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Chapter Fifteen

RUNA

After a sleepless night, the morning of the trials greeted me with little sympathy for my exhaustion and far too much fanfare. After being paraded around the amphitheater in the back of magically driven chariots, the “fallen” currently stood within the sandy pit.

The stands surrounding us were filled to capacity, forming a cage of flesh and bone. My eardrums trembled from the onslaught of the cheering crowd. The roar was almost too loud to bear.

None had ever described me as shy or reserved, and yet I struggled with the need to curl inside of myself. Far too many eyes peered down at me, measuring my value, determining my worth.

Over a lavender gossamer shift and ass-baring briefs, I wore a corset trimmed in glittering crystals.

My long hair had been twisted into spiraling curls, and a beaded circlet rested across my forehead.

On my feet were a pair of sandals with straps that crisscrossed the length of my calves.

Instead of the skilled sorceress that I was, I’d been made to resemble a delicate sheep anxious to be slaughtered.

Flarking Raelynn. She must have had a hand in this—so eager to humble and humiliate me. Well, she’d soon discover I wasn’t easy to subjugate.

“That’s right, ladies. Cheer for your favorite.

” Beside me, Drazen flexed his spectacular muscles, turning a circle.

Golden bands with flames etched into the metal circled his bulging biceps.

While his chest was bare, black leggings clung to his muscular thighs, leaving little to the imagination.

Finely detailed flames were stitched along the outer legs.

Even I had to admit his costume suited him. Unlike mine.

“You are embarrassing,” Kronk grumbled, dressed in brown leggings made to resemble fractured rock. Over his broad upper body, he wore a leather harness with iron studs and a rustic chest plate designed to cup his bulging pectorals.

“And you are jealous,” Drazen taunted.

“It is ill-advised to encourage their attention. To be a favorite is to be a target,” Victor stated.

I scanned his costume with a critical eye, noting the intricate braids that drew his long silver hair back from his aristocratic face.

Braids Milani had spent an excessive amount of time plaiting this morning.

The rich brocade tunic, woven with metallic threads, gave him a rather king-like appearance.

“Will you be able to run in those?” Drazen scowled at my feet.

I squared my shoulders, ignoring the breeze that blew up the back of my skirt, flashing my ass. “Who says I’ll be running? Once this torque is deactivated, the others will run from me.”

Trumpets blared, and though it didn’t seem possible, the crowd grew louder.

One of the females I recognized from Gamma cell twitched nervously in front of me, muttering, “We’re all going to die. All going to die. ”

Thanks to the orbs that floated over each of our heads, her mental breakdown was projected onto the rotating carousel of magical images that hovered high above us. The orbs would project our every move during the games.

King Idris entered his royal pavilion, the queen trailing behind him. His doublet, a luxurious garment woven with gleaming metallic threads, sparkled as if sprinkled with starlight. Raelynn sparkled as well, the tiny crystals on her costly gown catching the light and scattering rainbows.

The king strode to a raised platform near the railing, raising his arms. “Great people of Carcerem, I welcome you to the Fallen Trials.”

The crowd roared. Much more of this, and my eardrums would bleed.

“We’re going to die! We’re going to die!” The terrified woman grasped her head, rocking back and forth. Poor girl was losing her shit. No way she’d make it to the end of the competition.

The false king lowered his arms, gesturing for the crowd to quiet, which, of course, they did immediately. Brainless idiots.

“The competitors gathered before you are criminals of the kingdom.” Idris’s magically amplified voice echoed through the stands. “All are guilty of heinous crimes that threaten the peace and prosperity of our lands.”

This time, the spectators responded with hate and violence. “ Boos !” thundered in our ears. Cups of mead were thrown into the aisles.

“We’re going to die! Going to die!”

“Hey. Settle down. It’s going to be fine,” I lied. The screamer was most definitely going to die. I reached out to pat the distressed female’s shoulder. Big mistake.

The second my hand made contact, she belted out a screech and bolted through the other competitors scattered before us. No one cared to stop her .

“Going to die!” she shrieked, sprinting to the edge of the ring.

“Wait!” I shouted. “You can’t—”

Sparks exploded as the woman hit the invisible containment field. Flames engulfed her body. Inhuman screams erupted from her throat. In seconds, she’d turned to ash, her remains floating away on a breeze.

