Benedict sat in the larger throne and gestured for me to sit in the other one. As the torches in the room brightened, he glanced over at me, and for a moment he stared. I stared back, taking in the bone necklace he wore around his neck. I wondered how he sat in his draken form with the hard spikes on his back.
“See something you like, siren?”
I ignored his penchant for ridiculous nicknames and sat. I shot a glance to him, noticing the blades on his back had melded back under his skin, allowing him to sit comfortably against the stone wall.
“The first trial is underway. Who amongst you wishes to compete?” D’Arcy’s voice was a deep rumble, yet it stretched to reach every inch of the arena. For a moment, no one moved, then slowly different figures stood throughout the bleachers, thirty in all.
D’Arcy bared his fangs in a macabre grin, and with the slightest gesture of his finger he indicated they should join him. Thirty drakens made their way from the bleachers, evenly spacing themselves out on the outside edges.
“The rules are simple. No killing blows and yield if you can’t continue. Any death will be investigated personally by me.”
The tension in the air was tangible as the thirty drakens assumed threatening postures, various claws and blades appearing as they shifted into their deadliest forms, scales and feathers glistening.
“Go,” D’Arcy said after backing out of the center of the arena.
It was pandemonium. The men attacked each other relentlessly, clawing and slashing. Some of the larger ones were using just their bare hands to inflict as much damage as possible. The largest draken of them was massive. He likely dwarfed Benedict by two or three feet. His scales and coloring were a mottled grey, and his wings were oddly disproportionate to his body. I doubted they could support his heavy frame. The large draken didn’t hesitate as he grabbed the draken nearest to him and slammed the unfortunate soul against the stone wall. The smaller draken hit with a sickening crack, then fell to the ground and didn’t move.
I flinched and thought of looking away, but Benedict’s hand fell heavily on mine. I didn’t want to appear weak, so I swallowed heavily and kept my gaze steady. The larger draken snarled in victory, but my stomach rolled uneasily.
Some drakens used swords or axes to reach where their claws or fangs couldn’t. Knives created a devastating effect across the crowded, chaotic atmosphere. Drakens fell in a wide radius as screams and blood filled the air. Benedict went rigid beside me, his large hands curling into fists. If he didn’t like the games, why did he allow them to happen?
D’Arcy stood on the top of the north wall, a sadistic grin on his face.
Uncomfortable, I focused my attention on two drakens who had partnered up, working together, and leaving a path of opponents in their wake. Their blows only wounded, and I found myself entranced by how they danced back and forth, their movements smooth and quick as they dispatched opponents and sent them falling to the ground. They lunged and stabbed, slashed and parried, mowing down anyone who came near, but not killing them. I immediately decided to cheer for them, since they were the only drakens showing a crumb of self-control and the intelligence to work together without killing their own brothers.
One had hair the color of fire and orange scales that faded to a deep red on his lower body. His wings were the color of blood as were the scales poking out from his ears, wrists, and shoulders. The other draken was shorter, covered in golden scales that were dotted here and there with deep reds, fading into a dark brown on his bottom half. I nearly cried out as a third draken snared the legs of the redheaded one, yanking hard and sending him crashing to the ground. The smaller draken turned on the new challenger, easily stabbing him in the shoulder as the red head quickly bounced to his feet. They resumed their dance with each other as though nothing had happened.
A loud shriek drew my attention, and I turned just in time to see four drakens band together to take down the largest one. They must have been related, their scales and wings all a matching myriad of forest greens and dark blues. Two leapt straight for the large draken, but he swatted them away as easily as a bug, wrapping his hands around their legs and slamming them three times into the ground. Something cracked and neither figure moved.
Benedict shot a look to D’Arcy, who stared at another fighting pair on the field. The two remaining drakens screamed in anger, charging with sword and spear.
The draken with the sword managed to land a blow across the large draken’s chest before being punched so hard he flew across the pit. The last remaining member of the family hurled his spear with a yell, following with his own claws and teeth. He managed to get on the back of the large draken, biting down hard across the back of his adversary’s neck.
The large draken roared with pain, shaking himself like a dog as the blue-green draken dug in, raking his claws as deep as he could into the back of the large draken’s neck. Finally, the large draken got his hands around the smaller draken’s wings and ripped. Gasps and yells from the crowd added to the chaos as the defeated draken was dropped to the ground, bleeding with one wing nearly ripped completely off from the bone. My hand went to Benedict’s to squeeze in pleading, but he was already halfway out of his seat.
