Page 25 of The Reign of Blood

Flora laces her fingers together nervously at my side as she tries to shuffle back a step, but Arlo’s right there, making it impossible for her to disappear into the crowd.

Sass is her thing, mind power another. Combat, however, seems far off her list.

I tilt my face to look at her. Her pupils are dilated with worry, her teeth nip at her bottom lip with concern, and her gaze darts anywhere but at the professor. The guy beside her, a human, is bouncing on the balls of his feet, hands curled into fists as if he’s ready to pummel someone right here and now.

They’re a stark contrast beside one another. My chest tightens. It’s hard. No two people are alike. We’re all unique. Made with different strengths, weaknesses, and beliefs. What we may excel at, someone else may fail miserably, while they may rise to a challenge that is your greatest weakness, balancing the scales.

The whole reason we’re all here is to find the new heir. Shit, it’s in the damn title.Heir Academy.Are they going to factor in what strengths and weaknesses people have, or do youhaveto be able to battle with every fiber of your being? Do you have to be more victorious than anyone else, or are we given chances to learn and improve? On the flip side, is someone so eagerly bloodthirsty, like the guy standing beside Flora, considered a risk because there’s more to controlling an entire kingdom than war?

Shaking my head, I pull myself from my thoughts and turn back to Tora. None of that matters. Not when I’m determined to be who my birthright declared I would be the moment I was born.

“Today, we’re going to have you take to the fighting rings. Death or submission.”

Gasps echo around me, starting from Flora as fear gets the better of her. The worddeathwill do that, and that’s likelywhy Professor Tora said it. It will either make you sink to your knees in panic or make you rise above the terror threatening to consume you.

Tora points toward the mats set up behind him in the grass. They don’t live up to the name he just gave them. There’s no fear in a blue mat surrounded by soil, but the damage that can take place on one, and the blood that can coat it once someone is done, is a lot closer to his description.

“Names will be called at random. There’s no option to change so don’t bother asking. Origins weren’t taken into consideration. This isn’t about pitting you against like-for-like peers; it’s about the surprise of battle, the ability to adjust, and the desire to survive.”

“Fuck, Kryll, you said he was upping the game, not setting us up to stop breathing altogether,” Brody murmurs, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The need to turn and look is real. I didn’t know they were so close.

“You don’t know Beau like I do. This is going to be light in comparison to how far he will go,” Kryll replies, and I can almost see his smile in my mind. The awe in his tone paints the perfect picture.

I wonder if I sound that whimsical when I mention Nora. Not that I would, nor would I be discussing something so deadly… I don’t think.

“What are the rules?” Vallie asks, smirking from across the circle. Her eyes fix on mine, a promise of chaos burning just for me, but I ignore her as Tora replies.

“There are none. You simply stop when someone submits or one of you dies.”

Vallie’s lips tug up at the corners as she winks at me.

Bitch.

Professor Tora starts tapping away on his device at the same time Flora nudges me. Glancing at her from the corner of my eye, I can see her worries floating more to the surface.

“How do you do it, Addi? How do you stand so tall and proud, like none of this fazes you? And don’t say because it doesn’t, I can already tell that, but I’ve definitely got at least five people looking my way, seeing me as an easy target.”

My gaze darts around the circle, skimming over every single person.

She’s wrong.

There are at least twelve, but I don’t mention that because I don’t think it will help her right now

“Stand tall,” I murmur, not turning my gaze to her, just peeking out of the corner of my eye. She does as I say immediately, her body as stiff as a rod. “Now relax your shoulders… more… more… that’s it.” I rub my lips together, still watching the blond-haired vampire a few yards away who continues to stare at her like she’s his next meal. I would love to say it in the hot as fuck way and tell my girl to go get some, but the sinister blaze in his eyes tells a different story entirely.

“I don’t think it’s making a difference,” she breathes, audibly gulping.

“Inch your feet apart so they’re the same width as your shoulders.” She takes the order and moves subtly, nodding when she feels in position. “Now, loosen your hands. Keep them at your sides. Don’t hold your fingers straight, but don’t ball them into fists, either. Let them sit slightly curled as if you could slam your knuckles into someone’s face at any given moment.”

A small snort vibrates from her, as if the idea of it is ridiculous, but she quickly tamps it down, understanding the seriousness of the situation.

“What now?”

Peering around the group once again, at least five of the twelve people are staring down a new prey. It’s not enough, but it will do. “Now, relax your jaw, stop averting your gaze, and stare right back at those motherfuckers. The more you let them think you’re the prey, the more they’ll treat you like it.”

“But Iamthe prey, Addi.” The desperation is clear in her voice, forcing me to give her my full attention.

“If that was true, which I don’t believe it is, then they don’t need to know that fact. You’re as strong as you believe yourself to be. If you make a mistake, so be it. If you fail and fuck everything up, so be it. If you have to submit, so be it. You get your ass back up, strengthen your resilience, and persevere.”

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