Arianna glanced briefly down the row of seated people. Multiple sets of eyes were watching her, but one in particular caught her attention. Rhys was watching her. He was waiting and planning. Arianna couldn’t hear inside his head as he conversed with no one, but she knew the intent. He planned to win at all costs. It was time to show the world that she was stronger than he was. She was stronger than everyone. With solid resolve, Arianna stood and walked to her place on the floor.
Chapter 30
Arianna stood in the middle of the arena. Instantly the crowd went silent. Not a soul spoke as they viewed her. She was magnificent, standing there as she prepared to face her future. Power radiated off of her. Rhys casually moved to his spot. Like everyone else, his eyes were glued to her. Serge stood between them and gave the audience a moment to drool over the power falling off of Arianna. Serge needed her allies to see what they were supporting. The match would be enough to convince the audience to support her wholeheartedly, but Serge wanted to make sure they beheld everything about her.
“The rules are the same as the other match. No intentional life-threatening hits. Ten-minute maximum. Understand?” Serge looked to Rhys first. He nodded while still staring at Arianna. Serge looked to Arianna, and she nodded with a curt bow.
‘Time to show everyone what you can do,’ Andrew told her. ‘Just follow your instincts and use any power you want. Let the show begin, but just promise me your head won’t explode from hero worship when you get done. I can already tell the audience is mainly here to cheer you on.’
‘Jealous much?’ Arianna retorted as Rhys eyed her over, waiting for her to make the first move.
‘Not at all, babe, just want to remind you who your mate is.’ Andrew relaxed just a little bit. He was way more worried about the match than he was jealous of the people adoring her from the stands.
‘Like I could forget.’ Arianna rolled her eyes and Rhys looked from her to Andrew.
‘Exactly, princess.’ Andrew smiled at her.
Rhys analyzed her movements and could tell that she was communicating with Andrew. Rhys saw how much they were connected, and rage began to fill him. She would never be his alone. Andrew was the one she would always love. He could have her, but he would never have her adoration. Andrew was the problem. He’d been the problem all along, but now Rhys saw the truth that was standing in his way. Rhys turned and jumped into the stands directly at Andrew.
Andrew raised an arm to block the hit coming at the same time as Devin did.
“Lord McKinny, you cannot leave the fighting area,” Serge yelled from across the arena. “Disqualified.” Arianna had just won her freedom, but that didn’t matter. Rhys had begun his war.
Rhys didn’t listen to Serge, and neither did Andrew or Devin as they stood together and pushed Rhys back to the arena floor. Andrew yanked Devin across the way to stand in front of Arianna. He then moved to face Rhys head on. Anticipation rolled off of him. This is what he wanted all along, to keep the creep Rhys away from Arianna.
“Protect Arianna,” Andrew called over to Devin, as the people from the stands began to move down and choose sides behind Rhys or Arianna. “He’s mine.” Devin nodded as Andrew moved to walk away.
Rhys quickly cast a spell that cocooned the arena floor from the stands. Only his own allies could pass the barrier, and they slowly trickled behind him. For Arianna only those already on the floor were still inside the faerie ring. Nik and Polo stood behind Rhys, though Polo looked like he’d rather be anywhere but there. Over fifty elite sidhe fighters moved in behind Rhys and Nik. They might not completely support Rhys, but he was still their king.
“This is between you and me,” Andrew said to Rhys, calling him out.
Arianna was only surrounded by Devin, Thomas, Turner, Gabriel, and Molina. The rest of her personal team, including Nixon, Jackson, Nelson, and Mica, stood outside the ring as they fortified Arianna’s exit through the mass of people waiting outside the ring. They could easily enter the faerie ring, but chose not to at this point. Mori advised her team to remain outside and not show their power yet. So far Rhys didn’t know the extent of Arianna’s abilities, and they needed to use as that as a surprise if needed.
“You got that right,” Rhys sneered. “You keep touching my queen.”
“If you hadn’t noticed, you just lost the match,” Andrew pointed out. “Arianna is free to choose her own destiny now. Sorry. I don’t think that includes you.”
