Page 43 of Ironhold, Trial Two

“I'll kill you if we meet again in the arena,” I say.

For the briefest of moments, a look of fear crosses Vex’s face. It's quickly replaced by cold arrogance.

“I would like to see you try.”

He pushes past the other gladiators to go back to his preparation room. Around me the other gladiators stare at me, as if they aren't quite sure what to make of me or what to say. Even Zara looks a little frightened of me.

“Naia was a good person,” she says. “I liked her.”

“Me too,” I say. It doesn't feel like nearly enough. I wipe away the tears that have been falling and obscuring my vision. I don't want to be there. Don't want to be standing in front of the others while they look at me as if I'm some monster capable of destroying them all. I push through them instead, tossing down my weapons. I won't need them again this season.

I’m surprised to find Alaric in my path. Where all of the others move aside from me, hurrying to get out of my way in a mixture of awe and fear, he stands there. He catches me by the arms, holding me still for several seconds. His touch is surprisingly gentle as he wipes the tears from my eyes.

“You're not the one who did this,” he says. “Vex killed her, not you.”

“That doesn't make it better, Alaric,” I snap at him, but I would have snapped it at anyone who tried to console me.

“It doesn't, but it's still the truth. And it's good to see that you're becoming everything you need to be. Whatever people try to tell you, remember, you are powerful, and you are the one in control.”

I'm grateful for the words but I'm not in the mood to hear them, I need to get out of there. I can't be around everyone else.So I had to the chamber where I prepared for the bout, sitting there and letting my emotions wash over me. I hunch over on the bench, feeling my grief like a physical blow. I feel the pain of a number of wounds as well but right now I don't care. Then it occurs to me that normally Naia would be the one to heal such things, and that just brings a fresh round of pain.

This place is so cruel. Naia never chose to be here. She was snatched from her family and brought to the capital. She was made to fight, promised her freedom if she could survive. But now, in just her second season, she is gone. All her hopes have been snatched away, and my best efforts to keep her alive did nothing. Worse, someone like Vex thinks it’s only natural that he gets to kill her. He thinks he should be lauded for it.

If that is what Aetheria thinks of as representing its virtues, there is something sick at the heart of the empire.

“You’re wanted,” a trainer says, coming with a pair of guards. They look nervous, as if they expect me to lash out at any moment.

And now it seems that I must go make nice with the nobles in the wake of my victory. I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to do anything right now other than sit here, letting the pain wash over me.

But I don’t fight back as they make me move through the Colosseum, heading for the receiving area where we mingle with the nobles. Already, some of the others are there, but it's obvious that I'm the main attraction. I go in there with the blood of my friend still on me, and they actually applaud. They applaud my efforts the way they might with an actor or a musician who has pleased them.

And, of course, Lady Elara is there. “Lyra, I'm glad to see that you came through your latest set of trials alive. Not that I had any doubts.”

“She certainly made you enough with your wagers,” another noble calls out.

“I believe Lyra made money for a lot of people,” Lady Elara says. “Now, Lyra, come with me.”

She leads the way to one of the side rooms, the same one we were in before with elegant silk drapes. She has a jug of water brought so that I can wipe the worst of the blood from me.

“You really called me up here so you can show me off to the other nobles?” I ask.

“That's what they expect,” she replies. “Mostly I wanted to check on you. How are you feeling?”

“My friend is dead,” I snap back. “How do you think I'm feeling?”

I can't keep my emotions in check. I know that she's a noblewoman and my patron. I know that she's the head of the spectral covenant, but right now, I can't just sit here and make small talk with her.

“I think you're feeling angry,” Lady Elara says. “I think you're feeling as though you want to tear down the whole system that has been built up here.” She lowers her voice. “And that’s a good thing. That's how you should feel about it all, Lyra. That kind of burning need for change is the only way we’re going to stop the evils of this place.”

“You think that this is all going to convince me to your cause?” I ask.

“Isn’t it?” she counters, giving me a serious look.

The truth is that I don’t know. I hate what happened in the arena. I hate that the Aetherian Empire has a whole system set up to force people like me and Naia to fight and die for the entertainment of its citizens.

“Maybe,” I say.

“You’re cautious, that’s good,” Lady Elara says. “Just as it’s good that you put the dampening cuff back in place after yourbout. Lady Selene was getting ready to strike you down if you tried to escape.”

---