A Tournament of Crowns by Elise Kova

1

“Eira, are you ready?” Alyss called through the door.

Eira continued to stare at the dagger in her hand. From the golden hilt to the channel up the fuller, it was identical in every way to the one she’d plunged through Ferro’s heart. Yesterday, his blood had flowed between her fingers as fast as the life that left him.

“Eira?”

She shut her eyes. Scenes from the ball were waiting for her. Dancing with the eligible men Deneya had organized for her, then Cullen, learning of his engagement, Ferro… She forced open her eyes, banishing the last memory. Ferro had haunted her long enough and she had put an end to him. He couldn’t hurt her any longer.

But his father still could.

The dagger trembled in her hand as she gripped it with white knuckles. Ulvarth, the leader of the Pillars, the man who claimed he was the Champion of the goddess Yargen and who used that claim to whip zealots into a frenzy of followers known as the Pillars. Her magic sank into the dagger, drawing forth the echo of his voice, as sharp and horrible as the first dozen times she’d listened to it:

Eira Landan, did you really think that you could thwart me? No, foolish girl. The games are only just beginning and I am the one making the rules. I do hope you and your Dark Isle friends are willing to fight like your lives depend on it.

Another knock scattered her focus.

“Yes, sorry, coming.” Eira stood quickly, turning to wrap the dagger inside some clothes before shoving the bundle into her trunk on top of the Pirate Queen Adela’s notebooks and haphazardly burying the items under her remaining clothes. She snapped the top shut as the door cracked open.

“Need help with anything?” Alyss asked, poking in her nose.

“Thank you, but no, I think I have it all.” There really wasn’t much for her to gather. It was hard to think she’d been on Meru for weeks now. Most of her time had been spent underground and running into and away from danger. There hadn’t been time for leisurely sightseeing or mementos to bring back home and now there wouldn’t be because she was still running. This time she was running toward the coliseum waiting beyond Risen. Racing to drive the new dagger through Ulvarth’s heart.

“How are you feeling?” Alyss dropped her voice slightly. Her emerald eyes betrayed the deep concern that had been only growing for weeks.

“I’m sorry for always worrying you.” Eira gave her friend a tired smile.

“I only worry because I care. It’s what friends do. And goodness knows someone has to worry in this group. Now, don’t dodge my question, how are you?”

There was a time Eira would’ve avoided answering honestly at all costs. She would’ve hidden the ghosts haunting her, threatening to jump out from the shadows and evaporate into nothing more than a bad dream the moment they hit the light. But that time was over.

Eira had very few people she could depend on in the world and Alyss was one of them.

“I feel like I killed a man yesterday.” Eira stared down at her empty hands. The phantom chill of the dagger tingled her palm. Ferro’s and Ulvarth’s words echoed in her ears, everything they said, and all they didn’t. The threat that still loomed over her, ever present. “I can still see his blood on my fingers no matter how hard I wash them. I can still see the eyes of the people gathered, looking at me like I’m a cold-blooded killer. Like they finally saw what they were all waiting for since I was fifteen. That’s about how well I’m doing.”

“You know you’re not, right?” Alyss frowned slightly.

I might have to be, was the dark thought that crossed Eira’s mind. But she kept the errant notion to herself, for now. “I’m not sure anymore.”

Alyss sighed and shook her head. “I wish they could postpone the tournament’s start. They should have after what happened last night.”

She shrugged. “I’m honestly glad they didn’t. I have all the motivation I need to tackle whatever they throw at me.”

Sitting still sounded oppressive. Overwhelming. Being left alone with her thoughts was the last thing Eira wanted. Even if her friends surrounded her, she’d still be at the mercy of her own mind. At least the tournament would give her something to focus on, she could feel like she was making progress even if Ulvarth eluded her.

“If you look that fierce heading into the tournament, we’re certain to win.” Alyss gave an encouraging smile, trying to lighten the air. Eira made an attempt at reciprocating. Her friend picked up Eira’s satchel as Eira grabbed her trunk. “At the very least, I hope it’s a fun distraction for you.”

“I can’t allow myself to be distracted. Ulvarth is still out there, and as long as he is, none of us are safe.” Eira would tell her friends about Ulvarth’s threat as soon as she could find a private moment. With attendants and knights bustling in the other room, now wasn’t the time.

“Do you really think we’ll be able to stop him?”

“I don’t think we have a choice; no one else is taking us seriously enough.” Eira also needed to tell Alyss what had happened with Vi and Taavin at the Archives. The morning had been nonstop so far.

