“No powers. Whoever is pinned and bleeding first wins,” MJ answered.
“Almost seems unfair.” I smirked.
MJ’s mouth curved slowly as she raised her bow. “We’ll see.”
Her arrow released with a sharp twang, flying toward the hellion. I made to move toward her, but she already dove out of the way. She didn’t need my help. Something flashed in my peripheral and thwacked into my bracer. I lifted my arm. Alexei’s dagger stuck out of the hard leather.
“If you’re going to be distracted, this is going to be over before it starts,” Alexei taunted.
I thickened the blocks on the cordistella bond, then luscelered, tackling Alexei to the ground.
“That’s cheating, bastard,” he growled, slamming an elbow into my nose.
It snapped, and I grunted, feeling warmth spill down my chin.
“First blood.” Alexei’s blue eyes lit with wicked delight.
I threw a punch toward his nose to repay the favor. He dodged at the last second. My fist hit his cheekbone, and his skin split under my grooved glove.
Blood dripped into my teeth as I smiled. “Bleeding and pin?—”
Alexei grabbed my wrist and bucked, forcing me off. We rolled across the snow, throwing fists, elbows, and choking each other, hoping one of us would give. But it never happened. We fought like brothers, best friends, exhilarated by the challenge of an even playing field. Our weapons were forgotten. MJ, the hellion, and the pet all faded away. It was just Alexei and me enjoying beating the shit out of each other.
“Oh, MJ,” the hellion sang, throwing a dagger. It was a distraction while the pet luscelered behind her. Guess I wasn’t the only cheater.
MJ dodged the blade while simultaneously releasing her arrow and then notching another. She twisted, prepared for the pet to be behind her, but not so close. He snatched the arrow from her string, and the hellion luscelered beside them, smashing MJ’s empty bow into her face. MJ grunted, stumbling back with a split lip. Her fingers came away with blood, and she laughed. The hellion had just broken the rules and stolen MJ’s heart.
“You’re all cheaters,” Alexei protested, just as distracted by their fight. “I feel like that constitutes an automatic win for us.”
The pet tried to sweep MJ’s feet. She luscelered away from his attempt, ripping free two arrows and fisting them in her hands like daggers. She grinned at the other two with an expression that said,Try me.
“Looks like your team has cheaters too,” I said, slamming my forehead into Alexei’s nose and flipping him off me.
“Bastard!”
“Wasn’t there something you said about distractions earlier?” I shot back, attempting to pin him. “I was just taking your words to heart, Lex.” He struggled beneath me, and I pressed my weight into him. “One. Two.”
A hum of energy raised the hair on my arms. Alexei’s eyes filled with silver-blue flame.
“Lex,” I warned.
“I like to win,” he countered.
My shadows perked up at his admission and the electricity gathering around us. This was about to get fun.
A wrathful cry pierced the air, shattering our growing tension.
“Lucille, stop! I’m fine,” the pet shouted, trying to pull her off MJ.
Rune was there too, nudging her head into the hellion’s chest, trying to push her off. The hellion screamed again, the sound cruel and vengeful. She struggled against them as she fought to hurt MJ. Faster than I’d ever seen, the hellion had an icicle made and was driving toward MJ’s neck. A flash of red and blue fire melted it.
I released my shadows, swathing us in darkness. Switching from my normal sight to my thermal vision, I luscelered over. Based on their heat signatures, cutting off their sight didn’t stop the hellion, but it slowed her down. I grabbed the pet by his collar and ripped him out of my way. Ignoring his curse, I wrapped my arm around the hellion’s waist and dragged her, kicking and screaming, off MJ. Her Hellfire sparked white, the hottest color in my heat-signature vision. She threw a ball toward MJ, but it flickered and fizzled against a solid wall of shadows.
I lightened the mental block I had against the hellion.
Seven Hells.
The manipulative energy had grown.
