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A roar rose from the audience. Shade and Marcellus climbed the steps at the back of the stage and moved towards the middle of the large rectangle. No fence lined the platform so the crowd’s view was uninterrupted. I placed my hands on the warm tiles while dangling my legs over the side of the roof.
Getting Norah to scale a building had been entirely impossible. Apparently, winning an argument against a determined teacher was about as easy as persuading a three-story building to move out of the way. I’d soon abandoned my efforts and decided to let the bossy girl do what she wanted.
She had found a spot on the ground together with Liam and Zaina but I wanted to see every single thing that happened on that stage so I’d climbed onto a flat roof near the platform. The couple who had previously occupied the space kindly moved further down when they saw three tall elves and a well-armed thief make their way towards them.
“He will win, right?” Haemir said and cast a glance at the three of us.
Elaran crossed his arms but kept his gaze on the platform. “He has to.”
“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen,” an excited-looking man called across the square in a surprisingly strong voice. He placed himself between Shade and Marcellus before holding up his arms in the air. “What a riveting end to this year’s election! A duel between our current General and predicted crowd favorite, and this year’s rising star. Please give a warm welcome to General Marcellus and Shade!”
Cheering and whooping erupted from the gathered spectators. Heat did nothing to quell their enthusiasm, it would seem. Since it was midday and the sun was at its highest, the gleaming towers of Blackspire provided no respite from the scorching sun. I wiped a hand along my temple.
“Gentlemen,” the fight supervisor continued and looked at both combatants. “Declare your weapons.”
Even though they were now speaking in more conversational tones, this close to the stage, we could still hear them perfectly.
“A sword and a shield,” General Marcellus said.
“Two swords,” Shade said.
The excited-looking man raised his voice again. “General Marcellus has declared a sword and shield and Shade has declared two swords.”
A ripple of anticipation spread through the crowd. Drawing up my legs, I crossed them under me and leaned my elbows on my knees. My heart pattered in my chest.
“There will be no fatalities and no maiming!” the supervisor called and moved eyes that had turned as hard as steel between the two fighters. “Is that clear?” When both contestants nodded, he continued. “The duel ends when first blood is drawn or when one of you surrenders.”
Up on the roof, I scoffed. As if that would happen. Shade and Marcellus nodded once more before retreating to opposite sides of the rectangular stage. I released a long exhale to steady my nerves. This was it. This was the moment the election was either won or lost.
“Begin!”
The fight supervisor hurried down the steps just as Marcellus hoisted his broad shield. Shade spun his twin swords in his hands and flashed the General an arrogant grin. Marcellus shot across the stage.
Sparks flew as his large sword slammed into the assassin’s blades and scraped along the steel. Shade shoved it aside and aimed a strike at his other side. A loud crash reverberated as Marcellus brought his shield up to deflect the blow. Putting his shoulder behind it, the General used his shield to shove Shade backwards.
The Master Assassin staggered at the sheer force of the push but recovered quickly and spun to the other side to deliver another blow. Marcellus slammed his sword down and blocked the swipe aimed for his ribs while throwing his shield in a wide arc. With not a second to spare, Shade twisted out of reach. The painted steel shield produced a whoosh as it flew past.
Not letting the moment go to waste, Shade kicked at Marcellus’ exposed hip. Since his shield was out of position, he took the hit straight on and stumbled back. The assassin darted forward but the muscular General flung his sword out, forcing him to dodge. In those precious few seconds of respite, Marcellus found his footing again.
Raising his sword and shield once more, he advanced on the assassin. Shade feigned a strike to the left but when Marcellus readied his defense, he changed direction and launched himself into the air. Metal clashed as the assassin slammed his twin swords at Marcellus’ head only to be blocked by the General’s own blade, thrown up at the last second. Having missed his strike, Shade’s side was completely open.
A collective gasp rang out from the crowd as General Marcellus slammed the heavy metal shield into the assassin. Shade flew to the side. Dull thuds echoed as his body crashed down on the wooden planks of the platform. I winced.
Shade was good. There was no question about that. He was all speed, agility, lightning strikes, and quick direction changes. Marcellus, on the other hand, fought like a block of stone with tight defense and powerful blows. They were almost matched in fighting skills but Zaina had been right. The muscled General was better. Not by much, but it was still enough. My heart sank. Shade was going to lose.
Down on the stage, the Master Assassin sucked in a deep breath and rolled away from the blade coming for his throat. Splinters sailed through the air as Marcellus’ sword struck the wooden planks Shade had occupied only seconds before. The dark-haired assassin swung his right-hand sword at Marcellus’ ankles, forcing the General to jump back. Using the added space to his advantage, Shade pulled his legs up towards his chest. After rolling back on his shoulders, he kicked his legs upwards while pushing off with his fists. Launching himself from the ground, he landed in a crouch and spun his swords in his hands.
