It’s a safe bet that tons of people here tonight have decorated their homes with creature heads. Maybe even hunted them personally as trophies to brag about. None of them give a damn that these creatures were ripped away from their families, carted over in darkness so they can be unleashed against their natural enemies. For entertainment.
Screw them all.
The ring is shaped like a diamond, with puddles of blood in the sand. There are sheds of serpent skin stretched across the ring, and man, I hope there isn’t a basilisk slithering around tonight. An announcer in an oversized hoodie signals that the match is about to start. Four people appear from the low entrance, all wearing armor and helmets, and they’re each carrying a chain and dragging the hydra. The golden-strand hydra is a ferocious beauty with flesh that’s beige like the tropical beaches of its home. Its eyes are yellow and orange with cracks of red like the sun. The hydra struggles, dragging its clawed feet, scratching the path to the cage.
A low phoenix screech that sounds like a piercing firework taking flight pulls everyone’s attention back to the entrance. The sun swallower’s ankles are chained, and its bright orange feathers are shedding as it flaps its wings wildly. Its red beak is sealed shut with iron, preventing it from breathing fire before it’s time. I want to lay into the two people as they pull the phoenix into its cage and unlock the muzzle and chains with the press of a button.
The hydra and phoenix are left alone in the cage and freeze as they lock eyes. The hydra roars, and the phoenix screeches, and I don’t need to speak their language to know they’re both frightened and prepared to fight for their lives. The hydra lunges, and the phoenix circles above, breathing fire. The crowd cheers as the hydra gallops around the cage, skidding across the sand and banging into the cell. The hydra bounces off the wall and smacks the phoenix out of the air with a tail that’s as thick as a garden tree. Right before the hydra can stomp out its opponent, fire blasts into its underbelly; the phoenix missed the heart by inches. I’m shaking as the hydra howls in agony, rolling around in the sand even after the fire is put out.
“EMIL! EMIL!”
Iris points at someone in the front row—Stanton.
I want to back out. This is the first time I’ve seen him since the day everything changed. Stanton jumps over the barricade. Three security guards come for him, and Stanton bangs two of their heads together, kicking the third into the cage. If Stanton is here, the other Blood Casters might be too. There’s no sign of June. I don’t know if the shape-shifter is here. He could be the woman sitting next to me or the furious man behind me. Anyone. Atlas comes down from the sky and binds Stanton to the outside of the cell with his winds. The cage rattles, and the hydra screeches, banging from within.
June appears and phases through the cage. She unlocks the door from within, and a muscular girl with curly red hair and bright sleeves of flowery tattoos follows her in. Dione, the Blood Caster with hydra blood—and Eva’s former best friend.
I hop over the barricade and into the cage. I hurl fire-darts at Dione, but she ducks and weaves with bursts of swift-speed, and no matter how prepared I thought I was after hitting Wesley during training, I barely have enough time to brace myself before Dione uppercuts me. The hydra is running wild as my fire blooms around the cage, and right as it’s about to tackle Dione, June grips her and they become untouchable. The hydra scratches at Dione and June, like an animal to its reflection, and then gives up.
The cage door rattles as Iris fights Stanton. She bangs him into the bars over and over, and then she swings at him, which he narrowly dodges. If he hadn’t moved, there would’ve been a hole in his face, no doubt. Iris’s punch snaps the bars out of place, and the roaring hydra leaps at the broken barrier and squeezes itself out.
Pandemonium strikes.
Everyone who’s been cheering on the creatures’ deaths is now running for their lives. The hydra barrels through people in the stands with no sense of direction. I don’t want to save any of them, but I can’t let the hydra hurt anyone. This is how I’ll help prove the Spell Walkers are innocent. I chase the hydra, not sure how to stop it without hurting it, when a jet of light shocks the hydra.
A white boy with brown hair is at the top of the steps with a wand. I don’t recognize him, but he clearly knows who I am when he fires off three more shots my way before the wand loses charge. I catch up to him, and the boy kicks me into a chair before dashing the other way. The hydra is breathing, so I pop up and hurl fire-dart after fire-dart at the boy, doing my best not to knock out innocent people. I strike him in the shoulder, and he tumbles down the steps, taking others down with him. There’s a muted gray light within the pile of bodies—it’s the shape-shifter. I rush down, but I can’t figure out who he became. I grab an older man’s wrist and he’s straight terrified, but this might be some act. I spot a woman running off, and she’s massaging her shoulder . . . that’s him. I bullet for him but stop in my tracks when someone screams.
Dione is pinned underneath Maribelle’s foot, and her hand is no longer attached to her wrist. Blood pools out from her stub. Maribelle holds an explosive gem-grenade over Dione.
“Make yourself solid,” Maribelle says to June. “Or she won’t have a body to regrow.”
“Don’t kill her,” I say.
“They’re all going to have to die one day,” Maribelle says.
The fierceness in her eyes is burning as June approaches. The soft glow around June fades away, and Maribelle lunges. June swings a killer kick into Maribelle and snatches the gem-grenade. Before June can drop it, I blast her with fire-darts and she flies into the cage. The gem-grenade rolls out of her hand.
“Grab her!” Maribelle shouts.
I’m quick, and I grab June’s arms, holding them behind her back. This doesn’t feel right. Dione is bleeding out, and I’ve got June bound, but winning shouldn’t feel this sickening. It’s hard to believe we’re going to come off as the good guys in Brighton’s video.
Maribelle picks up her dagger and saunters toward June. “Start talking about the Blackout.” June isn’t reacting. Not even fighting to break free. “Nothing? Fine.”
I look away as Maribelle unleashes punch after punch.
“You . . . killed . . . my . . . parents!”
Maribelle swings back her dagger, and I let go of June. June fades, and Maribelle catches herself just before she drives the blade through my heart.
“What the hell did you do?”
“I can’t kill, I’m sorry!”
“You just had to hold on to her!”
“I’m sorry, I just . . .”
“She’s a Blood Caster, Emil! She’s not innocent! If June kills anyone from here on out, that’s on your conscience!” Maribelle throws the dagger, crouches, and runs her hands through her hair.
I’m shaking and catching my breath, and my face is warm like I’m sitting in front of a fireplace.
Iris drags Dione out of the cage, but not with her usual ease. The fight against Stanton must’ve worn her out. I’m guessing we’ll bring Dione back to Nova for some questioning.
Then Iris rubs her shoulder.
Son of a . . .
Up in the seats, acolytes are wheeling away the chained hydra.