“That we do.”
Chapter
Forty-Two
LUCILLE
Alexei pulled Oliver and me from the last training day with the Tormentors. We luscelered to the Shard Field, but this time we had company.
MJ leaned against a line of sharp icicles, arms crossed and a dry expression on her face. Her fiery red hair lay in two perfect braids over her Hell Squadron uniform. She stood when we approached and scrutinized me from head to toe. She didn’t look at Alexei or Oliver—only me, like she was attempting to delve into my soul.
A couple feet away, she removed an arrow from her quiver while keeping that unrelenting stare on my face. I had the strange urge to flee but refrained, stepping forward with the guys. Without warning, she whipped up her arrow and pressed it to the pulse point at my neck.
“MJ,” Alexei warned.
“So you’re her,” she said, ignoring him.
I held up my hands.
What did that mean?I’m her?
“Sure,” I breathed. I’d be anything she wanted me to be, as long as she didn’t impale me.
“What she means,” Alexei said, giving MJ a pointed look, “is that you’re the one who challenged your squad leader, Moira, to a no-rules fight.”
I raised my chin. “Yep.”
Alexei gestured to MJ. “And that’s why she’s here. You need every advantage. And so does Oliver, because he’s been challenged too.”
“What?” Oliver and I said in unison.
“I’m surprisedyoudidn’t have anyone challenge you,” MJ commented, digging in the arrow to the point of pain. “It was bad enough placing you two in an elite squadron. But then little miss here had to flaunt her unearned uniform to Hell’s military. Although I’m guessing everyone assumes Moira is going to kill you, so there’ll be nothing left to challenge.”
I gritted my teeth, her hard smile strumming the cord of my Infernus. “Ronen gave it to me.”
“On a first-name basis with your general? And hegaveyou a highly coveted uniform? What did you give in return to receive all this special treatment from him?”
“I didn’t fuck him, if that’s what you’re insinuating.” Itches spread up my arms, and pressure strained my eyes. I didn’t care if MJ was Ronen’s third or part of his Dreads. My emotional stability was hanging on by threads, my Infernus wanted an outlet, and I had half a notion to give in. Exposure be damned.
MJ’s smile widened. “I want to see if you can prove yourself worthy of the challenges to come.” She dropped the arrow from my neck and unhooked a bow from her back. “Then,” she said, turning her attention to Alexei, “I’ll do what you asked of me.”
She luscelered to the edge of the Veil Forest, notched an arrow, and aimed it at me.
“Is our lesson starting now?”
“MJ!” Alexei snapped. “What are you doing? This ismylesson.”
MJ released her arrow, disregarding him, and I dove to the ground.
“Our challenges are ruthless. They’re unfair. Moira will fight dirty and use any means necessary to kill you. No one’ll help you. No one will rescue you. Of course, you can forfeit and be placed in the Bowels. You can give up entirely and ask the king for a different area to work off your debt. Or you can see what you’re made of. Understand?”
She notched two more arrows and waited for me to decide.
The fiery warrior wasn’t playing around, but she didn’t know who I was or what was going on. My father wouldn’t allow me to give up. He wanted me trained, as did I. And despite the shit I kept going through, and Ronen unwilling to help us, I still wanted to rank. I wanted to prove to myself I could beat the blonde who had somehow caught Ronen’s eye.
I wasn’t weak anymore. And it was time I showed them all.
“Release it.”
