“I asked you a question,” I remind him, and he rubs his jaw.
“I was thinking,” his grin vanishes, his eyes narrow, “that you were being foolish when you disappeared down that alley. I was thinking that if the wrong person saw you, they might think you were an easy target to take out before trial day. I was thinking—”
“That you would teach me a lesson?” I huff, turning on my heel, too annoyed to say much more.
I’m not a child. I can take care of myself. Char knows that.
At least, I thought he did.
“Fi, wait!” he calls after me, but I continue on my way. “Fi!” he says again, only this time I can hear the shuffling of feet behind me. He grabs my wrist, spinning me around with so much force, I almost lose my balance. “Fi, I’m sorry. I just…we’re so close, you know?” I don’t look at him, fixing my gaze instead on where his long, rough fingers press against my skin. “So close to our third trial. So close to proving that we deserve to survive. Tolive.” His voice cracks, and my eyes lock on his. “I’m scared, Fi.”
The admission causes my heart to pound. Pound and pound so loud, I’m sure he can hear it.
Char doesn’t get scared.
He doesn’tdoscared.
“You’re going to be fine, Char,” I tell him, my voice soothing, the anger suddenly gone and replaced by the desire to see the crease in his forehead ease. “There were even people in the market today placing bets on you. Everyone thinks you’ll come out on top.”
Char’s the strongest of our class, the tallest, and the fastest. We may not know exactly what’ll happen on trial day, but he’ll be prepared for whatever it is.
When he’s not with me, he’s training. Both his mind and his body. All of his siblings have made it through, which isn’t common. There’s never been a question of whether or not he’ll succeed in the final trial, but even so, Char never fails to put added pressure on himself.
His father is the mayor of Village 28, and all Char’s ever wanted is to follow in his footsteps, but only those who rank number one in their year are allowed to run. He’ll have to wait until he’s older, but winning the final trial is the first step needed to make it happen.
“You don’t get it,” he says, squeezing my wrist even tighter.
I tilt my head because what could I possibly not get? Theonlyreason Char might not secure position number one is if there’s a hidden Essentari among us. Is that what he’s worried about? An Essentari? But Essentari are rare. So rare that our village hasn’t seen one in over ten years.
“I’m not scared for myself, Fi.”
Finally, understanding washes over me, and I see red. Literalred—a phenomenon that happens more often than I’ll ever admit because seeing the world drenched in a shade that unmistakably matches the color of blood is far from normal.
“You’re scared for me, is that it?” Heat blazes beneath my skin, and I rip my arm away, the anger I felt before back with a vengeance.
“So what if I am?” His hands fly into the air. “Is that really such a bad thing? That I worry about you? That Icareabout you?”
“Yes!” I scream, and I watch as his lips purse and his thick eyebrows weave together. “No!” I place my palms over my eyes, trying to calm myself. Controlling my emotions has never been easy. Telfi’s favorite word to describe me was volatile. “I don’t know!” I finally settle on. “But what Idoknow is that I don’t need you worrying about me. I’ve made it this far, haven’t I? What I need is for mybest friendto believe that I can make it through. Because if you’re worried? Then, it feels like I don’t stand a chance.”
He lets out a frustrated groan. “Fi, you’re smaller than everyone else—”
“My size,” I say slowly, my jaw so tight I can barely get the words out, “isnota disadvantage. I’m quick, Char. You know I am. A few moments ago, I had this blade to your throat, did I not?” I gesture toward the metal we both know rests just beneath my skirt. The metalhegave me. The metalhetaught me to use.
He smirks at that. “You did,” he agrees, stepping closer, an action that makes me cross my arms over my chest. “I’m sorry, Fi. Really, I am.” He angles his head down, looking at me through long lashes. “I just wouldn’t know what to do with myself if anything ever happened to you.” The sincerity in his tone catches me off guard. “You know you mean a lot to me.”
He reaches for my wrist again, and this time, I let him take it. He uses his thumb to rub small circles on my palm.
“You mean a lot to me, too,” I say, forcing myself to return hissmile, but there’s still a bitter taste on my tongue.
I worry about you.I try to shake it off, and instead of berating him further, I allow him to rest his arm around my shoulder, urging me back toward the main alley. But when we round the corner, my eyes go wide because somehow, during our bickering, neither of us heard them approach. Neither of us was aware of the danger that lurked just beyond the wall.
And neither of us are properly armed to take on the ten men who are standing there waiting.
Chapter 2
Serafina
“Fi, get behind me.” Char’s voice is low, authoritative. It’s the tone he knows I hate, but I do what he says anyway.
