I sat perched on the windowsill, staring down into the garden as the sun fought to reach over the towering brick wall obstructing the streets outside it from view. My ears picked up the slightest noise, even though I logically knew that I once more was safe in the Grimstaw mansion. My mind flashed back to Jasper and Anastasia's grave facial expressions when Taylor had forced me to tell them last night. They had taken it very seriously, ordering their warriors to seal all drains and small cracks under windows and doors with extra protection spells. In the chaos I had conveniently left out my confrontation with Aaron. Another breath of relief passed my lips when I thought back to it. It was lucky that Taylor hadn't pushed the topic. The sun was still fighting its way towards rising, as I watched the first golden rays I could hear footsteps approach down the corridor. Instinctively, I closed my eyes focusing on the energy moving towards me. Taylor. I slipped down from the window sill, hurried over to the door opening it just as he arrived.

"Morning," he murmured, keeping his voice low.

"Morning," I moved to one side as I spoke and holding up the door.

He slipped in quietly, both of us very aware that the rest of the household must still be asleep.

"What are you doing up so early?"

He smiled wryly, "I have to pick up some correspondence from the Royal Court."

I cocked my eyebrow, "Someone who doesn't believe in email?"

He chuckled lightly, "It's for my Dad, things from New York."

"Oh I see. You guys do seem to be found of old timey things. Is it written on a scroll and sent with an owl?" I couldn't help myself, I had to mock him.

"Oh don't be smart," his eye twinkled, "or I might change my mind about bringing you?"

"Where?" I perked up instantly. Any excuse to be back in the real world was certainly welcomed.

"I need to go to the Royal Court here to pick up the things from the New York Royal Court. I thought getting you out of the house might calm your fighting tendencies," he raised a pointed eyebrow not needing to bring up Aaron's name.

As he spoke my heart sunk, I felt like I had had enough of that place for a lifetime.

"I'll sneak you in to see the arena before the matches," he offered, a mischievous grin playing across his face.

I nodded my head in agreement. Perhaps it would be good to see the arena. After all, there has been so much talk about these matches and how they will determine the new king.

We approached what looked like one of a diamond dozen, tall grand buildings in Mayfair. I followed closely behind Taylor as he turned down the narrow side street. He approached the side of the building, his hands searching for the right spot. I felt the hum of magic exuding from it before I could see it. The door appeared and with the slightest touch from Taylor's hand it swung open on its hinges. On the other side of it a staircase was leading down into the underground. My eyes took the cold stone walls, the darkness hugging the cracks of the stone and my body shivered involuntarily. As I followed behind Taylor down the stairs I muttered, "What's the deal with all of this underground stuff?"

"It's easier to hide a big building underground. If it was above ground it would take a lot of spells for the humans to not realise that it's there."

"But why does it have to be so creepy and dungeon like?" I whispered back.

Taylor shrugged his shoulders, "Don't ask me."

The staircase had been followed by one dark corridor after another. Just as I was about to doubt if Taylor even knew where he was going he stopped. He opened the grand oak door in front of me.

"It's down there. No one's down there at this time. So why don't you go down and check it out while I go collect the correspondence."

My eyes trailed down the staircase, it was far wider than the others and its steps shone in with marble, a stark contract to the grey, cold stone that could be spotted everywhere else.

"Sure you go play with you owls," I answered, not paying attention to anything else but the stairs in front of me. As my feet started moving me down the stairs, I could hear Taylor scoff and close the door behind me.

My fingers traced along the dark wood banister as my eyes tried to make out what was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. The arena...

My eyes took in the room in front of me. Room might not be the right word for the vast space in front of me. It reminded me slightly of a theatre, an old round Shakespearian one where multiple floors of seats wrapped around the stage. In the centre of the space in front of me I saw a giant glass sphere. A massive circle, which clearly must be the centre of whatever would go on in here. The wooden rows of seats wrapped themselves around the circle, more narrow at the top and bottom, and so close you could almost touch the glass at the middle of it. I headed towards the wooden structure, climbing the narrow staircase up to the centre level, moving through the rows of seats to the front row. My fingers reached out and touch the glass, if felt cool and thick under my fingers as I stared down to the bottom of the sphere. At ground level I could tell there was some kind of opening, a doorway into the giant glass globe.

"Do you like it?"

His voice made me jump, I spun around in anger, my eyes narrowing as I meet his cool, blue ones.

"What are you doing here?"

Lucas smirked back at me, "Keeping you entertained while Taylor runs his errand."

I furrowed my eyebrows, a cold lump forming in my stomach, "He told you to meet me here?"

"He told me you lashed out at Aaron. He agrees with me, you should let us handle it."

I was about to argue back, when he cut me off, continuing, "Taylor told me he went to see Mr. Liu yesterday. He still doesn't have any answers. So before you go all rage out and kill us both with that mark of yours. Just accept that you need me for the matches, that's the only way we're going to win this thing."

Coldness spread across my stomach, I know Taylor had been to Chinatown but I wasn't prepared for him to tell Lucas ahead of me.

"What if I just drain him of all his power?" I wasn't ready to fall in line and listen to Lucas warnings just yet.

Lucas sighed, as if I was a stupid child who should stop talking back, "He'll still be around and he has warriors. Do you really think it would be that easy?"

I turned away from him, staring down into the giant glass circle, my fingers playing against the glass.

"So these matches – you fight in here until someone gives up?' I nodded my head down to the bottom of the glass sphere.

Lucas walked up, standing next to me, looking down at the bottom of the glass globe.