Metal vibrated as Marcellus pounded his sword on his shield, telling the assassin to get on with it. Shade sprang forward. His blades flashed like lightning as he delivered one strike after another, forcing Marcellus back towards the edge of the stage. Cries of surprise and encouragement rose from the crowd. I stared at the flurry of blades trying to get through Marcellus’ defense. He might actually win.
I jinxed it. The assault came to a screeching halt as Marcellus twisted his shield and trapped Shade’s right-hand sword against it. When the General threw his shield out, the assassin was forced to release his weapon to avoid being flung away with it. Metal clattered against stone as Marcellus tossed the sword over the side of the stage.
Jumping backwards, Shade switched his remaining blade to his right hand. Victory shone in the General’s eyes as he advanced on the retreating assassin. Shade paused. His calculating gazed roamed over the approaching warrior and he shifted the sword back to his left hand. What was he doing?
He darted forward. Marcellus crouched and braced himself for the impact as Shade barreled straight for him. At the last moment, the Master Assassin danced away and twisted inside Marcellus’ guard. Shade whipped his sword towards the General’s throat but it was all for nothing when Marcellus threw his own sword up and blocked the strike.
My chest tightened. Trapped inside Marcellus’ shield like that, and with his sword locked outside, it was over. Shade’s desperate gamble was the one that would lose him the fight.
Down on the stage, no one moved. Trying to shove the hopelessness aside, I squinted at the two contestants. Shade hissed something in Marcellus’ ear. The General looked furious but then spread his arms wide.
Shocked gasps of utter disbelief echoed through the whole square as General Marcellus dropped his sword and shield. They clattered to the floor next to him. My eyes widened as the proud General raised his hands, palms out. What the hell was going on?
That’s when I saw it. The knife. A dark chuckle slipped from my lips. There on the middle of the platform, Shade pressed the edge of a short knife into the skin below Marcellus’ jaw. I was both impressed and unsurprised at the same time.
“The winner is Shade!” the duel supervisor called while climbing the stairs back up to the stage. Just as the crowd was about to break into cheers, he saw the unauthorized blade in the assassin’s hand. “Stop!”
The Assassins’ Guild Master drew a shallow cut along Marcellus’ neck to drive the point home. Blood trickled down the General’s throat. After one last arrogant smirk, Shade removed the knife and stepped back.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the supervisor called. “It appears as though an undeclared weapon has been used in this fight.”
“He fought dishonorably,” Elaran said, his face blank.
I cast him a quick look before turning my gaze back to the assassin on the stage. “No, he fought to win.”
The gathered audience was dead quiet as General Marcellus dropped his arms and took a step forward.
“You cheated,” he growled before raising his voice to a shout. “He cheated! This disgraceful assassin used a hidden knife to win this fight. That goes against the rules.”
“Rules?” Shade scoffed before raising his own voice to carry across the square. “You keep talking about cheating but there’s no cheating in war. When you fight, you fight to win.”
“When you fight, you fight with honor!” the furious general bellowed.
“The enemy won’t stop to fight honorably.” Shade threw his arms to his sides and turned in a slow circle. “When the star elves come here and attack our city, do you think they will hesitate? No. They will kill your families to take this city. And when someone is trying to kill your family, you do whatever it takes to win. Honor and rules be damned.”
The crowd stared at the assassin in stunned silence.
Shade swung his arm and stabbed a finger in Marcellus’ direction. “Would you really trust someone like him to protect your families? Someone who wouldn’t do everything in his power to keep you safe, just because it might not be honorable. Or would you trust me, who will use whatever means necessary to keep your enemies from laying as much as a finger on your loved ones?”
For a few moments, no one said anything. Even General Marcellus appeared to be too flabbergasted to come up with some kind of retort. Then, a shout cut through the square.
All around us, soldiers lifted fists and weapons in the air while releasing long cheers. While the cries of support grew in strength as more armor-clad men joined in the rhythmic chanting, the rest of the spectators looked undecided. Marcellus’ feelings, however, were not difficult to interpret. Rage painted his face red.
“You scheming little...” the General growled and snatched up his sword.
Shade gave him a quick rise and fall of his eyebrows while a smirk decorated his face but before it could turn into another fight, the supervisor planted himself in the middle.
“Gentlemen, the duel is over,” he said in a low voice before calling across the square. “Ladies and gentlemen, since Shade cheated in order to win, this duel ends without a winner. Thank you for coming and despite the upsetting end, I hope you enjoyed the excellent display of fighting skills. Please disperse quickly and calmly so that we can get the stage ready for the election result announcements tomorrow evening.”
