Page 58 of From the Mouths of Sirens

“Since the night of the banquet,” Eros answered wearily. “We met with Raven after it was over, and she informed us of our duty. It was clear that you’d never understand, with the way you began to talk. After you danced with that Mer princess, you proved that you couldn’t be trusted,” he added with a grimace.

“I can’t let you murder them,” Rook said quietly. The platform was nearly at the end of the tunnel, the roar of the crowds filling the air.

“Rook, you don’t want to do this,” Veila answered softly, her voice lethal. “You can’t stop this from happening. This is how our ancestors always intended it to be. Salvation demands a sacrifice, and the blood of these tributes must be spilled to maintain the balance of peace. If you get in the way, I will not hesitate to hurt you,” she vowed darkly.

“Who told you that? What madness possessed our ancestors to start killing their rivals?” Rook asked, his voice now pleading. How was any of this real?

“The Elders,” Veila answered. “A hundred years ago, after the war, they determined that Aurandel alone should rule. It was the Elders who first instructed your grandparents to kill all remaining tributes in the Tournament. Aurandel is a chosen people, divinely appointed to rule the continent.”

Rook balked, barely able to register such madness. Why had the Elders established such a secretive procedure? How had he not heard of this barbaric practice before? But the sickening part of it was that it made sense. He had been daft and naive to think their perpetual victory was solely based on merit and fairness. But he couldn’t do anything now, not as the platform slid into place and halted in the middle of the arena. Thousands of eyes were upon them, observing his every movement. Deep down, he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop the two of them together; they were both too well trained for that.

“Raven lied,” Eros added over the roar of the crowd. “It is not customary to drink vinum before the last trial. He unsheathed his sword, adopting a defensive stance as the horns blared above them. “Vinum wards off many different kinds of beasts. Those who drink it are protected.”

“What kinds of beasts?” Rook asked, fear suddenly dawning in his chest. It was not fear for himself, but rather for the tributes who were now rising into the arena on their own platforms.

“Hydras,” Veila replied.

As if on cue, a bone-chilling roar reverberated through the arena, rumbling the ground like an earthquake.

28

ROOK

The tall metal gate at the north end of the arena trembled as the beast within continued to screech and strike the other side. Rook could only make out shadows shifting behind the small gaps in the entranceway, the beast obscured from view. He tore his gaze from the northern gate and quickly searched for the Mer tributes.

There. Saoirse stood poised on the platform beside Aurelia, her eyes determined and emotionless, her sword held at her side. There was a wild ferocity in her gaze as she faced the creature behind the gate. There was no way in Hel that he’d let Eros or Veila touch her. He willed Saoirse to look at him, so he could somehow communicate the danger she was in with his eyes. But she didn’t turn her head, her gaze set on the iron gate.

“Tributes,” the booming voice of the Master of Trials called out. “Welcome to the third trial. I congratulate you for making it this far. Those who have survived this long have proven themselves more than worthy of the Crown,” she continued, her voice seeming uncharacteristically somber. The Revelorian onlookers went mad, erupting in applause and shouting praises from the stands. “But the champion among you must defeat the great beast behind these bars. Only then shall you be crowned triumphant.”

Rook wanted to scream. If what Eros and Veila said was true, then Korina knew what was about to happen. The High Elder had been in on it since the beginning. Korina was about to watch six Revelorians be murdered in cold blood.

At the north end of the arena, the massive locks restraining the iron gate were released, prompting another excited eruption from the full stands above. Rook exhaled deeply as he wiped a sheet of sweat from his forehead. The gate groaned in protest as it was hoisted upwards, ancient chains clanging together as it rose. The crowd cheered even louder, waving their banners and flags wildly as the enormous doorway lifted. Rook couldn’t tear his eyes away from the gate as the sunlight spilled into the darkness and rattling chains shifted in the sand. The ground trembled as the monster within let out another earth-shattering roar.

“May glory be given!” High Elder Korina cried, eliciting another roar of applause from the onlookers.

Rook stood paralyzed as a colossal clawed foot edged out of the darkness, obsidian talons shining in the sunlight. A hideous dragon head crept out, wickedly sharp horns crowning its head. Two enormous eyes glinted in the darkness as the beast entered the sunlight. A forked tongue slipped between its sharp ivory teeth, tasting the air like a snake. Even the crowd grew hushed as two more heads slipped from the darkness and into the arena. The hydra’s necks were long and muscled, impenetrable black scales covering every inch of the dragon’s skin. Rook gazed with horror as the great beast crept forward through the sand, a thick chain wrapped around one of its clawed feet. Enormous leathery wings unfurled from its back, each one capped by two sharp spikes on the ends. The hydra surveyed the tributes, six eyes in total blinking down at them. An ugly hiss rumbled in the dragon’s chest, its three heads swinging as it surveyed the tributes.

