Chapter 5

"Ishouldn't have said that to him," I whispered into Lilia's ear, her silver hair parting around the curved tip. "Now he's going to expect a grand show from me during the competition, and if I don't give it to him, he'll be all smug and annoying about it."

Lilia slung an arm around my shoulder and steered me toward the arena inside one of our many Great Halls, the ceiling so high that I could barely see it. My boots scuffed the cavern floor. The last thing I wanted to do right now was walk before the crowd cheering in the stands that circled the pit. All the other competitors were inside, as far as I could tell. And the dwarven cheers were loud enough to wake the bloomin' dead.

I'd have to walk into the arena with all eyes on me, the cursed woman who'd been entered against her will.

"Just forget about Tormund for now and have fun!" Lilia led me toward the arched stone gate, where dozens of bells hung from colorful ribbons, jingling in the breeze. "This is only for a laugh. You don't actually have to do well, remember?"

Except Tormund would expect I'd try. And if I failed miserably, not only would he look at me with an annoying laughing smirk, but his cockiness about the Everstone would grow five sizes larger. I didn't know how much more of his ego I could take. I could already see the twinkle in his eyes, bright enough to light up a cavern without a sunstone anywhere in sight. That spark of his was frustrating. Why'd it have to be wasted on someone like him?

What was more, I wanted to show him up. He'd done nothing but antagonize me from the moment we'd met, and someone needed to put him in his place. It's just…well, I wasn't good enough to do it.

Lilia patted me on the bum, hard enough to launch me through the arched gate. I stumbled forward, and a cloud of dirt billowed around me. The cheering of the crowd dimmed, and I felt the weight of a thousand eyes settle on my face. A face that was flaming like a dragon's breath.

Swallowing, I ignored my pounding heart and lifted my chin, striding into the center of the arena, where the other competitors waited for me. There were fewer this year than previous competitions, I noted. Usually, around twenty participated. But other than Tormund and his two pals, only six dwarves stood ready in the circle drawn in the sand. That made ten of us in total.

That bettered my odds.

I shook my head at myself, clenching my teeth. It didn't better my odds. What in fate's name was I thinking? I knew all these dwarves. They trained year in and year out for these trials, honing their skills. Most of them even weighed their food to ensure they consumed enough grub to fuel their bodies. I wondered if Tormund did the same…

As I approached the group, his broad, shadow-wreathed form tugged at my gaze. I couldn't help but turn toward him, despite the talking to I'd given myself before coming here. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of any more attention.

He was looking right at me. A smile curved his lips, then he winked.

A furious heat flooded my cheeks. Who did he think he was? Honestly, I wished he'd come into my house again just so I could kick him right back out with magic. It would serve him right, waltzing in here with—

"Astrid," a voice said from beside me. I blinked. Jostein's face materialized just to my right. He was frowning at me, his brow furrowed in concern. "Are you quite all right, my love?"

"Yes, of course," I replied, my throat tight.

"Hmm. You just take it easy, you hear? This first trial is the strength one." He pounded me on the back, then walked over to welcome each of the other contestants. All of them were staring at me like I was some kind of corpse come to life.

When he'd finished, Jostein strode into the center of the arena with his hands outstretched. The lingering cheers died, and a pregnant silence descended on the packed stands.

"Welcome to the Eighteenth Annual Fittest Under the Mountain!" he exclaimed, his white bushy beard bouncing with every word.

The deafening roar of four thousand dwarves pounded against my eardrums. I lifted my gaze to scan the crowd in the circular stands, suddenly feeling as small as a grain of dirt. It looked different, seeing it all from down here. There were so many people eagerly awaiting a demonstration of strength, speed, agility, and endurance. None of which I really had.

My eyes drifted back to Tormund's face as Jostein continued his yearly speech to signify the start of the trials. But for once, I didn't catch Tormund's stare. Head cocked, he was examining Galinn, who stood tall in the center of the cluster of dwarves, beaming like he'd already won the damn thing.

As if sensing the weight of my eyes, Tormund shifted his gaze my way. He arched a brow and inclined his head toward Galinn. I nodded back.

"Let the first trial begin!" Jostein suddenly exclaimed, interrupting our silent conversation.

I swallowed, dragging my attention back to the task at hand. Jostein motioned toward a row of ten large stones that sat waiting behind a black line drawn in the dirt. At the other end of the arena stretched another line. The beginning and the end.

"Each of you will lift a stone and carry it to the other side of the arena," Jostein instructed. "Whoever is fastest wins."

It was a simple enough task, especially for those of us who worked in the mines. We moved rocks around all the time, though the carts helped us across longer distances. I eyed the stones. They came up to my knees and looked pretty damn heavy. I usually left ones this size for others to deal with.

Tormund swaggered over and elbowed me in the side. "You still plan on showing me how much I've underestimated you?"

My hands fisted. "I wasn't talking about the competition."

"Oh? You could have fooled me." Chuckling, he moved off—probably to annoy some of the other contestants. That seemed to be his strategy.

I ground my teeth and scanned the crowd for a familiar flash of silver hair, but the faces were nothing more than a blur. Right now, I sorely needed Lilia's encouraging smile. She'd remind me that Tormund didn't matter. None of this did. She'd tell me to make a game of it, to let go and have a little fun.

