Karrick let out a howl of agreement, and the rest of the team joined in. We broke from the huddle with renewed energy, taking our positions on the field.
I caught Ash’s eye one more time as I lined up behind center. He’d stopped talking to the fae girl and was leaning forward in his seat, hands gripped together in what looked like a prayer. His shadows were more visible than usual, even with the bracers, swirling anxiously around his feet. I wondered if he could sense how important this moment was, if our connection ran that deep.
“Red twenty-seven! Red twenty-seven!” I shouted, my voice carrying across the field. “Set! Hut!”
The ball snapped into my hands and I immediately rolled right, faking a handoff to our running back. The Moonhaven defense bit on it, their line collapsing toward the middle. Exactly as I’d planned.
I sprinted toward the sideline, my receivers already in motion. Trent, our sophomore kraken, broke free on a crossing route. Daisuke was streaking down the left sideline. And Karrick, always reliable, was cutting toward the end zone with three defenders on his tail.
I pumped once, making the werewolf safety commit to Trent, then launched the ball deep. It sailed through the air in a perfect spiral, and for a moment, time seemed to slow. I watched Karrick leap, his massive form defying gravity as he stretched out those clawed hands.
The ball hit his palms with a satisfying thwack. He pulled it in, tucked it against his chest, and came down in the end zone just as two Moonhaven defenders crashed into him.
Touchdown.
The crowd went absolutely insane. I heard Ash’s voice above all the others, a pure whoop of joy that made my heart soar. I turned to see him jumping up and down, his arms raised high despite the bracers, his face split in the widest grin I’d ever seen on him.
Gods, I was in so much trouble. Spell or no spell, bond or no bond, I was falling for him hard. And there was no coming back from it now.
The fourth quarter was a brutal back-and-forth. Moonhaven scored twice, and we answered both times. With two minutes left on the clock, we were tied again, and I could feel exhaustion setting into my bones. Every muscle screamed, my lungs burned, and I was pretty sure I’d taken a hit that cracked at least one rib. Magic would sort that out later.
But we had the ball, and we had one more chance.
I called the team into a huddle, ignoring the throbbing in my side. “This is it,” I said, looking each of my teammates in the eye. “Everything comes down to this drive. One minute forty-seven seconds to win this game.”
I could see the exhaustion on their faces, the way Karrick’s massive chest heaved with each breath, how even Daisuke’s normally perfect posture had started to sag. But I also saw the determination burning in their eyes.
“We’re going to run the Twilight Special,” I announced.
That got their attention. The Twilight Special was a play I’d designed but we’d never actually used in a game. It was too complicated, required too much trust, too much precision. But right now, with everything on the line, I knew it was our best shot.
“You sure about that, Captain?” Jackson asked, his eyes wide.
“Positive,” I said, projecting more confidence than I felt. “They won’t see it coming. Karrick, you’re the primary. Trent, you’re the decoy. Daisuke, I need you to sell the fake on the left side. Everyone else, protect the pocket. Give me three seconds and I’ll make this work.”
We broke from the huddle and lined up. My heart was hammering so hard I could feel it in my throat. I glanced toward the stands one last time. Ash was on his feet, his hands pressedtogether at his chest. Even from here, I could see his lips moving, like he was whispering something. A spell maybe? A plea? With the bracers on, he shouldn’t be able to cast anything, but the shadows around his feet were darker than they should be, swirling with an intensity that made the students near him edge away.
“Blue eighteen! Blue eighteen!” I called out, my voice hoarse from shouting all game. “Set! Hut!”
The ball hit my hands and I dropped back, my offensive line forming a wall of protection around me. Daisuke broke left, three defenders following him. Trent went right, drawing two more. That left Karrick one-on-one with their safety.
I watched it unfold like I’d drawn it up on the whiteboard. Karrick faked inside, then broke toward the corner of the end zone. The safety bit on the fake, stumbling slightly. That half-second was all the opening I needed.
I planted my back foot and threw with everything I had left. The ball spiraled through the air, and for a moment, I lost sight of it in the stadium lights. My ribs screamed in protest, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was whether the ball found its target.
Karrick stretched out, his claws extended. The Moonhaven safety recovered, leaping to deflect the pass. They collided mid-air, a tangle of fur and muscle and desperation.
The ball came down.
Karrick hit the ground.
The referee’s arms shot up.
Touchdown.
The crowd erupted in a sound so loud it felt like the stadium itself shook. Underneath it all was the sound of the buzzer signaling that the game was over. Widdershins Academy had won.
I didn’t even think. My body moved on pure instinct, adrenaline overriding every ounce of royal training and common sense I’d ever possessed. I vaulted over the bench, ignoring Coach Flannery’s surprised shout, and sprinted toward the stands.
