“YOU MAY EACH CHOOSE ONE ITEM FROM THE LIFEKEEPER’S TREASURY,” Life’s voice boomed, echoing through the colosseum.

  Cade squinted at the goddess, his body wracked with pain thanks to whatever she’d put in that pond. It was like everyone else enjoyed this poison, but he knew that because it was connected to his core, bringing up with the deity might not end well. He leaned back, though knew that to retreat from her presence was not an option. He would not run from her.

  Her radiant presence was a beacon in the center of the arena, her divine light casting a shimmering glow over the bloodstained sand.

  The crowd above them erupted in cheers, their voices blending into a roar of approval. Clearly, they knew just how valuable these items were. That, or they were just as excited about shiny things as he was.

  Probably both.

  Cade took a centering breath, and the cool morning air filled with the scent of damp earth and the metallic tang of blood. His wet hair from the pond bath clung to his forehead and cheeks, and he shook it out as best he could.

  Movement along the edge of the arena caught his attention. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he caught a glimpse of a familiar face among the Lifekeeper attendants swarming the arena floor.

  The girl from the palanquin. The one Bazz had struck.

  His eyes narrowed. He was about to call out, but she disappeared into one of the many gates leading underground before he could call after her.

  Servants, dressed in pristine white and green robes, moved gracefully among the remaining teams. Their gaits were smooth and practiced, ethereal. One of them stood in front of each team, and the individual in front of Cade and his crew smiled lazily. He had slicked-back hair that accentuated his proud elf ears lined with pierced gold bands.

  “Distinguished heroes,” he started, and Cade knew immediately that this was yet another Lifekeeper he was going to hate. His voice was deep and held the air of someone used to being listened to.

  “Rewards shall be given based on the rate of completion of the previous trial,” the elven servant explained in a bored tone. “Your team was third of the four remaining teams. Every contestant is allowed one item from either the vast collection brought here today, or from the list of total items accessible within our prestigious vaults.”

  “I’d love a tour of those vaults,” Elena whispered under her breath.

  Cade noticed how her cheer was immediately dampened when the first team to pass the trial stepped forward. His wasn’t much better.

  Hugh.

  Cade counted and saw that, like them, they still had all eight members.

  “Sorry, you said four teams remained?” Cade clarified with the Lifekeeper clerk.

  The elf turned his attention on Cade like he was some interesting vermin who recently learned to talk.

  “Yes,” the Lifekeeper admitted. “The dwarven clan and those awful mercenaries were completely wiped out during the previous lesson. Only the elven entourage, the darklings, your team of eight, and McCleary’s team remain.”

  At his casual admittance of the dwarven deaths, Cade felt Nora tense behind him. He refused to look back at her, not wanting to discover what he might find in those stormy eyes of hers.

  “Darklings?” he asked.

  The clerk sighed in annoyance. “Yes. Darklings. They traveled here just for this. One of the draugr clans is my best guess. Now, please, shut up until it’s your team’s turn to receive your undeserved rewards from our beloved matron.”

  Elena gave him a rude gesture behind his back, and Cade fought back a chuckle even as the attendant’s words sank into his mind like anvils at sea.

  Draugrs.

  He’d heard of the allegedly undead clans, but he honestly thought they were just wild legends from a bygone era. Yet, as he peered over at the eclectic mix of darkly cowled figures led by that strange pale girl, he could see the truth of it. That, or the Lifekeeper was pulling his leg.

  Cade’s attention turned outward as Hugh’s team stepped up to the dais, their wretched leader exuding confidence. His lip curled at the sight of the eight unharmed warriors, the worst of which was Fenwick. Cade cursed loudly at the sight of the violet-eyed duelist and the uninspired suit he wore. The elf hushed him for his outburst, but the thief didn’t care.

  The prick deserved it.

  Fenwick wasn’t even wet.

  The nerve...

  In front of that bastard’s team, the chest on the dais was a marvel—crafted from ancient oak and adorned with intricate carvings that seemed to dance in the light. It glowed faintly, a promise of the treasures within. Cade wished it was a mimic just so that he could watch Hugh’s face get turned into a chew toy. The image warmed his heart, if barely.

  Hugh chose first, pulling out a silver circlet inlaid with emeralds. “This is for commanding elemental spirits,” an attendant explained. “While summoning an elemental is a separate ritual, this circlet provides a telepathic link of dominance over the targeted creature. Use it wisely, champion.”

