Page 136 of A City of Flames

It’s a moment of instinct, my legs move before I can even think of it, walking between the maze-like walls toward the center of the arena and turning corners until I am there. The crowd’s uproars are just a reflection in my existence as I take the blade in my hand, letting the sun beam off the metallic edge.

I know Sarilyn’s eyes are on me, she has a direct view of where I am, to her, to everyone.

Ignoring it, I press the blade against my palm and inhale as I slice across it. I hold back a wince as people from the crowd start asking each other what I am doing.

My blood drips.

Drips.

Drips.

Onto the ground and I close my eyes raising my hand in the air.

I hold my breath and wait.

A screech rasps against the walls of the arena, then another and another until it’s a chorus of them approaching me.

My blood thrums with apprehension as wings flap my hair back and then… there’s silence.

With each heartbeat, I will myself to open my eyes and when I do the sight before me is unlike anything, I’ve ever seen.

Dozens of rümens rest at my feet and a short laugh of surprise comes from me as each of them tilt their heads up, some hiss in curiosity, others look as if they are trying to see me through the slits of their eyes. It’s the first they seem normal—a simple creature in need of guidance.

“She tamed them?” Someone says from the stands and so does another, inciting curious chatter before I raise my head to Sarilyn.

Her chin lifts as she looks at me without a glimmer of shock. A faint smile tugs at her lips while the general’s fades. He shifts on his stone-crafted throne and if I’d never seen him angry before, I sure am now.

He beckons a venator behind him and whispers something into his ear. Whatever he said I know it can’t be good as the venators rush to inform others. I keep my fist in the air, needing to think of a plan, anything when a splitting creak of gates cracks against the grounds and a thick, monstrous cry makes my head snap to the right.

The rümens turn to it and as dust flies into the air, out comes a larger one, the size of two humans—the leader.

Every rümen has a leader to go back to…

My fist slowly drops as its nostrils flare, sniffing out my blood and communicates a low rumble to the other rümens. I creep backward, breathing heavy because no matter how I managed to tame them, I don’t think I can with the leader.

All oily skinned heads snap in my direction. Their mouths widening to show those teeth, sharp enough to tear you apart.

In the span of a second the leader charges at me, curving its wings as it slams against walls. I leap into action, running as fast as I can. People shriek, not for me but for themselves and I only have a minute to look high above to see dragons filtering through the crowds and venators rushing into the pit.

shifters.

Nearing a dead end, my boots slide as I turn the corner and lose the rümen, though I know it’s only seconds before it sniffs out my blood again.

I pant and my heart hammers at full speed as thuds, roars and clashes erupt in the distance.

Freya. Get back to Freya.

I bend down, cutting away at the leather of my venator armor around my ankle. Biting down on the middle base of my blade, I wrap the piece of clothing over my palm, tightening it into a knot to stop the bleeding and sprint the other way until I land straight into someone’s arms.

With the person’s hand clutching my elbow, I stagger on the spot as my gaze draws up from the leather jerkin to the playful amber brown eyes gleaming at me through a mask. “Darius?” I frown as he begins perusing the blade in my hand. “What—”

“I should be used to your reactions by now Goldie,” he murmurs deep and mocking. The tip of my blade just about touches his neck. “But I have to say this one offended me.”

Right… it’s clear he is anything but affronted by that.

I yank my arms away and step back enough to see Freya, Link and Rydan over Darius’s shoulder. Yells sound from within the center of the pit before Tibith squeaks out a “hello miss Nara!” from the ground.

My eyes dip to him and I breathe out a smile even as realization prickles my skin. When I glance at Darius, I can’t make out a coherent sentence or understand how he came back here after I’d made him leave me. “I…” A shake of the head. “I thought you weren’t fond of attacks?”

---