Page 19 of Shadows of Ruin (The Broken Prophecy #2)

Chapter 18

Lana

M y heartbeat thundered in my ears as the sounds of the colosseum faded.

I stared down at Cassandra, who watched me carefully, no expression on her face to indicate what the hell might be going on.

So much for Kade trusting her.

Why? Why would my name be called?

Kade strode forward. “She cannot compete, she?—”

“Silence,” the king commanded. “The magic of our land has spoken.” He grabbed my arm roughly, forcing me to stand, and leaned close, whispering in my ear. “I wonder, would you have an interest in a position as consort now?”

He pulled away, standing in front of me, as he ran his hand up my arm.

“Excuse me?” I snapped, immediately attempting to pull away from him, but he didn’t relent.

“I wouldn’t have my consort compete to be a Guardian, you see,” he said. “Care to save yourself? I’d hate to see such a beautiful face bloodied, or worse—dead.”

I inhaled sharply as a deep-seated rage boiled in my veins. “As you’ve said, the magic of the land has spoken. ”

His eyes darkened, the green suddenly changing, transforming into a smoky black. I’d seen that before.

In Kade’s eyes.

I startled, and this time when I stepped back, the king brought his hands down to his side. “I look forward to seeing how long you last.”

My body trembled as I fisted my hands, walking toward the aisles leading me down to the arena. Determined to survive, I hoped I could make it out unscathed.

I wondered what the group of hopefuls would do to become Guardians. Killing a woman who looked like she didn’t belong might not be a far stretch. Little did they know I could fight too.

I held my head high as I walked through the entrance into the arena. A man with a gash all the way down his arm, splitting his black tunic into two long strands, handed me his blade. “With blood may you reign,” he said.

I heard the king’s shout to begin. This fight took place in the same way the initial fight had. A free-for-all.

A blade came toward me, and I blocked it. No sooner did I twirl to meet my attacker than a black tendril came and whipped his sword away, slicing him three times across the chest in such rapid movements, I barely had time to blink.

I whipped my head to the side, but Kade fought his own battle.

Idiot . The king would have no doubts now that I meant more to Kade than he’d originally revealed.

“I can fight my own battles,” I hissed at the tendril as if it was sentient and could fucking understand me.

The tendrils of shadows retreated, shocking me by obeying, as another attacker came forward. I fought, parrying him with greater ease than I’d assumed I’d have to. Many of these men were untrained. I hit him twice in the arm, drawing blood, before he yelped, falling to his knees. Raya stood from a crouched position on the dirty floor .

“I had him,” I said, glaring at her.

“I figured pissing you off would help me pass the time.” She shrugged. “It has.”

Then we were fighting back-to-back. None of the people I battled seemed eager to deliver more than minor injuries. After knocking two more men out of the battle with shallow cuts, my confidence swelled.

A sharp sting ran along my spine, knocking me to my knees as I cried out in pain. I turned, seeing a man with shaggy red hair lift his blade to strike me again. So much for my confidence and no death blows. His eyes narrowed on me.

“Friendly with the king?” he asked before bringing his blade down.

“Lana!” Kade’s voice shouted from somewhere to my left, but I ignored him. Raising my own weapon, I blocked the deadly assault.

“Not at all.” I gritted my teeth, rising to my feet.

The man lunged forward, our blades locking. “Too bad. I might have spared you.”

I spun, slicing forward and catching his thigh. He roared, reeling back but not leaving the fight.

Shadows swiftly skittered toward me, but I didn’t need them. “No,” I commanded. They paused, lingering a few feet away.

The anxiety, the fear that so frequently made me hesitate lessened. I’d trained for this. I’d fought. I’d survived multiple battles, and I knew my capabilities.

I may not be the best warrior, but I would survive this day. For now, I believed I was fully capable of handling myself in this fight. I had confidence in myself, for the first time in a long time.

I’d use it, wield it as another weapon in my arsenal.

Our swords clanged, the ferocity of his hit reverberating up my arm, but I countered with my own strength. I noticed a wound on the man’s shoulder. He had two hits already. I only needed to land one more.

I smiled, backing up and forcing him to fall forward with his next blow.

He jerked his gaze toward me. “A woman has no chance of defeating me. I’ve trained for this day,” he hissed. “Waited for this moment my entire life.”

“Well, seeing as how you were only now selected for the chance at being a Guardian, I’m going to guess you’re not trained well.”

Fueling his emotions helped me. His movements turned savage. Wild, and out of his control. The man’s swings, though harsher, were easier to anticipate.

I heard Kade call my name again but refused to focus on his voice.

This time when I blocked the man in front of me, clashing my blade to his, I knew I’d won. “Enjoy knowing a woman bested you.”

A pulsing light spread over my hands, and I inhaled, twisting my blade and slicing the man’s other arm. He stumbled back, glaring at me with lethal rage.