  Cade scoffed at the moniker while Hugh placed it on his head, and a faint aura surrounded him.

  The ruthless teammates Hugh had surrounded himself with followed suit. One picked a shimmering cloak that rendered the wearer invisible for short bursts, another selected a pair of gauntlets that crackled with arcane energy, and the last chose a staff that seemed to hum with latent power. He tried to see what Fenwick grabbed, but it was lost beneath the shifting bodies around the chest and the din of the eager crowd.

  “What did that man get?” Cade inquired of his team’s attendant.

  “Does it matter?” the elf drawled. “You’ll all die soon anyway. How it happens is irrelevant.”

  “How we die feels pretty relevant to me,” Cade retorted.

  He couldn’t believe this guy.

  Before he could get an answer out of the apathetic Lifekeeper, the draugrs approached the dais. He might’ve imagined it, but it was like the very shadows quivered in anticipation of their presence. The entire team moved in perfect synchronization, with only their leader exposed to the masses. The rest wore cloaks birthed of darkness and moodiness, so far as Cade could tell.

  The young draugr girl with pale skin and long braids stepped forward, her movements almost too fluid. She chose an ebony staff without much hesitancy or ceremony.

  The crowd stilled as she inspected the dark weapon. Its surface was inscribed with runes that pulsed with a malevolent energy that hurt Cade’s eyes to look at. Her team followed, selecting items that matched their eerie demeanor—a pair of blood-red gauntlets, a crystalline orb that pulsed with a nauseating light, and a shadowy cloak that seemed to want to strangle its owner for some reason.

  “What’s with these teams and gauntlets and cloaks?” Jer inquired as he stroked his peach-fuzzed chin.

  “Cloaks are cool,” Rayka argued with both hands on her hips. She spared a glance at Orro who, Cade noted, blushed profusely at her defense.

  Where did that come from? Cade wondered to himself.

  “Alright, up you go,” the elf Lifekeeper said with a tired wave of his billowing sleeve.

  Finally, it was their turn.

  Cade stepped forward with his team, feeling the weight of the moment. The dais loomed large, the chest almost pulsating with an otherworldly energy. His leather boots squeaked awkwardly as he ascended the steps, the bright sun unable to completely dry his soaked clothes.

  “Who goes—” the clerk by the chest inquired, gesturing between the eight of them.

  “Nora,” Cade answered before any of his team could protest.

  The paladin met his gaze, but the kind gesture was swallowed up by the storm of emotion he saw flare in those gray eyes.

  A surge of grief.

  A lust for violence.

  And something even darker.

  An image flashed in his mind of what he’d barely seen the day he’d met Nora and Evie. It had just been for a moment, but he’d seen the power she’d unleashed.

  It looked like she was inches away from doing so again, and this time, he was the prey.

  He didn’t back down in the slightest beneath that storm of shadows within her eyes.

  The paladin turned and the tension eased. She picked up a strange orb of swirling shadows.

  “Ah, yes! The pommel of Valkalor” the attendant pronounced. “Connect it to any unjeweled blade, and it will transform it into a truly devastating weapon. Careful, though. Its last owner went a little…violent.”

  “That won’t be an issue,” Nora promised.

  Cade watched as she unsheathed her current longsword, and gently pressed the dark gem against its pommel. Shadows burst from the crystal, swallowing up the entire sword in seconds. The crowd gasped, everyone transfixed by the unholy magic.

  The shadows dispersed, and in place of the solid, yet simple, longsword, a weapon of nightmares was in its place.

  She lifted the new gargantuan blade like it was made of dry parchment. Even more daunting was that its obsidian blade glimmered with a dark light too similar to that magic she’d demonstrated to be a coincidence.

  Its reborn blade was easily seven feet long, with a width that was nearly two feet. So far as Cade was concerned, the newly refurbished blade looked like it weighed as much as Evie.

  “Are you sure, my lady?” The attendant asked with a raised eyebrow. “This accursed piece is attuned to the Darkness Dominion,” he explained condescendingly.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Nora swung it experimentally, the air humming with its power. Cade was impressed. She swung the massive blade masterfully.

  “I’ll take it,” she replied and resheathed the menacing blade with a small smile dancing across her lips.

