The Lightning Wastes (The Traveler's Gate Chronicles: Collection #3) Read Online Free Page B

it.”
    Corthis opened his eyes wide, as though startled. “Only one Incarnation? Why, this situation must be better than I’d heard! Let’s all pack up and go home right now!”
    Scattered laughter from the nearby seats. Corthis was making no effort to moderate his voice.
    “You are all Damascan Travelers. Your duty is to your country.”
    “Let us speak seriously,” Corthis said, which had to have been a deliberate insult. “We have no Overlord above us. We cannot stand against an Incarnation. What are we to do? Who is to tell us our duty?”
    Leah let a little heat into her voice; it was appropriate at this point. “I’ll tell you what your duty is not, Traveler Corthis: hiding while the citizens of Damasca die beneath the lightning of your Incarnation.”
    Corthis smiled and spread his hands, not at all put off by her words. “I still see no reason why we should return to a devastated kingdom instead of staying here to secure our own lands.”
    “Because I command it,” Leah said. She had intended to wait a little longer before playing that card, but he had set her up too well.
    “And who are you to command me, little girl?” Corthis asked, amused.
    Leah shrugged. She raised her voice to match his, letting her words echo through the stadium. “Let’s find out. You value bravery in combat here, don’t you? Let’s meet in the ring.”
    She didn’t move, exactly, but she shifted so that the light caught the rubies set into her crown and spear.
    Corthis coughed. “None of that, now, none of that. No one doubts the strength of Ragnarus, that’s for sure.”
    A few people in the crowd murmured uneasily.
    “But it’s not the strength of your Territory that’s in question,” he continued. “And what is the strength of a leader if not the strength of his men? Let’s test two of yours against two of mine, and see who comes out on top.” He smiled as though he had finally trapped her. In that moment, she almost pitied him.
    Endross Travelers had a reputation for being brave, vicious, and slightly insane. They were also known to be stubborn, stupid, and notoriously predictable.
    Leah saw nothing here to refute that belief.
    “Agreed,” Leah said, pretending to be reluctant. Helene, to her credit, didn’t hesitate. She loosened the sword at her side, checked a couple of knives, and walked down the stairs to the center of the stadium.
    Simon, on the other hand, stopped and gave Leah a questioning look, which was not the image she wanted to present in public. He should have given every appearance of accepting her orders without question.
    “You’ll be up here alone,” he said, in a low voice, which made it a bit better. Her bodyguard was supposed to worry about leaving her unprotected.
    “Don’t worry about that,” Leah said, loud enough that Corthis could hear her. “I have nothing to fear from him.” It was true; she could activate her crown as quickly as she could speak, she held her Ragnarus spear in her hand, and she had a couple of other surprises prepared in her pockets. She could handle a couple of ordinary Endross Travelers.
    “He’s right here, though,” Simon said, in the same low voice. “Why don’t we just deal with him?”
    What did he mean by ‘deal with?’ Did he literally mean make a deal with the man, or was he suggesting execution? Or perhaps torture? With Simon, she wasn’t sure.
    “I have every confidence in your ability to ‘deal with’ anyone. However, please proceed into the arena and do as your queen commands. ”
    Simon winced, but he managed to execute a fairly credible bow. “And what does my queen command?”
    “Win.”
    “As you wish,” he said. His cloak trailed behind him as he walked down the stairs.
    Corthis shouted a couple of names, and two big leather-clad brutes walked from the seats. One of them held a huge two-handed sword, and the other walked with something like a glowing blue crocodile at his side.
    “The Queen’s men will be put to the