Page 46 of The Arbiter

An elderly man raises a placard up with a number. Soon after, another in the back.

Almost there. Come on, power, don’t let me down…I coax myself.

The bids climb all the way up to eight and a half million dollars until finally, I hear a voice call out a bid from the shadows in the corner of the room. A voice I know all too well.

“Ten million dollars.” He steps out of the shadows, his expression blank.

Enoch?

I’m in complete shock that he’s a part of this. That he had the audacity to stand next to me for all those weeks while these Damned went missing, knowing exactly where they were.

“Sold to the gentlemen in the back!”

Bile churns in my stomach at yet another mass betrayal by a man I loved in the past. No more. Never again will I be able to look into the eyes of this man without feeling pure hatred for what he has done.

He says nothing as he walks over to a man I presume is the one collecting the bids then exits out of the room through a set of double doors.

My guards tug me down some steps off the stage as the crowd applauds his buy.

However, the man running this auction shouts something about a last minute Damned being brought out for auction, and I look back over my shoulder toward the stage. My blood freezes within my body, and a chill glides rapidly down my spine. The last-minute auction is Jamie, and she looks the worst of them all. I can’t believe I hadn’t noticed her before.

Her face is bruised, and her hair matted. She’s lost a considerable amount of weight, so the dress she’s wearing is barely hanging onto her body.

When she sees me, her expression goes rigid with anger, and I can tell in just that one look that she blames me for Cedric’s death. If I’m being honest, I’d blame me too. I should’ve been there and stopped it from happening. I wish I could turn back the clock, but I can’t. All I can do is be who I’m meant to and rescue her and all the other Damned in this fucking place.

“Our last-minute bid for the night is a bit worse for wear. You know how it is though; sometimes they like to put up a fight and get hurt in the process. Which is another reason we saved her for last. Being damaged goods has her bid starting off much smaller than the others. Do I hear three thousand dollars?”

Seriously? Damaged goods?This only fuels my rage more. I was already pissed because of Enoch’s betrayal, but this has finally struck my last nerve. Jamie keeps her eyes averted from me as the bids begin to come in, much slower than the others. The higher the number goes, the more rapidly my power begins to surface once more.

Seeing the others auctioned sickened me to the core. But seeing my best friend, battered and labeled as “damaged goods,” has my anger firing through me like liquid lava, fueling my power much faster than before.

I struggle against the guards pulling me from the room, feeling the chains begin to give a little as my power pulses. When the final bid is placed, something snaps into place within me, much like when I was on the floors below. Only this time, the power is far more brilliant, and I’m in full control.

Jamie’s eyes widen as I feel my form finally begin to shift. Realizing what’s about to happen, she runs toward the back of the stage. She knows what’s coming and is wisely getting out of the way.

With a wrath-filled roar, I push hard at the chains, and they break. Bright light explodes from my body, and I feel my black, ghostly wings expand out from my back. There isn’t an ounce of pain. Just a fullness that radiates down my spine.

I look down at myself and see my skin is glowing white light, my bones visible beneath it. I’m confused for only a second before it clicks into place. I’ve successfully merged my two forms into one.

I hear the screams of the people around me and watch with fascination as they try to flee for the exits. My guards are all on their backs around me, having been knocked down from the blast of my power.

A demonic laugh escapes me as I hold my hand up and with my power grab onto all the ones who have reached the doors. I yank my hand back toward me, and they are all catapulted backward, slamming into other people and tables.

Some guards make a grab for me, but the second they touch me, they scream and erupt into plumes of black ash.

Enjoy Damnation, traitors!

I cackle again, amused that they thought they could go against me without meeting a violent end. Walking around the room, I begin touching each person who is trapped here. One by one, they all meet the same end.

When they’re all dead, I look up to the stage and see Jamie peeking out from behind one of the curtains lining it. Her eyes gape in shock at the ash-covered floor. She looks at me as if asking if it’s safe, so I nod. At my assurance, she walks down the steps from the side of the stage and crosses to me, only to stop a few feet away.

“Are you okay?” I ask her, toning down the demonic tone so I won’t scare her.

She averts her eyes and nods. “Yes. I just…I can’t help not being able to look at you right now. I know it’s not your fault Cedric is gone, but you weren’t there. You’realwaysthere. The one time you leave, he....” She looks away as tears fill her eyes.

“I know. I understand, Jamie, and I don’t know what I can do to show you how sorry I am. But at least I know you’re safe. Try to find a way out of here. Avoid the guards and go find Larkan. He’ll keep you safe.”

She looks at me one last time, her eyes glazing over with tears, then runs for the doors.

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