“It’s Rendicryss.”
The gate had barely parked when she raced into the arena, roaring with unbridled fury. Taller and thicker than she appeared in the bestiary, her skin shone black as night, but as the sun hit her back, the light broke into a rainbow of colors. Her eyes too had changed color to fiery red. Her wings unfurled, and Griffin gasped, seeing they spanned a quarter of the ring, ridged bones aligned throughout.
There was no doubt in Griffin’s mind that what he saw was real. With those, she could fly.
Maggie looked at him, helpless. She was too far away to even attempt cutting those chains. Rendicryss canvassed the ring, swinging her head back and forth, pausing at the balcony, at Maggie. Maggie gripped the railing, her stare locked on her dragon.
Jori moved between them, his hand falling over hers. “Don’t worry, Maggie. I’m here. And I’m sure the draignoch will be fine.”
“Are you mad? Cornwall is untested!” Griffin yelled at Jori.
“This is for you, Griffin. For your benefit. You said you wanted to see it before your match,” Jori said.
“Stop this,” Griffin cried. “For the love of the crown, don’t do this.”
“Griffin,” Jori said in a placating tone, “Cornwall has been told a thousand times to step out of the competition. He refused. I cannot stop it. Look at his father.”
Griffin found Egrid leaning forward, a smile of anticipation on his lips. Did he actually believe his son could win against the creature that faced him?
Rendicryss let out a high-pitched scream that had all covering their ears.
The audience chanted, “Corn-wall. Corn-wall. Corn-wall.”
Cornwall scooped his spear, jogging across the ring from her, as far away as he could get.
Rendicryss lowered her snout, bared her teeth, all chiseled fangs, and sprinted at Cornwall, her chains giving plenty of lead.
“What is that? That’s not a draignoch. Is it?” Esmera asked for all to hear. “Jori! Stop the fight! Stop it now!”
“Sit down, Esmera. No one needs to hear your whining, particularly not me,” Laird Egrid snapped.
Cornwall raised his shield. The dragon swiped, raking a claw, the toes catching the edge, flicking it out of his hands. It flew into the lowest row, hitting a man in the head with such force he was knocked into the row behind him. Blood ran down his face.
Cornwall threw his spear—his best weapon. The tip hit its mark, but didn’t penetrate Rendicryss’s hide. It bounced harmlessly to the ground.
The crowd gasped.
“Did you see that?” Sybil said, sounding panicked.
“Cornwall! The lift! Run!” Esmera cried. But her brother didn’t listen.
Zigzagging to avoid Rendicryss’s snapping jaws, Cornwall pulled his sword. He thrust at her side, but Rendicryss anticipated every move he made. The dragon whipped her wings, lifting off the ground the few feet the chains allowed, twisting out of the blade’s range.
The crowd reacted, ducking and shouting.
Cornwall jabbed, cutting across the dragon’s hip. A move that would’ve been enough on a draignoch, but it was only a nuisance to Rendicryss. The dragon jumped, landing on Cornwall’s legs. His bones snapped like twigs. He howled in terror and pain.
“Stop this! Stop this now!” Sybil yelled. “Cornwall!” Her cry echoed every part of the arena.
“Please . . . no,” Esmera whimpered softly, dropping her face into her hands, refusing to look at all.
Egrid sat stiff as a board, barely breathing.
“Cornwall!” Malcolm yelled, his voice coming out of the tunnel. The lift still at the bottom, he grabbed hold of the pulley rope, intending to slide down, but guards grabbed him. It took three to hold him back.
Unable to move his legs, Cornwall did the only thing he could. He slashed his sword wildly, trying to keep Rendicryss’s lowering fangs from taking his head off. The blade nicked the dragon’s snout. She recoiled, blood streaming over ridges, falling like boiling rain around Cornwall. Every drop that hit Cornwall melted through his armor, through his chain mail, until it found skin. Cornwall screamed. He thrust his blade at the same time Rendicryss’s hind leg whipped forward. The sword stabbed, but not nearly hard enough. Her claws dug into Cornwall’s chest—into his heart—killing him instantly.
“No . . .” Maggie clutched her chest.
Griffin wasn’t sure if her pain was for Rendicryss or Cornwall. He suspected, like his, it was for both.
“Cornwall!” Sybil wailed.
Griffin pulled her to him. “Don’t look. Keep your head down.”
Sybil shoved him away. She ran through the door. The guards were so transfixed on the dragon, she pushed them aside and left. Esmera went with her.
Maggie slid over, her hands cupping the railing, finding Griffin’s.
“Look at what they’ve done to her . . .”
“I’m so sorry, Maggie.”
The people quieted. Stunned into horrified, mouth-covering silence. Not even a whisper floated on the breeze.
Whimpering, Egrid leaned forward, using the railing to pull himself to standing. King Umbert got out of his chair, taking his chalice with him, and peered down at Cornwall’s lifeless body still stuck on Rendicryss’s claws.
Xavier peeked over the edge. “Poor boy. Least it was quick. All we can ask for. A quick death.”
Griffin wanted to throw that idiot over the railing.
Rendicryss’s head shifted until she found the king. Her red eyes narrowed. Nostrils flaring, she reeled back. Cornwall’s body flew through the air, heading straight for the balcony.
Xavier somehow yanked the king out of the way. But Egrid wasn’t so lucky. Cornwall’s body hit the old laird so hard he barreled through a table, plowing into the wall behind it.
Shocked silence followed. For several long seconds no one moved.
Malcolm, Sybil, and Esmera burst through the door, onto the balcony. The Northman gently lifted Cornwall off Egrid. “Fath . . .” He never finished. He saw what Griffin did. The old man was dead. His eyes fixed beyond, to whatever came next.
The people looked on, their faces a mixture of horror, compassion, and disgust.
Griffin helped lift Egrid into Malcolm’s arms, unable to take his eyes off the insanity he saw in the king. With a sharp turn, Malcolm carried away his father’s body, while Umbert leaned on the railing, a low wicked laugh escaping for only the balconies’ ears. He looked back at Sybil cradling Cornwell’s head in her lap, sweeping his hair out of the blood on his face. His nostrils flaring, he stamped his foot, jerking his head, indicating for the few remaining guards to get on with removing the body. They made for a messy pulpit.
But the guards hesitated. Sybil was crying, mumbling, “Time to go home. It’s time to go home.”
Esmera knelt beside Sybil, pulling her off Cornwall so the guard could more easily get to him.
As he lifted Cornwall’s body, Esmera took Sybil’s hands off, hugging her sister from behind. They got up together, leaving with their brother’s body.
Rendicryss lunged forward for King Umbert, screaming an ungodly sound from deep in her throat. But the chains held fast. Umbert raised his fist at Rendicryss, taunting her, then turned to address his people. “I foresaw this! This monster is what comes next from the forest. Do you see? An omen stands before you! The wall, my soldiers, and my magic will protect you! Your king will protect you!”