Page 55 of Royal Hunt
Viana hauled Ellis to a sitting position, and that’s when the first shockwave hit. A bolt of white-hot pain shot through my knees where they touched the ground. Viana grunted, immediately shifting so her boots were the only thing touching it. I leaped to my feet as well.
“Grab his legs! Hurry!”
Ellis’s body shook but he remained unconscious. The smell of charred meat filled the air, and with an unpleasant roll of my stomach I realized it was from Ellis. His legs and backside were charred black. Screams of pain erupted around us, likely from the others who’d also still been sleeping. Viana and I hauled Ellis off the ground and awkwardly held him up.
“A little help here!” Viana called out, and Nessian and the triplets immediately ran over. Maven turned and offered his back, and together him and Matthias settled Ellis over his broad shoulders. Nessian turned to a crying noble, easily hefting her onto his back. He moved away, toward Anna.
“You can’t hold him like that through the entire game,” I fretted. “We can’t holdanyoneduring a game.”
Maven gave me a glare of such magnitude I physically took a step back.
“Right,” I whispered, vaguely watching the other heirs and the remaining nobles gather together. If he wanted to try, I wouldn’t stop him. The fae prisoners were staring up at the sky as well, faces blank. The eyes above us were a glittering multitude, eager and ready to watch us suffer.
To watch us die.
“Bastards!” screamed Trenton, holding onto his bottom. I noticed Gregory had gotten up quickly enough to escape injury.
“To celebrate our tenth edition of the Royal Hunt, today’s game will be new!”
Pari’s face twisted in confusion and from across the other side of the pen, the other fae shot each other wary looks.
“I still say we tell them,” she repeated, crossing her arms over her chest.
Our pens opened, and we slowly made our way out onto the original field with lines.
“Today’s game will test your agility and reflexes,” Cassus’s voice boomed. “In the center of the field are twelve balls.”
As he spoke, they appeared in a straight line in the center of the circular field. All of them were black.
“On my mark, each team will race to grab a ball. Do not get hit by your opponent’s ball. If you do, you’re out.”
On the surface, that didn’t sound so bad. We waited for further instructions, but there were none.
“That’s it?” Nessian cried out, incredulous.
“What’s the catch?” I muttered aloud to no one in particular.
“On my mark!” Cassus cried out.
Nessian set down the woman he was carrying. Maven’s face only set further in determination, adjusting Ellis slightly on his back.
“Maven, please—” I tried.
“Monkey in the middle!” Lily cried out suddenly. Nessian and Lyra grinned, and Lyra nudged Gregory. Gregory blushed and gave her an odd look.
“GO!”
Nessian and Gregory bolted for the balls, along with Lyra and Lily, as well as Pari. Viana fumbled for something down her shirt as she ran. I stayed put, crouched in front of Maven and Ellis toward the center. The remaining humans stayed clumped in the back like frightened puppies, including Trenton.
I couldn’t look away as the fae ran straight at the middle, bigger and more powerful. Lily got to the first ball, calling out a loud “ha!” as she immediately flung it over her head to Nessian and grabbed the second ball for herself. Lyra did the same, reaching a ball before the green-haired fae in front of her and throwing it at Gregory.
“Catch!” she cried, already turning and grabbing a second ball.
To my astonishment, Gregory obeyed.
Viana withdrew a small dagger and threw it with deadly accuracy at the fae reaching for her ball. He fell back with a gurgle and Viana snatched his ball.
Pari savagely shoved her elbow into the nose of the fae reaching across from her and took her ball.
