Page 121 of The Sea of Zemira (The Zemiran Chronicles 1)

Nola scanned the noisy crowd of elves sitting not-so-patiently around the arena on the outskirts of the fairy village. The siren had not realized so many fairies and mystical creatures lived within the Eastland Forest until they were all gathered in one place.

It is so odd,she thought.

In her mind, fairies were delicate creatures who lived in peace and harmony. What she saw instead was a vulgar, rowdy crowd of Fae, with their wings outstretched and cheering on for the spectacle to begin. The fact that they had an arena that had clearly seen better days made her wonder how often fights took place.

The flourishing woodlands surrounded them, caging them in and blocking the rays of the sun. The atmosphere was a bit chillier than it had been that morning.

Nola felt somewhat relieved that the rustic-built arena was slightly far from the village. If things went wrong, the giant was not so close to the city. The villagers had had enough destruction already.

Queen Cassia sat cross-legged on her throne while at least a half-dozen Elven protectors lined themselves in a row behind her.

The Sybil Curse’s crew sat among the Fae as onlookers, but they did not appear as pleased as the others. It seemed as if the fairies and elves had looked forward to the violence—as if Mazie was simply performing for them.

The queen insisted that Nola and Lincoln sit with her as her guests of honor.

This entire situation is uncivilized, Nola thought.

Lincoln, who still held her hand, turned, and after kissing her sweetly on the forehead, stepped back to take a seat. She smiled back at him; his adoring smile and disheveled, damp hair sent welcomed butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

“To be honest with you, Nola,” Queen Cassia started, drawing her attention back to her as she sat down. “This is by far the most fun we’ve had in decades.”

Her tone had a strange thrill behind it.

The siren, ignoring the odd comment, eyed the tents at the bottom of the arena until she spotted Mazie tying up her boot.

“Lincoln is confident this fight will not last long,” Nola said, assuring the queen. “Mazie is a brilliant fighter.”

“Fighting an enemy isn’t only physical strength and power!” the queen said. “It’s about honor and spiritual strength. Loyalty and selflessness,” she gestured to her people with a wave of her finger. “Putting others before yourself, not below.” She turned back to Nola and frowned. “Mazie is a skilled fighter, yes, but she is also arrogant and self-absorbed. She will always do things to benefit herself.”

The hypocrisy oozing out from the queen’s mouth irritated Nola. There was no doubt there was an unexplainable hollowness in Cassia’s heart. One that would encourage her to put others at risk before herself. However, Nola desperately wanted to believe the Fae was a kindhearted race.

“You don’t believe she can do this? Do you?” she asked the queen.

“No,” she replied hastily, “I do not.”

Nola looked at the crowd, waving her hand around the arena. “Then why all this?”

Cassia’s brows snapped together. “She tried to steal from me five years ago, Nola. I never punished her for what she had done.”

No! You’re such a— Nola stopped her thoughts. She did not know or trust the queen.

It was quite a heartless act from a queen that the siren believed was on the side of helping others to bring peace. Cassia did not care if her friends died, and Nola was starting to notice it.

The duel is nothing more than entertainment,Nola thought. All of it is.

Lincoln was right about the Fae. The queen was so willing to sacrifice Wentworth and his crew all those years ago because they were dispensable to her.

“Nola?”

The siren looked up when she heard the queen say her name.

As Nola opened her mouth to respond, the queen placed a hand on her shoulder.

“If, and I say that mildly. If Mazie survives, I will not punish her for any previous crimes if she kills the giant. And I might even consider fighting with you all. Let us hope your faith in your friend is greater than mine.”

Nola looked over at Lincoln, drawing in a nervous breath as the queen stood.

“My people,” the queen shouted to the crowd. “We have not gathered like this in quite some time, nor have we broken bread with pirates.”

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