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R unecoats stood all around the top edge of the arena.

They wore long, deep-red coats with vertical black stripes.

Masks covered the lower half of their faces, to keep their anonymity.

I found myself counting them, then realizing there were more tucked in the crevices and nooks of the massive structure.

Six a.m., the morning of the solstice, and we stood on the Isle of Thanatos, awaiting instructions on how the games would go.

The arena itself was three times the size of the actual Roman Coliseum, with walls that reached over two hundred feet, complete even with stands for the teachers and the rest of the school that would be cheering us on.

The center of the arena was built like a maze, with walls and doorways, low-hung ceilings.

Apparently, those who sat in the stands could see down into the hidden parts of the arena, watching us all like we were some sort of reality TV show.

My eyes drifted back to the Runecoats. “Is it normal for this many Runecoats to be in attendance?”

The others shrugged, and I found myself looking for Liam. Typhon was with his team already and Liam ... well, Liam was at least someone I trusted.

He stood with the other teachers not participating, while everyone arrived and got settled. I hurried over to him.

Liam nodded at me. “Yeah, I see them too. I imagine the prophecy, the attack on Central Park, and Nocta’s crazed speech have them being extra careful.

He’s clearly escalating.” He shrugged. “But I’m not unhappy they’ve sent in the Runecoats.

If this keeps you all safe, then so be it.

” He reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

“Be careful in there, Harlow. I have ... a bad feeling about these games, but Tarquinius won’t back down from holding them. ”

A gong sounded and I swallowed hard. “Thanks?”

The gong boomed again, and I had no choice but to turn and go back to my team.

I was nothing if not a bundle of anxiety and nerves. I found myself reaching for the small velvet bag in my pocket, rolling two of the smooth stones between my fingers.

Marina and Ellie’s emotions rumbled back to me, and it did not help calm me. I all but yanked my hand away from the anxiety that bounced back to me. Nope, I did not need more of that.

Tarquinius stood on a small platform in front of us, his wiry body enveloped in a deep-green robe. He really needed a good meal or two.

“And, last but not least, to ensure each team has what I like to think of as some extra ‘skin in the game’ this year,” Tarquinius said, his voice carried to us on the rune he cast, “as a team or player is eliminated, they will be spirited topside. If a team loses their flag, or a player is grievously injured, that will constitute a loss. We will then be sending eliminated teams back into the fray after a waiting period of one hour. They will not be allowed to win this portion of the games; however, they will make it more difficult for the remaining teams.” His eyes swept over the crowd, resting on each of the houses.

“The winners of the Solstice Games will of course have the traditional choice of feast, and one thousand dollars of credits for the Nevershoppes.”

Tarquinius waited for the din of excited voices to calm. “Any questions?”

Only, like, a hundred of them, but I wasn’t about to call undue attention to myself by asking any out loud.

Not when I’d managed to bypass the fanny pack check for smuggled rations or unapproved weapons on the way into the venue.

Still, my mind was racing – which it had been doing since we’d made the trek as one massive unit all the way to the southernmost tip of the island.

From there we were boated to an island another five miles from Neverthorn.

Isle of Thanatos. Yup, Island of the dead. Not ominous at all.

Students from every house, youngest to oldest, were practically vibrating with excitement. Even though the event was held every year, it was still a big deal. Tales of Coliseums past and all the best Solstice Games had been flying between students the whole trip over.

“Then, Heronius himself took a broadsword and lopped the swamp-thing’s head clean off. I heard it still haunts the murky waters, even now!”

“By the time Maribel got back to base, she was struck mute. Whatever she saw out there was so terrible, the poor thing never spoke again.”

“Peter Polanko was so hungry, he stuffed his face full of what he thought were blackberries and turned out to be belly-buster berries and wound up with a case of the squirts so bad, he sharted himself.”

Even the professors seemed caught up in the excitement.

All except for one.

While Tarquinius fielded questions from various students, I peered over my shoulder and caught sight of Typhon standing at the very back of the crowd, looking around like he expected someone to ambush us from behind or something.

“He can’t understand why they would still do it this year.