“If you hadn’t noticed, I’m taking her home with me now, and you can’t do anything to stop me,” Rhys replied, gesturing to his men, who outnumbered Arianna’s more than five to one. People around the faerie ring that supported Arianna began to protest and push against the barrier. No one could enter.
“Sorry, but I’ll pass,” Arianna said from a few feet behind Andrew.
“Not an option, Princess,” Rhys replied. When he called her ‘princess,’ Arianna couldn’t help but cringe. “Besides, didn’t you want to be free of your fate? Well, you are free. No need to stay with the baku boy here. You can come be the queen with me.” Arianna was momentarily shocked. Rhys was still delusional, thinking that she might choose him over Andrew.
“Yeah, about that,” Arianna added, taking another step toward Andrew. “I’ve already decided. And I chose Andrew.”
Shock registered on Rhys face. He didn’t imagine that she actually wanted to be with Andrew. When given the freedom to choose, he assumed she would choose him. He was stronger and had more power than the baku, who wasn’t even in line to rule his clan. Rhys had more experience and overall felt he was always the better choice. There was no way Arianna would pick someone else over him. He would just need to get her away from her captors. They had to be forcing her to stay.
Arianna made it to Andrew’s back and grabbed his hand before he moved further. Her hands rubbed down his bare arms, sending him her energy.
“Be careful,” she said quietly. “And come back to me in one piece.” Andrew reached behind him and pulled her in front of him so that he could still watch Rhys across the way. Lifting her in his arms he kissed her briefly, yet passionately, before he set her back down.
“Listen to Devin,” he said. “And I’ll be back in five minutes.”
Andrew handed her off to Devin and moved forward to meet Rhys, who was now fuming.
Rhys backed up and sent his men forward as he tried to maneuver near Arianna to take her by force. Andrew met four men moving at him head on. Turner jumped up beside Andrew and divided the men. Size or numbers were no match for the two of them together. They each perfected their new night human abilities, and could use them at will. Rhys didn’t watch the fighting as he moved through the crowd. Suddenly, he was beside Arianna and Devin turned to meet him.
“No,” Arianna said as Devin moved to engage Rhys. Nik came up from the side, out of Devin’s view. Arianna moved, blocking the blow headed for him, giving him time to turn and face Nik instead.
Andrew and Turner were busy as they fought man after man heading their way. Molina, Gabriel, and Thomas were fighting their own opponents. Arianna was the only one not battling against someone. Now, with Devin facing off with Nik, Arianna was left to fend for herself. She couldn’t even ask Devin to help as she knew Nik’s intentions which included redeeming his pride at losing to a day human.
‘Little help,’ Arianna said to Mori as she stood face-to-face with Rhys. Slowly, her transformed night humans began to walk through the barrier and Rhys didn’t even notice. He was fully focused on his prize, which was only feet away from him.
“Now that you are away from them, we can leave,” Rhys said to her kindly. He had won. He got to Arianna, and they could run away together. He was still delusional.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Arianna replied. “I chose Andrew,” she repeated, hoping he would listen. Talking was better than fighting, but she was now afraid of what he would do once it really sank in.
“He’s off fighting,” Rhys waved behind him, still not t
urning around to the people entering his spell-cast ring. “You don’t need to pretend any longer.”
Arianna stopped and stared in shock at him. Rhys wasn’t lying. He truly thought she was just pretending. In Rhys’ world, she was always meant to be with him. He truly viewed Andrew and her team as her captors. Rhys offered her his hand, his palm open.
“I don’t think he gets it,” Andrew replied, coming to stand beside her. Nik and Devin were exchanging blows now too far away. Andrew left Turner alone in the middle of the fighting, and both Devin and Turner would have to wait for help from him.
‘Turner?’ Arianna asked, while looking across the arena, down to the middle of the fighting where Turner was enjoying himself in his modified wolf form.
‘Fine,’ Andrew still stared at Rhys, who was flaming anger again.
