Page 26 of Vicious Princess (The Trials of Death and Honor #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

A t first, I’m not certain what am I seeing. We’re inside some sort of hidden warehouse. All the windows are barred with heavy reclaimed wood planks so no strange eyes can witness what’s inside.

At the back of the space, there’s a large iron fence dividing the area into two. At the fence, a huge crowd gathers. On the right side of it stands a large platform hovering just above everyone’s heads. There, three makeshift iron thrones stand, with shadowed figures occupying them.

The crowd is lost in the frenzy, watching whatever is happening on the other side of the fence. At the front, there are round tables crowded with men playing cards, dice, and other table games. Not just playing—gambling.

I tug on Daegel’s hand to make him stop walking. “Is this a gambling parlor?”

Daegel turns to me. “That’s one way to call it.”

I yank my hand away, fuming. But Daegel doesn’t let go, only tightens his grip. The hair at the back of my neck rises. Something feels… off .

“Why the fuck would you bring me to a gambling parlor? And for the love of the gods, let go of my hand!”

Instead of doing as I ask, Daegel yanks me towards him.

I brace my free hand on his broad, hard chest. I’m flushed all over, overcome with lust. But I don’t let it show. I glower at him through my lashes.

“I said to stay close to me.” Daegel’s whisper is full of warning. “It’s better if they think you belong to me. Trust me on this one.”

I huff and push myself off him. He smells like the forest after rain. I could drown in that scent for days on end.

“Who’s they ?”

Daegel points a finger at the platform with three shadowed figures.

I want to know who they are, but Daegel doesn’t offer any answers. So I say, “I don’t understand why I’m here.”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

He leads me through the crowd, closer to the fence. Once we reach it, I see what’s on the other side.

Three fae with bows in hand stand on the other side, their backs to us. In front of them, the hall stretches a long way. At the very end of it is a tall wall. I squint, unsure if I should trust my eyes about what I’m seeing.

On that wall hang five fae. Alive, squirming in place. Their hands are tied with ropes above their head, but their legs are free. They keep on kicking, as if trying to find solid ground. As if that would help them break free.

“What the fuck.” I breathe out the words.

“This is called Ani-ki-ga ,” Daegel whispers into my ear. His warm breath tickles my neck. “It’s a sort of competition between archers. The rules are simple—the one who hits the most live targets wins.”

I turn to him. “How is this legal? This is essentially competitive murder.”

Daegel’s face is unreadable as his gaze searches my face. “It’s not. And not always. Sometimes, the targets live to see another day.”

“Who are those targets? How are they selected?”

A shrug of broad shoulders. “Nameless homeless folk who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

I blink at him. These damn fae have the audacity to call us—humans— yrathi barbarians and judge us for our ways of training Decarios. Yet this is not considered brutal?

“This is unnecessary cruelty.”

“So is life, Wildarrow.”

Is he a fucking poet now?

I bristle. “Once again, why are we here?”

Daegel jerks his chin at the archers. “Watch them. Observe how they use their weapons. Tell me if you can notice who’s a Phantom Ranger, who’s mastered their bow, and who has not.”

I glance at the archers over my shoulder and then back at Daegel. “These are Ezkai? Is this what the honorable members of the ancient Order do in their free time?”

Daegel shakes his head. Interesting. So these men are rogue Decarios, like the inn owner Kazh and her men. “Pay attention, Wildarrow. You might be surprised at how much you can learn.”

I turn my back to Daegel and face the iron fence. The archers are lined up a few feet away from each other. I can’t see their faces from where we stand, but their shoulders are squared. Rigid.

These fae are not here to play. They’re ready for a kill.

One of the shadowed figures raises their hand. The first archer steps forwards and lifts their bow. Adrenaline surges through me at the sight of the arrow being drawn. I flex my fingers, my mouth going dry.

I hear the song of my bow hanging on my shoulder. My blood pulses with life, my fingers itching to feel the tightness of the string and the sturdiness of the frame.

I shift my weight from one foot to another. Tension builds as the archer prepares to strike. When the arrow whizzes through the air, all the hair at the back of my neck stands.

The crowd cheers when the arrow lands in the middle of the first target’s thigh and an agonizing scream tears out of the fae’s throat. The second arrow lands on the thigh of the second fae hanging on the wall. Same goes for the third fae, until the fifth.

Once the first archer is done, he whirls on his heel with his bow above his head. He soaks in the cheers from the crowd with pride.

Daegel’s chest is against my back. Heat surges through me, and I have to remind myself to breathe. He braces a palm on the iron fence next to my head, his arm lightly brushing against my ear.

“The iron.” My words come out a whisper. “Doesn’t it hurt?”

His chuckle against my neck ruffles my hair. “If you saw an Ezkai cry or whimper at the touch of iron, it would be a huge dishonor. We train to withstand any sort of pain, the burn of iron included.”

