40. The Last Wish

Sitting on a bench of what appeared to be leather, although most likely it was not, Shandra could hear the echo of the shouts, whistles, clapping, and boisterous arguing of the huge crowd that attended the arena.

The young woman was inside a compartment in the actual fighting arena itself, and all that separated it from a sandy strip three times the size of a soccer field was a low, rusty, barred gate.

Binding his feet and hands were two chains connected directly to the stone wall. They were probably magical, as she tried to recite a spell to unlock anything, and all she could manage was to realize that they were tighter than before.

While waiting for the announcement of her battle, Shandra thought about what she would do. Even if it was true, and that fairy blood ran in her veins, that didn't make her skilled at all. All she had been able to do, other than ready-made incantations described in a book, was by pure instinct.

Could instinct save her from that disaster? Probably not.

Soli