Again and again he swung at me.

“Show me,” he screamed. The crown shook on his head. His blows started coming faster and faster.

I swung my sword at a dizzying pace to keep his from biting into my flesh.

Gritting my teeth, I braced against the railing. After his next hit, I shoved off. He wasn’t prepared for my attack. He stumbled backward, tripping over the steps.

I knocked his sword away as he lay sprawled across the stairs. I pointed my blade at his collarbone. My chest shook, and my heart raced. “Is this proof enough for you, Father?”

His eyes narrowed. “I should’ve realized long ago the desert gave me those tigers to make up for you, for your weakness, because if you were truly my daughter, you would’ve already killed me.”

I took a deep breath as his words struck me. “You’re right,” I said. I pulled my sword away and took a few steps back.

Just as I did, a woman to my left screamed.

The tiger had torn a gash across her stomach and was barreling right toward us.

I threw myself backward, dropping over the railing into the sandy arena.

My father stood.

The tiger turned toward him.

He’d always thought he was master of the tigers. Maybe that’s why he didn’t even go for his discarded sword. Maybe he honestly thought the beast would recognize him as its superior.

But the tiger headed straight toward him, as though it had been looking for him. A paw rushed forward, raking down my father’s chest.

My father crumpled forward and lay there as blood pooled around him. His head was turned toward me. His crown rolled away. His eyes stared, unblinking. That was the closest they’d ever come to holding any warmth.

I clenched my teeth and refused to shed a single tear over his death. He wasn’t worth returning water to the earth over.

The tiger bounded over him to chase a guard up the bleachers. I spotted Cion in pursuit.

I moved to follow him, but a figure dropped into the arena in front of me.

Rodric.

His eyes swung up toward my father’s lifeless body.

“I guess that means I’ll be king sooner than I expected,” he said.

I brought my sword up between us. Sunlight glinted off the blade. “You’ll never be king.”

“Why wait for your birthday? Let’s find out now.” He pulled out a sword. But it wasn’t a normal blade. It was Cion’s sword. “Like it?” he asked. “I found it in the tunnel leading to the southern well after my men worked tirelessly to block off the tunnels once more.”

My throat was dry. My legs ached. My muscles felt as empty as my stomach.

This was the moment I’d been dreading since I ran away. But I wasn’t that same girl.

I threw myself into an attack.

My sword glanced off his. I positioned for another advance. I watched his body for slight movements like I had in the shifting hills.