I almost lashed out due to his use of magic but hesitated. The light rimmed my hands and then disappeared. That was?—

Impossible .

“I think not,” a voice hissed. I looked up, realizing the man had no honor or intention of leaving this battle despite being down by the rules of engagement.

His rush caught me off guard and I lifted my blade, moving slower than I would have liked.

Before he reached me, a shadowy tendril wrapped around his throat and a blade slammed mercilessly through his gut.

I stumbled back a step.

Kade whipped around, eyes roaming over my body. “Are you hurt? ”

I shook my head. “Only my back. It’s fine.”

He grabbed my arm, spinning me around and inhaled sharply. “We’ll get you to Cassandra.”

“We’re in the middle of this stupid festival, if you hadn’t noticed.”

“I don’t care,” he said, gripping the hand that didn’t hold my blade.

“Kade, your father?—”

As if I’d burned him, he dropped my hand. He closed his eyes and inhaled a few times. My words summoned the tyrant himself.

“Well played, Guardians.” The king’s voice echoed around us.

Kade and I stared at each other before I glanced at the man’s body, dead on the ground. He’d killed him without hesitation.

Everything I’d felt since this morning tumbled through me. Realization, need, and an aching pain collided inside my chest for the man standing in front of me.

Storm and Jax approached us, and the three of them shifted, all positioning themselves around me.

“Not bad, Princess,” Raya said at my back. They surrounded me, maneuvering into this formation on purpose in a way that obstructed me from the view of not only the spectators, but the king himself.

“Faithful warriors, your bravery has been witnessed by your king,” King Dargan announced as the crowd roared in a standing ovation. “Those unlucky enough to find themselves out will be among the first selected for a station along the outer outposts of the kingdom. You retain your life, but you’ve fallen from grace. Perhaps next year, you’ll earn back a place closer to the palace.”

At least they’d live.

“Cassandra will administer the Blood Oath, and then,” the king shouted, “my people, we will celebrate our Guardians and another year of their fealty and our strength. With blood may you reign.”

A terrifying realization hit me. The Blood Oath. Now that my name had been called, I would be asked to take it. But I wouldn’t, especially not to that man. I certainly wouldn’t pledge myself to another kingdom when I would always remain loyal to my own. A kingdom that, once I returned, I would save no matter what it took; I would die defending it if necessary.

The king turned from the platform he stood on, parting the crowd greeting him, and made his way down the colosseum stairs. Down toward us.

I swallowed. “Please tell me you spoke to Cassandra,” I whispered.

Storm, closest to me out of all of them, dipped his head once. At least she’d keep them safe. I hoped. Though throwing me into the festival didn’t make me feel as though she had my best interests at heart.

We hadn’t planned for me to be in this position.

I wondered briefly how many fake oaths Cassandra could pull off. I may be in deep shit myself, but I needed all of those with me to be okay too.

Even with the knowledge that they’d spoken to her, each of the three men radiated a tangible unease.

Raya stepped directly to my side as the other Guardians shuffled in front of us, all appearing eager to take the oath. Or perhaps they were merely eager to get out of here and go to the celebration.

I peered around the line. Cassandra hadn’t left her position by the cauldron. This time, the smokey makeup of whatever lay inside glowed red instead of gold.

The king stalked through the entry way, entering the arena, and stood a few feet to Cassandra’s side, looking each Guardian in the eye as they stepped forward.

A hissing noise startled me, and black smoke shot from the cauldron. A man shouted, crying out in agony. “It's not true, my king.”

I gasped, watching a seasoned Guardian in the front fall to his knees before the king. He reached for the king’s feet, but King Dargan kicked him back. “You dare touch me? You beg for mercy when the Blood Oath has revealed you to be a traitor?” He slammed his foot into the soldier’s face.

The Guardian collapsed in the dirt, and two men came to either side of him, lifting him by the arms and dragging him out toward the center of the arena.

I looked at Kade. He stood utterly still, staring at Cassandra. Except for his clenched jaw, his face showed no emotion.

He’d have to kill him. He’d be forced to kill that man. Even though he most likely wasn’t a traitor, or maybe he merely fought against the king somehow like the Guardians currently surrounding me.

Or perhaps worst of all, he simply drew the short stick in this terrifying game of luck.

I shuddered, wrapping my arms around myself. Warmth pricked at my fingers, and I glanced down at my hands. They were as they’d always appeared. No light. Nothing. I must have imagined it. The short-lived spark looked so much like the flare that happened in Brookmere a few times in the past few weeks.

Nature. That’s what I originally thought. A blessing from nature in the moments I needed it most, even if it had added nothing to me magically. But how could nature’s blessings reach me here? And why?

The oaths continued. A few more men barked out their loyalty when the cauldron found them unworthy. Five stood in the center of the arena, with only a handful left before Jax’s turn.