“This guy has a thing for thighs?”

Daegel snorts. “Many fae who gather here have perverted tastes, so he might be obsessed with helping people lose specific body parts.”

I can’t help the shiver that runs through me. I resist the urge to hug myself.

“I thought you enjoyed flirting with danger.” The low timber of his voice makes my toes curl in my shoes.

I lift my chin and clear my throat. “Clearly, this is an illegal establishment. Why don’t Ezkai or the General shut it down if you know about its existence?”

I turn my face to look at Daegel’s profile. His eyes are focused on the archers in front of us. The vicious look on his face as he watches the second archer land his arrow in the first target makes my stomach twist.

“It’s not that simple, Wildarrow. This place might look like a shithole, but it’s a damn profitable shithole.

And when there’s money involved, the government might not always have a say or control.

At least not as much as the Ezkai General likes to believe he has.

Besides, neither gambling nor betting on sports competitions is illegal in Ekios. ”

“I thought the Order of Ezkai was supposed to be the most powerful organization in Ekios.”

Daegel’s eyes slide to my face, and he smirks. “Power is not black-and-white. There are a lot of things at play, shifting at all times. Think of it as a dance of ever-changing energies.”

Frowning, I turn back to the competition. The crowd is loud, which only adds to my agitation. The second archer lands the fifth and last arrow, missing the target by an inch.

“Well, he’s definitely not a Phantom Ranger.”

Daegel chuckles in response.

The third archer steps up. When she lifts her smooth black wood bow, she does it with ease and elegance I’ve never seen before. Her fingers are quick to draw the string and just as quick to let it go.

The arrow whizzes through the air. For a heartbeat, time stops.

When the arrow lands right between the first fae’s eyes, the whole warehouse falls quiet. I hold my breath, eyes wide.

The dead silence holds only for a few moments before the crowd erupts once more. Even louder this time.

The fae archer doesn’t miss a beat and shoots again. The arrow lands between the eyes of the second fae.

The third.

The fourth.

And the fifth.

By the time she’s done, the crowd is so riled up and loud, I think they might actually break through the damn fence.

Slowly, the fae archer turns to face the audience.

Her features are soft as a feather, moon-pale skin glowing in the dim light. Her naked arms and shoulders are covered with intricate red-ink tattoos. They’re like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Stunning .

She might look like a dark priestess. But the way her dark almond-shaped eyes glower at the crowd that’s eager to worship her tells me she’s just as vicious as her skill with the bow.

I turn to Daegel. “Who is she?”

“She’s a Phantom Ranger, just like you. The only difference is she’s mastered her bow and her affinity. Can you see the difference in the way she moves compared to others?”

I nod, speechless.

“That’s what true mastery looks like,” Daegel says.

“Now, the second archer, he missed not because he lacks the skill but because he doesn’t have full control over his bow.

Did you see the way his hand quivered before the last shot?

His bow made him miss, which lost him the bet and a whole lot of frade. ”

“That’s what mine does, too,” I say, nodding to myself. “He had so many bandages on his fingers. He’s trying to break the bow in, right? Not bond and find a peaceful connection.”

“That’s right. Not going too well for him, unfortunately.”

I snort. For a while, Daegel surveys me as if he’s trying to solve a puzzle.

“What?” I snap, unable to bear the tension.

Daegel arches an eyebrow. “You’re not outraged by what you’ve just seen? After you witnessed the last archer, all you had to say was ‘Who is she?’”

I turn to face him, my back against the iron fence now, and cross my arms over my chest. “The thing that outrages me is how hypocritical fae are. This may be cruel, but you’re right— life is fucking cruel.

You either end up on the wall with an arrow between your eyes or are the one holding the bow. I know what I’d rather choose.”

Daegel’s eyes narrow while he inspects my face as if he’s seeing who I am for the first time. “I think I misread you the first time around, Wildarrow.” My stomach drops despite my better judgment. “I assumed you’re here because you’re ambitious. But there’s more to it, isn’t there?”

My pulse hammers in my ears. I don’t want him reading into my soul and my heart. Getting too close.

Everyone close to me ends up dead. Or left behind. There’s no space for them in my life. Not until I claim vengeance.

He thinks he’s on the verge of getting a look at what’s behind that thick, tall wall I’ve build around myself. It’s written in his gaze.

I shut it right the fuck off. “Don’t know what you mean.”

My rejection bounces off him with ease. Playfully, Daegel tsk-tsks. “Little human princess is keeping secrets.”

“Whatever.”

“Come on, Wildarrow. You’ve seen all I wanted you to see here.”

A seductive voice drawls from behind Daegel. “Leaving without even saying hello?” I glance around Daegel to where the Phantom Ranger stands, a cruel smirk curling her perfect perky lips. She clicks her tongue. Daegel’s jaw is set tight. “How rude of you, sweetheart.”