Tritteon took the handle of the purple door, said nothing, opened it, and pulled me through. Inside was a wide, dim hallway that curved left and right, made of dark stone, a huge, iron door directly ahead. The lights above glowed brighter as we stepped out.
I shivered. "It's cold. How far down are we?"
"Deep enough not even His Highness will hear you scream," he said, releasing my arm.
That was a mistake.
I lunged back for the doorway, the purple door still ajar, but Tritteon threw out a hand, the air rippling, and the door slammed shut in my face.
But I'd heard the names of a few places and I'd seen how the doors worked. I wouldn't duel. My fight with Gauwin had been enough for today. And while my new, strong body was incredible, and I was anxious to see all it could do, dueling whatever the heck Tritteon was did not make the list. And I was going to let Rilyin and Pharro know exactly how I felt.
I grabbed the handle, hissed Whitfore Tower, and threw the door wide.
And ran right into a solid, stone wall.
I swore and tried again with the same result. I tried the name of a different place, hoping I'd been mistaken on the first one.
But that stone wall, identical to the walls around us, was the only thing that appeared inside it.
I slammed the door and stepped back, fuming.
And it was then I realized Tritteon wasn't beside me anymore. Apart from closing the door in my face, he hadn't tried to stop me any other time. He stood against the wall opposite, arms crossed, maintaining an air of bored superiority.
"Are you done?" he asked.
"How do I get out of here?" I demanded.
He pointed to the iron door. "Right through there."
I pounded my fist against the purple door. "Why can't I use this one?"
"You do not have the authority." He pushed off the wall and strode toward the iron door. It swung wide right before he reached it.
I threw a dirty look at the purple door and smacked it one more time before following.
And I gaped at the destructive mess that lay ahead.
The massive, rectangular room was in shambles, jagged chunks of stone, broken wood beams, a thick layer of white dust over all of it. Wide, stone pillars stood in rows at twenty-foot intervals, covered in oddly familiar designs, many of them with deep gouges the size of a full-grown man in the sides of them or in pieces all over the ground.
I had to pick my way over all of it carefully. I hadn't gotten my shoes back, or my ripped-up dress.
"This doesn't look like an exit."
"Once we have finished here, I will show it to you."
"Yeah right." I scanned the room. "What happened here?"
"Mock Duels," Tritteon said, gazing around. "And a little from me."
I eyed his back. "You lost so you trashed your training arena?"
"I trashed my training arena because someone succeeded in assassinating my Sponsor right under my nose," he snarled.
I stumbled and caught myself against a pillar, staring at him. "But he's still alive."
"If not for the Oria's Empiric Protection, he would not be."
"The what?"
"You heard what I said."
"Yes, but...what is that? Was he dead or wasn't he?"
"His heart stopped, his body damaged beyond mortal repair. The Oria's protection brought him back."
"That's incredible."
"Sure."
I squinted at him, knowing full well my next question was only a jab. "You aren't glad he recovered?"
He didn't take it. "It should not have happened to begin with."
I frowned. "Is this the first time you've ever failed like this?"
He shot me a golden glare, the black nowhere to be seen. "No."
He flicked a hand toward the ground ahead of him and a large, circular area cleared of all debris, revealing a beautiful mosaic in the center of it.
A black horse like creature reared back, its blue eyes wide, its talons instead of hooves clawing at the air. Silver and red battle armor covered its muscular body, a yellow horn protruding from its mask. On its back, wielding a red sword, sat a humanoid being covered from head to toe in dark cobalt scales.
"That is a FengDohrn in its partial form, riding a Delmarae horse," Lexicon said.
"That's what Gauwin was trying to turn into?"
"Yes."
I shivered and looked up at Tritteon. He watched me, as if daring me to give him a reason to become that nightmare.
"Welcome to my training arena," he said. He motioned to the mosaic. "Sit if you would like. We will wait here."
"I did not agree to this," I snapped, rubbing my arms to keep away the chill.
Tritteon didn't reply right away. He glanced at the huge, iron door, and then up at the ceiling.
The urge to run started creeping in, but I couldn't begin to guess where I'd go. But it faded a bit with his next words.
"I—I want to thank you for what you did," he said, glancing back. "It would have been difficult to handle them both at the same time in such a small space. Especially Gauwin."
"The boy," I said quietly. "Was he a friend of yours?"
His jaw feathered and he looked skyward. "I thought he was."
"I'm sorry you had to do that."
He looked toward the door we had just come through and that instinct to run came back in full as he took a step toward me. "But you didn't. You never tried to kill Gauwin once. How did you do it? How did you match her for strength? She should have been able to crush you." He scanned me again. "Even like this."
I held my ground, knowing full well outrunning him in this room without shoes would be impossible.
"It was in—instinctive," I stammered.
"You said that. What kind of instincts? What made you so strong?"
"I don't know."
"I do not believe you."
I swallowed. "I'm not sure how that's so hard to believe. Except what I've learned in all those books, there's still an awful lot I don't remember."
"Something had to have returned to you for you to be able to do that."
I hesitated.
Tritteon narrowed his eyes at my silence, and my head began to buzz painfully.
