The sun had long since set by the time Amneris decided to leave. Festus and Kek were still out there. Now that she'd seen them in person, been close enough to identify their individual power, it was easy to sense the ripples of their power. They were still in the city. And now she knew where.

Amneris peaked out from the doorway in her room. No one could be seen. She assumed everyone was asleep. Even so, to be safe, Amneris jumped out the window. Khopesh strapped to her back, she pulled her dark hood over her head and ran to the Colosseum. 

No one could be seen for miles. The occasional firelight flickered in windows. Bars and pubs. Most remained dark. It was late. Almost everyone was asleep at this hour. Few people stumbled to streets, drunkenly searching for somewhere to say. Even less rested on street corners.

Like so much of the city, the Colosseum had closed for the night. Amneris used her power to leap over the walls and into the stands. She unsheathed her khopesh at the sight of two men standing in the centre field. She silently jumped down behind them. 

Amneris raised her blade over one of their heads-

"You need to work on your stealth." Kek turned, his own sword in hand.

He took Amneris' hesitation for granted, lunging forward. She flipped back, raising her blade to catch his. They pulled apart and clashed again. Amneris spun round, blocking his attack and kicking his side. He stumbled, recovering quickly. 

Kek swung low. Amneris jumped over his blade, feinting left. He took the bait! She punched his side, spinning to kick his face. Kek fell to the ground, losing his grip on his sword. Amneris picked it up. She dashed forward. Kek saw her coming and rolled out of the way. But that wasn't where she was headed.

Amneris ran for the second man. For Festus. He had done nothing but stand there the whole time. He made no move as she reached him and slashed with both blades.

"What in the worlds . . ." Amneris breathed.

Kek laughed from behind as Festus turned to shadows and vanished. Almost as if he were . . .

"An illusion." Amneris groaned. "How did I fall for that?"

"Because you're an idiot," Kek put simply.

Amneris threw his sword at him. He yelped, dropping face-first to the ground. The blade brushed over his head, embedding itself into the stone stand until onto the hilt remained sticking out of the stone. 

Kek gawked at the sword. "Since when can you . . . When did you even . . ."

"We haven't fought in a few hundred years," Amneris said, tapping the side of her leg with the flat of the khopesh's blade. "I've gotten stronger."

He huffed a laugh. "I should have figured that out after Ilsbrook." Kek flipped to his feet. "Unfortunately, so have I." 

Black power wreathed his body. Kek roared. His thrust out his hands, that black power barreling into Amneris. She flew back, tumbling to her feet. Her own cyan power made her glow. Amneris countered. Her power shot toward him from one hand, overtaking his own with ease. Kek struggled, but managed to hold his ground. Amneris growled. He really had become stronger. 

Around them, the Colosseum groaned. Cracks appeared in stone and marble as the old building shook. Stones rained down from the top of the walls, landing on the roads outside. It was a good thing the streets were deserted. Some were large enough to kill.

Amneris dropped her khopesh. She channeled more power into her second hand and let loose. Kek could do nothing to stop the attack, but it didn't deter him. Still he pushed back with all his might. It wasn't enough.

Contact.

He crashed into the stands. 

Amneris brushed her hands. "Easy easy." She wiped blood from above her eye and lip. "Damn."

Male laugher came from the stands. Kek, bloody and bruised, lay sprawled over the stairs. 

Amneris called up to him, "How the fuck are you alive?"

"I don't know!" He laughed again. "That's some power you got. The Core making you stronger?"

"Something like that." She cocked her head. "Please tell me this wasn't one of your ploys to take my power? It's never going to work."

Kek sat upright, holding his broken arm. "Eternity is a long time, baby girl." 

She bowed mockingly. "And only one of us is immortal."

He managed to stumble to his feet, swaying as he stood. "As much as I would love to continue our usual banter, I'm afraid I have to leave." Kek used his good hand to push his messed hair from his face. "But there is something you should know before I do." He whistled loudly.

Festus appeared in the main entrance. He was dragging someone with him . . . 

Kek spoke again. "I hear you've been making friends with the Humans. I'm impressed. I would clap but . . ." He looked down at his limp arm. "Speaking of your new friend . . ."

Festus stepped into the moonlight. He held his sword at the throat of the man struggling to free himself from his grip. At Leonidas' throat.

"He followed you here!" Kek called gleefully. 

Amneris raised her khopesh.

"Bad idea." Kek weaved through the stands as he spoke. "You try to stop us from escaping and he dies." He stopped beside Festus. "But since when do you care about the life of one little Human."

She gripped the hilt with both hands, shaking with rage. She lowered her head, then the blade. 

Kek nodded. "Well . . . That I certainly did not see coming." He glanced at Festus. "Kill him anyway."

Before she could react, Festus had plunged his sword through Leonidas' heart.