  “Looks like you got yourself a real beauty there, Nora,” Jer teased, earning a playful scowl from her.

  Something in Cade’s chest twisted at that smile.

  Evie, her eyes wide with wonder, picked up a dainty pendant with a blue crystal.

  The attendant’s voice was almost reverent when he addressed her chosen item. “This crystal was found in an ancient crypt believed to be connected to the Queen of Cyan.”

  Evie clasped it around her neck, the crystal catching the light and casting a soft blue glow.

  Jer rummaged through the chest and pulled out a pair of extremely worn-out boots.

  “Really, Jer? Old boots?” Cade raised an eyebrow.

  Jer grinned, unfazed.

  “These boots provide a single boost to a jump every ten seconds, allowing for greater heights and increased shock absorption,” the attendant explained.

  Jer wiggled his eyebrows. “I’ll be jumping over you in no time, Cade.”

  Elena’s eyes gleamed as she drew out a thin stiletto dagger. With a flick of her wrist, it extended into a whip blade.

  “Look at this beauty,” she said, admiring the craftsmanship.

  Another attendant standing nearby leaned in and nodded approvingly. “Made by a master dwarf bladesmith, extremely durable and sharp. Plus, it doubles as a belt!” The young wood elf stepped up past the aloof Lifekeeper and showed Elena how to properly sheathe the stiletto so that it seamlessly blended into its leather belt scabbard.

  “You always did like your toys, Elena,” Orro commented dryly.

  “And you like your brooding, Orro,” she shot back with a smirk.

  Orro chose a dark orb that seemed to absorb the light around it.

  “Apprehended from a notorious thief in Elysia,” the attendant said.

  The orb pulsed gently in Orro’s hand, and the bright sun above them seemed to dim ever so slightly.

  Someone from the crowd shouted, “Why are these confiscated tools being allowed to leave the Lifekeeper vaults?”

  Life’s eyes, glowing with divine power, turned toward the crowd. “MY CHAMPIONS COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, AND SO REFLECT THE GREAT DIVERSITY OF THIS BELOVED CONTINENT.”

  While she spoke, Cade watched as Gavin hesitated before selecting a strange spindle.

  “Forms thin strands of silk from any thread,” the attendant explained.

  Gavin didn’t offer any further details, brushing off questions with a testy wave.

  “Always with the scarves, Gavin?” Cade asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Gavin shot him a dark look. “It’s none of your business, Cade.”

  Cade narrowed his eyes but shrugged, turning back to the chest. His teammates’ choices were intriguing, but none of the items felt quite right for him. He needed something more, something that might help them find the Remnant. He took a deep breath, ready to make his move.

  The thief stepped forward, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on him. The dais loomed large, the chest a tantalizing fruit he desperately wished to claim.

  “Just one, Cade. You don’t need to steal right now. Just one,” Cade repeated under his breath as he leaned over the massive furniture.

  He reached into the chest, his fingers brushing against various items—an enchanted dagger, a glowing amulet, a book bound in dragonhide. But none of them felt right. He rummaged through it again, the pressure mounting as he sensed the impatience of those waiting behind him.

  “Come on, Cade, don’t keep us waiting,” Jer called out, his voice laced with impatience and a healthy dose of anticipation.

  Cade understood. He felt the same way.

  Ignoring the jibe, he pulled out an ancient scroll case and a polished silver chalice. He examined them briefly before discarding them back into the chest. Nothing seemed suitable for finding the Remnant or even aiding in its theft. Frustration gnawed at him as he sifted through the items once more, but still, nothing called to him.

  Just as despair began to creep in, a strange premonition washed over him, making his magical core thrum with a disorienting resonance. It was as if his very essence was trying to guide him.

  On a whim, he turned to the attendant. “Can I see the scroll of items?”

  A hush fell over the arena, the crowd’s curiosity piqued. The attendant’s eyes widened slightly, but he nodded and unfurled the massive scroll. The parchment was ancient, covered in intricate writing that seemed to shift and dance before Cade’s eyes. He scanned the list, his chest pounding with anticipation.

  One listing caught his eye, a random entry that seemed to leap off the page.

  “I want this item,” he declared, pointing to it. “The bracers of Velna?”

  The crowd erupted into murmurs and whispers. A woman screamed. The attendant paled, his hands shaking slightly as he looked at Cade.

