He’d emerged too much like Tamlin from the desert, and I’d never gotten a word from him about where he came from or how he came to be so skilled. I was only grateful he wasn’t nobility so I’d never have to face him in the arena. Because I was going to be the one to rule these people like Tamlin had done. Not him.

“Why don’t we go after Cion together?” I asked.

“Because Cion is like a yellow-spotted sand snake. You’ll never see him coming. The only way to get him out of his hole is to set a trap. I’ve got my two best trackers after the boy. Once they’ve followed him to the hideout, we plan our next move.” He shook his head. “Besides, you should be focusing on your fight tomorrow.” He crossed his bulging arms and stared down at me.

I looked to the door the Desert Boy had gone through and groaned, knowing my chance to slip away had evaporated faster than spilled water. But there would be others. They couldn’t hide forever.

“Come on.” Rodric pulled out his sword and leapt over the railing into the arena. He motioned for me to do the same. “It’s my job to make sure you don’t lose.”

Sighing, I unsheathed my sword and leapt down into the sand. He was right. Tomorrow I’d be fighting for more than my life. I’d be fighting for my freedom.

CHAPTER

2

I slipped two daggers into the laces of my high sandals while my maid, Latia, tied my breastplate in position. I’d never been considered tall, but Latia had to stand on her tiptoes to accomplish the task.

“Good luck, my lady,” she whispered. She’d always been quiet, but whenever I put on my battle gear, she shrank into herself even more, as if putting it on turned me into a monster who might run her through if she forgot to double knot a fastener or polish the family crest emblazoned on my armor.

I ran my fingers down the crest. A roaring tiger’s head with a scorpion on either side, their tails raised so they connected at the top of the emblem.

My father had added the tiger and kept the scorpions that had been placed generations ago because of Tamlin. Once, Tamlin had been nothing more than a caravan leader. But after his caravan was attacked, he escaped, and during his legendary journey across the desert, he had run across Scorpion Hill to bring news of the approaching Smorian army to the Achran people. No one had ever crossed the desert on foot before. And no one had since.

Tamlin’s warning allowed the city to fortify against the impending siege, ensuring not a single Achran died, while the Smorian army perished outside the city gates from a mix of thirst, snake and sun spider bites, and assassin wasp stings. They hadn’t understood the desert like Achrans did.

As a result of his heroic actions, the people clamored for Tamlin to be their king as much for saving the city as for not being stung while crossing Scorpion Hill. People said that the scorpions didn’t sting him because they recognized him as the master of the desert. The legend that all Achran royalty is immune to the scorpion venom that kills everyone else originated from that incident.