Once more, the crowd was back to cheering. Bloodthirsty deviants. And they claimed we were the criminals.

“Ah, yes.” King Idris chuckled. “I was getting to that part. Residents of Carcerem need have no fear, for the suppression field will contain all threats to the kingdom’s safety during the trials.”

A shiver ran through me. The screamer wasn’t wrong. Flark, we were screwed. Firm fingers squeezed my own. I glanced down. When did I grab the vampire’s hand?

Double flark. I shook off his grip and lifted my chin.

Drazen glanced between the two of us, a dark frown on his ruddy face.

“ Blah, judgment for your crimes. Blah. Blah, ” Idris droned on, his voice an irritating buzz in my brain.

I tuned out most of his blathering to focus on the woman who lingered behind his throne. Not that I cared about the traitor, but I noticed Raelynn wasn’t allowed to sit beside her royal mate. Instead, she stood next to him like one of his servants. Bet that burned her greedy ass.

As though she felt my scrutiny, she turned her attention to me. While meeting my eyes, a twisted smirk distorted her face. No doubt, she was eager to see me fall during the coming challenge. That we shared even a drop of blood between us was a mystery.

Never one to bow beneath my sister’s taunting, I flicked my fingers under my chin and blew her a kiss, the gesture meant to mimic a kiss of death. The classier version of sliding one’s finger across their throat.

To my delight, her smirk faded, replaced by an ugly snarl. When we were younger, Momma used to warn us our faces would freeze like that. I only wish it were true.

I dialed into the false king’s long-winded speech.

“There are three challenges. One per span. Each represents different aspects of our dear kingdom. The first span will demonstrate her land, the second her heart, and the last her many inhabitants. In these trials, Carcerem shall determine which of the criminals are deserving of redemption. Those who are deserving must persevere against the kingdom, themselves, and each other. Last one standing will have earned their freedom.”

At this, the competitors cheered louder than the crowd. I imagined it would be the last time any felt the desire to do so.

“Well, that was vague as hell,” Drazen grumbled. “Land, heart, inhabitants?”

“Stay together,” Victor ordered. His icy gaze scanned those around us. “Do not lead until we see what unfolds. Let the others spring the traps.”

I stiffened at the order. Our temporary partnership didn’t make him our leader. Not by a long shot.

“Agreed,” Kronk said far too readily.

My palm itched with the urge to slap him upside his thick head.

In the royal pavilion, King Idris raised his arms. Raelynn’s blacked hand rested on his shoulder. Golden energy glowed in his palms, growing brighter. Brighter.

“Let the Fallen Trials begin!” the king roared in an otherworldly voice, the deep tenor rumbling through the amphitheater.

Blinding light exploded from his hands, engulfing everything it touched. The force that blasted over my skin nearly knocked me on my ass. Stony arms wrapped around my frame as Kronk shielded me with his body .

Sand pitched and rolled beneath our feet.

“What’s happening?” I shouted as if anyone else had a clue.

Our entire world seemed to come apart, then reassemble in unexpected ways. The stands dissolved, the audience vaporizing.

Deep in my center, where my magic dwelled, a dark ache seized me. Ice scraped along my nerve endings, my life force burning me from the inside out. Except this pain. It wasn’t mine.

No.

It was Carcerem’s.

Our noble king defiled her. He stole her power for himself. My sister used her magic to aid him—for their entertainment. What they had done was vile. One of the worst crimes an individual could commit. Nausea rolled through my gut, and I fought with the urge to vomit.

As my stomach churned, the scene shifted.

The amphitheater vanished, replaced by miles of endless shoreline.

Before us, a restless ocean churned. Its waves crashed with frothy intensity.

At its heart lay a small island, marked by a lone red flag.

Suspended above the sandy mound, an enchanted timer glowed, counting down from twenty clicks.

The king had used the realm’s magic to create a compelling illusion. Unlike mine, this one had substance. Over the pounding waves, I registered the sounds of the crowd. While they still watched us in this magical environment, we could no longer see them.

“Now what?” Kronk asked.

Scattered along the beach were the other competitors. Like us, they glanced around in confusion.

“What? No instructions?” Drazen asked.

Victor stared out across the water. “Given the flag and timer. I’m assuming we’re meant to get to the flag in twenty clicks. Those who don’t make it in the time allotted won’t live to see the next challenge.”