Reza’s eyes widened as the soft creak of his room door disturbed his slumber. Instinctively, he leaped into a defensive stance against the far wall, his hand instinctively reaching for the sword sheathed at his waist. Though the blade was dull, it would suffice in a pinch should an unexpected attack arise.

  However, his fears of assassination soon dissipated upon the appearance of unconcerned black-robed priestesses standing unperturbed in the doorway. The dim light of the room illuminated their figures, casting elongated shadows on the walls. Reza took a moment to compose himself, his gaze fixed on the enigmatic priestess before him. He waited patiently for them to initiate conversation.

  “Come with us,” she said emotionlessly, spinning in place before disappearing into the shadows.

  Marius stood there, momentarily stunned by the unexpected turn of events. He had been in the room for hours, patiently awaiting the someone to return to get him. As soon as he stepped back into the underground area, he was ushered away from the rest and led into this secluded room. They had instructed him to remain here until summoned, the only person he had encountered being a servant who had refused to answer his questions. The servant had remained silent, only placing a small table with food and drink in the center of the room.

  Reza, having consumed his fill, lay on the floor, waiting. He must have dozed off, as the priestess’s entrance jolted him awake.

  “Done already? I wanted at least an additional hour of confinement,” Reza sarcastically remarked, lengthening his stride until he caught up with the priestess. The rest had been uncomfortable, and they had left him nothing to entertain himself; a book would have been a welcome distraction.

  “You had to wait until all the victors were determined. You were simply unlucky to be the first one. You will be free to depart after the duels have been chosen,” the priestess continued, descending the hallway and leading Reza into a larger room where a group engaged in hushed conversations. Instantly, Reza recognized Sabine and approached her, disregarding the priestess. Sabine discreetly pulled him aside, away from the others.

  “I suppose congratulations are in order?” Reza inquired. Perhaps the most challenging aspect of the wait had been wondering how Sabine had fared in her fight, knowing he had no means of finding out.

  “It was a close contest. I depleted my arrows and had to frantically search the arena for spare ones to keep Derek at bay,” Sabine revealed, a smile tugging at her lips. “I managed to seize the opportunity when he momentarily lost his composure and lowered his guard. The last one to reach the collarbone wins.”

  "Well, that’s all that matters. Desmond was essentially the same. He countered almost every move I had. Reza glanced around the room and noticed some fighters looking at them. Another unsurprising individual in the small group was Sabine’s brother, Lucius, who glared at the other pair. Reza returned a broad smile to the man. I almost hope I get to face him.

  The feeling went cold almost instantly. While Reza had plenty to resent the man and would relish beating his face in, it was Sabine’s fight that truly mattered. Reza was uncertain how the next round of duels would be chosen, so he didn’t know if either would have the chance, but he could hope for the opportunity or at least allow Sabine the chance.

  Sabine guided him back to the small group of men, separated from the larger group.

  “Well, gentlemen, if you didn’t already know him, this is Lord Marius Reza,” she introduced him, placing one hand on his shoulder. “Reza, these fine gentlemen are some of our opponents. Serk, Illian, and Yerran. All I assume barely survived their bouts or were extremely fortunate.”

  “I’ll have you know I was fortunate in winning,” Serk said with a smile, extending his hand to Reza. “But in essence, we all were. These melees are annoying at best. These individual duels will be better.”

  Reza nodded to each person, shaking their hands. They all had the look of being a highborn noble. Each was elegantly dressed in finely decorated jackets and pants. “Gentlemen, I can concur with that statement. I thoroughly enjoyed the event, though.”

  They chuckled. “Well, you were the first fighter in the bout, weren’t you? My match has just ended, and I’m not sure my body is fully aware that it’s over.” Illian glanced at the others, and they all nodded in agreement.

  Taking a closer look, Reza noticed that he was the dirtiest of the entire group and had an unsettling look in his eyes. Reza understood what the man was conveying. “It took me a while for my mind to settle, but I managed to get a good nap since you took so long to emerge victorious. Perhaps you should try to be a bit quicker next time.”

