Page 52 of The King of Frost and Shadows

I spun left, and the blade whooshed past me, coming closer than I ever wanted to know. I straightened, waitingfor the next attack, and noticed black rocks slightly to my right. I didn’t want to kill someone, but I also didn’t want to die. I’d use those as a weapon only if forced.

“You’re about to die, Lorne, so I’m going to kill her instead.” The green-haired woman drew an arrow in her bow, the tip aimed at my chest. “I’m ending this.”

I swallowed, watching as her hand twitched.

Then the horn blew, but she didn’t stop. She loosed the arrow, and it hurtled toward me.

17

TAVISH

My heart pounded in my ears as I clutched the edge of my seat. Every muscle in my body wanted to charge toward the stadium and get Lira out of this mess. However, with nine fae staring her down and several more that would soon follow, I couldn’t determine a way for her to make it out alive.

This was my doing. I needed her to die … but something inside me couldn’t stand for it to happen and kept demanding I help her.

The gas was receding, which would allow them to surround her. She needed to hold on for mere seconds longer, which I mouthed to her, though she looked at me with disgust.

The sentiment was fair. I was acting the fool, but I couldn’t remain logical when it came to her.

Finnian leaned over to me and whispered, “Time is up. Why isn’t the guard blowing the horn?”

I glanced at the moon, noting its place in the sky. Timewasup.

My gaze turned to the guard with the horn, but insteadof it being in his mouth as it should have been, he was grinning maliciously.

Then I realized why, and my world halted.

The nine of them had ganged up on Lira. I jumped to my feet, wings ready to fly and save her, but Finnian grasped my arm.

“Get him to blow the horn,” Finnian rasped. “Don’t swoop down there and grab her. That will only make things harder on her in the long run.”

Right. I could encourage the guard to blow the horn.

I allowed the nightmare magic to funnel from me, the thrill of the fear making my blood buzz in a way that used to scare me. I pushed the magic toward the guard, and his eyes widened. His asinine smirk fell. I made sure the illusion I created catered to his worst fears and told him to blow the damn horn. Fortunately, dreams occurred faster than reality.

The guard put the horn to his lips just as Rona strung her arrow and took aim at Lira.

No.

The horn blew, but Rona didn’t falter. She was going to kill Lira despite the time being up.

I flew upward while pushing the cool darkness toward her. The darkness came on quickly, and her twin brother, Bran, shoved her in the side before they disappeared from sight.

The arrow shot from the darkness across the opening and lodged into Lorne’s messed-up leg. Rona must have released it as her brother tackled her, causing it to miss Lira and hit Lorne.

Lorne groaned and crumpled to the ground, and I flapped my wings forward, finally able to move now that Lira was no longer in trouble. Iknew I had to make the rules clear so it didn’t seem like I was intervening only for Lira. Thankfully, everyone knew I was a stickler for rules. I had to be to make my people respect me.

“No!” Lira shouted from below, running to Lorne and dropping beside him. She touched right above his injury as she yanked the arrow out of his leg.

My heart hammered. What was she doing? Was she going to kill him?

Yanking back the darkness from the twins, I pushed it toward Lira. If she was breaking the rules, she’d have to experience the same thing as the others.

“Everyone, stop,” I commanded, my voice echoing around the arena. “The horn has sounded, and this round of the game is over. If anyone disobeys that signal, there is only one punishment available …” I paused for dramatic effect. “Death!”

I tugged the darkness back inside me, allowing all twelve remaining contestants to see once more. I was shocked to see Lira still touching Lorne, the bloody arrow at her side and both hands on his leg. The man watched her but didn’t say a word.

What in the blasted snow was she doing?

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