Rory POV

Zarranos doesn’t wait. He slinks his chains around my ankles and pulls me along the rough ground of the arena. The queen had just been removed from the damn arena when he charged in. I feel ashamed for letting this guy get the better of me, but his presence makes it hard to concentrate. I use my daggers to loosen the chain’s hold on me long enough to wiggle out. Zarranos doesn’t stop. He whips the chains around with skills and snaps at me. He is in control of the pace of this fight, and he wants me to know it.

The ends of his chains come around and slap my backside before I finish dodging the last attack. My formal green dress is drenched in sweat and turning into scraps of cloth along the arena floor. If I wasn’t in the heat of the battle for my life, I might care about how much of my skin is exposed right now. There’s no time to worry about my chest springing free from the confines of the dress or the shoes I lost some time ago. The formal event ended the moment these whackjobs thought they could control my life without a fight.

“You’re getting distracted, little tramp,” Zarranos sang to me with a goofy grin.

“And, you are impatient,” I growl.

He was amused by my little growl. Zarranos catches my wrist with his chain. “I sense one magic item here and another around your neck.” He yanked me forward, so I fell at his feet. “I might just take those from you.”

Pushing myself up, I hit the hilt of my blade right under his chin. Zarranos stumbled a few steps before spitting out a bit of blood. For a second, he seemed pleased with the blood on the arena floor. He baits me again with more ugly words. His insults will not affect me. Not here. Hell, I barely process the fact he commented on my magic items. He’s capable of magic if he can sense my magic items. As if he reads my mind, this guy unleashes flames on his damn chain whips. Should this shit be illegal in this battle royale?

I try to dodge his flames, but this guy forces me into defensive mode. Taking hit after hit against my black steel blades, the chains leave burn marks up and down my arms. The pain builds up and small cries and groans escape my lips—stupid flames. I feel a charge building inside me from the boiling rage. Speed won’t win here. I decided to fight fire with fire, allowing the chains to wrap around my arms. Letting the charge inside burst out, lightning sparks out along the chains and shocks Zarranos. His chains fall loose off my arms while he endures the electricity.

His smile deepens. The surprise lightning didn’t phase him. I could see small burns from the lightning, but this guy didn’t show any weakness. Was he happy to see what else I could do? Maybe, he’s sizing me up like a horse before it's purchased. Zarranos did say he wanted to see me in chains. This must be like an exhibition to him where he gets to test out the merchandise. No wonder he came from Solis. The more people I meet from there, the more I wish my fake identity didn’t list me from there.

“Thinking about your future in chains, tramp?” Zarranos called. “Imagine all the duties you will perform as a slave. I wonder what you look like under that little glamor charm.”

A shiver ran down my spine. This guy meant every word dripping out of his mouth like drool. He wanted to put me in my place. How did a guy like this end up as the ambassador’s husband? Shouldn’t a diplomat have some respect and decorum? This guy needs a new job or his wife does.

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Clink, clank. My dagger met his chains. Fire burns my skin. My mana runs wild beneath my skin. I feel my ring almost calling on me to tap into my other powers. It wants me to shift and release the rage. A rage that I have carried with me since my parents died. The rage created by how unfair my life was. I lost my parents because they had me against the law. I left the guild because someone saw my unstable abilities. I can’t have a normal life because some council decided I am not normal. A roaring rage rolls through me while I try to get close to Zarranos and land another hit on him.

An arrow comes flying past me at Zarranos’ eye. He smacks it away with the chain like a little fly. He searches for the archer, but I know exactly who hit him. Ema’s running about trying to send arrows faster than Zarranos can respond to them. Weapons are flying through the air as I realize I am standing between them. The chains begin kicking up dust from the arena, making it harder to see when I feel a fat arrow take out part of my right ear. Now, I know Ema’s running low on energy. Her aid won’t last long in this fight, so I take my chance and give into the ring’s call.

Fuzzy ears, fluffy tails, and sharpened teeth settle into place as I allow myself to be in my natural state. I feel the blood dripping into my red hair from Ema’s wayward arrow. I need to finish this. Springing into action, my faster speed creates opportunities for me to cut into this guy with my blades. A chunk off his arm cuts down his back, and a stab in the upper left thigh makes my rage temper a bit. The dust settles, and two realizations hit me hard. One, all those present can see that I am a hybrid shifter. Two, Zarranos has managed to make Ema all to the ground, out of breath after burning away all her clothes. I am at her side instantly. I thank her for everything, and the Duke announces her elimination. Braxton collects her from the arena instead of the guards and wraps her in his cloak.

Wicked. This jerk of a man can barely be called a man. I swear he has no humanity in him. The way he’s grinning every time I groan in pain is sickening. Does this guy get off on causing pain? No. Nope. I am not going down that rabbit hole, trying to understand this guy. He’s unafraid of consequence or damage although the Duke guy has called him out a few times. He wants to burn through every obstacle to get what he wants. I won’t let him.

More cuts, more burns. More clinking, more clanking. There’s no end. My increased speed allows me to hit him, but he hasn’t slowed or stopped from pain or injury. My sweat drips off me like a damn shower while he doesn’t seem to mind his increased perspiration. Zarranos still has no smell. I can’t understand how this guy could be a freaking human! I feel it in my bones that this man isn’t normal at all.

“You look puzzled, mutt.” He taunts. “You’re making my job easier by the minute.”

Suddenly, the chase around the arena ends with the flaming chain wrapped around my body and scorching my skin. It feels worse than those damn fireballs. I keep myself upright and pour my mana into the ground as Zarranos approaches me. With each step closer, my power builds. When he’s only an arm’s length away, my dirt tower ascends to the sky, launching him into the air. Zarranos drops the chains, and they fall loose off my body. I don’t have time to assess my wounds as I run up the dirt mound and catch Zarranos’ arms in my hands.

My feet are firmly on his back as I pull his arms back, allowing him to go head-first into my dirt tower. We slide down the tower like a hill, and he flails about in pain. At the bottom, we end up right in front of the Duke Kurts. Duke Kurts checks to ensure that I haven’t killed the opponent underneath me. It takes a second, but Duke Kurts starts to announce Zarranos’ elimination when the guy throws me backward and stands up.

“It’s not over yet.” Zarranos chuckles. “I won’t fall that easy.”

“Except, you did, Piggy Zarranos. For a moment, you weren’t able to continue, and Ms. Rosewyn won the battle royale. Right, Duke Kurts?” Grand Fairy Flora intervenes by flying right in front of Zarranos.

“Yes. Mr. Zarranos, you have been eliminated.” Duke Kurts confirms.

“No! I got up. We aren’t done here.” Zarranos argues back as he charges towards me.

Grand Fairy Flora douses him with a stream of water, knocking him to the floor. “I say we are. Rosewyn has earned her fate free of our involvement. I will hear nothing further from Solis about her capture. Is that clear, Piggy?”

“This won’t be the last of anything, old bug,” Zarranos spits as claws his way toward me. All those near us try to hold him back as he manages to grab my crescent pendant off my neck. The moon pendant falls to the ground. He breaks free of those who were holding him and towers over me. “You can't hide now, mutt.”