Page 43 of Creatures of Chaos

My chances of making it through this trial are going to depend on who I’m up against. Even without magic I’m confident I can beat some of the competitors in a hand-to-hand fight. I just have to hope that luck is on my side this evening.

“The overall winner of the battles will be given an advantage in the next trial,” the game master says, and an excited murmur moves throughout the crowd. But I almost laugh out loud. Forget an advantage, I’m just hoping to make it through to the next round, preferably in one piece.

After that announcement, the game master calls the competitors forward and I stand to join the others, but Becks catches my wrist, stopping me before I can step away from him.

“You know how to fight. Use all your skills to protect yourself,” he says.

“I will.”

Rather than letting go, Becks just squeezes tighter. “Lock, this won’t be like sparring at Peet’s. This isn’t going to be a fair fight. They’re going to play dirty. You need to too.” Becks’ piercing green eyes stay locked on mine for another few seconds, before I gently tug against his hold.

I nod to let him know I heard him and then turn to leave. I size up the other competitors as I make my way to the front, noting there are probably around sixty of us left. We’re told to head to the back of the warehouse to get ready, and I followthe group to two separate rooms in the back that are acting as makeshift locker rooms. Unfortunately, they haven’t segregated the genders, only split us in half.

I don’t see Talon in the room I’m ushered into, which means he must be in the other one. I do see a few other familiar faces I wish I hadn’t, one of whom being Jules, who eyes me with a look of disdain. I avert my gaze and try to mind my own business. I know Jules isn’t much of a fighter, but her powers render me almost useless every time we go up against each other. To win I’m going to need to be smarter and faster than my opponents.

At the back of the room is a bin of clothes, only shorts for the guys and shorts and sports bras for the girls. Without having to be told, the competitors dive in and look for their sizes. I wait until the crowd has thinned before searching for something to wear.

“Looking for a body bag?” comes Jules’ voice behind me.

With my back still to her, I give a shake of my head. “I’m looking for a straitjacket for you. Sorry to say I don’t see your size though.” I straighten with a small pair of shorts and a sports bra in my hand and come face-to-face with her.

“You’re going to get murdered out there,” she says with glee.

I shrug, trying to look nonchalant, when in reality that’s a very real possibility. All it will take is one spike to the head and I’ll be a goner for sure. “I’m not worried,” I lie, but she sees right through me, her smile oily and bloated with confidence.

“This is going to be awesome,” she says with a laugh, and then walks off.

Guys are changing in the middle of the room without any regard for their nakedness, but some of the girls have constructed a privacy screen in the back corner. I go and wait my turn, keeping my gaze firmly off all the flashes of skin around me, and then change quickly when it’s my turn. I’d be self-conscious about the amount of skin I have exposed after Iemerge from behind the screen if I didn’t have bigger things to stress about.

It’s not another five minutes before I hear the game master’s voice again, announcing the first two competitors to battle. I take a deep breath when they announce Talon and another name I don’t recognize. Cheers sound as I assume Talon and his opponent emerge from the other room. I don’t know what type of fighter Talon is, but I imagine he isn’t feeling any of the trepidation I am right now.

The game master quiets everyone down and then announces the second pair. Jules’ name is announced first, and I’m in the middle of thinking that it sucks for whoever is paired against her when my name is called as well.

The blood in my veins turns to ice and my body locks up.

“Get up,” the girl next to me says. “You have to get out there.”

She practically hauls me from my seat and shoves me out the door to where Jules is waiting with a smile on her face. I walk woodenly next to her toward one of the cages, my eyes finding Talon’s halfway there and holding. He’s staring at me with a frown, and his eyes filled with concern.

I bite my lip, ordering myself to suck it up. Jules has magic, but that’s it. I’ve always thought even without magic I had a chance to take Jules down. I just have to be smart about it.

The game master offers a few more words to pump up the crowd. I’m only a handful of feet from him at this point and I still can’t see his face. I realize it’s because he’s using magic to shadow his features. Talon edges toward the robed figure but suddenly stops, almost as if he can’t get any closer, and I wonder if the game master is magically shielded. He sure is taking keeping his identity secret seriously.

When the game master finishes talking, the doors to the cages swing open. We’re told to take off our shoes and enter the cage, which we do, and then the door clangs shut behind us.

“And there’s one more thing,” the game master says, and then goes over to Talon’s cage and pushes a button I didn’t notice was there. Talon and his opponent jolt and then they turn to the game master with matching frowns. When the game master pushes the button on our cage, Jules flinches as well, but I don’t know why. I don’t feel a thing.

Finally, the game master resumes his position between the fighting cages. “These matches will take place without the use of magic. May the best creature win.”

My breath catches. With just one sentence my nightmare has turned into a wish granted: me and Jules in a one-on-one where she can’t use her magic.

I turn toward Jules, and we start to circle each other, waiting for the countdown to begin. She’s trying to keep it together, but I see the panic leaking into her. She’s twitchy and the maniacal smile she wore just moments ago has morphed into a frown.

This is going to be fun.

A countdown from ten starts and I suddenly catch Becks’ face in the crowd. He’s moved to the front of the bleachers, his body tense and rigid as he stares back at me as the rest of the crowd goes wild.

Becks gives me a nod and a slow smile breaks over my face.I’ve got this.

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