As the crowd starting moving, Haela and I exchanged a look. She gave me a shrug.
“Tent?”
I nodded. “Tent.”
Without another word, the four of us climbed down the side of the building and pushed our way through the exiting citizens. I only caught bits of many different conversations but the general consensus seemed to be that they weren’t sure what to think of the events that had transpired on that stage today. As it stood, it might go either way.
When we entered the dark red tent to the right of the stage, Liam, Zaina, and Norah were already there. I’d seen Shade through the crowd. He’d been retrieving his sword and was right behind us. We squeezed into the tent and waited for the last member of our group to arrive.
“Why?” Elaran demanded as soon as the fabric had swung closed behind the assassin.
Shade strode through the room and placed his swords on the table. “It was that or lose.”
“When we crossed blades you fought well.” Elaran locked eyes with him. “That’s when I saw that you have honor. But now, I don’t know what to make of you anymore.”
“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think.” Shade’s face was an unreadable mask. “I’m the Master of the Assassins’ Guild. There’s nothing I won’t do, no lines I won’t cross, to get what I want.”
Silence hung heavy inside the dark red drapes. Norah flicked nervous eyes between the two men but relaxed a little when Liam took her hand.
“After everything we’ve done to screw with Marcellus these past weeks, why’s this such a big deal?” I asked.
“I don’t care about the other illegal things we’ve done because we did them to stop a war.” Elaran crossed his arms. “But cheating in a prearranged one-on-one? In our culture, doing that is... You don’t do it. You just don’t.”
I knew we had our cultural differences with the elves, and with Elaran in particular, but to me, cheating was an everyday staple so I had a hard time understanding his point of view.
“He did this to stop a war too, remember?” I said. “If Marcellus wins the election tomorrow, he’s free to declare war on our island.”
The auburn-haired elf opened his mouth but then closed it again. The tent walls flapped in the breeze. When Elaran only drew his eyebrows down and made no further attempt to speak, I turned to Zaina.
“So, how are we doing with that?”
She shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. We seem to have the soldiers on our side at least.” She nodded at Shade. “Thanks to your rather impressive speech there at the end. But everyone else? No idea.”
“So, it can go either way?” Haela asked.
“Yeah, basically.”
I tapped my jaw. “Can we rig the election?”
Elaran scowled at me. “What do you think we’ve been doing for the past months?”
“I mean the actual votes.” I glanced around the room. “Can we rig the actual votes tomorrow so Shade gets the majority?”
All the foreigners fell silent and looked to the pair of natives in the room. The two dark-haired sisters exchanged a look before shaking their heads in unison.
“No, it’s impossible,” Norah said. “Especially on this short notice.”
Zaina scratched the back of her neck. “Actually, it was impossible from the start.” She lifted her shoulders in an apologetic shrug directed at her sister. “I did consider it.”
“So, this is it?” Liam said.
Grave faces met him but no one wanted to voice the words.
“What happens if we lose?” Haemir asked.
“If we lose, we’ll have to fight our way out.” Shade swept hard eyes through our group. “That’s why none of you will be up there on that stage with me. If push comes to shove, you get out and don’t look back. Is that clear? I’ll have my guild on standby to back me up so don’t worry about me.”
Haemir opened his mouth to protest but before he could get a word out, the Master Assassin cut him off with a hand.
“This isn’t up for debate,” he said.
“Alright,” Haela joined in. “But then we’re gonna grab our bows and back you up from a distance. You know we got range in our shots.”
Shade looked like he was about to argue but then he just heaved a long sigh. “Fine.”
The energetic twin grinned. “See? He’s learning you can’t argue with reason.”
“He’s learning you can’t argue with crazy,” her brother corrected.
“Oh, shush,” she muttered and gave him a playful shove.
Despite the heavy atmosphere, we all laughed at the constant sibling rivalry between those two.
“I have to get my guild ready.” Shade picked up his swords and made for the opening but right before he got there, he stopped. For a moment, he just stood there with his back to us. Then he turned around. “Given that this might be the last time I see you, I just wanted to say thank you.” His eyes held strange emotions. “Thank you for staying.” Whirling back around, he flung open the tent flap. “Don’t be here tomorrow.”
And with that, he was gone. I glanced at the rest of my companions left in the room. These past weeks had been intense. Mischief had been managed, battles had been fought, secrets had been outed, and new friendships had been made. We had done what we could. Whatever else happened tomorrow, we at least knew that. Now, it was out of our hands. Tomorrow we would either win. Or we would die.