Unseelie Queen by J. C. Diem

Author:J. C. Diem [Diem, J. C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fae, fairies, seelie, unseelie, magic, fairy tale, paranormal romance
Publisher: Seize The Night Agency
Published: 2019-02-02T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Six

DONNING HIS ARMOR AFTER choking down a lukewarm bowl of tasteless gruel for breakfast, Dacrith put his helmet on last and closed the visor. He was as anonymous as he could be, but that probably wouldn’t last long. Most fairies knew of him and many had watched him fight in the goblin dungeon countless times. All fae beings could apparently scry the labyrinth when King Lod allowed them to during what passed for daytime in his domain.

Dacrith had perfected his own fighting style after battling so many monsters. His moves were as distinctive as his rare silver-gold hair and gold-flecked eyes. The key to remaining unknown was to alter his style. If it became known who he was before he won the tournament, he would surely be banished back to the labyrinth. Once he was within those dank halls again, he would never be able to escape.

He followed the crowd of warriors and spectators through the rain to an arena that had just been created. Oval in shape, it was gigantic in size. The wooden walls rose high into the air and a domed roof would keep them all safe from the storm. While the spectators headed for a wide gate to the left, the competitors were herded to a much smaller entrance over to the right. An anteroom had been created where the combatants’ names were recorded. They were given a number to wear, then were herded to another large room to the right of the stadium beneath the seats.

Dacrith gave a false name, then took the small bundle of cloth that the frazzled servant shoved at him. Other warriors were donning their numbers and he did the same. He was number one hundred and eleven and there were hundreds more men crowding in behind him. Their numbers were printed on two squares of white fabric that were joined by thick leather straps. The straps rested on his shoulders and the black numerals stood out starkly against the white cloth.

While most of the competitors wore Unseelie suits of armor, others wore their own mismatched armor. Most were recently made from whatever scraps they could find. Without the use of magic to assist them, their armor was ill fitting and fairly useless. They couldn’t be discounted just because they hadn’t been trained by soldiers from the Court. All fae were fast, strong and agile. The incentive to be king drove them to succeed.

The participants who had been registered were directed to line up in neat rows as the tournament began. In pairs, a mixture of twenty warriors, hunters and civilians entered the arena. The others watched through the windows in the waiting area as cheers sounded.

Rows of seats had been erected so thousands of fairies could watch the entertainment. Gigantic magical yellow globes hung near the ceiling, casting light on the ground far below. Windows above them allowed the lightning to flare brightly almost constantly. A balcony had been built at the far end of the building, jutting out slightly over the arena.

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