Lucas stared Heng down, circling wide. The muscle in his jaw jumped again, and I realized it was because he knew danger wasclose. But it wasn’t just the fact that he was in a sparring match. No. There was more. The hairs on my arms were on end, too. Something was wrong. His power could sense it. But why could I? Was this the manananggal?
I glanced at Qian. His eyes were fixed on the fight.
Cheers rose up, and my eyes shot back to the field just in time to see Lucas find an opening and hit Heng in the side with his baton. The officiant called the strike and raised an arm, declaring Lucas the winner of the first round.
My heart leapt, and I had to stop myself from showing any favoritism, even though all I wanted to do was jump to my feet and cheer his name. The crowd roared in my place, chanting his name so loud, I could feel it vibrating in my chest.
But Lucas looked like he didn’t even hear them. His attention was focused purely on the match, zeroed in on starting the second round. Everything else was simply white noise.
Qian clapped for Lucas. “Fine hit,” he said. “He’s good.”
“He’s the best,” I said. I couldn’t help myself.
A smile inched its way across Qian’s lips. “We shall see.”
I squeezed my hands into fists and watched as Lucas and Heng reset, preparing for another round. The horn sounded, and Lucas was on the defensive again. He was letting Heng make the first move, a strategy to get him to tire quickly, I guessed.
But Heng was fast, faster than I expected. When he stabbed at Lucas, his arm was a blur, and when he stepped forward, it was like he’d teleported. I blinked, thinking I was seeing things, but no.
Heng reappeared behind Lucas. Heng let out a yell and swung, his attack so fast that I barely saw it. If it weren’t for Lucas’s power,he would have been hit, but he dodged out of the way just in time, knocking Heng’s baton away and countering as fast as he could. But Heng was faster.
“Heng’s power is his speed,” Qian said. “He should not be discounted so quickly.”
Heng’s attacks grew faster and more precise. Sweat dripped from Lucas’s hair. He moved, dodging and deflecting, but I could tell that even though he knew danger was coming, it was still too fast for him to do anything about it.
The horn blew, and it took me a second to realize Heng had struck Lucas on his thigh and ended the round. Heng was so fast, I’d missed it. In a real battle, it would have been deadly.
Qian leapt to his feet and clapped for Heng, who was circling the ring and raising his hand for the crowd. The favorite from Jade Mountain was a popular contender. His face appeared hundreds of times on the crystals above us, showing his victorious smile.
“It’s anyone’s game now,” Qian said, his eyes bright with excitement as he took his seat again. He leaned in close to me and took my hand. I flinched. I’d been so focused on Lucas’s hardened expression, Qian’s touch jolted me back into my body.
“It’s an exciting match, for sure,” I said.
“Heng isn’t one to lose. This will be over soon.”
Qian smiled at me, and I tried to smile back, but my heart was pounding so hard, I felt faint. I couldn’t stop thinking that something terrible was going to happen. My skin felt too tight on my body, like I was going to burst inside out, and I tried to take a calming breath. I sent out a silent prayer for Lucas to win so this could be done and over.
Lucas and Heng faced off again in the ring, the air full of excitement and tension, and the horn blew for the final round. Cheers erupted when Heng made the first move, making Lucas race backward.
All the noise turned into a dull drone as the blood rushed in my ears.
Lucas needed to win. If I had any hope of marrying Qian, I needed Lucas to win. That he could still be close; that I could still look at him, even from afar; that I could still know he was there. It was the one thing I could hold on to—the knowledge that he was my champion would be enough. It had to be.
My vision began to darken. My heart beat furiously in my chest, hammering like an iron fist against my ribs, and my breath grew uneven and shaky. I squeezed Qian’s hand so tightly, I felt him flinch, but I didn’t let go.
Lucas let out a yell when his baton took the full brunt of Heng’s hit. If he was going to win, he needed to attack. Now. He shifted his foot, digging his heel into the dirt, and changed tactics. He deflected Heng’s hit quickly, and the rhythm of the fight changed, with Lucas now controlling the tempo. The crowd roared when he moved in, and this time, Heng was the one on the defensive.
Lucas was going to win.
I saw a flash of something, a reflection, something shiny glinting in Heng’s hand. Then Heng lashed out. Lucas let out a yelp. Heng’s hand darted back, and Lucas dropped his baton.
The crowd gasped.
Like a movie playing in slow motion, I was able to see everything so clearly. Lucas leaning back, one arm raised, ready to block.Heng swinging down, a narrow blade in his fist, his face frozen in a snarl.
Before I knew what I was doing, I leapt to my feet and ripped off my veil.
“NO!” I screamed, and it was like time stopped.