"He is trying to get into your head," Lexicon said.
I shook my head. "Stop! That so uncomfortable!"
The buzzing halted. Tritteon froze. "What?"
I swore silently. Had I really just said that out loud? "Uh, th—that buzz," I said carefully, cursing the pounding thump of my heart. I rubbed my head and tried for a shrug. "Stupid—reoccurring headache."
"That was horrible," Lexicon said. "You should run."
Tritteon looked up at the ceiling again, almost like he was listening to be sure no one was coming. And then he looked back at me and his eyes turned black.
I lunged toward the door we'd come through, ducking under his reach, but his hand fisted my hair and he yanked me back. He was on me in an instant, his hand closing around my neck as he lifted me up, slamming my back against a pillar.
"Do not lie to me! What do you know?"
Energy erupted from my hands. His grip disappeared and I collapsed to my hands and knees, gasping and choking. Grabbing the pillar behind me, I forced myself upright as quickly as possible, pretty sure whatever I'd done wouldn't keep him down for long.
I was right.
He was already uncoiling to his feet, his eyes black, his pointed, black, side-teeth elongating.
I stumbled back, holding my hands out like simply showing them to him would keep him at bay. But they shook horribly.
"What do you know?" he growled, the words guttural and terrifying.
"Be careful," Lexicon said uselessly.
"I have—I have a sort of dictionary in my head. It tells me things, helps me make sense of my senses. It told me that's what the buzzing was."
He closed his eyes. "I do not have a choice then."
I didn't try to hide my fear at his words. "I won't tell anyone."
"I am very sorry. But I cannot have a shielded whatever-you-are around here with the knowledge of my secret."
"Tritteon—"
"Nearly thirteen years and no one has ever suspected. I have a little over a year remaining before I have the opportunity to return home. No matter what Rilyin hopes to accomplish with you, I will not allow you to take that from me."
"Please—"
"As much as I disagreed with his plan, I was truly hoping you were the one."
I took an unsteady step back. "What can I do so you will believe me?"
"Your mind is shielded from me. It is impossible." A rippling Thet Veehm grew between his hands.
"It is only a block," Lexicon said. "You could lift it for him."
"That's possible?"
"Yes."
"What if I could lift it?" I asked quickly.
"I have never heard of such a thing."
"But if I could?"
A slight glow filled the center of his Thet. "I make no promises."
"Quickly," Lexicon said. "He means to kill you right here."
"How do I do it?"
"Imagine me as a boulder sitting on your head."
"You?"
"Yes. I am your block. Concentrate on the weight over your frontal lobe. Lift it and he will have access to your mind."
I closed my eyes, feeling for the imaginary weight. My eyes shot open. There it was. I could feel it easily. And it was definitely lighter than a boulder. There was a very distinctive popping sound in my head, like I'd broken a seal, and Tritteon narrowed his eyes.
"How's that?" I asked him with my thoughts.
He took a step toward me, his brows knitting together. He was silent for almost an entire minute before I heard his reply all too clearly in my head. "I have never been inside of the mind of someone whose memory spans only that of a few days. What is this dictionary?"
"My name is Lexicon," Lexicon said. "I am her artificial backup plan."
"A backup plan for what?"
"All memories she should know minus that of her past. That part of my memory has been erased."
Tritteon's Veehm brightened. "What is this about more than three Poeirs? The ones you have are bad enough."
I grimaced. "Well—I—I don't know the extent of them, but I think I have all of them. Though, according to Lexicon, they're blocked."
"That is impossible. I was there during your test," he said aloud.
"How did you fool the test when you had to take it?"
The Veehm flared brighter.
My hands twitched closer to me, like somehow blocking my face would protect me from him. A shield. I needed a Thet shield. "I've given you what you asked for."
A subtle shake of his head. "No. You have only solidified my decision. Your brand was bad enough. Your Poeirs, beyond disturbing. And, of course, to finish off the joke, you know my secret. You are officially my worst nightmare walking. Something like you should not exist." He drew that Veehm closer to his chest. "And after today, you won't."
SHIELD, my instincts screamed at me.
As if in response, heat burst to life on the left side of my chest and Tritteon's Veehm exploded across a solid wall of shimmering air.
I laughed out a breath of both relief and terror, that shaking in my hands refusing to calm. "Please! I know the importance of a secret! You can trust me, Tritteon! I would never tell anyone!"
His expression remained unimpressed. "That does not work for me."
"Lexicon!"
"You will have to fight."
"I can't!"
"Don't start doubting yourself now. Rely on those same instincts you relied upon when you jumped into that room and fought the other one."
"I almost got my ribs broken!"
"You were just getting the hang of it—"
"If I make a mistake like that, I'm done!"
"If you don't fight for your life, you're done!"
I swallowed, swearing, and drew a deep, shuddering breath.
"Not good enough."
"Shut up and let me concentrate!"
"Sorry."
I closed my eyes, knowing full well it could be the last thing I ever did, and took a deep, calm breath, pretending with everything I had that the monster in front of me didn't exist.
Heat rushed through me, filling every limb, every joint.
And I opened my eyes.