I sat in a large throne-like chair beside my mother and waited.

It took everything I had not to act anxious or worried, but inside, I was a complete basket-case. After Kael’s threats, I was terrified he would do something to put Aerden in danger today.

I glanced over at Tatiana, who sat behind us as a member of the council. She met my eyes and nodded slightly. She held the same fear in her own eyes, and for a moment, I wondered what secrets the woman was still hiding.

Had she really done so much to help her sons? Had I simply misunderstood her? Or was there more to it she wasn’t telling me?

I had tried to get her alone several times over the past few days, but there had never been a good opportunity for us to talk. Did she know I had made a trip out here to visit Aerden?

It was so messed up that we were both supposed to just sit here and watch Aerden fight to the death. I was nervous as hell.

It wasn’t that I didn’t believe in Aerden. I knew he was a skilled warrior, and he had a real reason to fight for his life. He wouldn’t ever give up. But still, battles like this were unpredictable, and it was obvious he didn’t have full control over his magic.

How would that affect him today?

As the two teams on the battlefield finished and the losing team was carried out by shamans, the crowd roared for the winners. Even the winning team was beat up pretty badly, blood streaming down their faces and gashes and burns across their bodies.

Aerden’s team had to be next. The last fight of the day.

A pit of acid gurgled in my stomach as I waited for the other teams to be paraded in front of us, but I could feel Kael’s eyes on me. He sat there beside my father as if he had already been named King, and I focused my nerves into hating him. As we waited, I daydreamed about all the terrible things I would do to Kael when I got the chance.

Because someday, I would make him pay for what he had done to me.

“Isn’t this fun?” Mother asked, turning. “Watching all those strong demons put everything they have into battle is completely exhilarating.”

Her voice was full of excitement, and I wanted to place my hand over her mouth and tell her to shut up. This wasn’t fun at all. Couldn’t she see that those demons were suffering for our entertainment?

I had no doubt that right now, the two teams of demons who had been carried off the field today were being forced to sacrifice their lives into a stone that would be presented to my father at the end of the day in his chambers.

It was disgusting, but Mother continued on, obviously not noticing the daggers I threw at her with my eyes.

“Kael, this was such a wonderful idea,” she said. “I certainly appreciate our safety here inside the city’s walls, but I didn’t realize just how much we needed a diversion after being so sequestered here for the past few decades.”

“I’m glad you think so, my queen,” he said. “Perhaps we can make this a yearly event.”

“Oh, goodness,” she said, faltering a bit for the first time all morning. I studied her, wondering how much of her excitement was real and what was just an act for Kael’s sake?

Why was she trying so hard to make an impression on him? She was his superior. Why did he seem to matter to her so much?

“I am not sure I could handle this much excitement every year, but maybe after the games are over, we can discuss whether it’s a good idea to bring it back another time.”

“Of course,” Kael said. He smiled his ugly, confident smile and looked straight into my eyes. “Look, Princess, the next teams are entering the arena. This should be a very interesting battle. The most fun of the day, I hope.”

My stomach dropped as I watched the next two teams enter the battlefield. At first, I didn’t see him, and I hoped that somehow, he had managed to escape or avoid the games altogether.

But then, my eyes caught sight of him near the back of the second team. His eyes immediately rose to mine, and despite the roar of the crowd and the distance that separated us, we were the only two demons in the entire arena for that one long moment as we sought each other out.

Aerden raised his mighty axe into the air, brandishing it to the eager crowd, and a loud roar rose up. But I knew it was for me, and I brought a hand to my heart. He had gotten the axe. The weaponsmith had stayed true to his word, and I would have to find a way to thank him.

The teams lined up on either side of Ezrah, and once they were all in place, the crowd in the arena grew quiet, waiting.

“King, I present to you our final competitors of the day,” Ezrah said. All ten of the demons on the battlefield knelt and lowered their heads toward the king. Toward us. “These warriors honor you today and bring you wishes of a long life.”

My father, the king, stood with the help of his scepter and raised a hand into the air.

“May you all fight with honor,” he said.

I wanted to stand up and tell him to put a stop to this. Couldn’t he see that one of the demons being offered up in his honor was my dearest friend? A son of two of his own council members? Couldn’t he see how wrong this was?

But I was helpless to speak against him.

Telling him here, in front of everyone in the city, just what I thought of these games would not put a stop to them. It would only get me thrown in the dungeons, where I would be no help to anyone. Least of all Aerden.

I glanced back at Tatiana again, and she had one hand clutched to her heart and the other pressed to her mouth. She fought back tears, and I wished I could go and sit at her side. At least then, I would have someone to hold hands with and pray for Aerden’s victory.

Up here, beside my parents and the demon who had suggested the games, I had to pretend to be completely unmoved by the whole thing. I could still feel Kael’s eyes on me, watching for any sign of misplaced loyalty.

It wasn’t my own punishment I was worried about, though. I was terrified that if I showed any signs of despair or worry, Kael would see to it that Aerden was killed during these games.

I had no doubt he had the power and authority to make that happen, and I wasn’t about to test him. Not yet.

Ezrah glanced briefly at me, bowed to my father, and left his place between the slaves to disappear through the archway, he lowered the gate, trapping the ten warriors inside. The two teams rose to their feet and took their places across from each other, weapons raised.

The crowd kept their eyes on my father, waiting.

The seconds seemed to stretch out for an eternity, and just before my father lowered his hands to signal the start of the battle, his eyes flickered to mine. In them, I expected to see joy or excitement. Kael might have suggested the games, but my father was the one who had agreed to it, so surely he must have taken some kind of pleasure in this moment.

But instead, there was a flash of pure sorrow and regret. His eyes were an apology, and it rocked me to my core, because it was the first time since I’d returned that he’d actually looked me straight in the eye.

But before I could react or hope that he was about to put a stop to this, he looked away and lowered his hand.

With that, the battle began.