Rook gaped in disbelief. Hydras were rare, only found in the uninhabitable Northern Wastes beyond the continent. They were said to be as ancient as the Titans, some of the last remaining beasts from old lore. There was no way that any of the remaining tributes would be able to defeat the hydra, not when Eros and Veila were picking them off one by one. It would be a bloodbath. Just as the Elders wanted, apparently.

The trumpets above blared the ceremonial song, and the trial suddenly began. The hydra swerved at the jaunty music, screeching hideously as it focused its attention back to the tributes. Several people in the crowd stood from their seats. The dragon prowled forward, its mouths shrieking and its teeth glistening with venom. Noora was the first tribute that leaped down from her platform, fearlessly running toward the hydra. She unhooked the bow from her back, fitting an arrow to it and pulling it back deftly. She let the arrow fly straight for the hydra, a battle cry on her lips. The iron-tipped arrow simply bounced off the hydra’s scales and fell to the sand. Noora was undeterred, continuing to run toward the great beast. Rook leaped into the sky, unable to stand there and watch the Tellusun warrior be eaten alive.

“Rook!” Veila yelled from behind him. “Get back here!”

Rook ignored her and continued to fly, swooping toward the beast. He had nothing to fear if the vinum truly did repel hydras. He dove between two enormous heads, trying to find any weak spots in the beast’s armored scales. One of the hydra’s heads lunged for Noora, its jaws snapping as the warrior rolled in the sand. The beast’s barbed tail swung through the sand like a slithering serpent, heading straight for Noora. But before the tail ripped through her legs and brought Noora down, her companion Ramin swung his blade, hacking at the tail violently. The hydra roared in irritation, pulling its tail back into the shadows. Noora notched another arrow, this time aiming for one of the hydra’s eyes. Rook swept down, dodging the writhing dragon heads. He grabbed Noora just as one of the hydra’s clawed feet swiped at her in the sand. He lifted her in the sky, his grip hooked under her arms.

“Put me down!” she ordered, sending an elbow flying into his stomach. Rook nearly lost his grip on her as the wind was knocked out of him.

“Aim for an eye,” he choked out, flying up to one of the heads. The beast lunged at Noora, venom spraying from its mouth as its enormous jaws opened. Noora stopped struggling and notched another arrow, pulling back the string and aiming for one of the hydra’s black eyes. The beast roared in pain as the arrow met its mark, embedding into the dragon’s skull. The other two heads swung over to where Rook hovered in the sky, hissing with rage.

But before the dragon could strike, Rook was hit from behind and knocked from the air. Eros wrapped his arms around him and tackled Rook from the sky. He struggled as Eros brought him down, his grip on Noora loosening. She screamed as she fell from his arms, completely helpless as she dropped through the air like a stone. Without thinking, Rook unsheathed his sword and sliced through Eros’s right wing. He twisted out of Eros’s arms, diving for Noora.

Just as she should’ve hit the ground, he caught her, her head only inches from the earth. His boots hit the ground with a jolt, spraying sand with the impact. He set Noora down carefully, spinning to see Eros diving straight for them. As soon as she stumbled from his arms, Noora sprinted back to where her teammate was fighting the hydra, a battle cry on her lips.

“I don’t want to do this,” came Eros’s voice from behind. “But you can’t get in the way of our task.” Rook turned to face him, regret pooling in his stomach at the sight of the blood on his right wing. The sword hadn’t gone clean through, but it had injured him enough that he wouldn’t be able to fly. Eros drew his sword, his feet planted firmly in the sand.

Rook grimaced, unsheathing his own sword in response. “So be it,” he said, swinging his blade over his head. Their swords crashed into each other, ringing out across the arena. They had sparred like this countless times in training, but for the first time, they were now enemies.

“Just give in, Rook,” Eros roared, sending a counter swing toward him. Rook parried his attack, blocking the blade easily. Chests heaving, they circled each other slowly. Rook bolted forward, attacking on Eros’s left. His friend spun, missing the blade. Eros lunged at him, and Rook saw his opportunity. He side stepped as Eros stumbled forward. Rook slashed through Eros’s uninjured wing, and his friend fell to his knees.

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