When Nex dragged Peacock to the training platform, Peacock hadn't known what to expect. What he saw would have never crossed his mind.

Viseral stood in front of them, but he wasn’t the same dragon that Zenith Flight had captured and caged. He had grown to twice Peacock’s size. All baby fat was gone, replaced by lean muscle. His stripes had darkened to deep crimson, jagged slashes that ran across an ochre base. Blood-colored, membranous wings sprouted from his back, their color matching the four horns curling back on either side of his head. His sneer, however, had remained the same.

“Hiya newb. Still worthless, I see.”

Apparently, his personality had remained intact as well. Peacock bristled in reflex. Viseral could take him without breaking a sweat, yet his voice still awoke the worst in Peacock. If anything, the extra deep timbre he’d gained only made Peacock hate the sound more.

The ominous presence of Nex standing next to Viseral kept Peacock from saying the retort on the end of his tongue.

“Enough, Viseral. Save your energy for the task at hand.” Nex stepped aside, motioning to Viseral to do the same.

The necklace of glowing pearls on Viseral’s neck clattered. Peacock’s eyes snapped to the new jewelry. Although shorter, the necklace was otherwise a perfect match to the one that hung around Nex’s neck. Some sort of badge, maybe. Proof of acceptance into Zenith Flight?

“Two! To the cages!” Nex roared.

Viseral chuckled.

Peacock jumped, and trotted toward the center of the disc, his jolt of surprise and fear muted by the renewed surge of hatred for his old nest mate.

He froze halfway to the first cage. “Alainn!”

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Her prone, pink and red form didn’t move.

Nex moved by Peacock without a word while Viseral giggled in his wake.

A green light settled over Alainn as Nex drew close. She sprung to her feet, spinning and hissing until she had Nex in her sights. “Do whatever you want, monster. I’m not about to break!”

Her voice eased the tension in Peacock’s muscles, even as his heart hammered. She was awake and all right, but he doubted she would remain that way. Not like there’s anything I can do about it. Unless you’ve figured out how to cheat. Peacock shoved the last thought toward Alainn, hoping deep in his gut she’d say yes. She didn’t respond.

The arena sprung to life around them, big enough to encompass all four dragons. Peacock’s eyes flicked over the other cages. Most were empty. One contained a man in a simple tunic and breeches, slumped over and quiet. Blood had soaked through his dark hair and ran down the front of his shirt. It looked as if someone had plucked him from some unsuspecting village less than an hour before. Knowing Zenith Flight, that was probably true.

Alainn continued to yell as more green light appeared above the man and settled in. Like Alainn, the man catapulted awake, shouting in his coarse language at all of them.

Nex walked up to Peacock, pressed his nose close, and growled. “You’ve been a thorn in my side long enough. As I’ve said again, and again, there is no death for you. No escape. But there are a nigh-infinite number of ways to hurt someone. The more you refuse, the more you will suffer.”

Whether because of leftover numbness from the previous day, or being so close to Alainn, a surge of confidence welled up in Peacock. He glared up at Nex. “I can take it. All of it.”

He snorted hot, copper-scented breath over him. “We shall see.” Nex walked past Peacock to the far end of the arena as the cages holding Alainn and the man fell away. “Your orders remain the same,” he called from behind. “Remove the left foot, and only the left foot. Do not injure the rest of the creature.”

The man quickly backed away from Alainn and Nex, putting his back to the arena bars as he ran his hands down them and pushed.

The man didn’t concern Peacock. He didn’t plan on following Nex’s macabre orders this time, either. Short of killing them, he was pretty sure Nex had run out of techniques to use. Although Viseral was a new unknown, as was Alainn in a cage reserved for targets. Would Nex demand he attack Alainn? Peacock’s mind kept spinning as he tried to figure out Nex’s plan. He wasn’t stupid. Whatever he had planned, Peacock already hated it.