I overheard him speaking to Tarquinius,” Phyllis said, following my gaze.

“He feels like the arena has us all corralled together. He’s concerned that Nocta will use the opportunity to stage an attack.

Nikita has been supportive of Tarquinius, saying that it will help test all the students, and prepare them for battle.

Besides, with the prophecy, we already know when the true war will be waged. ”

I didn’t think Typhon was wrong. We were, essentially, in a massive, stone pen that appeared to only have one entrance or exit.

“Are you worried?” I asked, eyeing Phyllis for signs of worry. In truth, she seemed much calmer than she had been during the team hand-to-hand combat battle.

She cocked her head as she considered the question.

“I’m always worried when it comes to the students, but I think Tarquinius, and perhaps even the Senate, feel the ends justify the means, and I trust him.

I always have. The Runecoats are here to help, and truly, this test is needed.

Especially since you’ll all have access to your full powers here.

We need to see the cream rising to the top and in order to do so, you need to be challenged in all ways.

Hand-to-hand fighting has the potential to be a bloodbath.

This is more a battle of wits, and magical abilities which I much prefer.

So, I’m cautious, but I think it’s going to be alright. ”

I wasn’t sure if the swamp-thing or poor Peter Polanko would necessarily agree with that assessment, but I wasn’t about to stress her calm. Besides, I had my Quirk now.

A Quirk no one else had. At least, as far as Liam or Typhon knew.

I gathered my team around me. “Okay, our primary objective for the first part of the challenge is to capture the flags of any opposing teams. The flag being the head of each house. So, for Kirinash, it’s Nikita.

For us, it’s you, Phyllis, and so on. If our house “flag” is captured, we’re yanked out of the game for a period of time, and we lose points.

On the last day, there will be a final showdown of sorts between any of the participants who haven’t lost their flag.

And then it’s just an all-out, head-to-head magic battle at the center of the Coliseum.

Points to the winners, and at the end the tally is taken.

Team with the most points wins. Is that right? ”

“Yes.” Simple and yet not.

“And remember, the heads of house can only assist with team strategy,” Fable piped in as she and Ross made their way to stand beside us.

“They’re not to engage in battle magic at any time.

But Phyllis is an exception because she’s not a teacher.

Because we have fewer on our team than the other houses, they are allowing her to participate. ”

A key point that was definitely to our advantage.

I was pretty sure Typhon could wreck us single-handedly, and Nikita would relish the chance to turn me into a frog if she was allowed.

Phyllis, on the other hand? As much as I’d grown to respect and care for her, what she’d witnessed all those years ago had scarred her and made watching violence difficult, so I doubted she’d be of all that much help on that front.

Still, something was better than nothing, given that all the other houses had been allowed to handpick thirteen students to represent them, and we had to work with what we had.

“The arena will shift, literally changing shape to confuse or corner us,” Phyllis said. “After major battles usually, but also sometimes at random moments. We need to be ready as soon as we hear the gears grinding, to move quickly.”

Tarquinius clapped his hands, and everyone turned to him again.

“Two final things before we are ready to start. There will be no lethal runes used. It will mean immediate expulsion if you so much as start to cast one. And finally, you will all be sent into the Coliseum through different doorways, at the same time. There will be extra lead time for everyone except House Phoenix. They will wait a full minute before entering the Coliseum.”

The grumbling was instantaneous from our house. “What the hell?” Ross snapped.

“That’s not fair!” Marina added.

“Dog piss,” Ellie said under her breath.

I wasn’t surprised, though. Not one bit.

“Settle down,” Tarquinius shouted over the complaints. “I realize this seems unfair, but war isn’t concerned with fair. We need the strongest houses to stretch themselves for the good of us all. Not another word about it, understood?”

“The strongest houses? Shouldn’t House Phoenix go back to the school and sit this whole thing out, then?”

I turned to find Julius standing behind me, a wide grin on his face.

Doyenne Storm clapped her hands and thunder rolled above our heads. “You’ll treat one another with respect, or you’ll leave the competition. Is that understood, Mr. Rendimion?”

Julius’ smile dimmed as he shuffled in place. “Yes, ma’am.”