A few of the remaining drakens fled the pit, not wanting to meet the same fate as the nearly wingless draken.
With a start, I realized it was likely I would be trapped with this brutish creature, expected to give him my body.
A despondent sob escaped my throat, and Benedict turned, teeth flashing with irritation and anger. “Enjoying the games?”
I cringed as the large draken audibly broke the arms of one of the few remaining opponents, the cracking sound of his bones echoing throughout the arena. “W-who is that?”
Benedict gripped the armrests of his throne, his claws leaving gouge marks.
“Brogen is one of our strongest warriors, which is why the field of competition for this first test is so small. We all knew he was the likely winner. He is getting his chance with you early before he is eliminated by any other tests.”
I refused to hyperventilate. I would not let Benedict see my fear.
“What if he kills me?” I tried to make my tone unconcerned, nonchalant even.
Benedict waved away my concerns. “You are free to defend yourself, obviously.” His brief glare was proof he hadn’t forgiven me for stabbing him in the shoulder.
“Do you expect me to have . . . babies? Can humans have draken young?”
Benedict raised an incredulous eyebrow. “What did Crullfed tell you about us?”
I ignored the small shiver up my spine that usually came when I heard Crullfed’s name.
“He told me nothing. Anything worthwhile he probably told your crying blonde, assuming she hasn’t already been sold to someone else.”
Benedict shook his head, dismissive of her fate. That pissed me off more than anything.
“What do you think happens with human servants? Oh, that’s right, you abandoned the humans and hid in this mountain, so you wouldn’t know, would you?” I demanded.
His claws cut divots into the stone of his throne. Good. Let him feel just a fraction of the anger I did, growing up in a house where I was beaten for breathing too loudly. He snarled at me, grabbing the back of my neck and pushing my face close into his.
“Didn’t you learn anything about drakens?” he asked.
I couldn’t help it. I laughed in his face. His lips twisted in anger, and an ugly look grew in his eyes.
“I wouldn’t be so cavalier. You’re the one Crullfed sold to me as a broodmare. You even volunteered for it. And your service starts tonight.”
“What?” My stomach dropped out from under me and I went rigid. He reveled in my fear, sniffing it like it was a fine perfume.
“Our females are dead. Do you not understand why you were brought here?”
“I-I . . . ” I mumbled to no one, my body trembling.
His brows furrowed as he glared at me, and I itched to grasp my knife. I wouldn’t though, not here, in front of his people. Even having the thought of harming him was alarming. Was this the person I was becoming? Someone who would hurt another being.
No. You’re just trying to protect yourself. You’re allowed to do that.
I clung to the thought as my breathing settled, then turned as Brogen roared for all to hear. There were only three competitors left: Brogen, the redheaded draken, and his companion. The two friends shared a glance and pounced, rushing Brogen together.
The red head went high, pumping his wings to attack from the air. Brogen screeched as claws tore his face, distracting him while the other draken tried to trip him. In the end, Brogen was too large. His long, scaled legs kicked out, sending the smaller draken flying across the arena. Brogen managed to grab the red head by the throat and squeezed brutally. His body was tossed next to his friend, and they both crawled away as Brogen laughed, the sound grating against the bones in my body.
Benedict gave me a pointed glance, and I gripped my armrests harder.
“You can’t make me,” I challenged even as D’Arcy declared Brogen the winner for all to hear. “You said no one could force me.”
Whatever Benedict had angrily opened his mouth to say next was lost as the winning draken turned and bellowed at me. “I want her now!”
Brogen ripped his hand from D’Arcy, who had been holding it up in triumph. He didn’t bother with flying, instead throwing his body at the rock wall under me and easily scaling it. Benedict stood cautiously, one eyebrow cocked as Brogen launched himself over the balcony. I backed away as the massive creature stalked towards me. His biceps were as large as my abdomen, and saliva dripped down from two sets of fangs that hung from his mouth. He was a hulking, snarling beast, and my face went white with fear. Was Benedict just going to stand there?
