I furrow my brows and stare into the eyes inches from me. They hold the same intensity I feel.
“You ready?” Halen’s chipper voice breaks my concentration.
I pull my attention from my vanity mirror and whip around. “I can’t believe the trials are today.”
“And you’re going to kick some serious tail!” She whacks me on the back.
“That’s the plan.” I grimace, thinking of the final trial. However, I should be more concerned about the other trials—the ones I know nothing about. I have to get through those before facing my dad and surprising him with my plot twist.
“Your stomach hasn’t been bothering you?”
“Not since I’ve been preparing daily for these trials.”
“Good.” Halen runs her hands along one arm of my skin-tight leather fighting suit. “This thing is so cool. You know what’s going to happen, don’t you?”
“It’ll protect me from a sea dragon bite?”
She bursts out laughing. “No! All the little kids are going to race around in imitation suits, pretending to be you on Halloween.”
I shake my head. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Wanna make a bet?”
“Not really.”
Knock, knock!
My stomach twists. It’s probably the driver to pick me up and take me to the arena in the middle of Valora. I’m so not ready for this. Not that I have a choice.
The day is here.
Halen flings open the door. “Oh, hey!” Her tone holds a song to it.
Curious, I peek around her. Instead of a stuffy castle servant, Bash stands at the door, wearing a suit and tie.
I freeze in place. Seeing him just reminds me of how much I have to lose if things go wrong today. If I end up dragon food, he’s stuck with a tattoo of my name on his chest. He’ll lose the one person he’s ever been able to trust fully.
He looks me over slowly. “You look amazing.”
I swallow. “So do you. What are you doing here?”
He moves past Halen and wraps his arms around me. “I came to give you a good luck kiss.”
“Do you think I’ll need luck?”
His only answer is to press his lips on mine. “Everyone will be rooting for you. Everyone. You’ve got this.”
“Yeah, of course.” My tone reveals my doubt.
“You don’t think so?”
“I don’t know what to expect! This event hasn’t been held for thousands of years.”
“And you’re more ready than Queen Sirena was. You’ve got her trident which has been through all of this before, plus you have her powers. They too have the previous trials under their belt. Plus, I’ve seen you in action. Everything you’ve done has been preparing you for this.”
“Maybe.”
“It has.”
Halen turns to me. “I hate to interrupt, but it looks like your driver is heading this way. Oh, and for what it’s worth, I’m in total agreement with Bash.”
“Thanks.”
He kisses my cheek. “Keep us in mind if things get hard. Picture us in the stands screaming your name.”
I force a smile. “Thanks. But seriously, if things get hard? I’ve heard several people mention a sea dragon.”
Bash gives me his crooked smile. “Those things don’t exist.”
“People used to think the same thing about Queen Sirena until I basically turned into her.”
He runs his fingertips along my jawline and gazes into my eyes. “You didn't turn into her. You’re Marra Ayers, and you have your own strengths and powers. Did she have the Ayers power? Did she have Halen and me on her side? No, she didn’t. You’re going to be greater than she ever was—so much so that people will forget all about her. Thousands of years in the future, people will whisper rumors about you alone.”
“I think you give me too much credit.”
He starts to say something, but is interrupted by the driver. “The royal car is ready for you, your highness.”
Halen looks at me with wide eyes. Bash gives me a quick kiss, then pats his shirt over his newest tattoo.
“Can we go with her?” Halen asks.
The driver shakes his head no. “She must travel alone.”
I grab a bag packed with things I’ll need and say goodbye to them before following the driver out to the parking lot. Students wish me good luck as I pass by. They smile, but I can see the worry in their eyes. Even Earwyn has lost her permanent smug expression.
Regardless, I hold my head high and focus on everything I’ve learned about battling with my trident and how to use the Ayers power. I’m going to need every last bit of it to get through today.
The driver opens the door for me. I climb in, hoping my parents will be inside.
They're not. The entire back of the car is empty except for my trident, which is lying on one of the seats. At least I hope it’s mine. I’m in trouble if it’s just some random weapon.
I am yours.
Relief washes through me. I wrap my arms around it but don’t find its warmth as comforting and energizing as usual.
The engine roars to life and gravel crunches under the tires. We’re heading straight for the arena.
My pulse pounds in my ears. I take a deep breath and study the weapon. “You’ve been through this before, right? The old stories are true?”
