Chapter 78

I stood on the arena steps, looking out at the darkening sky. Clouds rolled there, forming and reforming. I couldn't make any shapes from them. It was a game I loved to play, watching the clouds, identifying distorted things in their forms, and watching those things blend and melt to take new forms. As I looked out at the pale greys and shocking blacks of the sky, I could see no shapes. But I could identify with the roiling torments nonetheless.

The crowds had cleared. They had new seats to fill in taverns and eateries. The arena was quiet at last. I stood alone. Zeb had returned my relics to me. He waited somewhere below.

Lauren's coach was waiting for her below. She clearly hadn't left yet. The presence of the coach drove me to want to flee. I didn't want to see her. I didn't want to have to meet her eyes. But, it's presence held me there as well. As much as I didn't want it, I felt that I owed it to her to face her after what had happened.

My thoughts were a tangled mess of guilt and regret. The victory and triumph had faded from me. What remained were flashing memories. I remembered the way Lauren's mouth had snapped open in horror and surprise as I cast her into the air. I remembered the humiliation I had felt when I turned to look down the tower and understood that Katya had given herself up to save Lauren while I had scrambled on towards my own selfish goal.

I looked back at the arena, expecting, but dreading, the aspect of Lauren approaching the steps. Not yet.

Looking at the arena reminded me of the adoration of the crowd. I was their hero, their champion. But I didn’t feel like a champion. I felt like a fraud, a betrayer.

My eyes drifted to the little forest below. Joel had told me to meet him there, and I couldn't deny that part of me was drawn to the idea. He had promised to tell me what the voice was. Every part of me screamed to know. Every part, that is, except my sense of self-preservation. Joel had been laden with relics. His power was just one step below a Griidlord's. Going to him would be like putting my life in the hands of the devil. I remembered the madness in his eyes. I wondered if Zeb would physically stop me if I tried.

Then there was a musical sound behind me. It was the sound of Lauren laughing. But that was impossible. I had crushed the life from her dreams. I had ground my boot on her hopes. She couldn't be laughing.

But I looked up the steps toward the arena and saw them descending. Katya and Lauren walked together. Lauren was laughing, freely and easily, at something Katya had said. I imagined they were talking about me. My cheeks burned at the notion. But if they were speaking of me, it was unlikely that bubbling laughter would be the result.

I turned to them. I felt panic rising in me. How could I talk to them? This was a stupid idea. What was I going to say? How could they be so... okay? After everything?

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Lauren, Katya," I said. They paused, looking up, and for a moment, I feared they might turn away and ignore me. But they didn't. Instead, they came to me.

Then Lauren spoke. She seemed amused. "You're guilty looking."

My heart stopped. Was she mocking me?

Katya piled in, "Tiberius, you look like Padraig Dragonheart after he betrayed Lady Bridget."

My heart was ready to explode. Were they being kind? Were they mocking me? Was this the beginning of a scathing attack that my psyche couldn't bear? Then Katya was skipping down the steps before Lauren, standing in front of me, so small, so big at the same time. She had that piercing, teasing look in her eyes, "Do we have regrets, Tiberius?"

I stammered, "I cost you both the chance to compete."

Katya's tongue was silver, "You cost Lauren the chance to compete. I made my own choices."

My heart felt sliced. I was off balance, "I didn't mean it."

Katya said, "You should have meant it. There was only room for one. Only one of us can be Griidlord."

I said, "I took the suits from you."

They both looked confused.

I said, "You can't wear the suits anymore."

Lauren finished descending, stood by Katya, "Tiberius, only one of us could ever keep the suit."

My eyes stung with tears, "But you could have had another day in the suit, another day with the inputs, the power."

They both looked confused with me, then they both spoke at once, over each other. Katya said, "You liked all of that?"

Lauren said, "Thank God that's over at least."

I looked at them, incredulous, "You don't..."

Lauren said, "Ugh, it was such a trial, the smells, the sounds, it hurt my eyes."

Katya said, "My brain didn't like all the extra muscles, the ones that controlled the attributes... ugh." She shuddered as she said it.

I looked from one to the other, "But I..."

Lauren put her finger to my lips, "Tiberius, only one of us could ever be The Sword, and I knew long ago that it wouldn't be me. I had to keep chasing it, for my father, for my family, but it's a relief, it's over... I'm not delighted that you nearly killed me, but mistakes are mistakes."

Katya said, "As long as it's you and not that blond asshole."

Lauren slapped Katya playfully, "You mean the future Lord Darkwater."

Katya looked from her to me, then back at me, "Or the future Sword of Boston."

My head was spinning, and they both seemed to realize it. Lauren touched my shoulder, and it was still electrifying to be touched by such a perfect goddess. She said, "I know it was an impulse, Tiberius, an instinct. The suit has always been instinct for you, that's why you were so bad at the start and so good now."

Katya touched my chin, completely aware of her exotic allure, "You got through to the next round, and embarrassed Lord Dimples while you were at it. Don't worry about us."

They each took a turn to kiss me briefly on the lips. My body responded to their closeness, their touch, even though it was fraternal and vaguely pitying. Then I watched them descend to Lauren's coach, Katya holding Lauren's hand to help her enter before climbing in herself.