  Everyone laughed, and Reza glanced around to see if he recognized anyone else. Lucius had maintained a distance, engaged in conversation with an unblinking man whose smile never faltered. Reza felt a shiver run down his spine. The man emanated an unnatural aura, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

  Reza wanted to inquire with Sabine and the others if they knew the man’s name, but a voice called from the door, abruptly ending any further conversation.

  “Everyone, come forward. I want to expedite this process.” Reza noticed that the older priestess he had signed up for the contest with was the one issuing the command. The young orator stood beside her, but the wraith was absent this time, accompanied by ten priests in their unnatural black robes standing quietly behind the two.

  It took only a moment for everyone to comply with her direction and formed a half-circle before the priests

  “Congratulations, Lady Sorana is filled with pride for each and every one of you. She eagerly anticipates the upcoming bouts.” The priestess bowed, and the others followed suit.

  Reza glanced at Sabine, seeking her clarification. His initial question was: Did Sorana speak? He had always assumed the echoes were similar to Elana. Elana couldn’t talk,and the priestess indicated she could communicate directly with and hear the Echo.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Reza wondered what it would be like if Elana could speak to him. He knew he might regret it if she could. Even without the ability to speak, Elana communicated effectively through her body language and facial expressions. Reza rarely had trouble understanding her thoughts about his actions or words.

  However, the prospect of speaking with his wraith would be a significant change. For the better, Reza imagined Elana speaking to him. He would never be alone, someone he could talk to anytime, learn from, and confide in. He could also seek her guidance and help him overcome problems and troubles.

  But if Sorana, the Echo of a god, could speak, what knowledge and wisdom did she process? It had to be a vast treasure trove of knowledge and guidance for whoever was chosen as her Archon.

  This question raised another concern: was this true, or were all his thoughts and ideas merely fantasies? Reza knew he would have to ask questions later or seek answers from those who might know more. Perhaps his cousins within the church of Ilyana could provide some insights. As he had never heard such a possibility.

  With a swift gesture of her hand, the priestess summoned another of their order forward, carrying a small black velvet bag in their hands. Reza’s eyes momentarily darted to the bag before refocusing on the priestess, intrigued yet uncertain of its contents.

  “You are the ten who emerged victorious from the army of challengers, and now you have the privilege of choosing your next opponent.” The elder priestess explained her gesture, gesturing towards the priest who opened the bag. “The second round will commence in three days. All proceedings will take place on that day, with two matches scheduled for the morning and the remaining matches in the afternoon.”

  A collective nod rippled through the group; Reza appreciated the extended recovery period, which would also provide him with valuable time to study his opponent’s abilities. A duel with Desmond would have undoubtedly taken a drastically different turn if he had even a fragment of knowledge about the man’s strengths and weaknesses. Even if the acquisition of such information came at a steep cost, Reza deemed it a prudent gamble to enhance his chances of victory. Depending on the nature of his opponent, he would have to enlist Tavia’s assistance and leverage her extensive network of contacts.

  While the prospect of facing either Sabine or Lucius didn’t require extensive research, Reza recognized that the remaining opponents remained enigmas that would need thorough investigation. Another aspect of the nest round was the thought of battling Sabine, the possibility weighed heavily on his heart. Reza sent a quick prayer to Sorana, Iyana, and the rest of the echoes, imploring them to prevent such a scenario from unfolding.

  The priestess gently roused Reza from his reverie with her words. “We won’t keep you much longer. You’ll be allowed to leave after the duels are set. If you don’t have accommodations in the city, we have some near the amphitheater that you can use.”

  Reza raised a concerned hand, and the priestess nodded in understanding. “Are we expected to stay in the city? I live north of the city on my estate.”

  She confirmed his fears. “Yes, that’s the requirement. Lady Sorana has ordered everyone to stay within the city walls. As I said, we’ll provide accommodations if you need them, but you must stay in the city until you’re no longer in the competition.”

