to him.

“You have to take Wraith. It’s your only shot at staying alive out there.

Don’t forget, there will be twenty-eight other desperate fae trying to steal your memento.

You saw how they get it, right? You have to make a deal with Kaohs at the beginning or something.

Get his word that if you win and Anna dies, you will be safe.

” He had begun to pace with the grace and gait of a wolf.

I half expected him to stress shift at any second.

“No. I’m riding Thistle. She is every bit as vicious and nimble as those other horses.

Just cause she’s smaller or looks a bit different than what’s around her is no indication of her ability to do incredible things.

What kind of a name is Wraith anyway? For the last time, please tie my feet up in front of her neck so they don’t drag on the ground. ”

He continued pacing as if he hadn’t heard me. “Eletha will be furious. Kaohs will be furious. It may be easier if you just die.”

I scowled at the suggestion. “I’m not going to just die.

Go on, the rope is on the ground. What about the Ten Tiers?

It could be my ticket out of here. Kaohs said that I could go to the Elysian Fields if I passed the tenth tier.

And if I”—I swallowed hard—“kill Anna, then it will be a place for me to escape to.”

He stopped pacing and squinted at me as if I had turned into a rat…

Bad metaphor. “You are the most foolhardy, naive bastard I’ve ever met.

The tiers are not an escape from anything, and I promise you, he was lying about the portal to the Elysian Fields.

If you win this game and don’t die, you will be killed by Kaohs and Eletha.

If you lose this game, you will be killed by the players, most likely Anna.

” He walked to the front of Thistle, paused to shake his head at her, and then began to tie my ankles together at the front of her brown neck.

“I think your pep talk might need a bit of work,” I replied.

After finishing the knot, he handed the leather reins over her head to me, letting out a breath.

“I remember hearing from Mendax what an accomplished and skilled warrior you are.” Something in the sentiment stuttered in his eyes before he continued.

It was possible it was the sheer image of my six- foot-four frame on the stocky brown miniature unicorn that caused the flicker in his eyes.

“I have no doubt you will shock me out there.” He rubbed Thistle’s nose. “Both of you.”

We followed him out of the stall and into the barn.

Snorts and nickers of the other horses echoed through the space as though they were laughing at us, and I could hardly blame them.

I’m certain we were a sight to be seen. “We’ll show ’em,” I whispered to Thistle as I patted her neck.

“Whoa! Whoa!” My legs whirled around her neck and I almost fell off.

The feisty mare let out her own stomp and slammed a rear kick into the wood door of the stall nearest us.

The horse inside protested with a sharp whinny, but Thistle didn’t seem fazed.

“You can’t even stay on her back and you’re not even out of the barn!” Walter hollered from ahead of us.

“Excuuuse me, I’ve never ridden with my ankles tied together. I just needed a minute to adjust. Ya know, you should have more faith in us. Do you know why?” We cantered up past him and I settled back into the saddle.

“Oh, yes. I can see my error in worrying now,” he said sarcastically as Thistle trotted in a circle around him, her back not even reaching his waist.

“We have two things that the others don’t.” I smiled, feeling the warmth of confidence flow over me. “First, she isn’t just my equestrian vehicle carrying me into battle; she’s my friend.” She let out a high-pitched whinny in agreement.

“Lovely. The troubadours will write songs about the two of you,” he stated. “And what’s the other?”

“A weapon attached to her head,” I said proudly. I’d seen her fierceness and I wasn’t going to doubt it now just because there were other, larger creatures around us. “There’s no one I’d rather ride into battle on than her,” I declared as my chest filled with emotion. “You’ll see.”

“I hope so,” he grumbled under his breath. “Now come out to the back arena. I set up a few practice exercises to get you and her familiar with the game before you play.”

I gently guided Thistle to follow him. “Now here’re the rules,” Walter began.

“First, tell me the first play Anna makes on the field and her most used moves.”

Walter looked at me with a stoic look of realization. “You’re going to kill her, aren’t you?”

I swallowed, feeling it linger in my throat like rocks. “I’m going to try. I can’t let her get ahold of the rest of her powers and I can’t let her take over for Kaohs. There’s no telling what would happen. Artemi are too powerful to be that evil.”

“I don’t know that she’s evil,” Walter interjected. “And Kaohs is a god. She won’t be as powerful as him…right?”

I shrugged. “There’s no way to know. She has all the power of the strongest Artemi line to exist; that can’t be good.

Besides, you heard how she talked about Zef.

The reason she’s here, dead in the first place, is because my mother mistook her powers to be Cal’s.

What if she hurt Cal after everything we’ve both done to keep her safe? ”

Walter huffed. “Mendax will never let anything happen to Caly as long as he is around. ”