The sun beat down heavily when I stepped onto the combat field, my boots crunching against the packed earth. The first step in my revenge plan has arrived, and I was so happy to relish it.The combat field smelled of dust, iron, and anticipation, and I stood in the middle of it, hands tucked into the deep side pockets of the combat pants we had been issued that morning. The trousers were tough, gray-black fabric, cinched at the waist with a thick leather strap, and though clearly designed for utility, they fitted snugly enough to reveal the lines of my body. The shirt matched—a sleeveless, close-cut top that left my arms bare, my scars visible if anyone cared to look too closely. Boots, steel-tipped, heavy on the earth. Practical. Perfect for a fight.I cocked my head to the side lazily, watching my opponent prowl the far side of the circle, chest puffed out, stretching his arms like some great beast preparing to pounce. He was broad—too broad—and the sun caught the sheen of oil he
"Where is your mind, Sage?" A pause. "Isla, tap your friend… I don't think she is here with us."But I was, not fully, but I was. I had heard her gloat about her family's thriving business, had heard the pride hanging in every word that left her mouth, had heard the condescending tone too when she addressed Isla, or asked about her family, especially when Isla had revealed that she was the black sheep of her rich but ignorant family. Naomi had truly changed. Or was it a façade to keep up with Claire and Lilian? I didn't think so, not with that cold glint that had stayed in her eyes when she had suggested playfully that Isla and I be thrown into the dungeons.But when Isla tapped me, I pretended like I had been lost in thought. "Yeah, did something happen?" I murmured, crossing my legs, eyes fixed on the three brides who stared at me like they just couldn't understand me or my audacity. Their gazes were sharp, studying me as though I were some rare creature they hadn't encountered
"The next time this happens, you will be spending more than a month in the cells…" Claire spoke authoritatively, and I watched, arms crossed over my chest, as the man nodded like a lamb before giving a bow and walking out of the circle, his head still bowed in shame, shoulders drooping.Surely, he wouldn't forget the grip of my magic around his balls, or the frightening knowledge that came with the almost disappearance of his shrunken useless penis. Useless, because he wouldn't be productive in using that again; his scrotum was already cursed. My lips twitched faintly. I wasn't as merciful as this Claire I was seeing, who was just as blonde as I remembered her—just as beautiful too.The crowd, however, which should have dispersed with the exit of the man, was yet as tight; they wanted to see what judgment I would collect. The fools. They would soon pay with their lives, their blood, their lands.Isla nudged me furtively as the three ladies approached us, curiosity and gentleness sh
"So what next?" Isla asked me, as we both came out of the hall after the announcements.Around us, fighters familiar with each other greeted with loud laughter and handshakes, while ignoring the others, as if keeping a certain hate alive would help them win their fights. Their camaraderie was loud, but it was selective.Jokers. If Rachel was any right about her facts-finding about the contests, then friends are usually pitted against each other first. It was foolish to show any form of camaraderie, as it would interest the contest managers to test the waters with the comrades, to make the combat more interesting.Before I could answer Isla's question, however, I noticed two ladies approaching us—the only other two females beside us who had been present in the hall. They were bulky, to an extent–probably why I had been a laughing stock, like bulkiness was a ticket to victory.Their footsteps carried a certain intention, their gazes sharp, sizing me up like I was meat tossed into a de
A knock on my door teased my drowsy senses, dragging me from the clutches of the sweet sleep ravaging me. Who dared interrupt my beauty sleep, after I had suffered long minutes to get it?"Sage, are you still sleeping? Get up, sleepy head!"Of course. Who else would have the effrontery? Another person would have dropped in a painful heap on the floor!"Go away, Isla," I commanded, letting myself sink deeper into the wells of dreamless sleep, clutching my pillow tighter.But the bitch kept knocking, like she couldn't hear the threat underlying my command. There was only so much a girl could take."Wake up, Sage…" she sang-sung, knocking in accordance with her cracked music which grated on my nerves. Did she want to lose a tooth?I grunted, cursed out loud, and sat up on the bed, glaring at the shut door, like I could somehow penetrate it and get to my offender. I could, but that's beside the point. Besides, she was my sidekick in this journey of mine."Why are you disturbing me this mo
A woman's despairing cry echoed in my soul, tearing at me, reprimanding me, reminding me that I was back in the godforsaken dream where I had no control over anything. And that I was starving for blood.Vampire much? Couldn't I hunger for something else? Maybe water or peppered noodles?The words echoed bitterly in my head, sardonic humor masking the hollow ache swelling in my chest.I burst through the rich layers of soil, into the air, my heart thundering in my ears, my mind screaming. And I landed in a crouch in the midst of dense shrubbery and thick vegetation, taking a slow, careful look around me, not in the least concerned about how I could jump out from the ground.I've never been concerned, and I should be. But I wasn't, and that was scary. What was I doing sleeping beneath the soil like the undead?The night was thick here. Dark, heavy, suffocating. My lungs filled with the scent of damp leaves, of earth clinging to my skin like a second layer. Moonlight filtered faintly t