I held my breath, watching the playful shifter approach the cauldron and Cassandra. The king scanned those of us who remained until his gaze fell on me. I refused to meet his eyes, but I felt his stare. Warning bells rang inside my mind, demanding I heed the danger of this Fae.

Perhaps my only hope lay with being honest about who I was, which surely would go over poorly. Though it had to be better than being deemed a traitor with a Blood Oath I didn’t feel remotely able to fake.

Kade shifted, stepping back to stand behind Raya and me.

I wanted to ask him what to do, but I couldn’t risk anyone hearing. Whatever instincts I possessed, I’d need to trust them. Right now, everything inside of me rebelled at putting my blood in that cauldron.

Jax furrowed his brow as he sliced his hand on the dagger, dripping his blood into the smoking vessel. The red coloring pulsated, and then nothing. No hiss. No black smoke.

Jax passed, walking forward to take his place behind the king.

Storm approached Cassandra next.

I clasped my hand into a fist, unable to stop the tremor racing through me.

He repeated the motion, slicing his hand, and Cassandra did her job once more. Storm passed.

Raya approached next, leaving me standing with Kade at my back.

As expected, Raya passed as well.

I was out of time trying to come up with a plan. I refused to swear fealty. Or even pretend. Kade and the others were in a position where they had no choice.

But I had a choice.

I was Princess Illiana Dresden. And no amount of fear would stop me from denying my family. My title.

Cassandra’s gaze hit me, and her wariness pushed me over the line for what I had to do. That one fearful look told me her faking my oath would be more difficult than the others .

“King Dargan, I did not choose this fight,” I said. “A Blood Oath should be given freely, willingly, not forced.”

The king’s brow cocked. “The Fates spoke very clearly, and whether forced or not, those who participate in the Festival of Swords must swear their loyalty to their king.”

“I cannot take a Blood Oath to you. For my loyalty forever belongs elsewhere.”

I kept my voice as quiet as possible so only those closest could hear. Shouting out my refusal of the Blood Oath would have been a mistake. Tits and daggers, this might be a mistake too. Cassandra’s face slackened with what looked like relief.

I had to do this. I knew it in the marrow of my bones.

The king’s sneer intensified as he approached me. “If you dare defy the Fates and their calling, if you are disloyal to your king, you will die a traitor. Simple as that.”

Kade stepped closer behind me, and the king’s gaze flicked over my head to his son. “I might enjoy making you kill her.”

I moved closer to the king, steeling my nerves. “I will not take the Blood Oath to you because I am loyal to my own kingdom.”

The king’s eyes widened, staring at me. A dawn of understanding washed over him before his face hardened. “What did you say?”

“I am the Princess of Brookmere,” I said, voice low. “I do not swear loyalty to anyone but myself and my people.”

He stepped back, like my words had a physical effect on him. His wild gaze darted to Kade, eyes narrowing. “I want to watch you take your oath, boy. Now .”

I steadied myself. Refusing to let the fear welling inside of me slip out in any way in case the king watched. And oh, I knew he did.

Kade grabbed the dagger and cut his hand, holding it over the cauldron while Cassandra stepped back. If the hiss came, the black smoke, I’d fight by his side to escape .

A red flare, strong and convincing, radiated from the cauldron.

Kade passed.

The king’s anger enveloped me, making me want to shrink back, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. He stared at Kade until that evil smile reappeared.

“Very well, how could we deny the sanctity of royal blood?” He sneered again as he walked away toward the front of the arena and turned to Kade. “Kill the traitors…and make it good.”

Kade didn’t look at or acknowledge me. My gaze met Cassandra’s, but she quickly glanced away.

It was enough to know we were under a microscope. Even more so than before. And there could be no errors.

Kade unsheathed the sword at his back, and then, in his empty hand, his shadows formed his second blade. His blade of shadows and darkness.

He held his head up, facing the traitors, and his eyes darkened along with the shadow blade until all that remained was destruction.

I shivered, and a part of my heart broke for Kade. For the man standing, weapons out, against his own people. People likely to be innocent.

One by one he lashed out, first with his sword, and then with the shadow blade. I didn’t look away as the latter left ashes in its wake.

When the last man’s body blew away on a phantom breeze in the ring, Kade’s shadow blade evaporated. He left the bloodied sword out, hanging by his side.

“And now, we celebrate,” the king shouted from the edge of the ring to the excited crowd around him.

Footsteps echoed as the spectators left the colosseum. Guardians walked toward the exit, like this hadn’t been devastating. Like they hadn’t lost their friends, ones they must have fought and trained beside for years .

I stepped toward Kade, but Raya grabbed my arm.

“We have a feast to attend.”

I thought I might be sick. This wasn’t like Canyon City. These deaths had to be real.

I looked over my shoulder and stared at Kade until he met my eyes. I poured every ounce of compassion I could into my gaze, but he merely trembled once and looked away.