At least in that arm anyway.
He stretches his arm out, lifting the skull crusher like he is weightless. An act that seems to defy all physics and gravity. The man’s face confuses as he bears down on Ryder, aiming punches that don’t make contact. Ryder slams him into the ground below, and the veins in the stone deepen. He lunges on top of him and lands three quick and hard hits into the centre of the man’s skull, and blood begins to splay and seep into the veins. The crowd erupts into savagery, snaring their teeth and grinning sadistically, their eyes clinging onto each punch like a lifeline, lingering on the pain and blood spilt to satiate their perverted desires. I want to tell him to stop, to let his opponent live, but if only one of them is walking out of here alive, ithasto be Ryder.
He hits the man again and again until he is nothing but a trench in the sunken pit, the stone chiselled around his flattened head.
I think I’m going to be sick.
“Venom!” The crowd rallies, roaring mightily, and the clanking of coins being exchanged is apparent. Most of them have scowls on their faces, letting their gold coins go. I don’t think anyone here expected the underdog to win. But thank the Gods he did.
“Come on, lets get out of here,” Ryder says to me, dragging me from the crowd towards the pit. The soles of my shoes dampen under the river of blood seeping through the new canyons made in the stone.
“Not so fast.” Fang stops him, but his voice is barely audible over the shouting from the crowd. “You defeated the reigningchampion.” He says, his smile unsettling. “That makes you the new reigning champion. And a reigning champion can’t leave. There’s too much money to be made.” He shows his teeth now and caresses a gold coin up to his eye line.
“You said one Fang. I’m done.” Ryder spits, walking us away from him.
“And you said you weren’t gonna steal from me and yet you took my fucking sword.” Fang snarls with bitterness. “We all said things we didn’t mean.” He laughs, and my knuckles tighten around Ryder’s wrist in angst.
Gods, he is making me so fucking mad.
“You can’t do that.” I butt in. “He fought for you. He did what you said. I’m sure he made you plenty of money tonight.” I spit at him, my eyes narrowing in on him like he is prey.
“It’s not about money, it’s about loyalty.” Fang spits. “And it’s none of your fuckin business anyway.”
“Actually, it is my business—”
“Asha no,” Ryder says, his eyes wanting me to stop, but I can’t.
“I’ve spent long enough down in this Godforsaken place, and there’s no way we are staying a minute longer.” My teeth clench together as I speak, the anger bubbling fast beneath my veins.
“Tell your bitch to shut up.” Fang taunts, and Ryder snarls at him with closed fists. A fire burns like lava deep in my bones, and something snaps. My light powers show themselves, shooting through the air like bullets, just like in Mr Herringford’s class. The orbs light up the dingy atmosphere like a beacon, and the crowds of people duck and dodge them in surprise.
Then there is silence.
Nothing but immense fucking silence, and I want the pit to swallow me up.
Fuck. All eyes latch onto me, staring like I am a sickness they want to eradicate.
“Shit,” Ryder mutters. “Come on.” He takes my hand, and his shadows seep over us like a shield until I see nothing but darkness.
We are running again, the shadow sticking to us like armour protecting us and deflecting any weapon that tries to break through.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened,” I say between breaths. Ryder’s grip on me is so tight that my feet barely make contact with the ground. He doesn’t respond, just carries on running, his shadows barging pedestrians out of the way, making room for us. I can hear the loud cries and shouts of the people behind us, chanting like warriors.
“Sun. Sun. Kill her.” They sharpen their pitchforks with their words. Chinese whispers are causing ripples of widespread panic throughout the sea of people. Ryder pulls me fast into a side alley and drags me through a wooden door to a derelict building. The voices are still as the door shuts, and my lungs try to catch up with the air they have lost.
“Quick. Portal.” He says, and I don’t have to skip a beat to conjure it.
We run through, landing on the bones of the old Sun temple, our hearts in our throats. But we made it out alive.
Chapter Ten
I hold onto my knees for support and exhale a few shallow breaths before turning to Ryder. The God Shirin stares up at me in shame from the half-shattered podium on the floor beside me.
“What the fuck was that?!” I exclaim, dusting off the remnants of that dirty city from my clothes. He shrugs his shoulders as if we weren’t just hunted down and chased out of that realm by crazed men.
“I told you it was going to be dangerous,” Ryder remarks and begins walking nonchalantly towards the surrounding forest. “You justhadto come with me.” He smirks, his breath barely audible over my laboured breathing.
The temple’s ruins are an assault course under my feet, and I have to step over and duck underneath random bits of debris from fallen walls and crumbling ceilings to catch up to him.
