Page 18

Dayton

T he glorious smell of sweat and blood fills my nose. Hands clap me on the back and congrats ring in the air. I walk among my fellow gladiators as we crowd in the corridors beneath the Sun Colosseum.

Soon, I’ll compete in the final match and claim victory in the Solstice Games, as my brothers have in years past. My gaze darts around the din to see Spiculus sitting in a corner. A serene look floats across his face. He’s meditating.

Scars mark his body. I’m not sure he’s ever been defeated in a game.

But neither have I.

A low murmur of voices carries through the corridor and prickles the back of my neck. Whistling, jeers.

“Is this a new prize?”

“What tender meat.”

Every nerve in my body is filled with tension, and I push through the crowd to see him.

Farron stands dwarfed in a throng of gladiators, all taunting and laughing at his awkwardness.

“What are you doing here?” I’m surprised by the venom in my voice, and it carries enough power that everyone backs away from us.

He blinks his gold eyes up at me. “I was trying to find you.”

Suddenly, I’m not sure I can wait to get into the arena to fight. All the surrounding people seem like the enemy. As soon as I grip his arm and pull him toward me, I feel better. But it’s not enough.

I drag Farron down a set of stairs, then through the maze of corridors and halls until I stop before an inconspicuous wall.

“Where are we—” Farron starts.

“Shut up.” I place my palm on the stone. It flashes a bright emblem of the sun before it pushes inward, and the bricks move aside to reveal a door.

Farron blinks wildly before I pull him through. “These are private dungeons, only accessible to the royal line,” I explain as the door closes behind us. “We used to house the vilest of criminals here before execution in the arena.”

The sandy cell is dimly lit with a narrow crack of light slicing through the darkness.

Through the crack, I catch sight of the blood-soaked sand and the crowded stands.

Cheers and shouts echo through the rock.

The grime of past prisoners stains the jagged walls.

A thick set of chains, rusted and worn, are bolted to the sandstone.

They hang from the ceiling, looped through heavy iron rings, as if waiting for their next occupant.

The crack of light serves as a cruel reminder of the world beyond, taunting the prisoner with a glimpse of freedom.

“Why did you bring me here?” Farron asks at the same time as I growl, “Why did you come here?”

We stare at each other until I sigh. “I didn’t like the way they were looking at you.”

His eyes are glassy. I step toward him.

“Why didn’t you tell me the games are to the death?” Anger tremors in his voice.

I recoil, raising my hands in a peaceful gesture. “I thought you knew.”

He shakes his head, wild hair falling into his eyes. “I thought it was like all the other games you told me about—with surrendering!”

“It’s okay,” I tell him. “I’ve never lost.”

“But if you lose this time, it’s your life .”

I grip his face between my hands. “You don’t understand, Fare. Death during the Solstice Games is not something to fear. If my blood soaks the sands, then my memories will live on forever in the Orb of Ancestors.”

He slips out of my grasp. “You’d rather be stuck in an orb than with me?”

“Well, it wouldn’t be me, just a memory of me. But that’s not the point. This is a sacred celebration. Both my brothers have competed and won in games prior. It is my turn now.”

Farron pivots, running his hand over the chains that hang from the wall. A large brass key sits against the stone, and he pushes it around with his toe. “I don’t like it.”

I pull him against my chest. “It’s okay. You can say you’re worried about me.”

Tension releases from his body, and every part of me wonders how I went so long without this.

From the small crack that lets in the arena’s light, I hear the crowd cheer.

“Come on,” I murmur against his neck before I pull away. “I have to go.”

I walk to the stone door and press my palm against a brick. The sun emblem lights beneath my hand, and the entrance opens.

And then I realize Farron’s not beside me. There’s a clicking sound, and I turn back to see both of Farron’s hands are clasped in the cuffs.

“What are you doing?” I rush back to him, grabbing the key from the floor. “Look, stop messing around.”

“I’m staying here until the match is over.”

I look him up and down. There’s a determined power to the set of his face. It’s the same look as when he jumped off the cliff.

“Are you crazy?” I roar. “If I lose, no one will find you down here.”

“Then don’t fucking lose.”