Llinos gasps beside me.
My teeth are gritted as I look Holden in the eye, determined not to show even a hint of the fear that roils in me.
‘First team with everyone down loses. We will begin on my countdown.’
‘I can put a shield around us,’ Llinos hisses hastily. ‘Wind-based. Not sure how much it will protect from certain powers, but it should prevent some of the fire from reaching you.’
I’m grateful that my friends aren’t even trying to pretend the aim of this task is to win. No, our objective is completely different. It’s to keep me alive.
‘I’ll aim at Zara,’ Jonas says. ‘It should make it more difficult for her to attack you.’
‘It would be better if I bind her.’ Kestria is now standing at my side. I didn’t even see her appear. ‘I heard what they did. I get what this is. If I bind her, she won’t be able to do anything.’
‘You’re a siphon?’ I ask in surprise.
‘A bind. Similar but not quite the same. And I can only work on one person at a time.’
‘It’ll make you a target,’ I warn her. ‘The others will come for you if they know you’re the one stopping Zara from using her magic.’
‘Yeah.’ Kestria shrugs. ‘It’s the same for Jonas and anyone else who tries to help. I’m fine with this. Just do me a favour and make sure one of you gets Odetta to her knees.’
‘Done,’ Benny promises.
I don’t know what her vendetta is against the Dorain Rettling, nor do I need to. She’s on ourside.
‘I’ve got daggers,’ Grenda says, seeming unperturbed by what we face. ‘I’ll stick to tried and trusted methods.’
I shoot Benny a glance and see his jaw tick. I know he’s been desperate to know exactly what her powers are since we got here, but it doesn’t look like today’s going to be the day he finds out.
Holden is now walking away from us, clearing the battle yard so he doesn’t get caught in the crossfire. ‘Now, if you’re all ready, we will still start on my whistle and end when all of one team is on the ground. Three, two?—’
‘Fuck!’ I drop straight to my knees as my most recent injury flares back to life. I should have known the bitch wouldn’t wait until it was actually time to start. The first burn begins to rise on my arm, and I wait for it to spread across my entire body. But there’s nothing. Just that single patch.
‘I’ve got her!’ Kestria yells to me.
In terms of Holden’s game, it doesn’t mean anything. I’m already on the ground. Out of it. For a naïve second, I think it’s going to be enough for them to stop attacking me. I’m wrong.
The first fireball lands only inches from where I’ve dropped.
I’m down on the ground, yes, but apparently I’m not out.
Well then. With Mattieu in my sights, I pull a dagger from its sheath and prepare to throw it at the fire wielder, only for him to blast me again as the dagger leaves my hand. It lands uselessly two feet from him.
‘Shit!’ I mutter as he prepares his next attack. ‘Llin!’ I yell out. ‘Mattieu!’
‘Sorry! Bit slow there.’
She moves to take a place in front of me, giving her a better chance of blocking me from Mattieu’s power. When two blasts come for me simultaneously, she shoots me a worried look.
‘Who the hell’s doing that?’ Llin asks.
‘Odetta!’ Kestria shouts back. ‘It’s Odetta.’
Odetta’s also a fucking flame wielder. Great. With her, Mattieu, and Zara, that’s three strong, offensive powers against us. Or rather, against me. Some of the Rettlings on the opposing team are actually trying to fight a fair game and focusing their attention on other members of our group. But not enough.
One of the Galreck Rettlings is a wind weaver and is pushing Llin with all her force, while another one is in a fistfight with Baylis. Blood is smeared over both of them already, though who it’s coming from, I can’t tell.
‘Got them!’ Grenda shouts, throwing two daggers simultaneously into the shoulders of the Galreck Rettlings. It stops the wind weaver, but not the one fighting Baylis. The way he barely flinches, it’s like he can’t even feel pain. As I watch on, my chest tightens. Not just from fear, but also something more. My throat is burning and my lungs are struggling to get any air in. It’s as though they’re filling with smoke all over again.
