“Your baby sister isbored,” Alex said. “It’s like Isla always says: Make yourself a menace or else some man will come along and try to make you his.”
She stared into her glass, as if the mere mention of those words made her sad. Perhaps repeating them now, when Isla was gone, gave them a new, sadder meaning.
“She’ll come back,” Teddy said.
He shouldn’t have said it when he was uncertain. But he’d always taken this role with his siblings. It was his job to protect them, even if only for a little while. Especially when it came to Alexandra. Better a hopeful wish now and a hard truth later than something that would inspire more reckless behavior.
Alexandra cleared her throat and sat up straighter, tugging at her vest. “If you say so.”
“Tell me about the challenge,” he said, desperate for a deflection.
“You did a shit job, if I’m honest,” she said. “Not your best showing, though I must admit that the moments I wasn’t afraid you were going to get yourself killed were genuinely entertaining. A giant flying lobster.” She laughed suddenly and loudly. “Where do these witches come up with this shit? That was just about the last thing I expected. I suppose that’s the point. Anyway, I’ve been telling you that you don’t train enough. Too much time on politics and it shows.”
Teddy scowled at her. “Alex, I’m asking—what happened today? I know you have a full scouting report on everyone.”
She leaned back, sulking into her whiskey.
“Please. You’re my favorite sister.”
She looked unconvinced.
“Fine, you’re my favoritesibling.”
She rolled her eyes. “Who else would you pick? Jules is so busy trying to become a flawless echo of our mother and Jalen is too busy trying to fuck his way to being likable. And you’re too busy being perfect. I am the only one with any character.”
Teddy laughed in spite of himself. Alex was so cutting, but her brutal honesty had always made her reliable in her own way.
“I know the Roach and Dixon finished first. Who was second?” Teddy asked.
“Jeneva and Katerina.”
Teddy’s jaw dropped. “No way.”
“Don’t be sexist,” Alexandra snapped.
“I’m not. I’m just stunned they were so quick with everyone else inthe field. And given the size of the beasts. I had to scale an eight-foot lobster, for fuck’s sake.”
Alexandra laughed. “With considerable difficulty, I might add. What happened to you?”
Teddy sighed and tapped his chest.
Recognition stole over Alexandra’s face. “When the bear got her. It was just a split second before you slipped.”
“A bear? I fought a flying lobster, and she fought abear?”
Alexandra pressed out her hands as if to brace against his questions. “Not a normal bear. It was like a bear-octopus combination with arms tipped in claws. Very vicious. She was smart. They told the crowd who had what gifts. All of you who chose the same advantage struggled the most. Stella and Fionn both chose luck, and that was clear. Stella was nearly ripped in half.”
Teddy’s blood went cold. He should have at least checked on Stella after the fact. Her pain, fear, and anxiety had been fizzling in his chest all afternoon, mixing with his. It had been so bad that he’d ignored the protests of his body and had gone for a run in the sweltering heat, which he was regretting now that the whiskey was hitting him hard.
“So, Jeneva and Katerina—how did they pull it off?” Teddy asked.
“Poison-tipped arrows. They were fighting an enormous viper, but whatever they used on those arrows brought it down very quickly. I think maybe some type of paralytic.”
Teddy considered it. He wasn’t planning on writing them off, but this certainly changed the rankings in his mind. The first challenge was already showing how ruthless all the competitors could be. Perhaps that was inevitable with Endros as the gamemaker.
“So Reever and I were third. Who was after us?” he asked.
“Drew and Christophe. They did the same thing Rett did. They managed to tie their beast up. They were fighting the same lobster thing as you, but they clipped its wings right away and Drew cracked its shell. It was really struggling to move well after that. Drew boosted Christophe up the wall and he took out Aaron Harper, who was in the arena next to them. Once he was down, Scott McCadly didn’tstand a chance. He is a fearsome fighter, but they were fighting a giant viper and it bit him.”
