Page 35 of Royal Hunt
Timidly, the heirs and humans followed them out of the pen.
The field was large: three times the size of our pen. Golden lines marked the boundaries in a large circle, shimmering with magick. The fae gathered on the far side of their circle while we huddled on the side closest to the pen. A thick line in the middle separated our two sides. Smaller circles on each side were drawn toward the back. With horror, I noted the wooden bleachers lining the length of both sides of the field. Thousands of men and women sat, watching and cheering. Fellow humans. Complete strangers from other realms, and people I’d known since childhood.
“I don’t understand,” I whispered to no one. The entire Northern Realm had to be here, but the clothing worn represented all realms and nations, from the bright greens of the Southern Realm to the black and gold of the Eastern Realm. The crowd didn’t look frightened or cowed. Rather, they looked excited. They were wearing their kingdom’s colors like this was a sport!
Then again, they weren’t the ones being sacrificed, were they? My scowl must have shown.
“People love blood sports. They always have, and they always will.”
I jumped as Ellis passed me, his face tight with tension. He looked much better than yesterday, and I wondered why. Then I flushed, remembering how I’d finally fallen asleep, our bodies pressed together intimately.
He pushed a jeweled dagger into my fingers. I recognized it instantly as the one he’d handed to me when we were on the run. I’d thought the guards had taken it.
“Welcome to first game of the Royal Hunt!” Cassus’s magickally enhanced voice boomed out over the landscape. The crowd immediately broke out into more cheers, and I felt sick. There were neighbors out there in that crowd. Distant relatives. Happily calling for my blood.
“Each side will give up one prisoner to start the game in the other side’s ‘jail.’ Your task is to rescue them. Anyone caught on the other side’s boundary will be eliminated, or placed in jail, whatever the capturer decides. At the end of the time limit, those still left in either jail or on the wrong side are eliminated. The team that still has the most prisoners at the end wins. The game will begin in ten minutes, then last one hour.”
We waited with bated breath for more, but the silence ringing out over the plain was deafening. Viana stepped up, scowling at everyone. “Listen up, and tell me if you think this strategy will work with how I understand the game.”
She paused, but no one protested. Trenton’s face was white, his sickly pallor belying just how terrified he was. Scared enough to take advice from Viana, apparently.
“Right,” she began. “I suggest we give our second fastest person over as the prisoner. Then, we send our fastest to retrieve them. They return, and no one else crosses that boundary line. Humans stay to the back to guard the fae prisoner, and the heirs will be on the front lines to challenge anyone who tries to cross. Anyone else who thinks they are good enough of a fighter is welcome to join.”
Silence met her proclamation. I glared at one of the larger guards, and he shifted uneasily and glanced at the ground. No one else offered to join.
Fucking cowards.
Viana turned on her heel, dismissing us to speak with the heirs. “Who is fastest?” I heard her say, not even considering any of the humans.
I didn’t blame her.
Lyra and Lily glanced at each other, and Nessian erupted. “Absolutely not! I’ll go over as a prisoner. They’reteenagers–still children!”
I wondered what it would be like to have someone be protective of you like that. Someone who would watch out for you.
Lyra was the older one. She put a hand on her brother’s shoulder, pleading. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve never been as fast as either of us. This is no different than the games we played growing up. We always won then, and we’ll win now.”
Viana glanced at Lyra with newfound respect. “Very well,” Viana said. “Who is faster between the two of you?”
Nessian still looked like he wanted to argue, but Ellis and one of the triplets put a supportive hand on each shoulder.
Lyra and Lily glanced at each other. “Lily is faster,” Lyra admitted, clearly unhappy about it. The younger girl rolled her eyes. “It will be fine, just like you said.”
Nessian’s lips were tight, but he didn’t protest further. He must have known that he’d be more useful fighting on the boundary line instead of dodging between fae on the other side.
“Prisoners, approach the boundary line.”
Nessian seized Lyra and Lily in a bear hug, kissing the top of his younger sister’s head. Tears gathered in my eyes, but I harshly wiped them away. Lyra bent down to help Lily tie up her dress, and I thought of something I could do to actually help. I scowled as the humans turned tail and ran toward the back of the boundary, in front of the small circle that made up our side’s ‘prison.’
“Take my breeches,” I mumbled to Lily, flicking up the hem of my dress to flash the torn pants underneath. “If you’re going to be running for your life, you’ll need them.”
They all stared at me for a second, then whipped into action. Nessian stepped back and away from us, and Viana made a lifting motion. Before I could protest, a pair of hands seized me from behind and lifted me off the ground. Viana’s hands were under my dress a moment later, grabbing at my breeches. It was over and I was dropped back on the ground minus my pants before I had time to be embarrassed about it.
Urgh, the wind was cold when it got underneath the skirt. Lilya already had the breeches on, tying the drawstring tight around her thinner waist. Viana attacked Lyra’s dress with her knife, ripping off long strands.
“Told you dresses are useless,” Viana huffed, chiding the young girl. I snorted, already unable to imagine Viana wearing anything other than the fighting leathers she currently wore. Even though I’d seen her in a dress when she was first captured.
“Thank you,” said a fervent voice from behind me. I turned and Nessian leaning towards me, one hand outstretched. Embarrassed, I flushed red.
