THE FIVE THRONES

THE TIGER'S SHADOW

The man standing with Yasma was Diego, leader of the Phoenix family.

Sunny recognized him from the descriptions Francisco had given—tall, elegant, with cold eyes that seemed to calculate everything. Diego was the man who had ordered his father's murder. The man who had sent the assassins in silk masks.

And now he was standing with Yasma, smiling like they were old friends.

Sunny's hands clenched into fists. Every instinct screamed at him to charge across the arena and tear Diego apart with his bare hands. But he couldn't. Not here. Not now.

Kaycee grabbed his arm. "Don't."

"He's right there."

"I know. But if you attack him now, you'll be dead before you take two steps. His guards are everywhere."

Sunny forced himself to breathe. Kaycee was right. He couldn't act on impulse. He had to be smart.

"What are they doing together?" Sunny asked.

"I don't know. But we're going to find out."

---

They followed Diego and Yasma through the Spire District, staying far enough back to avoid detection. The streets were crowded with spectators celebrating the tournament, their voices a constant roar.

Diego and Yasma entered a building—a private club with guards at every entrance. Kaycee pulled Sunny into an alley across the street.

"We can't get in there," Kaycee said.

"Then we find another way."

"There is no other way. That place is a fortress."

Sunny studied the building. Kaycee was right. Guards patrolled the perimeter, their eyes scanning for threats. There was no way in through the front.

But there was always another way.

"Stay here," Sunny said.

"What are you doing?"

"Something stupid."

---

Sunny circled the building, looking for weaknesses. He found one—a narrow drainage pipe that ran along the back wall. It was small, barely wide enough for a man to squeeze through. But it led to the roof.

He climbed.

The pipe was slick with moisture and filth. His hands slipped twice, and he nearly fell. But he kept going, driven by rage and desperation.

He reached the roof and crept toward a skylight. Through the glass, he could see a private room below. Diego and Yasma sat across from each other, wine glasses in hand.

"—the final match," Diego was saying. "You've done well, Yasma. Better than I expected."

"I always deliver," Yasma replied. "The boy is in the final. He'll face Evado tomorrow."

"Evado." Diego smiled. "Your cousin. How delightful."

Sunny's blood ran cold. Diego knew about Evado. He knew about everything.

"You promised me the Tiger throne," Yasma said. "When this is over, I want what's mine."

"You'll get it. As soon as the boy is dead."

Sunny's heart stopped.

"You said you wouldn't kill him," Yasma said. Her voice was sharp. "You promised."

"I lied." Diego shrugged. "The boy is a threat. He's the rightful heir to the Tiger throne. If he wins the tournament and claims the throne, everything we've built falls apart."

"But he trusts me. I can control him."

"You can't control a man who has nothing to lose." Diego set down his glass. "He dies tomorrow. Evado will see to it."

Yasma was silent for a long moment. Then she said, "And if I refuse?"

Diego's smile faded. "Then you'll join him."

---

Sunny climbed down from the roof, his mind racing.

Yasma had been playing him from the start. She had never intended to help him claim the throne. She had been using him to get close to Diego, to gain power for herself.

But she had also tried to protect him. She had argued against his death. That meant something. Or maybe it didn't.

Sunny didn't know what to believe anymore.

He found Kaycee in the alley.

"We need to move," Sunny said. "Now."

"What happened?"

"Yasma's been working with Diego. They're planning to kill me tomorrow. Evado is going to do it."

Kaycee's face went pale. "The final match."

"It's a trap."

"Then we run. We leave Ember tonight."

Sunny shook his head. "No."

"Sunny—"

"I'm not running. Not anymore." Sunny looked at him. "If I run, my father died for nothing. If I run, the families win. I'm done running."

Kaycee stared at him. "You're going to fight Evado? Knowing it's a trap?"

"Yes."

"He'll kill you."

"Maybe." Sunny smiled. It wasn't a happy expression. "But I'm not going to make it easy for him."

---

They returned to the bakery basement to find Francisco waiting for them.

"You're back," Francisco said. "I was starting to worry."

"Yasma is working with Diego," Sunny said. "They're planning to kill me during the final match."

Francisco's expression didn't change. "I know."

Sunny stared at him. "You know?"

"I suspected. Yasma has been playing both sides for years. It's what she does." Francisco paused. "But I didn't want to believe it. She's my niece."

"She's a snake."

"She's my family." Francisco's voice was hard. "I've been trying to save her from herself for years. I've failed."

"So what do we do?"

Francisco was silent for a long moment. Then he said, "We use it. If Yasma and Diego think you're walking into a trap, they'll be overconfident. We can use that."

"How?"

"The final match is tomorrow. Evado will be expecting you to fight him straight on. He won't expect a different plan." Francisco picked up a wooden sword. "We're going to teach you something new."

---

The training was brutal.

Francisco pushed Sunny harder than ever before. He taught him techniques that weren't part of any family's style—dirty tricks, cheap shots, moves designed to kill rather than compete.

"This isn't about winning," Francisco said. "This is about surviving. Evado is the best assassin in Ember. He's killed more men than you've met. You can't beat him in a straight fight."

"So what do I do?"

"You cheat." Francisco smiled. "You fight like a gutter rat. You use everything you've got. You don't play by the rules, because the rules are designed to make you lose."

Sunny practiced until his body screamed. He learned to throw sand in an opponent's eyes. He learned to target weak points—knees, throats, eyes. He learned to use his environment as a weapon.

Kaycee watched from the sidelines, his expression troubled.

"What's wrong?" Sunny asked.

"I don't like this," Kaycee said. "You're training to kill, not to fight."

"That's the point."

"There has to be another way."

Sunny looked at him. "There isn't. Not anymore."

---

That night, Sunny sat alone on the roof, staring at the stars.

Zora found him there, as she always seemed to. She sat down beside him without a word.

"You heard," Sunny said.

"I heard." She was quiet for a moment. "You're going to fight Evado tomorrow."

"Yes."

"He'll kill you."

"Maybe."

She looked at him. "You're not afraid."

"I'm terrified." Sunny laughed. "But fear doesn't change anything. I have to do this."

"Why?"

He thought about his father. About the throne. About everything he had lost.

"Because if I don't, no one will."

Zora was silent for a long time. Then she said, "I'll be there tomorrow. Watching."

"That's not necessary."

"I know." She paused. "But I want to be."

---

The morning of the final match dawned gray and cold.

Sunny woke before the sun, his body aching from days of brutal training. He ate a small breakfast—bread and water—and then sat in silence, preparing his mind.

Kaycee came to him. "It's time."

"I know."

"Are you ready?"

Sunny looked at him. "No. But I'm going anyway."

They walked to the arena together, through streets filled with spectators. The crowd was already roaring, their voices a wave of sound that crashed against the walls.

Sunny entered the fighter's pit. Across from him, Evado stood in his black robes, his bone mask gleaming in the torchlight.

The announcer's voice boomed. "Final match! Sunny of the Lower Quarter versus Evado of the Tiger family!"

The crowd erupted.

Evado stepped into the arena. Sunny stepped in from the other side.

They faced each other.

"You should have run," Evado said. "I would have let you live."

"I don't run."

Evado laughed softly. "Then you die."

The bell rang.