But since she wasn't by my side, I had to repeat the words in my head. I had no chance of winning, and that was fine. I'd come last in most—probably all—of these trials. Again, no need to cry about it! I'd roll the stone as far as I could, then have a tankard of brew and some moss cakes with my friends. Maybe a bit of my leftover chocolate, too.

It would be a lovely way to spend the evening.

Nodding to myself, I followed the others to the starting position and took a spot behind the stone furthest down the line. Thankfully, Tormund had decided to go to the middle, so I wouldn't have to suffer his taunting jabs when I fell behind.

"But before we begin," Jostein suddenly shouted, "we have a surprise for this year's winner!"

A hush went through the crowd. Two dwarves I didn't recognize strolled through the arched gate balancing a large sculpture beneath a fluttering red cloth. Long gauzy gowns swept down to their sandalled feet, and their hair was twisted into intricate patterns and decorated with blue tinkling bells. The color of their bells meant they were from Rockheim, an enormous city that was a week-long trek south through the mountains.

I straightened as they approached Jostein. Most residents of Rockheim didn't venture this far north, not even for the trials. Too backwoods and boring, I'd often heard them say. And yet they'd come bearing some kind of prize…When they reached Jostein's side, he turned toward me and gave me a meaningful stare. And without further comment, he whisked the cloth off the statue they held.

A gleaming emerald shard erupted with light. I gasped and stumbled back, so caught off guard, my legs nearly twisted beneath me. I'd read its description a hundred thousand times, and yet I still wasn't prepared for how brutally beautiful it was. Life itself seemed to pour from its flickering depths, and the buzz of its power filled my head.

But the sound soon vanished beneath the thunder of four thousand dwarves cheering and clapping and stomping their feet on the ground.

"That's the Everstone," the dwarf beside me exclaimed.

"It damn well is," I said, my heart pounding.

The Everstone was finally here and right in my grasp…but it wasn't mine. After all the effort and the hoping and dreaming, I hadn't found it. I'd been looking in the wrong place. It'd been in the southern mines, and I never would have thought to look there. I'd been convinced it was north all this time.

I'd spent all my life chasing something that I'd never been fated to find. And there was only one way I could get it now.

My pulse thrummed in my neck.

Moments stretched by, and the cheers grew louder. I swallowed the lump of sunstone in my throat. Eventually, Jostein lifted his hand, and the thunderous sound died.

"As I'm sure you've all guessed, the champion of this year's games will win the Everstone," he said, his voice more hushed now than before. "This stone holds great power. Whoever wins these trials will have earned it."

I leaned forward to look down the row of contestants. Tormund stood with his head cocked, a furrow on his brow that likely matched my own troubled expression. Hmm. That was odd. I'd assumed he'd be thrilled by this development. He wanted to win the trials, and he wanted the damn stone. This way, he could kill two birds with…well, one stone.

I would have laughed at my own joke, but the thickening disappointment in my gut held it back.

"Can you believe this?" Knut asked from beside me, eagerly rubbing his hands together. "This year is going to be my year, I can feel it."

I frowned. "What makes you think you can beat Galinn?" Or Tormund, for that matter. Because as grudging as I was to accept it, there was something about the shadow demon that told me he'd do well in all these tasks. Perhaps he wouldn't have the greatest strength in the field, but he was quick on his feet, he was smarter than I'd given him credit for, and he was determined. Mental toughness went a long way in games like this.

Knut scoffed. "Galinn has won far too many times. He's past his prime, and I've come close in the past."

Knut had in fact not come close. He'd come second, but there'd been miles between him and Galinn every time. And it would continue that way for a while.

Dwarves lived long, long lives. Not as long as elves, but much longer than humans. It was useful when working in the mines. Those of us who took up the pickaxe had years to craft our expertise and efficiency, honing our skills to perfection. Our primes lasted decades. Galinn was still a young lad, especially compared to some of the other contestants in the arena. He likely wouldn't hit his peak for another ten years, if not more.

"I think he still has some fight left in him," I said gently.

But Knut rubbed his hands together, shaking his head to dismiss my words. "No, he's had his time. Someone needs to make a comeback, especially with the Everstone up for grabs. That makes for a much better story, don't you think?"

I loosed a bitter laugh. "If it's a good story that you're after, then I'm the one who should win."

He cocked his head and studied me. "You know what? You're right. Fates, I'd love it if you snatched the win from Galinn's greedy paws."

I rose my brow. "It was a joke, Knut."

"But what an amazing joke it would be to see the look on Galinn's face when you, of all dwarves, took the win from him after he's dominated for so bloody long. To get the Everstone. What a story, Astrid. If only you had the skills to do it."

Heaving a sigh, I turned my attention back onto the Everstone, gleaming in the distance. "I'm getting really tired of everyone thinking I suck."

"Then prove us all wrong."

My hands curled by my sides, almost into fists. A part of me deep down wanted to do just that. I could picture it all in my mind's eye. Me, sprinting across the finish line first. Me, raising my hands before the cheering crowd. Me, clutching the Everstone to my chest and making my wish. Asking it for the freedom to explore the lands beyond these mountainous walls.

My prison cell.

My caged bars.

My invisible bonds trapping me in place.

I'd never done anything to deserve my curse. It was high time I broke free.

But all those thoughts quickly deflated. I had the worst odds of anyone out here. Astrid Balstad would not be winning any trials, let alone enough of them to get the Everstone. I'd have to watch someone else take it, along with any hope I ever had of seeing the glorious sunrise over the mountain peaks.