  “Are you sure, human?” he confirmed.

  “Yes, I’m sure,” Cade replied, though doubt now gnawed at the edges of his mind.

  The attendant hesitated, then raised a green flag to call for a supervisor. A richly dressed Lifekeeper soon glided over the sandstone in their direction. Cade cursed under his breath as the elderly wood elf approached. Recognition flared in his eyes, and his aloof demeanor shifted to a dark scowl that he quickly masked as he bowed to Life.

  “Hi, Bazz,” Cade voiced with a dry grin, remembering his unfortunate encounter with this prick all over again.

  At least it put some context into who he saw disappear into the underbelly of the arena just a moment ago.

  “IS THERE A PROBLEM?” Life’s voice, impatient and commanding, echoed through the arena.

  Bazz straightened, his eyes narrowing slightly as he addressed Cade. “This item is copper-ranked and was requisitioned from a notorious serial killer in Elysia. Are you certain you wish to claim it?”

  “It’s on the list,” Cade replied evenly, meeting Bazz’s gaze. “Unless you made a mistake, Bazz?”

  Bazz’s jaw tightened, but he nodded reluctantly.

  “Fetch the item for this... contestant,” he instructed an attendant.

  Cade raised his hand. “I believe the word you’re looking for is ’champion,’ or ’hero,’ not contestant.” The young thief raised his eyebrows in a silent challenge as the crowd awaited the Lifekeeper’s response.

  With a low growl, Bazz amended his statement. “Please fetch the item for this champion, if you will.” The attendant scurried away, and Cade bowed sarcastically at the elderly wood elf.

  Cade could feel the tension in the arena, the weight of a thousand eyes watching his every move. The impatience of the elves waiting behind him was palpable, their whispers a constant hum in the background.

  He tried to ignore the second-guessing gnawing at him, the concern that he might have made a mistake. But that roiling energy inside of him practically screamed for this item.

  “Bold choice,” Orro muttered, a hint of admiration in his voice.

  “Yeah, let’s hope it’s worth it,” Cade replied, forcing a grin.

  As the first few elves finally took their turns, selecting their rewards with graceful ease, Cade’s mind raced. The attendant finally returned, carrying a dark cloth bag. Inside, two bronze items clinked together. Cade could feel the magic inside him thrum with excitement and hunger as he took the bag, the cold metal of the bracers sending a shiver up his spine.

  “Here we go, our future serial killer!” Jer quipped with a vicious grin. Someone from their team threw a shoe at the back of his head. Cade turned to see Rayka hobble over to collect her projectile with a wink in his direction.

  Cade shot him a look. “Thanks, Ray. And thank you for the vote of confidence, Jer.”

  Evie stepped closer, her eyes filled with curiosity. “What do they do?’

  “All it said was that it could boost ’destructive powers,’ whatever that means,” Cade said, his voice low. “It just felt—right. I’ll figure it out later.”

  He tucked the bracers away, the magic within them thrumming against his skin. Around them, the arena continued to buzz with excitement as the elves marveled at their new and shiny items.

  Cade’s thoughts, however, were already turning to the trials ahead, the Remnant, and the uneasy alliance he would need to navigate to ensure their survival. As if pulled from his very thoughts, Life spoke as the last contestant received their item.

  “REST WELL, MY CHILDREN.” Life declared in her husky voice that echoed throughout the arena. “TOMORROW, YOU WILL FACE THE GREATEST THREAT YET. BUT FRET NOT. EVEN IF YOU PERISH, I WILL EMBRACE YOUR SOUL AS MY OWN IN YOUR NEXT LIFE, AND IT SHALL BE ONE OF ABUNDANCE AND RICHES BEYOND YOUR WILDEST IMAGININGS!”

  The goddess raised her hands and basked in the rapturous cries of approval that arose throughout the colosseum.

  “I don’t know,” Cade muttered darkly. “I can imagine all the riches in the entire world. So, more than that, or just that? I mean, she promised beyond my wildest dreams, right? I can dream about a LOT.”

  “And that’s all they’ll be if you keep opening that yapper of yours,” Elena hissed as she elbowed Cade in the side.

  With that bold proclamation from Life, they were all dismissed.

  As they left the arena from one of its many tunnels reserved for champions, the others discussed what they’d chosen with animated smiles and broad gestures, but Cade’s mind was turbulent. He did not speak for several long minutes, considering all that he’d seen. All that he’d done.

