My feet moved before I could stop them. I stormed into the ring and shoved my sister. “What the fuck is your problem?”
The crowd roared with excitement.
Fallon smirked, twisting her tongue between her teeth before she pounced, shoving me back. I landed hard on my ass, and she laughed, her amusement ringing out. Rhodes stepped forward, offering me his hand to help me up. I smacked it away and stood on my own, fury bubbling under my skin.
She waved her hand dismissively. “Now, it’s time for my end of the deal.”
Rhodes rushed forward. “Not here. Not now.”
I shoved past him, planting myself firmly between the two of them. “What deal?”
Fallon ignored me, her attention solely on Rhodes. “Nah, nah, nah,” she clicked her tongue. “Nowhere in our agreement was it statedwhenorwhere.”
I glared at Rhodes, smacking his chest with a growl. “When or where forwhat?”
His jaw ticked. Hatred burned in his eyes, aimed straight at my sister. The villagers whispered around us, eager for something more.
“We made a deal,” he sighed, voice heavy. “If she helped me get you out of your hut, I’d let her take over your combat training.”
“Not with that evil twin,” Lakota growled.
I slammed my mental gates shut, locking away everything around me so I could process what Rhodes had just admitted. Fighting the hole that my anger was burning through my chest, I tuned out everything around me.
I recognized the feeling. Numbness was settling in—but not from sadness or despair this time. This numbness burned, and its heat warded off the chill in the air.
It was pure fucking rage.
Chapter 8
All my life, choices had been made for me—by my guardians, my leaders, or the unforgiving hand of fate. Big or small, significant or trivial, I had rarely—rarely—been granted the freedom to make my own decisions. Every card I was dealt felt deliberately chosen, leaving me little choice in my next move. And every time I fought to take control, to shuffle a new deck and start a different game on my terms, something—or someone—inevitably dragged me back into the rigged game I was desperate to escape.
I was always a pawn in someone else’s game—never the one holding the pieces.
And Rhodes making a deal with my sister on my behalf regarding my next move really, really pissed me the fuck off.
The hum of the crowd slowly unmuted in my ears, pulling me back to the present.
“Let’s go then,” I declared, snapping myself out of my stupor.
Fallon smirked as she popped her knuckles and stretched her arms.
“What? Scarlet, no,” Rhodes said, incredulous, his brows furrowed.
I turned to face him, straightening my shoulders as I met his stormy gaze. “You made the deal for me. Can’t live with it now? That’s on you, not me,” I reproached.
The crowd hollered. Rhodes leaned in close, his voice low and urgent, meant only for me. “Elements aren’t allowed in this ring. She’s incredibly skilled. You’ve had one day of training. Please don’t.” His tone wavered, almost pleading.
I met his gaze, jaw tight. “Please don’t make decisions for me, Wylder.”
The words struck a nerve—good. His lashes fluttered, but his composure held. Slowly, he stepped back, the roar of the crowd drowning out his voice. Yet I read his lips:Remember what I taught you.
The whirlwind of those few days came rushing back. Davis, Shayde, and I had stumbled upon Tyrian scouts hidden deep within a mountain cavern during our War Campaign. What was supposed to be a controlled exercise—testing our skills, elemental control, and teamwork—had devolved into something far more dangerous.
We were powerless, our connection to our elements severed. The primary survival skill taught at Mageia was gone. That first night, I had to rely solely on the basics Professor Lamport drilled into us to keep us warm. For a moment, we thought we could handle it.
We were dead wrong.
The scouts came at us fast and mercilessly. They tried to drag me away—spiriting me off to elements-know-where. Their grip was bruising, their cold eyes enough to make my blood runcolder than the mountain air. Davis and I fought like hell, thrashing against their hold, but then there was Shayde.
