Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
“Take her back.” The king motioned her away. Before he returned to sit, however, he angled his head. His attendants waited on the sides of the dais, and to those on the right, he said quietly, “Prepare my quarters for a human. You know how I like it. The manacles should be small to suit her. Keep him away from her. No exceptions.”
The guards grabbed her by the upper arms and tugged her toward the holding quarters. Faelynn moved to follow, weapons in hand, but another guard stepped in her way. The guard took the weapons and barked at her to stay put. He followed behind.
Her thoughts raced as doom lodged in her gut. It was like not knowing how to swim while being dragged down a pier. The end was in sight. Her mettle was about to be tested. Maybe not today, maybe not even tomorrow, but soon.
She looked over her shoulder, wanting to plead with Tarian without knowing what to say. Wanting to yell at him to hurry but knowing he knew what was at stake.
Tarian had his elbow on the arm of the couch, a couple fingers resting over his lips, the picture of indifference. His other hand, though, the one resting on his thigh, had tightened into a fist. The knuckles blanched as he watched her go, still no emotion playing across his face. If he wanted to grab her later, he’d have to fight his way in, and he knew it.
They didn’t go the way they’d come, and Daisy had a moment of panic that they were headed to the king’s chambers right then. Thankfully, it was another holding place for prisoners, this one much smaller than the other. Cots of the correct number existed in rows. Some had already been taken out of formation and spread into the eating area by the other champions who’d already fought and won. They didn’t want to be too close to their enemy. The wash area was still outside, but now there was a grassy area beside it.
No fence closed them in. The land curved, and she glimpsed the top of a jutting cliff. Far below, water sparkled in the moonlight.
The guard handed over her weapons and left, turning his back on Daisy without any tension. He wasn’t worried about her.
Taking advantage of the lack of people, Daisy quickly rinsed off the blood and the grime. She scrubbed where the king had touched her, the feeling of his clammy fingers still present across her flesh. Dressed in a nondescript drape that everyone would wear, she helped herself to food and bubbly water.
“I wouldn’t, if I were you.” One of the largest champions stood at the other end of the table, holding the square wooden platter that served as a plate. He glanced over with a lifted eyebrow, his gaze touching off her freshly poured drink. His light brown hair was cropped short, and his pleasing face and strong jaw were devoid of any scars or hints of violence. He’d done well so far. “We’re on a cliff for a reason.”
She hesitated, eyeing the clear liquid. It was the only drink offered.
He shrugged. “It’s up to you.” He picked up the cooked leg of a large bird, bigger than an average human realm’s turkey.
Still she hesitated, watching him scoop up the various dishes and dropping them onto his platter. He could be joking, or he might be trying to keep her dehydrated, but after he finished piling up his platter, he didn’t take any of it, either. Instead, he grabbed a cup and headed for the washroom. There, he filled his cup and went out to the grass to sit down.
Following his lead, she did the same and headed out to an area close to him. She settled on the grass, not being obvious about looking over. He picked up his cup and drained half its contents.
They ate in silence for a while. A champion that had recently won their fight drenched themselves in water behind them.
“This is my third time in the court games.” The large champion drained the rest of his drink. “The first year, I drank the elixir. I nearly tried to fly off that cliff. It takes a lot of elixir to fully take over my mind, though, and I was able to resist. Flying, that is. Not pleasuring the guards.”
She swallowed what was in her mouth, just picking at her food. She didn’t have nearly the appetite he did.
“Pleasuring the guards?” she asked.
“The guards, the other champions—we had three times as many champions by this point last year and the year before. This year, the king is killing people off early. Anyway, yeah…” He reduced his volume. “The elixir cuts out inhibitions. It reduces logic. The inside became an orgy, and the outside had people jumping off the cliff and laughing all the way down. There was no violence. None at all. Then the next day…the headache crushed me. I nearly lost my fight because of my throbbing head. I was paired against someone who hadn’t partaken. Healers won’t be allowed tomorrow. Just wait and see.”