“Look, I’ll take you for ice cream after, how does that sound?”
I laugh, surprised by the sound.
“This sucks.”
“I know,” he says. “Come on, let’s do the shake.”
Spider and I have a complicated handshake. One that we perform carefully today. Our fists collide together to close it off.
“Kick ass, Warrick,” Spider says. He presses a kiss to my forehead. “Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I walk to the arena and take my place to Aric’s left. Everyone is standing in a straight line.
“You are all going to die today,” Aric promises.
I flip him off and look ahead. I need to keep my wits about me and not fall for his goading.
Ender stands on the observatory deck. I wait for a reaction.Anything. But all he does is blink as if I am no better than the other contestants. He doesn’t even bother to wish me well. I can’t believe that I fell for his lies. I thought he cared about me.
My mouth tightens. Screw him. I don’t need Ender Vale. I made it this far without him.
“Free for all,” Ender announces. “Last person alive wins.”
A horn sounds, and chills slide down my arms. It vibrates through the floor and straight into my bones.
The floodlights snap on, illuminating the circular pit.
Aric smiles like he’s already won. He rolls his shoulders, gripping two electric batons. He cracks them together, and they hum faintly as their charge activates.
I slip my blades out from my holster. The silver-edge shines, reflecting my troubled face. My dark brows are drawn tight, lips tight with fury.
“You and I will take him.” Rei nods at Aric. “Flint will handle Tyson.”
She doesn’t say the words after. She doesn’t explain that once we get rid of them both. It’ll be down to us.
We spread instinctively, forcing Aric to turn his head back and forth, measuring the distance between us. He laughs manically.
“Oh, don’t tell me you two planned this,” Aric says, pointing his baton at us both. “That’s adorable.”
He uses the distraction of his speech to lunge. He comes at me in a blur, batons cracking together with a thunderous snap. Rei tries to throw him off his feet, but he vanishes before she can hit him.
A painful thud hits my spine, and my teeth lock in pain. The electric pulses make my bones tingle, and the impact sends me flat on my back. Aric raises his weapon to crack my skull open like an almond.
I roll over, landing on my feet. I raise my knife to cut his chest, but he pivots at the last second. One of his batons catches my wrist, the other slamming into my ribs. Pain flares, bright and searing.
And before I can retaliate, he vanishes. It’s unfair that powers are allowed for the final round. I expected Ender to even the playing field for me, but it doesn’t seem like he cares if I live or die anymore.
I think about you every hour of the day.
How could he lie to my face like that? If I make it through this alive, I will never forgive him for turning his back on me before the most important ordeal of my life.
And he can forget about me partaking in the wedding. I’m going to make sure it is delayed for at least six months! I don’t know how, but I’ll make it happen.
Aric strikes my ankle. A cry escapes me, and I nearly crumble. I grit my teeth against the pain.
Rei catches him off-guard, swiping his feet out from under him, and he lands flat on his back, but he doesn’t stay down for long. They begin to spar.
