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

test of the storm!” Corthis called, in his booming voice. The crowd’s cheering drowned even his bellowed words. Helene, Leah noticed, rolled her eyes at being counted among the Queen’s ‘men.’
    The four combatants stood on the sand. The three Endross Travelers looked like dogs at the ends of a series of chains, each straining to reach the others but barely holding themselves back. Simon, in contrast, hadn’t lowered his hood or summoned his sword. He wasn’t crouched, or in any kind of stance Leah could recognize. He just stood there.
    “What’s wrong with your boy there?” Corthis asked in a whisper. “Is he carrying a doll?” Leah didn’t respond, hoping he would take it for mysterious confidence.
    From somewhere in the stadium, a gong rang out, and the Endross Travelers started moving.
    Not faster than Simon, though.
    In an instant, he had crossed the space between him and his two opponents, and had one hand around each of their necks. He heaved his shoulders, tossing them three paces backwards, over the short wall and into the stands.
    The gong rang again, weaker this time, as though the one ringing it hadn’t been quite prepared. The glowing crocodile hissed and ran up to Simon, but Simon leaned down and stared it in the eyes. He didn’t do anything but stare, as far as Leah could tell, but the reptile froze. Then it backed up, moving in a reverse waddle until it got far enough away to scurry out of the arena entirely.
    “Are they out of bounds?” Simon called up to the box. Leah didn’t think it mattered whether they were disqualified or not; they lay motionless on the steps and didn’t show any signs of stirring.
    Corthis cleared his throat. “Indeed they are, indeed they are. That was…a remarkable display.”
    Helene had her head cocked and was looking at Simon as though she had never seen him before.
    Leah shouted down into the ring. “Simon, why don’t you keep going while Corthis and I have a talk?”  
    Simon swept another bow in her direction.
    “What do I do?” Helene muttered. She was probably talking to Simon, but Leah could still hear.
    “Relax,” Simon suggested. “Get a good seat, have a drink. If Leah needs me to keep going, I’ll have to switch out sooner or later. You can take over for me then.”
    Leah turned to Corthis, making a point of not looking into the arena as the gong rang again. “We were discussing my Travelers?”
    “Yes…” Corthis said absently. He seemed to be having trouble tearing his eyes off the spectacle below. This time, lightning flashed in the corner of Leah’s eye before a body hurtled into the stands. “Look, Your Highness, I’m just trying to do right by my people. There’s really nothing they can do to help in the outside world. More importantly, they believe there’s nothing they can do. And there’s nothing more deadly to an Endross Traveler than a lack of self-confidence.”
    The gong sounded, and Leah pretended not to notice. “I could debate this with you, Corthis. I don’t agree with your assessment of the situation, and I could explain why. But I don’t have to.” She leaned closer, forcing him to look away from the fight and meet her eyes. “It is my place to determine when and where I need my people. It is not yours to question and second-guess, do you understand me? Not now.”
      This was a tactic Leah had seen her father use to great effect on more than one occasion. There were two possible outcomes: either Corthis would collapse and do what she said, or he would act out of wounded pride and…
    His eyes hardened, and the beginnings of a sneer grew on his face. The ghost of fear chilled Leah’s heart. Maybe she had miscalculated. If he stood against her here, she would have to kill him. Or have him killed. Either way, the Endross Travelers would at best divide, at worst rebel.
    He started to respond, but his eyes were drawn to the arena floor. His words died. Leah followed his gaze.
    Simon stood, his hood down at