Page 47 of Gods' Battleground

“The Final Contest is upon us. I, your magnanimous Prince,” he began, taking a bow, “shall host a live viewing of the Tournament finale, here at Midnight Castle, to begin in just a few hours. And you, my loyal subjects, shall serve our royal guests. Be on your best behavior.” He held up a warning finger. “Or suffer my wrath.” His eyes met mine, and a dark smile twisted his lips.

Yeah, he really hated me.

“Now, off you go, report to the guards,” the Night Prince said with a flick of his wrist. “They will provide each of you with something suitable to wear. I won’t have the other princes thinking I cannot afford to keep my people well-dressed.”

My family moved toward the crowd that was gathering in front of the guards, but the Night Prince cut us off. “No, not you,” he said, glancing at Bella. “I have a special job for you.”

My stomach tightened in dread.

“You shall be my champion in the Final Contest,” the Night Prince told Bella with a magnanimous smile, like she should feel honored that he’d chosen her for this dangerous match.

“And her support team?” Calli asked.

“No support team,” purred the Night Prince. “Just Bella.”

“Why?” Zane asked.

“Because I wish it,” the Night Prince hissed.

“This is ridiculous,” I said, stepping forward. “Send me along to help Bella.”

“You do not make demands here!” he shouted, then in a quieter, calmer voice, added, “The more spectacular my champion’s magic is, the more people watch. And the more people who watch, the more money I make.”

“And?”

“And when you are around, Bella doesn’t use her magic,” he growled. “Your weird non-magical shenanigans get in the way. You have an incredibly annoying ability to survive a fight with anyone, no matter how strong they are. And no matter how much magic they have.”

“There’s a compliment buried in there somewhere,” I said, smirking.

“No,” he replied coldly. “You are like a cockroach. You can survive any squashing.”

“It’s called perseverance,” I told him.

“It’s calledreduced profits,” he countered with a glower. “People aren’t paying to see a cockroach. They’re paying to see magic—powerful, flashy, unbelievable magic.”

“I don’t know,” I said, shaking my head. “People love an underdog.”

“They most certainly do not!” he snarled. “The other princes, in particular, despise underdogs. There was a vote, and they banned you from the Tournament.”

“Oh, so that’s what this is about. They’re annoyed that I can take down their big, scary champions, and they can’t even figure out how I’m doing it.”

“They believe you ruin the odds game,” he confirmed. “There’s a substantial amount of betting around the Tournament, and whenever you enter a match, all the laws of probability go straight out the window.”

That’s me: Leda Pandora, the Angel of Chaos, destroying the laws of probability wherever I go.

“What can you tell us about the opposing team?” Calli asked the Night Prince.

“No team,” he replied. “The Sky Princecouldhave sent a team to face Bella, but he did not. He is so confident of victory that he chose a single champion. They call him ‘the Beast’.”

He handed Calli a folder with a photograph clipped to the front cover. It showed an enormous man decked out from head to toe in armor—very large, very scary armor. That armor was totally covered in sharp spikes—and the blood of his fallen foes.

“The Sky Prince’s champion is a recent acquisition,” he continued, turning to Bella. “But you will find him a very formidable opponent. In fact, he hasn’t lost a match yet. He’s already put two of my teams in the ground, but you will prove more of a challenge, won’t you?”

Bella gaped at the Beast’s picture. “He’s even bigger than the Vampire King.”

“He is indeed powerful, but you are truly special, my dear. Do not fail me, or your family will pay the price.” He kissed the top of her hand, then turned and walked away.

“The Final Contest is just the opportunity we’ve been looking for to sneak into the Vault and steal the grimoire,” I whispered.

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