Yes. Queen Sirena and I beat them together.
“What can I expect?”
To be challenged more than ever before.
“Anything more specific? Am I going to have to face a sea dragon?”
I have no idea what you’re going to face. Your tests may be completely different from hers.
“Did she have to face a sea dragon?”
Yes.
“Wonderful.”
She defeated it.
“Don’t you mean ‘we’?”
Nope. The creature flung me out of her reach, and she was on her own for that one.
“Double wonderful. What about the—”
Focus on silence. Quiet your thoughts.
“Is meditation supposed to help?”
The trident doesn’t respond. Probably doesn’t want to be the bearer of bad news. Doesn’t want to be the one who chips away at my confidence.
Too late for that.
Just stop thinking. That’s all you have to do.
I hold back a snarky thought and try to not think. It’s a lot harder than my weapon gives me credit for. Thankfully, before long, the car comes to a stop. I hope it’s because we’ve arrived and not just because of traffic or something.
The engine cuts, then my pulse drums in my ears. I’m crazy for agreeing to this. Trials in an arena that I’m not only completely unprepared for but that are based on a legendary queen who nearly nobody knows anything about.
Ahem.
I don’t respond, and fortunately the trident doesn’t have time to say more because the door opens and the driver appears.
“We have arrived, my lady.”
I take a deep breath then exit, weapon in hand. We’re on the back side of what looks kind of like a football stadium—but they don’t play that sport in Valora.
“Let me show you to your room.”
“I have a room here?”
“A dressing room.”
I glance down at my outfit. “I’m already dressed.”
His only response is to close the door and make his way toward the building.
My heart thunders as we approach. It seems to get louder the closer we come. The driver knocks on a nondescript door, and a moment later, a lock clicks and the door opens. A merwoman with a tight bun and tiny glasses appears and immediately starts speaking a mile a minute, barely allowing me any time to keep up with what she’s saying. The driver leaves, and she leads me down a hallway. She opens another door—my dressing room. It has a couch, a rack with several outfits, a table full of refreshments, and a large mirror.
I enter and try to keep up with what she’s saying, but it’s a fruitless endeavor without a remote to slow her down. She leaves, closing the door behind her. I have no idea what to expect. Do I have five minutes to get ready? Or am I supposed to go somewhere? How does anyone understand her?
I lean the trident against the couch and snack on some underwater fruit. Then I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror—my skin is pale and my eyes are wild. I don’t know what else I expected when I’m in such a ridiculous situation. If only someone would tell me something about what I’m about to face. Are there going to be twenty trials? Ten? Will I get breaks? What happens if I don’t pass one? I glance at the trident, who offers me no insight.
Knock, knock.
My entire body tenses. “Come in.”
The door opens. Instead of the fast talker, it’s my mom. She gives me a warm smile. “How are you, sweetheart?”
“How do you think?” I snap. “Sorry. Too nervous for a verbal filter.”
She gives me a hug, not that it does much to soothe my nerves. “You’re going to do great.”
“Do you know anything about these trials?”
“Didn’t Shelly explain anything?”
“You mean that lady who spoke too fast to understand?” I arch a brow.
The merwoman returns and says something that sounds like it’s time.
Mom squeezes my hand and gives me a reassuring glance. “You’ve got this. We’re all rooting for you.”
“Thanks. Where’s Dad?”
“He’s preparing for the final trial.” Mom closes her eyes for a moment. “I hope he’s right about his plan. I’ve been worried sick.”
My stomach lurches. “I don’t want this any more than you do.” I want to tell her about my secret plan, but I don’t dare with someone else in the room. Especially not someone I can’t understand.
We part ways, and I follow Shelly down a hall with the trident. We go through another door into a locker room. Cheers from a crowd sound on the other side of another wall.
She turns to me, and I actually understand her. “They’re announcing you.”
I force a smile. “Great.”
“This way.” She leads me down another hallway, and the noise from the crowd grows louder.
If I don’t pass the trials, everyone in Valora will know. They’re expecting me to be successful. And they also have no idea how the final trial is going to go down. Nobody will, and that’s my plan.
Shelly opens the door. “It’s time.”
I squeeze my weapon so tightly my hands hurt. More than anything, I want to run in the opposite direction. Instead, I inch closer.