Can they?
I look for the king and queen on the balcony again. The queen is still looking up at the sky, but the king’s eyes are still pinned on me.
His smile grows.
This ishisdoing.
They’re going to kill every last one of us. Everyone here will die because the king wantsmedead.
Only me.
“May the Ether welcome your souls.” The announcer’s voice sounds more like a whisper, and I wonder if he knows someone in the arena.
The guards begin their charge.
I don’t have a weapon, none of us do, and I watch in complete horror as the sharpened swords of the Elite cut into the bodies of those I’d seen walking the streets countless times.
Blood.
So much blood.
There’s no way to win.
No one will survive this.
But I have to at least try.
I might not be able to wield my flames, but I’m still strong. My muscles have still strengthened, and I’vealwaysbeen fast.
I pull my dagger from my belt.
Screams ring out to my left as the guards continue their advance to the center of the arena, to the place I’m standing in now.
My eyes gloss over where Jax, Theo, and my parents were in the stands.
None of them are there.
Good.
They got out, as it should be. I don’t want them to see this.
But I won’t make it easy for them. I’ll still put up a fight.
An Elite makes his way to me, swinging his weapon over his head, aiming to slice straight into my shoulder.
I dodge the blow, spinning so I’m behind him. But before my blade can pierce his skin, a sword enters him from the front.
He drops to the ground.
Dead.
Char stands just before me, a bloody, heaving mess. Somehow, he was able to acquire a weapon.
“Are you okay?” He breathes, gripping his sword tighter as I grab the one off the man he just killed.A real sword will be far more effective.
“This changes nothing,” I grit out, turning my attention to the Elite who are almost upon us.
I swing the blade effortlessly, the heavy metal easily controlled by the muscles I now possess. My weapon clashes with one of their swords before finding my mark, right in between his ribs. He collapses, blood dripping from the wound I just created.