Andrew kept one step in front of Arianna to protect her. While Rhys tried to reign in his emotions, Arianna moved to stand beside Andrew. She didn’t want protection, she wanted to be his equal, and she needed Rhys to see that she wanted to be with Andrew.
“He doesn’t get it,” Arianna said to Andrew and Rhys. “Gabriel?” Arianna called to her uncle, who instantly appeared at her side, blood soaked. He had been keeping the crowd from getting too close to Arianna. She was now circled by her own people and the newly-transformed wurdulac. They kept the space around her free of anyone but Rhys, Andrew, Gabriel and herself. Devin was left outside the circle with Turner, now fighting alongside him.
“I bound myself to Andrew,” Arianna told Rhys, trying to get him to understand. Rhys looked between them.
“Nice try,” he said to Andrew. “You told her to say that?”
Arianna stepped a few more feet away from Andrew and the bond didn’t break. Rhys looked back to her, trying to understand how that could happen. The bond only worked if both parties wanted it to work. Arianna had to be willing to bind herself to Andrew, and Rhys didn’t believe that was possible. He still didn’t want to admit what he saw. Arianna moved back beside her mate.
‘I’ll take care of him,’ Arianna told Andrew.
‘This is my fight,’ Andrew replied, watching Rhys for any slight movement.
‘My fight, too,’ Arianna insisted.
‘Ari, I am your mate now. Let me protect you,’ Andrew scolded.
Arianna paused a moment to look at Andrew. He was completely focused on Rhys and ready to react to anything the sidhe king did. He wasn’t pushing Arianna back as she stood beside him. He was asking her to let him defend her. Arianna felt it deep down inside. Andrew had the right to fight for her. She had to let him. This was his fight. Rhys would not fight her. He also felt that his fight was with Andrew. It didn’t mean she had to be happy to accept that fact and let Andrew go off and get hurt, but she couldn’t hold him back either.
“Guess you get to do it your way,” she added, placing her hand on his chest.
Closing her eyes to concentrate, Arianna moved her night human power into Andrew until her knees became weak. Andrew would need every ounce of their shared power to come back unharmed. Gabriel was beside her and caught her easily, already knowing her intention.
“What did you do to her?” Rhys demanded as she hung limp in her uncle’s arms.
Arianna was still alive, but completely unconscious. Her power surged inside Andrew. Arianna’s power was more than Andrew ever imagined, and it ran through his veins. She was letting him fight for them both, but in her own way she was fighting beside him.
Rhys ran to Arianna, but Gabriel vanished before Rhys made it to him. Andrew appeared in front of Rhys, ready to fight. Rhys flicked his hand at Andrew, dismissing him and encasing him in a sidhe spell before moving to track Gabriel and Arianna. The older baku would be a problem, but Rhys was confident he could defeat him. Andrew moved outside the spell and met Rhys head on as Rhys moved.
“What?” Rhys asked, baffled as Andrew connected a direct hit to Rhys face. Rhys stumbled back, bleeding from the nose.
“I think she made it perfectly clear that she doesn’t want you,” Andrew replied, sensing Gabriel bouncing around the fights invisibly with Arianna still in his arms. Arianna was safe, and it was time to focus on Rhys. “She chose to be my mate. It’s time for you to get over it.”
Rhys’ face snapped up and his eyes finally met Andrew’s.
“Your mate? Ha! She can be any of our mates. It’s why I gave her my blood, and didn’t let my sister. Now I can be her mate. That’s the truth behind the legend. She can join any family. Now that bigger and better things have come along, I’m sure you’re just holding her back,” Rhys explained, casting another spell around Andrew that caused vines to magically grow out of the ground at Andrew’s feet. Andrew melted right through the vines that had taken hold of his legs.
“Are you really that blind?” Andrew asked. “We are bound.” Andrew let Arianna’s power seep momentarily out of him. Her power was distinct, and even Rhys couldn’t deny that.
“You what?” Rhys fumed, throwing more magic at Andrew, who didn’t feel a thing, as he was now part sidhe, and sidhe magic didn’t work on other sidhe.
