Page 29 of Daring the Drakarn Warrior Lord

The air grew thick with incense. Sweet and cloying, it caught in my throat and made my eyes water. The priests carried censers that swung on chains, smoke pouring from the perforated metal in gray-white clouds.

Karyseth's gaze swept the assembled warriors. Assessing. Judging. Her expression was serene, almost peaceful, which somehow made her more terrifying than if she'd been openly hostile.

Then her eyes found me.

Everything in me went still.

She looked at me for a long moment. Long enough that the warriors nearby noticed. Long enough that whispers started rippling through the crowd. Her expression didn't change. No surprise. No anger. Just that same terrible calm.

I waited for her to object. To declare that humans had no place in the Skalanth. To use this moment to humiliate me in front of half of Scalvaris.

She didn't.

Instead, she held my gaze for another heartbeat, then continued her scan of the crowd as if I was no more noteworthy than any other participant.

"We can still leave," Lexa said quietly. "No shame in changing your mind."

I could. The thought was tempting. Turn around, walk out of this square, go back to Darrokar and admit I'd been an idiot. Face his anger and his relief and his overprotective fury.

But then what?

The harassment would continue. The challenges. The constant pressure of being seen as weakness incarnate. Nothing would change except I'd have confirmed that I couldn't handle their world.

"I'm staying," I said.

Vega sighed. "Yeah, that tracks."

Karyseth raised her hands, and the crowd fell silent. Even the river seemed to quiet, though I knew that was just my imagination. She began to speak, her voice carrying across the square with the kind of projection that came from years of public ritual.

"Warriors of Scalvaris." The words rolled out, formal and weighted. "You stand at the threshold of the Skalanth. A trial as old as this city. A test of strength, cunning, and honor."

The assembled warriors straightened. Pride radiated from them.

"The blood-flame awaits in the Temple's inner sanctum." Karyseth's hands moved in patterns I didn't understand, probably some kind of blessing. "Your task is simple. Retrievethe sacred gem. Carry it through the city. Deliver it to the waiting priest at Scalvaris's edge before the suns reach their zenith."

Simple. Right. If you ignored the obstacles, the traps, and the senior warriors who'd be actively trying to stop us.

"The warrior who succeeds will lead the victory procession. Will be honored before the Blade Council. Will prove themselves worthy of Scalvaris's highest regard."

More than a few warriors puffed up at that. Glory. Recognition. The kind of status that could define a career.

I just wanted to survive.

"The rules are thus," Karyseth continued. "Killing is forbidden. Any warrior who takes a life will be punished. Captured participants will be marked with ash and are honor-bound to withdraw. Once you leave this square, the senior warriors will hunt you. They will test you. They will push you to your limits."

She paused, letting that sink in.

"But they will not break you. Not if you are truly worthy."

The incense smoke swirled thicker. The priests began chanting, low and rhythmic. The sound vibrated through the stone beneath my feet, through my bones.

Karyseth's gaze found me again. Just for a moment. Just long enough for me to see the cold calculation in her eyes.

She wanted me to fail. Wanted everyone to see. Wanted proof that humans couldn't compete.

Fine.

I'd give her a show.