  This was incredibly frustrating. Reza had preferred to stay at his own house, but unfortunately, that wasn’t an option. And he did not owe anything within the city, though he and his sisters had discussed it. He might have to accept their offer of accommodations.

  Sabine nudged him in the ribs. “You can stay with me, Reza. I doubt their accommodations are. any good. Father won’t mind if you stay with us. In fact, he might be happy to chat with you after your win.”

  Pausing briefly, Reza eyeing Lucius, before he nodded in agreement. “Thank you. I’ll make it up to you.”

  “No need,” she replied with a wide smile.

  The priestess glanced at them, and Reza quickly closed his mouth. “Do you have any other questions before we begin the duels?” she asked, her voice neutral.

  No one else spoke, and she continued. “In the second round, there will be five fights, with each fighter battling another challenger. While the third round will feature two fights, with one having three participants if everyone is fit to continue.”

  She waited watching each fighter until they acknowledged her words.

  “There are ten stones. Each of you will select a stone from the bag, and the person whose stone matches yours will be your opponent.”

  The priest held up the bag, allowing each fighter to choose a stone. Reza, the first, grabbed a flat black stone about the size of his palm. It had a single white rune etched into its center, and Reza sensed faint magical energy emanating from it. Now, he wondered who would be his opponent.

  Sabine was next. Reza held his breath, eagerly awaiting the color of her stone. Sabine pulled a similar-sized blue stone from the bag, also featuring a single rune. Reza released the tension he had been holding and felt his body relax. Fortunately, he wouldn’t have to fight her this round. With all the Echoes’ powers, he hoped they wouldn’t have to face Sabine until the final.

  The matching continued; the unblinking man pulled a yellow stone, and Serk chose a green stone. The first match-up arrived when Lucius extracted the second blue stone from the bag.

  The echoes be damned. Sabine had fulfilled her one wish. Lucius held his stone up and approached his sister.

  Well, sister, we will finally discovered who’s superior. Don’t disappoint me,” he gave a cocky smile and winked at both her and Reza.

  Reza felt the urge to punch him and make his pretty face look rougher. But Sabine shot a warning at him, and Reza held back, gripping the stone in his hand until it hurt.

  I genuinely hope Sabine gives you the proper beating we should have given you years ago.

  The priest continued until Illian finally pulled the black stone. Reza smiled and walked over to him, holding his hand out. Illian shook it.

  “Well then, I eagerly anticipate our fight. Don’t be angry when I make your surrender.” Illian smiled and laughed.

  Reza joined in, chuckling. “Oh, I believe you have it all wrong; you’ll be the one running in fear.”

  “Oh, this will be enjoyable.” Illian held his hand out again, and Reza shook it.

  The next round was settled. He would face Illian in the first bout, as he had been the first challenger to successfully pull a stone—plenty of time to gather information about Illian’s powers. Sabine likely had some knowledge about his abilities, and he hoped she would be willing to provide him with the answers. If not, he would seek help from someone else who was knowledgeable.

  “Well, then, you are free until the next round. If you require accommodations, please remain behind, and one of the priests will assist you.” She ended the meeting, walking towards several other priests and talking in hushed tones.

  Reza turned to face Sabine. “Would you like to join me for a drink? I could use one.”

  He also wanted to find Desmond and invite him for a drink, but he wasn’t sure if the man was still in the arena.

  Sabine nodded, appearing slightly distracted, her thoughts preoccupied. Sabine had secured the one fight she desired in this competition, perhaps even more than winning it all. Reza knew she would be contemplating it until the start of the match. It would be detrimental to her to focus solely on it—time to distract her for a while.

  “Oh, before we leave, I must order some daggers.” Reza extended his arm to her. “My lady?”

  Sabine laughed and playfully pushed him away but followed him as he walked away from the others. “Fine, let’s get this drink, and then we can settle you at the house.”

  They departed, but not before Reza placed an order for half a dozen wooden daggers from Kelburn and had two of his blades sharpened.