Beautiful Tragedy

Twenty-eight

                        Kayleigh POV

I wasn't allowed to leave the throne room. Could only watch from the balcony as Gaia, the new Flamekeeper, announce each fighter from the clans to the anxious crowd. Each competitor given a sigil, a sigil they would loose if they would fall.  The goal was to collect all the sigils from the fallen, bringing them to her, in order to be declared victor. For the crypt of Bekka Pramheda, for me.

I wanted to be down there, wanted to join them, especially knowing Roan would be fighting for Azgeda, and Ilian for Trishanakru. I didn't care that Asher had told me I would fair better with them, than I would Azgeda. If the boy lived, he would fall at my hands.
Roan was a seasoned warrior, Tavia would have to move quick, think ahead, there could be no room for error. I wasn't lying when I said there was a chance she could win, there was. But the chances of her falling were just as equal.

"I know most whom are fighting." Asher says looking below. "She can take on Trishanakru, and a few of the others." He grunts. "It would be wise for her to let Roan and the others weaken eachother, before dealing the final blow."

That's if she played it safe. Before the rift between us, I knew where Tavia's head was at, knew how to talk to her. Now it felt like we were strangers, strangers that knew everything about eachother, or once did, she wouldn't heed any advice I'd give her now.

"Maybe you could-

"I am Luna kom Flokru, and I am the last of my clan."

"Asher..." I say looking away from the scene below over to him, "what is she doing?"

His eyes narrowed as he answered, "I do not know."

"Accept this sigil, Luna kom Flokru," Gaia says even even from here with the deafening silence of the crowd I could hear the disdain in her voice. "But with your clan gone, who will you fight for?"

Luna looks away from Gaia out to the crowd, her dark eyes landing on one figure, and staying there.

"I fight for no one." She calls out, "I fight for death!" The crowd begins to murmer, I stopped breathing as she continues. "When I win, no one will be saved."

"I have, to stop this." I rasp out.

I had to, there was no other option. I had never seen Luna fight, but that ment nothing. She grew up here in Polis, trained here with the other nightbloods. She was lethal, more so than Lexa, knew her running from her conclave was the only reason why Lexa lived to ascend. Tavia couldn't win-not against her.

"Asher, you have to bring me to her, I need to stop this."

"You can't."

                         ******

The guards stationed at the door, wouldn't permit me to leave at first. It was only after taking a blade from Asher, and holding it to one of their faces did they stop resisting and let me pass. I needed to speak to Luna, try to talk her out of this, and if I couldn't, I didnt know what we were going to do.

Ignoring the other fighters preparing for the conclave that would begin in a matter of moments, I made a beeline to Luna.

"Kikheda." She says standing up leisurely her dark eyes not leaving mine. "Looks like I'll be keeping my word to you. Once they're all dead,"she says gesturing to the others, "and Praimfaya comes, your child will be safe, for there will be no one left in the world that could harm him."