Prisoner of Darkness (Whims of Fae Book 2)(39)

Rows and rows of seating circled the arena below. The fighting field was made of ice. There were pieces to climb and to hide behind. Trees poked up in between the ice features.

It was magnificent, but the games were brutal. Winter Fae especially took pleasure in violence, a manifestation of the chill that lived inside them.

A male fae with red hair that fell to his shoulders stood on a tall piece of ice in the middle of the arena.

“Welcome, to the Winter Games.” His voice boomed through the room. “Challengers fight with weapons of ice. It’s a fight until an opponent surrenders, and anyone here is open to challenge.”

“Does anyone ever die?” Scarlett asked Kaelem as they took their seats.

“The ice is enchanted. Injuries hurt as bad as they would with steel weapons, but the ice weapons’ effects aren’t permanent. You could get stabbed in the heart and, while it would hurt like hell, you wouldn’t die.”

That was what made the games so brutal. No one held back. You could decapitate someone and they’d remain alive, separated into two pieces. Kaelem enjoyed the gore of it. He always appreciated a good game. This was a game of blood and pain. Savage and brutal. And without the fear of death, opponents were braver. And careless.

“Please welcome our first two competitors, both members of the queen’s guard.”

Two large male fae entered, one in a black outfit, the other in white. The fae in black held a sword, the one in white a bow and quiver of arrows—both the blade and bow set were made entirely of ice. The opponents met in the middle and shook hands.

“Let the games begin,” the announcer said. Then he vanished.

“They need nicknames,” Scarlett said. “How about Black Sword versus White Bow.”

Black Sword darted behind a wall made of ice. White Bow lunged the other direction. From his seat, Kaelem could see Black Sword sneak around the wall and behind a tree of ice.

Scarlett’s stare fixated on the area.

Cade and his guard, Poppy, sat behind them.

Kaelem slung his arm around Scarlett. The Summer King made touching Scarlett so much fun. Kaelem felt the burn of anger behind him. As a new king, Cade really needed to get a better hold on himself. By wearing his emotion so boldly, Kaelem knew his weakness.

Would the Summer King protect Scarlett with his life?

And if the jealousy game wasn’t already fun enough, the female guard radiated her own envy. They both kept their mind shields up, preventing Kaelem from knowing their thoughts, but he didn’t need to peek in their heads to know their desires.

Black Sword ended up stabbing White Bow through the thigh, ending in his surrender.

Scarlett winced as the winner pulled the sword out and blood dripped onto the clean ice. “It’s morbid.”

“The Winter Court is known to revel in morbidity.”

Three more sets of opponents faced off, the last round concluding with someone’s arm sliced off.

“I think that’s enough for me,” Scarlett said.

As Kaelem and Scarlett stood to leave, the announcer said, “That’s all of our scheduled battles. Do we have any challengers in the crowd?”

From behind Kaelem, Cade spoke. “I challenge the Unseelie King.”

Kaelem’s attention snapped to the Summer King. Shock covered his guard’s face.

Kaelem grinned. “You really think that’s a good idea?”

What was Cade thinking? It was a suicide battle. Cade hadn’t even been king a year. Kaelem, though still considered a new king, had been ruling the Unseelie Court for a decade.

“It’s all in good fun.” The intensity in Cade’s eyes suggested otherwise.

“Very well.”

He’s just doing it to get to me, Scarlett thought.

Kaelem turned around and faced her. He wasn’t sure if she’d play along, but he had to try. The temptation was too strong not to. With his back to Cade, he winked at Scarlett, then he pressed his lips into hers.

Her soft lips returned his kiss. Electricity flickered through him. His tongue grazed her bottom lip, sending a jolt of lust from Scarlett.

Kaelem pulled back. “For good luck.”

Only for the ruse.

Her response said otherwise as Kaelem absorbed her desire floating in the air.

He and Cade were escorted to a room on the bottom floor of the arena under the seats. Kaelem was fitted in a black outfit. He hadn’t worn battle gear since his training days. He looked so much better in suits. Sigh. But breaking Winter ritual and not wearing the outfit given to him might upset the Ice Queen, and he had no intention of doing that—yet.

There was an entire room full of weapons to choose from, but Kaelem kept it simple by selecting daggers.

He walked out to the arena with the daggers strapped to his back. After he made it to the middle of the arena, Cade strutted out with a sword in his hand. Yes, that was right, the Summer King had an obsession with swords.

Very well.

After they shook hands, as was the Winter Court custom, the announcer counted down, then, when he said “Begin,” Cade hurried to cover.

For demanding to battle Kaelem, Cade sure seemed like a coward. Kaelem reached out with his mind gift. Cade’s mental shield was raised, but Kaelem could still feel his consciousness.

Cade hid behind a wall of ice that stood eight feet tall and ten feet wide.

“Hiding will do you no good.”