  With a quick gesture, Cade led his team through the bustling streets, their footsteps muffled by the crowd’s chatter and the clatter of vendors reopening after the trial’s conclusion.

  The air was filled with the mingling scents of roasted chestnuts, freshly baked bread, and the lingering musk of dew-soaked cobblestones. Cade would never admit it, but he actually enjoyed the terrible ale served at the Twisted Oak, and so the prospect of a drink and some rest was a welcome relief after these intense trials.

  His mind whirled with what they still needed to do. He broke it down to attainable steps, even if they were the definition of far-fetched.

  Find the Remnant.

  Steal the Remnant.

  Win the tournament or figure out how to circumvent these accursed tattoos. Gavin had told them how they worked, and it was even more troubling than he expected.

  As they approached the tavern, Cade’s eyes narrowed at the sight of two figures standing at the entrance. A familiar half-orc woman in the dark raven clothes of Scorn acolytes.

  Helga.

  Helga’s sharp eyes locked onto Cade as they approached.

  “Well, if it isn’t our favorite treasure hunters,” she drawled, her tone laced with mockery. “Have you found it yet, puny mortals?”

  Cade’s heart skipped a beat at their presence here. He forced a casual smile. “Found what? The apricot?” he asked, his eyes widening at Helga so that she got the message. Behind them, Gavin sighed but said nothing.

  Helga’s gaze narrowed, but she nodded reluctantly, playing along. “Yes, the apricot.”

  Nora, Evie, and Gavin exchanged glances.

  Nora leaned in, whispering, “Why do you look so scared of this random Scorn acolyte, Cade? What’s going on?”

  Before Cade could respond, a winter elf with black locs and strange black tattoos across her alabaster skin dropped straight down into the street between Cade and Scorn’s follower.

  Her steel-rimmed boots cracked the cobblestone, and she barely had to bend her knees under the impact of the three-story fall. She bore no weapons, but somehow Cade got the impression that wouldn’t be a problem for this elf.

  “I need a moment with him.” She pointed directly at Cade’s chest, her voice cold and sharp.

  Helga stepped forward, her expression fierce. “Shove it. I got here first, Daughter.” The orc spat the last word like it was a curse. “Or would you like a rematch from last time my Mistress’ little sister sent you after me?”

  The winter elf’s lips curled into a smile. It reminded Cade of a dragon bearing its teeth.

  “I insist.”

  Helga’s eyes blazed with anger, and the air around her began to shimmer with heat. “Back off, ice queen.”

  The elf’s smile widened, unfazed by the rising temperature. “Trust me. You don’t want this. You seem rather attached to your limbs.”

  Helga raised her hand, the heat intensifying, but the elf didn’t flinch. Instead, the air around her began to frost over, the ground at her feet crackling with ice.

  Around both of the women, thin trails of golden energy intermixed with their fire and ice respectively. The sudden clash of fire and ice was terrifying, the temperature fluctuations sending waves of discomfort through the gathered crowd.

  The elf lunged for Cade, and the young thief could barely even track her movements. She was a blur of ice and fury. Right as her pale hand marked by the intricate designs of a language Cade didn’t know was about to reach his neck, Helga intercepted her.

  An explosion rocketed Cade back several yards, and his shoulder caved in awkwardly as he was skipped across the road. Flames roared and ice cracked, the sheer force of their powers sending shockwaves through the street. People scattered, shouting in fear as the two women battled with terrifying intensity.

  Cade seized the moment.

  “Run!” he shouted to his team.

  Orro helped him to his feet, and they bolted, weaving through the panicked crowd. Cade could hear the explosive sounds of the battle fading behind them as they ducked into alleyways and sprinted through narrow streets.

  Finally, they stopped to catch their breath, the distant sounds of chaos echoing in their ears. Cade looked around at his team, their faces flushed with exertion and fear.

  “Does anyone know a place where we can lie low?” Cade asked hurriedly.

  Gavin hesitated, his eyes darting around through the crowd nervously. He was looking for someone. Before Cade could question him or move on, their handsome team member nodded.

  “I know a spot. No one will find us there,” Gavin assured them.

  Cade studied him for a moment, then returned the nod. “Lead the way.”

  As one, they followed the telepath into the cold embrace of the shadows ahead.

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