Page 53 of Healer to the Ash King
At the last second she dives aside and rolls, and the ollpheist smashes headfirst into the bars. It staggers, stunned.
Teagan repeats the maneuver twice more before the creature learns its lesson. It approaches her more cautiously the fourth time, and when she shouts at it, it sinks into a submissive crouch. A bell rings, signaling the end of Teagan’s test. The palace wind-wielder and two trainers wrangle the monster back into its cage, and the next Favored steps into the field.
Each girl has a different way of dealing with the ollpheists. When it’s Diaza’s turn and her monster’s cage is unlocked, she runs straight for the cage and climbs lightly up its side. She spends her time perched atop the cage, out of the monster’s reach, while it rages below.
Sabre fails to subdue her monster despite lots of stamping and shouting, so she takes it on head-to-head, delivering punches that could fell a man. She keeps the beast’s jaws at bay, barely, until time is up.
Axley faces her beast with a savage courage that I have to admire, even though I don’t like her. The ollpheist must recognize the spirit of a dominant predator in her, because it submits immediately. It even turns in a full circle at her command, though in the process its tail grazes her stomach.
One of Axley’s trio of friends doesn’t fare so well—she’s immediately chased out of the ring. Two guards escort her away. Morani, Leslynne, and Adalasia all show some level of control over their beasts.
Several of the girls endure injuries of one kind or another—mostly scrapes and bruises, from what I can tell. Samay suffers a broken arm and deep lacerations when her ollpheist attacks her—but just as I’m about to charge in and help, she manages to roll from beneath the creature’s paws and keep running until her time is up. When the bell rings, she stumbles off the field, her clawed face dripping blood. I check on her quickly, but since the wounds aren’t life-threatening, I can’t heal her until after all the Favored have competed.
Khloe is the last contestant to endure the challenge. She has to wait while Samay’s raging monster is pushed back into its cage by the wind-wielder and a few trainers with spiked poles. That beast seems to be the strongest and most bloodthirsty by far. Thankfully Khloe’s creature is smaller and more docile.
As her monster’s cage is unlatched, Khloe hesitates in the center of the field. Maybe she’s trying to decide on a strategy.
When her monster begins to pace toward her, Khloe trembles, but she holds her ground. The beast shakes its head, strings of saliva swaying from its fangs. Its furry shoulders are matted with something dark—I hope it’s just mud. It snarls, and Khloe spreads her arms and stamps her small foot petulantly on the ground.
“Enough!” she shouts. “I’m just as scared as you are. Sit down so we can get through this!” She mimics the jerky hand signs her trainer taught her.
To my shock, the ollpheist obeys her. Its hindquarters plunk down and it sits there, its horrible head swinging from side to side.
Khloe maintains her stance, speaking firmly to the creature whenever it starts to get up. “No, you don’t. You stay put.”
Her tone is sharp, but I can hear a companionable note in it. She connected with the beast somehow, despite her fear.
I risk a look toward the Ash King. He’s standing up, smiling eagerly and proudly at Khloe.
Pain lances straight through my beating heart, so sharp I can’t breathe for a second.
He loves her. At the end, he’s going to choose her.
They will do so well together. She’s perfect for him.
I should tell him she’s carrying another man’s child. She’d be eliminated immediately. Of course, I might get in trouble too, for concealing the truth this long. But at least she’d be out of the running, away from him.
What is wrong with me? I’m not this girl. I don’t scheme the downfall of anybody, much less someone I actually like.
This is what being near the Ash King has done to me. It has turned me into someone jealous and sneaky.
I’m better than this.
A creaking sound shatters my reverie. There’s a disturbance in one of the cages—Samay’s vicious monster, unhappy at being confined again, is smashing itself against the cage door.
Which pops open.
Heartsfire. Oh gods.
The door must not have been latched correctly.
With a guttural bellow, Samay’s ollpheist launches itself toward Khloe.
19
I urge my horse forward, desperate to get between Khloe and the oncoming beast. The horse has been brave so far—beyond some snorting and pawing, he hasn’t fussed about the monsters that have been prowling the ring for the past few hours. But what I’m asking of him now is too much. He squeals and snorts, shuffling backward, refusing to approach the big ollpheist.
Khloe has her hands full with one ollpheist. There’s no way she can wrangle two. Her beast is already getting more riled up at the presence of the second monster.
