“I wish I could’ve competed,” Amantha said with a glum sigh. “If I hadn’t messed up my program, I’d be getting ready right now.”
“There’s always next year,” Finlay told her, putting an arm around her shoulder. “Pay attention to the competition, so you know what to focus on.”
Amantha gave a resolute nod. I, meanwhile, tried not to jump out of my skin.
This competition wouldn’t be easy. There were a variety of very skilled Russians competing today that would do anything to get on the podium. Emma had to be at the top of her game if she wanted to place.
The pairs and ice dancing competitions had been held earlier. The men’s short program was next. I tried to pay attention, but struggled, as all my thoughts were consumed by Emma. I put a mental block on our bond, so my nerves wouldn’t travel over to her. She checked in while she was stretching in the locker room, but I brushed back, letting her know I was giving her space to concentrate. She ducked out, then, and I felt our connection fade as she continued warming up.
Jasper gave a very dramatic performance. Ozzie was hopping up and down out of his seat by the end of it. When the men’s short was over, Jasper and another skater were neck and neck. Tomorrow’s long program would determine which of them would take gold.
The ladies’ competition was the premier event. Thousands of people in multiple countries would be watching. Emma’s skate had been televised before in Malovia, but on a much smaller scale. I hoped she could handle the pressure.
I almost felt sick as the women took the ice for their warm-up practice. I recognized a lot of the skaters on the ice as former champions, people Emma had looked up to and idolized. Now she was competing against them. Emma’s program was somewhere in the middle of the event, so I tried to control my base urges and remain still as each skater took the ice.
I knew this was a big deal for her. If Emma got on the podium, she’d most likely be chosen to participate in the Winter Olympics on the Malovian team next year. She wassoclose to achieving her dream, what she’d worked for all her life. I could see in her eyes how desperately she wanted it, and because of it, I desperately longed for it, too.
“I’m going to concessions,” Alexei announced. “Kiara, do you want anything?”
“What I want, you can’t give me,” Kiara said sharply. Her tone burned with resentment.
Alexei gave a harsh noise. “Wow.”
“Guys,” I snapped. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with their petty argument at the moment. They still hadn’t made up, and it was far from annoying at this point. We were all here to support Emma. They had to stop making this about them and their dancing around a relationship.
Alexei shut up, while Kiara leaned in to speak quietly with Delmare. Odette reached out, and offered her hand. I took it, because I needed something to do to stop my hands from shaking.
Eventually, Gabby took the ice. I was hoping the pressure would be too much for her, but unfortunately, her program was solid. She completed every jump and spin like she was born to do it, and it irked me immensely.
“Fall, fall, fall,” Delmare chanted under her breath, but Gabby never did. By the end, she didn’t make any mistakes, and therefore, her score was respectable. When she got off the ice, all of us were quite sullen. In the royal booth across the rink, Elijah puffed up his chest, clearly proud. He was sitting beside a variety of government officials from many different countries, who looked impressed.
Emma was skating directly after Gabby. I bounced my legs anxiously. I hadn’t even been this nervous for some of my biggest hockey games. At least then, I’d be out on the ice doing something. I felt utterly powerless here. This was all up to Emma.
My heart leapt into my throat as I watched her take center ice. I tried to read her face, but her expression seemed clear. Lady Magdalina stood behind the boards, watching her like a hawk.
The music struck up, and her short program began. It was like I forgot to breathe as I watched her skate across the ice. Emma prepared for her first jump, but from the moment she launched, I could tell she went into it wrong. She wavered in the air, and landed on one foot, but the landing was flimsy and awkward. She toppled over, smashing onto her hip.
I jumped out of my seat, my hand yanking from Odette’s grasp. My reaction was unwarranted, because Emma got right back up, but still— I was terrified that this was a repeat of her short program at the Malovian Championships, where she’d fallen so harshly she’d nearly hurt herself. That had been brutal to watch, and it had torn through me.
“She’sfine, Ethan. Sit down.” Stefan yanked me back to my chair. My body was tense as my eyes never left Emma’s form. Behind her smile, Emma wore a look in her eyes that told me determination had replaced any worry she felt. She was dead-set on getting what she wanted, and that was the gold.
I held my breath during each jump she took, but she didn’t fall again. Emma performed the rest of the program with ease, and at its end, I found myself applauding louder than anyone else as she took a curtsy to the crowd. Her performance had been good, overall, save for the fall at the beginning. I hoped the judges wouldn’t discredit her too harshly for it.
Emma sat with Lady Magdalina in the kiss-and-cry. Her score came on screen. It was 81.10. It put her in third place, behind Gabby and a Russian girl.
It was better than what she’d done in the Malovian Championships, but Emma scowled. Clearly, she wasn’t satisfied with how she’d done. The rest of the skaters finished off the event. No one surpassed Emma, although another Russian had come very close to her score, and was right on her tail in fourth place.
We left the stand to greet her, but the nervousness hadn’t faded from my gut. This competition was far too close. One misstep, and Emma could fall off the podium altogether. I only hoped that she could surpass her own personal best tomorrow.
Emma was still scowling when I met her outside of the locker room. I took her skating bag, so she wouldn’t have to carry it. “You did well,” I told her as we walked to the exit.
“Not well enough,” Emma said. “I’m already behind.”
“Yes, but you’re still in the running,” I told her. “The scores are very close.”
“Did you see those Russians? I’ll need to pull off a higher score tomorrow than I ever have if I want to earn a medal, let alone beat Gabby,” Emma said. “I’ve never been that good before.”
“You will be.” Emma wanted this. The most important job I had was to keep her focused and collected for the next twenty-four hours until she took the ice again. Her mindset would determine how she’d place tomorrow, and I was intent on keeping her calm until then.