“And I think you got the prophecy wrong. She combines the night humans. Not so that she can marry who ever she wants, but to make a new race.” Andrew cast a few of his own spells to throw back at Rhys. Rhys stood stunned as he was hit by the same growing vines, but this time, the sidhe king couldn’t move out of them.
“Not possible,” Rhys added. “You can’t do sidhe magic.” He was in denial. “What is this?” Rhys asked as the vines grew stronger around him. “Why is my magic failing? You did this, didn’t you? You tainted the princess,” Rhys accused.
Andrew backed up as Rhys was increasing his energy. The fight would begin for real now. Andrew concentrated, to grow extra-long claws on his last two fingers and they dripped with vrykolakas poison. Mori had already tested the poison to find that the hybrid night humans made vrykolakas poison, but it wasn’t deadly. Subduing Rhys was his best option as killing the leader of a clan would not be good for anyone.
Rhys barreled ahead full forced, but stumbled as he ran right through Andrew.
“What kind of trickery is that?” Rhys growled, getting back up from the ground as he had tumbled.
Andrew smiled at his new ability: fighting got a lot easier if you disappeared just before getting hit. Rhys moved quicker than Andrew expected and landed a hit on his mid-section. Unfortunately, disappearing only worked if he willed it. It didn’t matter much; Andrew was used to hits like that and it didn’t stop him from countering with a blow of his own. Even if Rhys wanted to avoid it, Andrew was far too powerful and quick to stop. Andrew hit Rhys a second time, knocking him down into the mass of people fighting around them. Rhys stood and used the additional bodies to keep his distance as he tried to hastily study Andrew. Andrew ducked and hit his next attacker with enough force to plow him into another group fighting.
“Are we already done?” Andrew asked, honing in on where Rhys was walking behind groups of fighters, and pacing a circle around Andrew.
“Guess we’ll do it this way.” Andrew stopped watching Rhys and formed two fireballs in his hands. Willing them to move, they zoomed around people looking for their target.
“Not possible,” Rhys whispered as they knocked into him. Andrew wasn’t far behind, and finally caught him with his vrykolakas nails. “Not possible,” Rhys repeated as he staggered and fell to the ground.
With Rhys defeated, Andrew allowed Arianna’s power to seep out and return to her. Arianna moved through the mass of people still fighting. Each group stopped as she passed. Her strength was returning and with each step she was pulsing more with power. Nik and Devin were fighting behind Andrew, and even they stopped with her arrival. Nik was holding his own as both men were bloodied. All around silence fell over the mass of people. Those still fighting halted and stepped away from each other. Everyone stopped to watch Arianna. She had never let her power flow out freely before, and now no one denied it. She was the
strongest night human anyone had ever, or would ever, see. The war that had just began was over.
Chapter 31
Rhys stood before Arianna as she waited for him to respond. He still didn’t believe that Arianna wanted Andrew, but he had lost all the supporters that he had before he passed out. They had all seen the truth, even if he didn’t want to. Technically, Arianna won the competition and was free to choose her own fate. And she had chosen Andrew Lucan. No one would deny her.
“You are never to return to any other clan lands,” she repeated. “To walk away now means you will get your life and your clan, if they will take you back. You will no longer be welcome anywhere else. If you promise to leave in peace, we won’t punish you.” Arianna had to be nicer than she wanted to be. Rhys was a clan head and she didn’t want to give the sidhe any more reason to fight on.
“How?” was all Rhys could ask.
“How what?” Arianna replied, unsure what he was asking.
“How could these people fight for you? They have to follow their clans, how did you get them to your side? How did you get them away from their clans?” Rhys whispered, wanting to know her secret to power. He had recruited other clans, but none were actually loyal to him. It was just that all had the same goal, and it was that goal that held their loose coalition together.
Arianna looked around at the faces of the people now standing on the field, some more injured than others. Her side had overwhelmingly won the battle. It wasn’t really even a contest. The people were various races of night humans, some from the head thirteen clans, but most not. Her support was a variety, and she liked it that way. Arianna had won over clans and people from all over, and she noticed no difference between them all.