Queen of Shadows - Azriel

Chapter 8: Back Under the Floor

Trigger Warnings: Blood, gore, suicidal thoughts, sexual assault themes

"Octavia" Amarantha croons down her red hair draped over her shoulder. Sitting there wearing a horrendous gaudy mauve dress. I just keep glaring at her working to contain my surprise at Rhysand standing near her throne. His black her slicked back and black suit as impeccable as always. If it wasn't for his hypnotizing purple yes I would have said he needed more color in his outfit. Not like he would listen that man was an undercover fashion critic.

She let out a little hmph at my lack of response. "Not talkative today. No worries I think you'll like your opponent" she said with a cruel grin. That immediately told me I would be her executioner once again. Another innocent. When will this stop? Do I really value you my life that much more than the so called criminal she will put in front of me? The criminal whose only true crime would be somehow catching Amarantha's eye.

"Let him in" Amarantha called and one of the gates on the first floor of the pit opened with a groan to my left. Nothing came out of the pitch blackness for a second before a young boy was pushed out and landed on his knees. He couldn't have been more than 10 years old. Well actually I don't know how Fae age. Either way he was too young. Too young. My head whipped back too Amarantha and my glare got even worse. Even a step behind her Rhys' mask slipped for a second and his jaw was slack. One thing the fae's got right over the Arc. Children were precious. I couldn't do this. The once cheering Fae's hadn't started shouting protests and booing until Amarantha had enough. "Hush" she demanded and silence fell.

She looked down at me one eyebrow arched daring me. I reached for the short swords strapped to my back and the crowd let out a gasp. I pulled them free and dropped them in the sand. Amarantha gritted her teeth. "Cute you think you have a choice. You don't. Kill him."

Unlike the other fights I did somewhat have a choice. I turned my head to look at him once again. This fae wasn't going to attack me to save his own life. He was curled in the dirt crying with his hands over his head. I turned back to Amarantha and I said what I had been wanting to since the very first fight. "No."

Some fae let out gasps. I think I heard a couple cheers. Amarantha smirked and twirled one lock of her wine red hair around her finger. She tilted her head like she had to think. Then she clapped her hands and a wicked smirk painted across her lips. She turns her head back to me. "Well if you don't want to fight the boy. Then don't kill him but a best will execute my criminal. I was going to save this one for the next person who decided to betray but it seems today that is you Octavia. Helion ward now."

A handsome male with dark brown skin that somehow looked glowing even under the dark lighting of the under the mountain stepped forward and raise his own hand. A golden shimmer of magic spread over the top of the sand arena like a dome. Trapping me and the boy but also protecting those outside from whatever Amarantha is about to unleash. She raised her hand and with a flick of her wrist a metal gate slide away from another entrance to the arena.

Out came a true beast. She had released a couple faerie beats before but none like this. I heard shrieks of fear outside the arena and even some shuffles of feet moving back despite the ward. I even heard murmurs full of utter terror repeating the name naga hound. I didn't dare lift my eyes from the monster. The monster I'm trapped with alongside an innocent child. Hope's sweet face flashes in my mind. I was her protector once. Not a monster. I will be this boy's protector too.

The beast was shaped like a hound but a hound made out of shadows and nightmares. I wonder if it was from the Night Court. Rhys had said there were terrifying beasts in the Illyrian steppes. The beast may have looked hound-like but was crouched like a panther as it prowled forward. The beast had four-inch claws adoring its paws and what looked to be a mouth solely full of sharp canines. Its nightmarish red eyes shifted over to the child still across the arena from it with myself off to the side but closer to the center then the boy who hasn't moved from where he was pushed out the gate.