“I’m sure—”

“Are you two ready?” Levit called from the main room, interrupting Alyss.

“Yes,” Eira called back before Alyss could continue. “We’ll talk more later; I have a lot to tell you,” she whispered with a nod to her friend.

Alyss went on ahead, but Eira hovered at the door, looking back at the room.

She had only spent a few weeks in this manor at the heart of Risen, somehow a blink and at the same time it had felt like forever. This was the room that she had first listened to Ferro’s dagger within, where Ducot had come to escort her beneath the streets for the first time. Eira could still hear the sudden, dull thud of Arwin when she had slammed into the window in her bird form, heralding the end of the Court of Shadows as Meru had known it.

Endless thoughts and memories, all vanishing the moment her eyes landed on the bed.

That was where she and Cullen had shared their one and only night of passion—love. Or, at least, what she thought had been love… Eira’s throat became thick and the air was suddenly too thin. He had lit a fire in her that had melted all her walls, had consumed her and all her better judgment. All that remained was a charred husk housing the void where the seed of love that had been planted for him once grew. Love that never had a chance to flourish before it was immolated, snuffed.

Pushing her icy magic to just underneath her skin, Eira stopped the flush that was rising up her neck in its tracks. Yes, he had fanned the fire that caused her to burn. Now it was over and she’d nurse her wounds and move on.

“This is everything, right, Eira?” Alyss called over her shoulder.

“Yes.” Eira joined everyone else in the main room—everyone else, save for Cullen, thankfully. Levit was by the fireplace, directing the porters who were carrying their trunks and bags down to the carriages. When he wasn’t busy giving instructions, he spoke in hushed tones with Queen Lumeria’s knights just outside the door. Eira couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the knights looked very bored and, judging from his wild gesticulations, Levit was very frazzled.

“Thank you so much for taking these downstairs,” Alyss said to the elfin porter who now carried Eira’s bag. His companion took the trunk before Eira could set it down. She was certain she didn’t imagine the unkind look he gave her, but Eira willingly ignored it.

“Where’s Cullen?” Eira took another glance around, confirming she hadn’t somehow missed him. His door was open; the same door he’d pushed her against and—

She banished the thought. Over. They were over. She’d repeat it again and again until it was true. No matter how vividly she could remember the feeling of him or how sweet the joy he’d brought her was…those once sweet memories were turning bitter with betrayal.

“He left earlier. I think his father came to collect him. Yemir wanted him riding in the dignitaries’ carriages.” Noelle scrunched her nose slightly.

Based on the expression, and Noelle’s past statements, Eira suspected she found the thought repulsive. A sentiment Eira could agree with. All she could envision was another young woman with corkscrew auburn hair and sharp green eyes, dressed in the checkered colors of the Republic of Qwint, sitting far too close to Cullen while discussing plans for their wedding. She wondered if Lavette knew that Cullen had spent the night before the ball in Eira’s bed. Doubtful. Cullen was a coward to pull Eira between the sheets knowing he was spoken for. He’d be a coward with Lavette, too. And she had no time for cowards.

“Good,” Eira said sharply.

Alyss blinked, startled. “Did something happen between you two? Is it because he danced with someone else at the ball?”

“It’s much more than that.” Eira sighed. Her friends were picking up that circumstances between her and Cullen had dramatically changed. Of course they would notice. But she hadn’t had the courage or time yet to explain why.

“I assumed as much. You’re not one to act rashly over trivial matters. Important matters? Oftentimes. But trivial ones? Doubtful.” Noelle adjusted the pinnings in her hair. She was adorned from head to toe in Western rubies. They dripped off her hairpins, weighed on her wrists like luxurious shackles, and draped around her neck.

Levit crossed over, giving Eira an easy opportunity to change the subject.

“I see Noelle has already received the gems we’re supposed to wear for the opening ceremonies,” Eira said to him. “Did I miss something?” She didn’t much care about shiny rocks, but Eira wanted to know if things with Ulvarth and Cullen had affected her so much that she’d outright missed a delivery worth triple its weight in gold.

“These aren’t from Solaris,” Noelle said before Levit could. “They’re just a small sampling of the jewels from my family’s mines.”

“Show-off.” Eira couldn’t resist the playful remark.

“We were instructed to show off the might and wealth of Solaris to the world. It’s not my fault I have a lot worth showing, some of these are centuries old.” Noelle ran her fingertips over the carefully pinned braids woven into her long black hair.

