“I know that, but… Sin, I need you to be truthful with me. How strong are your illusions? Could you affect the entire stadium?”
“Sure,” he replied bitterly. “But it wouldn’t matter. Illusions aren’t real. There’s nothing physically there. The first time an opponent struck him they would realize it was all fake.”
“What if there was someone there? Someone you made look like Ram?”
He shook his head. “Even if I was willing to reveal my power to someone, we’d never find another igniservian in time.”
I gulped. It was now or never.
“You already have another igniservian, Sin.”
His face hardened as my words hit him. “No. Absolutely not. Didn’t you see the last battle, Rain? People die in these. I won’t help you commit suicide.”
“Sin, think about it,” I protested. “Their fire can’t hurt me. They can blast me all they want, and I won’t feel any of it.”
His firm expression wavered slightly. “Maybe,” he conceded. “But Ram is one of the best igniservians in all of Rivella, and you can’t control your flames yet.”
“So I’ll go down early on. I’ll fake an injury and concede right after the battle begins. Shame is better than death, Sin.” I took his hand firmly in mine, letting him feel my resolve. “My wholelife I’ve felt useless. Like a waste of space. But I can do this. I can save him. I just can’t do it without you.”
Frustration contorted Sin’s face as he warred with himself. “If anything happened to you—”
“It won’t. I promise. I’ll just show up long enough for people to see him, then take a dive.”
His shoulder's slumped in resignation. “Okay, but you know this all hinges on me winning my fight right? The fire battle is last. If I die…”
I punched his arm. “Where’s the cocky Sin I know? Shouldn’t you be telling me how you’ll win the whole thing in minutes with one hand tied behind your back?”
Cheers from the stadium echoed through the courtyard, and I panicked that the air battle I hadn’t even heard start was already over. “Go,” I whispered, pressing my forehead to his. “Have Cam hide Ram somewhere safe for now, then go win this. Prove to me all your swagger and confidence is warranted.”
He pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “Whatever the princess desires,” he said with a wicked grin, and it was everything I needed to slow my racing heart. My Sin was back.
He scooped Ram’s broken body into his arms and was off, racing into the tunnel and hopefully toward a win.
I headed back to the stadium before my father sent someone to search for me, even though I knew I would need another reason to leave again after Sin won. And Sin was going to win. He was stronger than all of them. I would have surrendered my heart to no less than the fiercest male I’d ever met.
If he could handle me, he could handle anything.
Chapter forty-four
My father, Dey, and Jo all gave me concerned looks when I returned. As I sat down, I noticed Cam striding out of the arena.
His ability to win the match while fearing for his brother's life spoke not only to his skill but to his faith in me. I just hoped I was worthy of it.
Down on the field, the terriservian soldiers finished digging a trench around the edges and water rushed in to fill it, setting the stage for the next match.
My hands clenched tightly as the aquiservians took their places.
I waited breathlessly for it to begin, sending out a silent prayer to whatever Gods watched over this world to protect Sin.
The horn blared, my heart stopped, and Sin burst into movement, thrusting his arms forward as streams of water leapt to his command. Shifting his body to face the Silver Court male dressed in head to toe black, Sin fired off three rapid punches that sent a trio of watery missiles at Tenyn, who dove into an evasive forward roll then popped to his feet. Sin marchedforward, arms pumping, and a dozen lances of water sprang from the trench and hurled themselves at the Silver caster.
Snarling, Tenyn spun away from Sin and slashed his hand through each water spear, dissolving them into nebulous floating blobs.
I held my breath as the watery orbs rocketed away from him, speeding back toward the male who had come to mean everything to me.
With cat-like reflexes, Sin snatched the projectiles from the air, redirected their trajectory, and allowed them to splash harmlessly a dozen yards away.
I let out my breath. He was strong. He could do this.
