Something Wicked This Way Comes

Chapter 52

TW: GORE AND VIOLENCE

Something was wrong. Daisy had been looking at Douxie when Carter walked onto the arena floor, her eyes narrowed and sharp. Calculating. Dangerous. Carter hoped she wasn't planning to do anything stupid. He wanted so badly for her to come home with him, to have a real fresh start. But all of that would be a pipe dream if she laid a finger on his soulmate. Douxie was the one thing in his life Carter would not risk, that he would not negotiate for. Daisy could threaten him all she wanted. But not Douxie. Never Douxie.

"Are you ready for this, little brother?" She taunted.

Carter took in a deep breath, reaching for his swords. They were heavy and familiar in his hands. He flicked his wrists, and both blades shot out of their respective hilts.

She sneered at him, then turned to one of the wooden weapon racks that was being lowered into the arena. It was lined with a few more weapons, and though Carter knew the fae weren't exactly taking any amusement out of this fight—he still couldn't help but feel like he was participating in his own version of the Hunger Games.

Daisy snatched her signature bronze javelin from the rack, twisting it as she made her way back to her starting position. She faced him, grinning nastily. "I hope you've said your goodbyes, Carter." She tilted her head towards Douxie, shooting that nasty grin his way. "I hope he's not expecting you to win."

Carter swallowed his rage, and gripped tight to his sword hilts. "You're here to kill me right?" Her steely gray eyes narrowed at him. "Then shut up and fight."

She laughed, moving into her stance quickly. "I've never met anyone more eager for their own death."

No more words were exchanged. She sprinted towards him, murder in her eyes. Carter held his ground, waiting for the strike.

It came fast and hard. She aimed with both hands, twisting her body into the move, aiming for his heart. Carter blocked the strike with his left sword, moving up the length of the spear fast, blade creating sparks as it slid along the celestial bronze shaft. He swung his right sword in a downwards arc, aiming for her thigh.

Daisy disengaged, spinning out of the way of his sword. She parried his next strike with ease, thrusting up to knock him off balance. Carter dodged left to keep himself from flailing back. He ducked her next attack, falling to a knee, swinging up with both swords. She blocked him with her spear again, holding it horizontally, pressing down on his blades—keeping him on his knee. She kicked him flat in his chest, sending him to the ground. Carter hit the arena floor hard, and before he could even take a breath, Daisy was jamming her spear into his ribs.

White hot pain crashed through his body. Carter cried out, instinctively wrapping his hands around the spear to keep it from pressing in deeper. But Daisy leaned her full weight in, shoving the spear clean through him. Carter heard it sink into the stone under him. He gasped in pain, blood trickling from his nose.

"How anticlimactic," she sneered down at him, twisting the spear.

His ribs snapped, things inside his body that shouldn't twist twisting harshly. He screamed, vision blurring, ears ringing. His body trembled in agony.

"Felled so quickly," Daisy tutted, shaking her head. She planted her foot on his chest and yanked her spear from his body.

Hot blood began gushing from the wound, pooling on the ground below and around him. He thought he heard someone in the crowd sobbing. They sounded like Douxie. His vision dimmed, everything turning gray.

"Where's that soul shaking warrior I heard so much about?" His sister taunted, leaning over him. She leveled her spear again, grinning savagely. "You're not the same man who killed my father. You're weak, Carter. Everything you fought for is meaningless. You're going to die purposeless and in shame."