Chapter fifty - A chaotic trial

My back slams against the wooden walls as I slump down with panting breaths. I hold my blade to my chest, listening to the painful cries from other trainees possibly injured... and on the verge of dying after charging into the pit once the trials began.

"Of course, it had to be Rumens," Freya mutters beside me, clutching her bowstring like it's the only thing tethering her to staying alive. We look at each other as she says with an assertive nod, "It was likely my father's idea."

Likely no, for certain, yes.

Rydan and Link converge on the opposite wall to us. While Rydan looks relatively calm, Link presses his hand against his heart, counting to himself. His worries have doubled and so have mine.

"Were all the trials like this?" Link asks and flinches when a shriek booms again.

Freya nods. "Death was certain that I know of."

And the General is now hoping for my demise, I suppose.

"Death or not, at least I got to stand on the same grounds the Golden Thief was on," Rydan suddenly says with a faraway smile. My brows draw together at what I should be used to by now when Rydan says anything, but before I can add to that, he continues, "That shifter got to live out my dream of being choked by him."

I don't even blink.

"Seriously?" Freya hisses, but it's cut too soon when a Rumen lunges from the corner of a wall, catching us off guard as it heads toward Link.

Link drops down onto the ground as Freya cries out to him and panic encircled me. He uses his sword to barricade himself from the Rumen's ferocious bites and I rise to my feet, swinging my blade in the Rumen's direction, but I don't land the blow. Rydan does.

The rumen's severed serpent head rolls onto the floor, and blood spills from Rydan's sword. I stare with wide eyes between the three as Link frantically shoves the headless Rumen off him and stands up, patting away at the bloodied stains on his armor. "I think I'm going to be sick." He swallows as Freya tries to comfort him and Rydan places a palm out below Link's mouth as a precaution.

My gaze can't help wandering to the deceased Rumen. I haven't seen one since that day near the Screaming Forests. I'd killed it not before it'd looked at me like every creature does in the world. To know that part of this is what killed my father, only wounds further at my heart.

I look behind me and start walking to the edge of the wall, peeking from the side to where every scream, every cry, and every painful crushing bone can be heard.

My eyes then dart upward and spot the queen's brows pinching with frustration as she watches the pit. The General, however, smiles with malice at the chaos unfolding.

*A sick twisted man.*

If anyone survives with a simple scratch, he'll just use them as part of his supposed army.

*"Even after everything, you just seem to fascinate all creatures." *I think of what he'd said that night in the dungeons.

And whether I like it or not, he's right.

I do fascinate them.

Glancing at my left hand, I trace the scar with my eyes, and for half a heartbeat, I almost search for Lorcan in the crowd but stop myself. I take a shallow breath, seeing that because of him, I wanted this, the title of a Venator. That shortly after my parents died, I became a trapper to learn... to one day kill. But truthfully, never was it for Ivarron or for my need to feed the anger I felt towards dragons, but because it's the only time I'd be... closer to creatures, and I hated it. I hated it so much because I didn't want to care for them.

And then that Ardenti came, and I did care.

Too much.

I clench my hand into a fist then stare at the blade in my other palm. An idea—a maddening one—blooms.

"Nara?" Freya's voice echoes, and I whirl my head to her. "Are you okay?" Her mouth moves, but the sounds don't come out with it. I just stare. My breathing is loud in my ears and my heart in my throat as I look back to the pit.

It's a moment of instinct. My legs move before I can even think of it, walking between the wall-like mazes toward the center of the arena and turning corners until I am there. The crowd's grinding jeers are just an echo in my existence as I take the blade in my hand, letting the sun bounce off the metallic edge.

I see my reflection in it. I see my father.

Ignoring everyone's eyes on me, I press the blade against my palm and inhale as I slice across it. I hold back a wince as people from the crowd start asking each other what I am doing.

My blood *drip, drip, drips* onto the ground, and I close my eyes, raising my fisted hand in the air.

Holding my breath, I wait until a screech rasps against the walls of the arena, then another and another until it's a chorus of them approaching me.

My blood thrums with apprehension as wings flap my hair back, and then... there's a lapse of silence.

With each heartbeat, I will myself to open my eyes, and when I do, the sight before me is anything unlike I've ever seen.

Dozens of Rumens rest at my feet, and a short laugh of surprise escapes me as each of them tilts their heads up at me. Some hiss in curiosity, others look as if they are trying to see me through the slits of their eyes. It's the first they seem normal—a simple creature needing guidance.

"She tamed them?" Someone says from the stands, and so does another, inciting curious chatter among everyone before I raise my head to Sarilyn.

Her chin lifts as she looks at me without a glimmer of shock. A faint smile tugs at her lips while the General's one fades. He shifts on his stone-crafted throne, and if I'd never seen him angry before, I sure am now.

