Page 28 of Royal Hunt
Then all at once, large bundles wrapped in heavy canvas material dropped from the sky, right into the middle of our enclosure. Secured with heavy cords, it was a mystery what was inside each bundle. A few burst open upon impact, revealing food, clothes, weapons, and other necessities. My stomach dropped into my toes, even as the others cheered. I highly doubted the fae would give us supplies out of the goodness of their hearts. Nothing was ever offered for free, after all.
“Welcome contestants!” Cassus’s voice boomed around us, everywhere and nowhere all at once. It reverberated in each corner of our enclosure, painful to the ears. The heirs clutched their heads in pain, more sensitive than we were. “Welcome to a special anniversary edition of The Royal Hunt!”
Muted cheers greeted his announcement. I glanced up, realizing they came from the thousands of eyes that watched us intently. As if we were their entertainment–a fun bit of sport.
“The first game is not until tomorrow morning. Consider this a warm-up. Your task is to obtain for yourselves enough resources to survive the length of the games.”
Seven days. That was how long Cassus had said the games would be. I had to survive. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.
One day at a time.
There were fifty of us including the heirs and the nobles, and there seemed to be enough supplies to go around if we were careful. If we were able to work together, everyone should have plenty. Though by the way the nobles were glaring at the heirs and vice versa, I realized it wouldn’t be that easy.
A second explosion hit, and everything got much, much worse.
The other side of the pen exploded with light, and when it faded there were fifty additional figures glaring at us from the opposite side, murder in their eyes. Their skin was a kaleidoscope of colors, varying from men with green and purple skin to females with pink and blue. Their hair was mostly dark, but some of them stuck out with bright blonde and even white dotted among their group. They were all armed to their teeth, and sneering at us. Their flashing metallic eyes and pointed ears were the final blow. My jaw dropped.
Fae.
Fifty large, powerful fae, who looked pissed as hell, stood before us. Someone behind me swore softly, and a woman sobbed.
This was never going to be a competition between the heirs and the humans. God above, Cassus had told us it was forprisoners.And it was, wasn’t it?
It was us versus the fae prisoners.
Cassus was giddy. “Neither species can cross to the boundary side of the other. The supplies in the middle can be touched by both. You will begin in 60. 59. 58. 57—”
Viana whistled and all the heirs gathered around her. Trenton was yelling at the nobles, but no one was listening. I ran between both of them, waving my arms like a lunatic. “We need to work together! We’re on the same team!” I yelled, trying to make them see reason.
Viana’s head popped up from where she’d been huddled with the heirs, considering.
“NEVER! WE WILL NEVER WORK WITH THE FAE SCUM!” Trenton screamed, and I growled in frustration. Fine, if they wanted to fend for themselves, let them.
I ran over to the heirs, ignoring Gregory’s yells.
“What’s the plan?” I asked, panting. Because if anyone was going to have one, it would hopefully be them. I put a hand on Ellis’s shoulder to stabilize myself, and Ellis jerked involuntarily. He looked no worse for wear than the rest of us, even if the bags under his eyes seemed pronounced. He was the only half-fae shivering in the cold.
Viana snorted. “The plan? Run like hell and snatch what you can.” She turned back to the others. “Remember, grab weapons and food. Nothing else—”
I interrupted, my brow furrowing. “What about that large canvas? And the clothing? We’ll need coats and furs if there are any.”
Awkward silence descended on the group, and I blushed when I realized why.
“Ah,” I said quietly. “You don’t need such things because of your fae blood. Only humans need those.”
I turned away, despair and fear tightening my chest. Lyra put a soft hand on my shoulder. “The fae will likely go for those first just to destroy them, so move quickly if that’s your goal.”
I nodded dumbly and moved away from them.
I was an idiot. The nobles and the heirs would never work together. Couldn’twork together. It was like trying to mix oil and water, or blood and fresh snow. How were we expected to keep up with these strong, half-fae royals when even now our weak, susceptible human flesh was covered in goosebumps, and our fingers trembled in the cold?
I walked a few paces away and glanced up at the human contingent. Most of the men were perched on the edge of the magickal barrier, steps away from the supplies. They were planning on grabbing what they could as soon as possible. One woman tried to stand with them, but one of the guards pushed her on her back, and pointed angrily toward the other women huddled together. She scampered away in tears.
Gregory came and stubbornly stood next to me, the only human besides myself even remotely close to the heirs. I hoped he’d try to fight for me instead of simply hoping to protect me. Part of me viciously wished it was my father out here. He had to have been part of the plot, after all.
On the other side of the barrier, the fae looked feral, and oh-so-smug. I remembered Cassus and Ferar taking down people in the entrance hall without even blinking.
We were fucked.