"Yes, normally one of the fighting heirs will give up," he shrugged and added, "There have been a few older incidents when someone died."

The cold lump in my stomach rushed through my body, "Dies?"

A small smiles traced along his lips, "I thought you were used to the heirs' predisposition to trying to kill each other."

He shoot me a sideways glance, "The nice thing about the matches commencing is that there is a truce."

"Truce?" I choked out.

"Yes, we stop trying to kill each other outside of the battle field," he nodded towards the giant glass circle.

My hands where trembling, but I held on to the wooden railing, countering with a steady voice, "So you just try to kill each other inside that fish bowl and nowhere else?"

He smiled wryly, "Exactly but that doesn't apply to you. So until I'm crowned king, be on your guard."

I didn't reply, instead I stared at giant glass sphere in front of me.

"Look, I'm going to head off. Taylor will be back to collect you in a moment."

My eyes were still fixed straight ahead, as my thoughts churned around my brain. Lucas grabbed hold of my wrist, twisting me round so I was facing him. I forced my eyes to meet his. He locked his eyes on me, his hand still holding my wrist in a steady grip, "Taylor and I agree to keep you safe, you need to stay out of trouble until the new king is crowned."

Before I had a chance to argue back, he had released his grip and swept down the staircase.

~*~

I leaned my face against the window, staring down at the magnolia tree, its branches swaying gently in the evening window. Back in my room, back on the windowsill. I knew it was for my protection and it was certainly nicer than any over room I had inhabited. But staying here for days on end, locked up, waiting, was really getting to me. Would I rather be free or alive? I pulled my face away from the cool window, listening for a moment before identifying the soft buzz of my mobile phone. I practically sprung across the room, pulling out the nightstand drawer. Tanya's name illuminate the screen. I sunk down on the bed, hesitating for a moment before answering.

"Hello?"

"Cara! How are you?" her voice was concerned as if something was wrong.

"I'm fine. Just super busy with work," I lied.

"I know you've been busy," she continued. I thought back to the excuses I had drip fed across the last few days of text messages.

"I just needed to talk to you. I think something's going on with Taylor?" Hearing his name, I felt frozen with worry. I had refused speaking to him all the way home from the Royal Court this morning. I felt like I had the right to given that he hadn't told me that Lucas would be there.

"What's happened?" I asked, forcing my voice to sound natural. Could something have happened to him after we got back to the house this morning?

"He quit his job at the pub," Tanya sighed.

"Really?" I replied, hearing her say that didn't surprise me but I made my voice rise at the end of the word.

"Yes, he's been so frosty lately. Not replying when I call and barely answering texts. I don't know what's happening. I thought..." her voice dropped off. Listening to her, I felt a wave of sympathy. He had just left her in a lurch not giving a reason for quitting or why he had disappeared.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I replied.

"Well, I won't keep you," her voice sounded so sad, "I just wanted to tell you. In case he calls you, maybe you could ask him to reply to my texts?"

"Of course," I agreed.

As we said our goodbyes all I could think about was how upset she sounded. I knew that she and Taylor had been getting pretty close. My stomach twisted as I thought back to the three of us, laughing in the pub. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

Walking through the corridor, I almost felt like I was an intruder. I closed my eyes focusing on Taylor's magic. I could feel it exuding from the room at the end of the corridor. I swiftly walked over to the door, knocking on it lightly.

"Yes?" his voice sounded muffled as it carried through the door.

I opened the door and poked my head round it. His bedroom looked almost identical to mine, I found myself being surprised of the lack of personal items. I had to remind myself that this had never really been his home.

"Are you speaking to me now?" he cocked an eye brow, clearly not amused by my silent treatment earlier.

I walked into the room, sitting down on the bench at the end of the bed. Looking over at him as he sat leaning against the headboard of the bed, a book in his lap.

"Tanya called me just now." I looked at him for a reaction.

"What did she say?" I could see the muscles in his neck tensing up in anticipation.

"That you have been ignoring her and that you quit your job."

"Does it surprise you?" he countered, his voice cool and void of emotion.

"That you quit your job, no but that you are ignoring her, yes."

As I spoke I could see guilt pass across his face.

"What's the point Cara? Until the new king is crowned, being around her would only put her in danger."

I nodded, I knew he was right but at the same time I couldn't imagine straight up ignoring Matthew or Tanya.

"But how can you just ignore her? I mean, you could at least reply to her texts. I mean you must care about her?"

His eyes went dark and he stared out into space for a moment before closing the book and walking over to the bookshelf, sliding in back into its place.

"Cara right now, the only thing we should focus on is winning and keeping you safe."

I furrowed my eyebrows, sick of hearing the same thing over and over again. "Lucas said things are safer for you know that the killing is only allowed in the matches."

Taylor sat down next to me, "Yes but that doesn't apply to you. If you're in danger, Lucas and I will rescue you. But it could effect how much magic we have left for the matches."

I was about to argue back, but his hand gripped around my arm. "We have to win Cara. It's the only definite way of protecting you from Aaron and giving you your life back."

I smiled at him weakly as he continued, "If Aaron or Mortimer wins..." he hesitated, "We have no alliances with Mortimer and with Aaron..."

"With Aaron I'll be hunted down," I filled in.

"If anyone apart from Lucas or I win, we'll have to flee to New York. My family can protect you in a different way there."

I looked into his eyes as he presented this alternative plan to me. I felt the cold lump in my stomach grow, its ice raged trough my veins, "I am not going to New York."

Author's Note: I hope you've liked this chapter :) Please let me know in the comments which was your favourite part. 

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