He beckons a Venator behind him and whispers something to him. Whatever he said, I know it can't be good as the Venators rush to inform others. I keep my fist in the air, needing to think of a plan, anything when a splitting creak of gates cracks against the grounds, and a thick, monstrous cry makes my head snap to the right.

The Rumens turn to it, and as dust flies into the air, out comes a larger one, the size of two humans—the leader.

*Every Rumen has a leader to go back to...*

My fist slowly drops as its nostrils flare, sniffing out my blood and communicating a low rumble to the other Rumens. I creep backward, breathing heavily because no matter how I'd managed to tame them, I don't think I can with the leader.

All oily-skinned heads snap in my direction. Their mouths widen to show those teeth, sharp to tear you apart.

In the span of a second, the leader charges at me, curving its wings as it slams against walls. I leap into action, running as fast as I can. People shriek, not for me but for themselves, and I only have a minute to look high above to see dragons filtering through the crowds and Venators rushing into the pit.

*Shifters.*

*They're here.*

Unable to look much further, I near a dead end. My boots slide as I turn the corner and lose the Rumen through one of the walls. Though I only know it's seconds before it sniffs out my blood again.

I heave deep breaths and my heart hammers at full speed as thuds, roars, and clashes erupt in the distance.

*Freya. I need to get back to Freya.*

I bend down, immediately cutting away at the leather of my Venator armor around my ankle. Biting down on the middle base of my blade, I wrap the piece of clothing over my palm, tightening it into a knot to stop the bleeding, and take not even a moment to sprint the other way.

I lift my blade in one hand, prepared got any attack when I land straight into someone's arms and gasp as I go to strike.

But the person's hand clutches my elbow and I stagger on the spot as my gaze draws up from the leather jerkin to the playful amber-brown eyes gleaming at me through a mask. "Darius?" I frown as he begins perusing the blade in my hand. "What—"

"I should be used to your reactions by now, Goldie," he murmurs, deep and mocking. The tip of my blade just about touches his neck. "But I have to say this one offended me."

Right... it's clear he is anything *but* affronted by that.

I yank my arms away and step back enough to see Freya, Link, and Rydan over Darius's shoulder. Yells sound from within the center of the pit before Tibith squeaks out a "hello miss Nara!" from the ground.

My eyes dip to him, and I breathe a smile even as realization prickles my skin. When I glance at Darius, I can't make out a coherent sentence or understand how he came back here after I'd made him leave me. "I..." A shake of the head. "I thought you weren't fond of attacks?"

"Well, that was until your friend—" He looks over his shoulder at a sheepish Freya. "—told me you'd landed in the dungeons, and like the gentleman that I am, I had to come and return the favor of getting you out." His attention shifts to me as his lips arch into one of his alluring smiles—still annoying, arrogant, idiotic.

However, knowing that Freya had told him of what happened means this was what she'd been trying to say to me. She already knew the shifters would come.

Relief fills my chest before I lift a brow judgingly towards Darius. "With your mask?"

His smile only brightens like he'd waited for me to comment on it. He shrugs, saying, "It brings out my eyes."

A retort won't suffice, not under these circumstances and not when aggravatingly enough Rydan interrupts with a wistful sigh. "It really does."

Darius looks back at him, and by the 'oh my,' swooning reply from Rydan, I imagine Darius flashed him a smile. "I need you all to head back to the den," he says, turning to me once Freya jabs Rydan in the stomach. "Your brothers are waiting for you there."

"Shall I go with them, Darry?"

Darius smiles down at Tibith. "You're here to protect them, aren't you?"

Tibith nods when another roar ripples above the arena, and with time limited for us, I quickly breathe out, "Wait."

I look between Darius and the rest, knowing that I'd previously had a plan, and I want to make sure it still happens. Walking past him, I reach Freya, and she blinks up at me. "Do you still have the keys?" I whisper, and she nods.

"They're on me right now."

"Then get them out, first," I say without any other explanation. Freya's eyes become a mask of determination, and our talk the other night over how I wanted to free Adriel comes back into mind. "I'll see you three soon, I promise." My eyes jump to Rydan and Link, both staring at me like they're not sure whether to believe that or not.

I am for the sake of Solaris, my brothers, *them*, I am.

Freya envelopes me into the tightest hug imaginable before she regards me with a saddened gaze and retreats backward with Tibith running at their sides.

I watch as they disappear into different sectors of the arena and then turn halfway around to Darius. His eyes are on me, but there's a strange gleam in them. It crackles with heat between us as I tell him, "You didn't think I'd leave you here to claim all your glory in saving me, did you?"

His laugh comes off arrogant, but a smile full of mild amusement stays on his lips. "Of course not, Goldie. I expected you'd take charge instead."

I grin at him before lurching toward the screams and uproars.