Under the Roses

80 - Young Blood Must When Young Blood Will!

AUSTIN

Shatter was impatient. Austin could tell because she kept kicking at the ground. He put a hand on her neck to steady her.

"Just a moment more," he muttered. "We'll be there soon enough."

"I don't think we're ever going to get there." Euryn's voice came from just behind Austin, but Austin knew if he looked, he wouldn't see anyone. He wondered how the demon was hiding. There wasn't really a place to hide in an open city. Maybe he was down in the street, and Shatter was stepping on him with each step she took.

"You're just impatient," said Austin, even though he was getting a little impatient himself. The streets were all empty, and he could hear a faint, distant rumbling. The Duels.

"Speak for yourself," said Euryn.

Austin was already getting tired of Euryn. It wasn't that he was so much worse than Rome, because he wasn't. He just had the sense that Euryn didn't really care or want to be there all that much. Austin would just rather have someone with him who actually cared whether he lived or died.

Not that he was sure Rome even cared at all. If he didn't, he was pretty good at faking it without realizing it.

They arrived at the arena, and Austin wanted to slap his hands over his ears. The noise was so loud he was certain it could still be heard two kingdoms over.

There were no guards at the entrance—they must've all gone inside to watch. Austin got off Shatter and pet her gently. "Wait out here," he said. "We'll be out in a moment."

"We won't!" said Euryn.

Austin ignored him and hurried into the arena. No one seemed to notice him as he made his way through the aisles. People were sitting up in their seats, some of them standing. And they were screaming so loudly he couldn't help but wince, pressing a finger against his ear as he pushed to a less-crowded aisle where he could peer over the heads of the onlookers.

The arena was littered with little black squares, as well as splashes of red and black. Dust was rising from the ground like smoke from a furnace. And there was Rome in the middle of it all. He was on his knees, his chin tucked into his chest.

There was another man in the arena, holding a megaphone. He'd just finished shouting something Austin couldn't catch over the noise, and he had to squeeze his hands against his ears as the noise in the crowd surged even higher.

A man moved in front of Austin's field of view, and he had to crane his neck around to see. Rome got to his feet, and Austin could see red all down the front of his chest. Rome dragged his sleeve across his face, moving back as a grating sound filled the arena.

"Yikes," muttered Euryn in Austin's ear. Austin jumped a little. "Did you hear who he's going up against?"

"No," said Austin. "Did you?"

"I think it's Lilis."

"Who?" Austin turned his head, then remembered Euryn wasn't there.

"Don't tell me you haven't heard of Lilis."

Austin felt like he was being scolded. "Um, no. It's not like I'm the ambassador to the Otherworld."

"How rude!" said Euryn. "Don't tell me you didn't even know who I was before all this."

Austin said nothing because he hadn't.

"She's the Prince of Nathe, co-rules it with Pan. Loves blood. She's sweet but greedy."

"Sweet?"

Austin could almost feel Euryn's smile. "Not in the way you're thinking."

"How do you know what I'm thinking?"