“The gems for the opening ceremonies are still packed and loaded onto the carriage. I thought it’d be safer and more effective that way,” Levit said. “You can put them on when you change after arriving in the Champion Village, that way people will see you with them for the first time at the opening ceremonies.”

“And just think of how fabulous I’ll look with more.” Noelle assessed her necklaces, as if trying to figure out where she would add another. At this rate, she’d topple over with too much more.

“You always look fabulous.” Alyss grabbed Noelle’s elbow, patting it lightly.

“You couldn’t be more right, my sage friend.”

The two of them getting along so well brought a slight smile to Eira’s lips. She’d never expected Noelle to become one of her closest friends and allies. If someone had told her a year ago it would happen, she wouldn’t have believed them. And then to see Alyss getting on so well with Noelle too…it was one of the few pleasant examples of change in her world.

“You mentioned a Champion Village?” Eira asked Levit before the conversation could become too sidetracked. “I thought we were going to the coliseum?” They’d heard of the coliseum for months while training in the arena in Risen and Eira couldn’t be more ready to see it.

“The various champions from the nations will stay in a village attached to the coliseum to prevent any unfair advantages being given to them by others. Speaking of which, for that reason, this will be where we part ways.”

“What?” Eira’s ears rang with Ulvarth’s words underneath the implication of them being separated from their guards and overseers.

“The overseers and teachers will no longer be with the competitors. We can’t give you help or guidance any longer. It’s your tournament to win, or lose, from here on out.” Levit’s tone turned serious. “I trust you all will keep a good representation of Solaris without me there over your shoulders.”

Eira didn’t miss the way he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She put on a confident smile and resisted pointing out that his presence hadn’t done much to prevent them from getting into trouble so far. “Of course we will. But will there still be guards?”

Levit nodded. It was a moderate reassurance. Though Ulvarth had proved he had no trouble dancing around Lumeria’s knights to date.

“Are the games really going to start today? Even after…what happened last night?” Alyss said delicately.

“I had the same question,” Levit said solemnly. “It seemed like too much, after…” He trailed off, glancing her way.

“You don’t have to tiptoe around what happened. I know; I was there,” Eira said plainly. “I’m fine.”

Alyss reached out to gently touch her shoulder. “You might think that, but—”

“Alyss.” Eira grabbed her friend’s hand firmly, trying to show her own strength and steadiness. “I am the one who decides how I am, and how I’m not. I need you to trust me in that…and trust that I will come to you should it change.”

“Well, then, after the Pillars at the ball, and all the chaos, the royals are adamant that everything must continue on as planned,” Levit continued with more confidence. Eira appreciated him, despite all odds, giving her that faith. “I don’t understand it. But they seemed to think there had been enough delays in finalizing the treaty, as it were.”

“They could just sign it and get it over with, and then use the tournament to celebrate,” Alyss mused, squeezing Eira’s hand once before letting it go.

“That’s not how these things work,” Noelle said. “Ceremony and grand displays are important. They show pride and strength. A treaty signed in haste could be considered suspect. Not to mention, there could be other last-minute negotiations that might still be happening behind the scenes… And who knows what else.”

Vi and Taavin had seemed a bit on edge when Eira had met them earlier in the Archives. Eira wondered if there was more to it that she wasn’t seeing. You must begin trusting us…we see the whole picture, Vi had said. What more was there at play that Eira didn’t know about? Or were they just nobles trying to claim they had matters in hand so they didn’t look bad?

“You’ll learn more about the ceremonies once you arrive. But the carriages are waiting downstairs and we’re on a tight schedule today. So we shouldn’t delay further.” Levit started out of the main common area.

Noelle was right behind him. Then Alyss. Eira moved to leave but snagged once more on memories. She ran her fingers over the mantle by the door where the original dagger had been hidden on one side, and the passage to the Court of Shadows was on the other.

What had become of Harott? The mistress of the manor who had been born to the name Yewin. The mother of Ferro. Vi and Taavin had told Eira that she had been taken into custody. But what did that really mean? And would it be more substantial and permanent than Ulvarth’s imprisonment was? Or would Yewin also slip into the night, surviving long enough to become their next threat?

Everyone could be an enemy if you waited long enough.

“Are you ready?” Alyss asked softly, still nearly startling Eira out of her skin and banishing the tarnished memories as though they were little more than nightmares in the daylight.

“Yes.” Eira kept her magic right under her skin and at the ready. She kept her head cool and emotions level. “I’ve never been more ready.”