One massive hand grabbed my neck, slamming me into the wall. I clawed frantically at his hands, but my fingers dug uselessly at his thick, brown scales. Did Benedict hate me so much he would watch my murder? I couldn’t even scream as Brogen’s free hand caressed the bare skin of my stomach. A dark, bubbling rage shot through my veins while my throat vibrated with the urge to scream to help. I clamped it down. I had never once screamed for help in my life. Not when Crullfed beat me and not now.
Benedict’s words came back to me, about how I was within my rights to protect myself. My hand grabbed the knife hidden in the fabric around my breast. I shoved it upwards as hard as I could. The blade entered at the bottom of Brogen’s chin, impaling his thick head as he stumbled backward. Benedict’s gaze was stony as Brogen turned towards him, sputtering incoherently even as his hand pawed at the blade buried inside of him. Dark blood poured through his fingers as I pressed myself as far away from him as I could, massaging my sore throat. My only real regret was that the knife hadn’t been longer and able to reach his stupid, thick brain.
Brogen reached a hand towards Benedict, but the king of the drakens had a cold, unyielding expression. “No.”
Brogen fell back against the balcony. Neither of us moved to help as Brogen tumbled backward off the railing, landing on his head on the arena floor with a dull crunching noise. There was silence. Then Benedict approached the balcony, leaning casually over the stone railing. He sniffed in disgust and turned away. I buried my head in my hands as if I could hide myself from the blood that was sticky on my hands.
Benedict turned back towards me with no compassion in his eyes and no consideration for the ordeal I’d just been through. “Since you’ve killed the winner, you must pick another.”
The blood was staining my dress, black and brown like Brogen’s scales had been. “Go to hell.”
He was in my face a moment later, snarling. “Pick someone or I will, siren.”
“I hate you,” I spat, unable to imagine being forced to spend my evening with anyone, let alone someone he picked. “This wasn’t part of any deal I made. This is . . . whatever Crullfed told you—’
Benedict turned back to the crowd, ignoring me completely. “Wren has chosen—’
“The red head and his friend!” I blurted out the first drakens I could think of, terrified at what Benedict could expose me to if the choice were left up to him.
His head turned slightly to the side, and there was no denying his ugly smirk this time. “Kinky, siren.”
I sputtered in rage.
“Kieran and Ronan, you have been chosen. Report to the great hall this evening, and you will be escorted to the female’s quarters.” His eyes took in the remaining crowd.
I trembled in indignation. The female. Like I was just a sack of flesh, a commodity to be used and discarded.
“You are all dismissed.”
As he turned back to face me, I couldn’t help the angry tears that fell from my face. “You can’t do this to me. It’s cruel.”
He huffed. “You’ve never tasted what cruel is, siren.”
I wished I’d pulled the knife out of Brogen’s neck. Never in my life had I been allowed to hate—to unabashedly loathe someone without any real consequences. Such freedom was heavy and addictive. It threatened to overwhelm me. Men weren’t nice, I knew that already. I expected D’Arcy’s leers and the staring from the other men but had hoped for indifference at best from Benedict after the small time we’d spent together while he brought me here and the tiny flickering of understanding, if not necessarily kindness. Had I been so desperate that I imagined those moments?
This sudden fury directed at me was confusing. At the breeding manor, I understood when I was beaten for missing a spot on the floor or not moving fast enough to follow an order. Benedict’s melancholy was unpredictable.
Perhaps it had nothing to do with me.
Then again, if he disliked me that much, he would have been better off taking Bella. So why hadn’t he?
Because I’d allowed him to take me, hadn’t I?
Which meant this was all my fault. I couldn’t very well throw a tantrum over a situation I had asked to be in, even if I’d been missing a few key details. Would exchanging myself for a safe home really be that bad? There wasn’t any dishonor in being a breeder.
Either way, my newfound rage wouldn’t get me what I wanted. I would tuck it away and only use it in the direst of circumstances. I tried one last time to appeal to him. “I’ve never been with a man before. Please!”
Those amethyst eyes found mine, and there was a glimmer of something behind that gaze. “I find that hard to believe, considering where I found you.”
I glared at him, and he sighed. “No one will do anything against your will. Remember that.”
I wouldn’t cry. I wouldn’t cry.
He led me back to my rooms and left me there. I ignored the food brought for lunch and cried into my pillow.
