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Yessenia’s legs cut like scissors through the air, her left bare foot slapping the right side of my face. My head was thrown back, blood filling my mouth. The world around me spun. I staggered backward, trying to keep my footing but fell on top of Vinna who sat on the lower bench of the gallery.
“You can do this, Bianca,” she whispered in my ear as she pushed me back on my feet.
I took two steps forward, blinking at my blurred surroundings.
My opponent was standing in a crouch several yards away. One of her legs was extended to one side while the other one was flexed. Her right hand was touching the floor. She practically looked like a cat—even her face, especially at the moment she’d drawn a Rook from the Challenge Vessel.
Black, shoulder-length hair fell like thin curtains on either side of her face. She wore her white uniform pants and, like me, had removed her jacket. Though, she hadn’t stopped there and had also taken off her shirt. I’d blushed deeply on her behalf as she’d been left wearing only the strips that tightly bound her small breasts.
Queen Lovina was conspicuous by her absence. I’d thought she might come to witness the results of her pronouncement, but perhaps her weak Trove’s blood wasn’t enough to protect her from the sun, not even close to twilight.
I shook my head, trying to set my brain back into place. My vision cleared.
C’mon, Bianca!
I had defeated Breen in hand to hand combat. I could defeat Yessenia. If only I could call back to me the anger I’d felt when Breen made fun of Papa, when she called him a coward and a... piss-poor gambler.
Such foul language to describe such a caring father.
Yessenia circled me, toying with me. I followed her every move with my eyes. She had a satisfied smile on her face, seeming so sure of her victory, of her post as Rook. And was that so bad? Her, as Rook, and not me.
Maybe I should let her win. She would make a ruthless Rook, one who would scour the city for Troves, mistreating everyone who got in her way, someone exactly like Rook Datcu from the Black Court—the creature who had summoned Maximus to my home.
No. Yessenia could not become a Rook. I wouldn’t allow it.
Anger built in my chest and spread through my body. I bared my teeth, the hatred for all those responsible for destroying my life showing on my face.
Yessenia laughed, thinking nothing of my anger.
If only I could get my hands on her, I knew I could beat her. She was slight, smaller than me, but she was slippery and fast and knew her chances were better if she kept her distance.
So far, she had succeeded, picking her attacks carefully and using only kicks, then leaping away, out of reach. How she could leap in the air and strike with her feet was beyond me. She defied gravity.
An idea occurred to me.
Every time she had struck, I hadn’t expected it. She’d surprised me, moving like a whip. But what if I could predict her next attack?
I shook myself.
You have to win, Bianca. She won’t pardon you.
I couldn’t end up as Lovina’s main course tonight. If I did, there was the chance that she would discover I was a Trove, and instead of saving Talyssa, I would end up sharing her fate.
Crouching low, I taunted her, feigning to one side and the other as if I meant to lunge in her direction. She stepped back, keeping her distance, her narrow, dark eyes keen to my every move.
Her feet shuffled as if in a dance. She’d fooled me before, distracting me, then attacking as fast as lightning falling from the sky. That would not happen again. I was onto her now.
“C’mon, scaredy-cat,” I goaded her. “Come close so I can pet you.” My heckling words surprised me as well as their malicious tone.
Yessenia sniffled, wiping a hand under her nose. There was a quick flash of fear in her eyes. I’d beaten Skender and Breen, and I had killed Neculai, her Quadrant’s Rook, she must wonder if today was her last day alive.
She shifted to the right then to the left. I acted confused, even though I knew exactly what she was doing.
Her kick came from the right this time, aimed at my side. I tried to block it, but only managed to do it partially and the side of her foot connected with my ribs. She leaped back, away from my reach.
I groaned in pain.
She laughed, looking pleased.
Favoring my side, I sidestepped, taking deep breaths and willing the pain away. She attacked again. I put my arms up. Her shin smashed against forearms as I protected my face. I took a step back, letting all my fear show on my face.
I was afraid of more pain, of being found out and becoming a blood slave, of winning and having to drink Lovina’s blood, of Nyro’s rejection when he found out I was less than human.
There was no shortage of fear in my heart, and I let it all out.
I saw the moment when Yessenia took note of it. Her eyes twinkled. Her lips tipped to one side, then she attacked.
I was ready for her then, and, when her leg rose to strike my stomach, I clamped my hands around it and twisted it, throwing my entire body into the maneuver.
Yessenia let out a shrill cry as I slammed her to the floor. I fell on top of her, my body across hers. Before she had a chance to recover, I shifted, straddling her and pinning her thin arms under the weight of my knees.
Blinking in surprise, she leered, her body thrashing as she tried to free herself, but it was useless. Or so I thought until she kicked both legs and nearly threw me off her.
“Stop!” I commanded her.
She didn’t.
“You asked for it,” I said, closing my fist into a tight ball and smashing it across her jaw. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, then she went utterly still.
I watched for a moment to make sure she wasn’t faking and wouldn’t jump up to kick me senseless as soon as I let her go, but she was knocked out.
Wiping blood from my mouth with my sleeve, I rose to my feet and glanced around the spectators.
Vinna mimed tipping a hat in my direction. She looked surprised at my victory, but maybe also relieved. Or, at least, I wanted to think so.
Knight Kelsus rose from his spot at the gallery and walked to the middle of the floor. Ferko joined him, the expression on her angular face betraying her anger, for once.
I would be her Rook now. I had no idea what that entailed as the higher ranking members of the Board always were so secretive about their activities.
“Do you pardon your opponent?” Knight Kelsus asked.
“I do.” I lifted my chin with pride.
A few in the crowd huffed in disappointment. Yessenia would remain her Quadrant’s First Pawn, which meant others lost a chance at a promotion.
“Congratulations, Rook,” Knight Kelsus said. “How may we address you?”
I frowned, not understanding the question.
“Do you prefer Rook Bianca or Rook Flagfall?” he clarified.
I hadn’t been given this choice when I became a Pawn. Everyone had just called me Bianca or, when formality was required, Pawn Bianca. I never realized that for higher ranks one chose what to be called.
Kelsus was a first name, and Ferko was a surname. They had each made conscious choices on the matter.
“Well?” Kelsus said, expectantly.
I thought for a moment, then made up my mind.
“Flagfall,” I said.
My last name, like many others in the city, was a chess term.
It came from the flags found in the time clocks used in the chess dens. When a player ran out of time, a small flag fell indicating they had lost.
The game I was playing didn’t have a clock, but sooner or later, a flag would fall for King Maximus the day I became Queen of Acedrex.
“You may address me as Rook Flagfall.”