Raven Girl

Chapter 39

Nadine had been given her knives, and her green sword. She stood at the metal door, waiting with every sense on edge. A gong echoed through the chamber and the door began to open, lifting upwards as it was pulled by chains she couldn't see. Daylight blinded her and she waited for her eyes to adjust before unsheathing her sword and running.

An oval arena opened up around her. The floor was sandy and sunlight bounced off the pale walls. Opposite her, Nadine locked eyes with Kostin and the officials from Jötunheim and Easfall. They were high, high above, on a podium looking down.

That was when Nadine saw Elias. He wore his Easfallian clothes and had a scimitar in his hand. The young man she had come to know over the past few months had disappeared entirely, and all she saw was coldness and anger and terrible, terrible wrath in its place. This was the true Elias.

Nadine scanned the arena for anything that could indicate her sudden death, but all she could see was another figure emerging from an identical door to hers. Fine. She would kill Elias and Gylfi, if she had to. I can't trust anyone.

She began to sprint through the sand, holding her sword tightly, eyes locked on Elias. She roared as she swung her blade at him.

He blocked the blow with his scimitar and the clash echoed throughout the arena. Nadine drew back and stabbed, but he darted to the side. His expression was all calculations – he knew how she fought.

But he wasn't anticipating her rage. She drove into him, sheer ferocity pushing him backwards as she swung and slashed. He blocked every blow of her sword, frowning.

That was when Gylfi collided with Nadine, and they began to roll along the floor.

"Traitor!" Gylfi spat at her, his hands reaching for her neck. Nadine hadn't thought he'd attack her so readily, and choked. He slammed her head against the earth – she scrabbled for her sword but couldn't find it, and surely Elias was going to finish her off now she was defenceless –

Nadine felt her eyes roll into her head. She wheezed and the air burned through her, because there wasn't enough of it. She clawed at Gylfi. Her nails drew blood in a long gouge down his throat.

Something heavy hit Gylfi, and he was thrown away from her. Nadine gasped, sitting up. The arena spun around her. She had to focus. She had to best the men if she wanted to survive this.

If she killed them both, she could still walk away. She rose to her feet and picked the sword up, watching Elias and Gylfi fight, trying to figure out who would be the easiest to kill first.

Her throat still burned, but she decided to help Gylfi take down the assassin. She lunged.

Elias blocked her sword with his but Gylfi drove a dagger into his shoulder. Elias snarled and Nadine saw his legs wobble. He staggered, but somehow found strength – he drove against her, pushing her own sword towards her face. Nadine, gasping, slid it out of the way, jumping to the side. Elias spun as Gylfi lunged for him, and Gylfi was sent reeling as Elias slammed a fist against his cheekbone. Gylfi collapsed and Elias pounced to deliver a killing blow.

"I won't let you kill one more person!" Nadine abandoned her sword entirely and jumped, fastening her arms around Elias's neck and using her weight to drag him backwards. He struggled and she tried to crush his neck, her entire body trembling with the effort.

"I haven't done anything," Elias snarled. He heaved, flinging her over him and onto her back on the floor.

"Admit it." She rolled away as he lunged to finish her off.

Gylfi's blade swung out of nowhere, heading for Nadine or Elias, she didn't know –

Elias blocked it from hitting his chest, and it sliced into his arm. Blood splattered on the sand, and he cried out.