Eight of Hearts: The Vision - Book 2

Chapter 19

Alexander Lowe grimaced in distaste as he stepped through the gateway into the arena. The area just inside was lined by a small grove of the soul-draining trees, no doubt intended to weaken them right at the start. He could already feel the effects beginning to wear through his resolve, even from this distance.

"Well, this should serve to make things harder," his brother, Jason Lowe commented from where he stood on Alexander's left side. "You'd think Circé was trying to make sure we didn't win."

"Don't act so surprised," Rhea said as she stepped up beside Alexander on his right. "She always uses the trees to slow down the other teams; you can bet Chad's gate will be free and clear."

"I know this is her favorite tactic, but it's counter-intuitive," Alexander added, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "If we don't put up a good fight, the audience will become bored, and there's nothing that hurts business like boredom."

"Then let's make sure we keep them entertained," Rhea said with a smile. "That's always been our job, right?"

Both brothers returned her smile with enthusiasm. In perfect unison, they drew their weapons; Jason his shortsword, and Alexander his claymore. Then as one, they charged toward the treeline that barred their path.

The energy sapping effect hit them hard as they passed through the first layer. It was so sudden, Alexander nearly lost his footing, and by the time they emerged on the other side, Alexander was panting from the exertion. Jason and Rhea had fared better, though they'd always been more resistant to the trees' effects.

They had no chance to rest, however, as they were immediately greeted by one of the other teams that had made it this far, rushing toward them from the right. Even though they were also worn out from the drain of the tree line, the enemy rushed toward them in a desperation-fueled charge.

As Alexander straightened and started to ready his blade, Jason held out a hand and stopped him.

"There's only four of them; I'll handle this while you and Rhea find Bryce," Jason said, stepping forward to meet the enemy team.

Alexander took a deep breath to steady himself, then clapped his brother's shoulder with his open palm. "We'll leave it to you, then!" he yelled, pushing past the fatigue as he and Rhea started moving toward the arena's center where they had agreed to meet up.

Chad Rayner felt a mixture of anger and elation as he stepped out of the gate into the arena. Circé had intentionally sabotaged their team by lining their entrance with the cursed linden trees; a tactic she used to cripple the teams she intended to lose. That only meant one thing: she intended to replace him today the way she had replaced his predecessor. His allies would almost certainly be useless inside, except perhaps Demetri. He would be forced to contend with whichever assassin she had bargained with alone.

But this was the perfect scenario for Chad Rayner. He was unaffected by the tree's draining power. He would crush the opposition and win the tournament even with the odds stacked against him. He was champion, with or without Circé's backing. All she had done by turning against him was set the stage for him to prove it to the world.

Chad turned back to face his team, his face twisting into a half-grin as he observed their confused and worried faces. "It seems Circé intends for me to die today, but I plan on disappointing her," he announced, his powerful arms trembling at his side as he let his rage slowly build. "If I'm going to face her challenge, I'm going to do it alone. You can stay here and avoid any risk of humiliation, or you can follow. I don't care what you choose, as long as you stay out of my way. If you come near me, I won't hesitate to rip you apart along with my enemies."