THE FIVE THRONES

THE PRICE OF ALLIANCE

The blood on Sunny's hands was still wet when Yasma's messenger found him.

"Come with me," Tessa said. "My mistress requires your presence."

Sunny looked at his shoulder. The wound from the hunter's knife was deep, still seeping through the bandages. "I'm not in the mood for games."

"This is no game, Sunny. The bounty on your head came from someone inside the tournament. Someone who knows who you really are."

The words hit him like a fist to the chest. Someone knew. Someone in the tournament knew his identity. That changed everything.

"Fine," he said. "Lead the way."

---

The Serpent compound was quieter this time. Fewer guards. More shadows.

Yasma was waiting in the same garden, sitting on the same stone bench. But this time, she wasn't alone. A man stood beside her—tall, broad-shouldered, with a scar that ran from his temple to his jaw. His eyes were cold, assessing.

"Sunny," Yasma said. "Thank you for coming. This is Francisco. He's going to be your trainer."

Sunny stared at her. "I already have a trainer."

"No. You have a friend who fights with you. That's not the same thing. Francisco is a master. He's won the tournament twice. He knows the families better than anyone."

Francisco stepped forward. He moved with the grace of a predator, every motion deliberate and controlled. "I've heard about you. The gutter rat who beat Brick. The man who made a deal with a Serpent." His voice was gravelly, like stones grinding together. "You've got courage. That's good. Courage keeps you alive. But courage without skill gets you killed."

"What do you want from me?" Sunny asked.

"I want to make you into a weapon." Francisco circled him slowly. "You've got raw talent, but it's undisciplined. You fight like a brawler, not a warrior. I'm going to change that."

"And what do you get out of it?"

Francisco smiled. It wasn't a pleasant expression. "I get to watch the families burn."

Sunny looked at Yasma. "Is this part of the deal?"

"It is," she said. "Francisco will train you. He'll teach you everything you need to know to survive the tournament. In return, you'll do what needs to be done when the time comes."

"And if I refuse?"

Yasma's expression didn't change. "Then the bounty stays. The hunters keep coming. Eventually, they'll succeed. It's your choice."

Sunny was silent for a long moment. He thought about Kaycee. About Zora. About everything he had built since coming back to Ember.

He couldn't walk away now. Not when he was this close.

"Alright," he said. "I'll do it."

---

The training started immediately.

Francisco led Sunny to a private dojo hidden in the heart of the Serpent compound. It was large and open, with wooden floors polished to a mirror shine. Weapons lined the walls—swords, staffs, knives, and others Sunny didn't recognize.

"Remove your shirt," Francisco said.

Sunny complied. His body was a map of scars—old wounds and new ones, each with its own story.

Francisco examined him like a butcher examining a side of meat. "You've been beaten. Broken. Left for dead." He nodded slowly. "Good. That means you know how to survive."

"What's the point of this?"

"The point is to break you down and rebuild you stronger." Francisco picked up a staff from the wall and tossed it to Sunny. "Catch."

Sunny caught it one-handed.

"Good reflexes. Let's see how fast you really are."

Francisco attacked. The staff blurred through the air, aimed at Sunny's head. Sunny blocked, but the impact jarred his arms. Francisco followed up with a strike to his ribs, then his knees, then his shoulders.

Sunny tried to counter, but Francisco was too fast. Every move was anticipated, every strike blocked or dodged.

"Faster!" Francisco shouted. "You're thinking too much!"

Sunny forced himself to move without thinking. He let his instincts take over. The staff became an extension of his arms, flowing from one strike to the next.

Francisco smiled. "There it is. That's what I wanted to see."

They fought for hours. By the end, Sunny was exhausted, his body screaming in protest. But he had managed to land three hits on Francisco. Three. It wasn't much, but it was progress.

"Not bad," Francisco said. "You learn fast. But you're still holding back."

Sunny didn't answer. He was too tired to argue.

"Tomorrow, we start again. And we'll keep starting again until you're ready."

---

Kaycee was waiting for Sunny outside the dojo.

"You've been gone all day," he said. "I was starting to worry."

"I've been training. With a new master."

Kaycee's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

"Francisco. He's an old champion. Yasma brought him in to train me."

"The Serpent woman." Kaycee's voice was flat. "I thought you were done making deals with her."

"I was. But the bounty on my head—someone inside the tournament knows who I really am. Yasma says Francisco can help me survive."

Kaycee was quiet for a long moment. Then he said, "You're walking into a trap."

"Maybe. But I don't have a choice."

"There's always a choice."

Sunny looked at him. "Not for me."

Kaycee shook his head. "You're wrong. You just can't see it yet." He paused. "I'm not going to stop you. But I want you to promise me something."

"What?"

"When this is over, when you've gotten your revenge, you'll walk away. You'll leave Ember and never come back."

Sunny didn't answer. He couldn't promise that. He didn't know if he'd survive the tournament, let alone what would happen after.

"I'll try," he said finally.

Kaycee nodded. "That's all I ask."

---

Zora found them the next morning.

She appeared out of nowhere, as she always seemed to, her dark eyes flashing with barely contained energy.

"I heard about your new teacher," she said. "Francisco. The old champion."

"Word travels fast."

"In Ember, word travels faster than anything." She smiled. "I came to warn you. Francisco isn't what he seems. He's got his own agenda. He always has."

"What agenda?"

Zora shrugged. "That's what I'm trying to find out." She paused. "He trained the Tiger family's assassin, you know. The one they call Evado. The deadliest killer in Ember."

Sunny felt a chill run down his spine. "Why would he train an assassin?"

"Because he was paid to. Because he doesn't care who he works for, as long as he gets what he wants." She studied him. "You should be careful around him."

"I'm careful around everyone."

"Good. That's the only way to survive in this city."

---

That night, Sunny lay in his cot, staring at the ceiling.

He thought about everything Zora had said. About Francisco. About the assassin Evado. About the web of lies and secrets that surrounded him.

He thought about Kaycee. About his promise to walk away when this was over. About the brotherhood they had built, fragile and new.

He thought about his father. About the night he had died. About the blood and the masks and the grief.

And he thought about Yasma. About her deal. About the price he was paying for her help.

Sunny closed his eyes.

He was in too deep to walk away now. The only way out was through.

---

END OF CHAPTER 4

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NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW:

Sunny's training intensifies as Francisco pushes him to his limits. But when a mysterious challenger arrives at the dojo, Sunny must face his first real test—and the truth about his past is closer than he thinks.

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CHAPTER 5: THE PAST RETURNS