The animals seem to multiply, regardless of how many I kill, there seem to be twice as many. I look up at my friend, tired and injured. Leaping on the stage, I crouch next to her, settling into a protective stance.
“They won’t stop,” Elizabeth cries.
“I need you to get out of here.”
“And go where?” The walls surrounding the arena are high. I’d had to climb over it to get in. Getting out seems impossible. “The guards will catch me.”
An animal lunges for us. I skewer him with the blade.
“It’s not you they want.”
A group of the small creatures attack at once, going for my boots, my legs. Sharp teeth bury in my leg. Another cuts through the leather of my shoe. I cry out, and stab downward, trying to get one off, but their strength is amplified, vicious.
I glance out and see the field before us, filled with the rabid animals. There are so many, too many, and I reach for Elizabeth’s hand, pulling her to follow. We scramble off the platform, across the field to the cage. The fairy is fast, her feet quick. We dart and dodge the animals that, although they are vicious, are not exceptionally smart. If we can just get on top, it may buy us a few minutes.
“Climb on my shoulders,” I tell her when we reach the cage.
“There’s not enough time.”
“Do it, fast.”
She does as I say, scaling my body. A creature runs at me and I kick it off, while balancing Elizabeth on my back.
“Get ahold of the top and haul yourself up.”
She grips the metal bars and pulls. With my hands I shove her up. She makes it, but my distraction cost me time. The animals race toward me, growling.
“Hildi,” she cries, reaching out her hand.
“The key is safe. It’s hidden, they’ll never find it,” I say, gripping the sword. It warms in my hands. “My goal was to stop this war. I’ve done that. My friends and their baby will be safe. The knowledge of how to open the gate will die with me. I can accept that.”
“What are you saying?”
I look up in the crowd and set my eyes on Victorine. She stands, watching me carefully, like she’s afraid to blink. Her mouth opens but can’t hear the words over the raucous crowd. My gaze shifts two people away and I see Marshal, pale and confused, leaning over the railing. Our eyes meet, and I feel a ripple run down my spine, the screech of the creatures draws me back to the fight. I grip the hilt of my sword and start slashing.
I don’t want to die. Not like this, but I’ll do what I need to protect Elizabeth. It was my stubbornness that got us into this—my desire for a truce. Like I’ve been told, you can’t fight the gods.
“Ah!” I cry. Sharp teeth plunge into my arm. Another slashes at my leg. Both already have wounds. I stumble, tripping over the small beasts, my back hitting the cage. I grunt and grapple for the sword, but it’s lost in a sea of fuzzy monsters. I look up into the drooling grin of an abomination, his claws digging into my stomach. Over his low growl and putrid breath I can barely hear Elizabeth call my name, or sound of my flesh tearing, or the crowd’s excitement peaking.
This will be the first death in the arena. They smell blood. They taste my fear.
Squwick!
A long, shiny blade runs through the creature on top of me. A moment later it’s jerked out, and the animal falls over, dead. Standing a few feet away is Miya, holding onto his sword.
I move to stand but pain wracks through my midsection. I press a hand to my stomach and feel the squish of warm liquid. Oh gods.
It’s through the haze of dying that I see my allies on the field. I feel more than see my Immortals, the link ebbing between us. They’re a whirl of action, punching, fighting, plunging, killing. Soon guards swarm and everyone is caught in the thrall of battle.
I’m unsure how long I lie there before the figure stands before me, black shroud over his head, scythe in his hand. At long last, the God of Death has come for me.
To the side a student takes a run at me, arrow knocked at my temple. He’s stopped mid-attack with a slice of the scythe. “She’s mine.”
The words tremble over my flesh like an earthquake and don’t stop as I’m lifted from the ground and cradled in strong, familiar arms. Wincing through pain, I reach up and push aside the shroud, seeing Agis’ handsome, anguished face. Before I can speak, the cloak falls from his shoulders and a shadow falls over the two of us.
It’s then that I know it’s too late, that I’m already gone, and that this is a hallucination or possibly a post-death delusion. Because the shadow hovering over the two of us are the worn, leathery wings of my dream lover. The last thing I hear is the snapping flap and the rush of wind in my ears as we’re lifted off the ground and into the cold, frigid air above the academy.
40