Page 56 of Black Sea

I barely had time to drop the crossbow, grab the shield, and protect myself. A point pierced through the wood and scratched my temple. I straightened up to intercept the second arrow aimed at Amlach and took advantage of the little break that followed to brandish the crossbow again and strike the first charioteer on the other shoulder.

The man plummeted to the bottom of the chariot. Left alone, his companion had to pull the reins to stop the horses.

I didn’t even get the chance to tell Amlach what I had just done, because I had to raise the shield in front of his face to block the dart from the last remaining enemy crossbow. Piercing the wood, the point cut into my forearm, making me groan.

Now, we both had to reload.

I released the shield to grab an arrow from the quiver and slot it into the flight groove of the crossbow. However, my opponent was far more experienced with this type of weapon than I was, and when I glanced at him, I found he had already taken aim.

Yet, an instant before he pulled the trigger, I realized that this fatal blow was not meant for me.

“ Amlach!” I screamed, turning toward him to hug him from behind.

To protect him with my own body.

The arrow drove into my flesh. And Amlach’s roar erupted in the Rubra arena, sounding like the most powerful and fateful sound I had ever heard.

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“Nauriel!” Amlach screamed with such intensity that, with my ear pressed against his back, I felt as though my name was thundering in his ribcage.

I turned slightly to cast a furious glance at the chariot that was chasing us. The gladiator had just notched another dart. But before he could even aim, I raised the crossbow and pressed my finger on the trigger, taking out the second charioteer as well.

I rested my head on Amlach’s shoulder. “It’s done,” I announced.

He put as much distance as possible between the three desert-dwellers who were left unharmed and us. Then he stopped the horses, tossed the reins aside in an enraged gesture, and turned to me with a look that suggested he wanted to smash my head against a wall.

“You’re so stupid,” he hissed.

“Shut up and pull it out,” I growled, offering him my arrow-pierced shoulder.

He cursed under his breath, and as he gripped the dart shaft, the point subtly moved into my flesh, causing me to take a sharp breath.

Amlach placed his other hand on my side, his breath scorching like a flame against my neck dripping with sweat. “Why the fuck didn’t you use the shield?”

“I would have never been able to take it in time,” I answered, secretly observing our three opponents closing ranks and securing the center of the arena amid the crowd’s deafening cheers.

“Then you should have let the arrow hit me,” Amlach countered. “On three, all right?”

I set the crossbow on the base of the chariot and grasped the top of its side with my left hand. “My skin is thicker than yours.”

“Perfect.”

Without any countdown, Amlach removed the arrow with a sharp tug. I ground my teeth to contain a cry of pain and glared at Amlach.

He arched an eyebrow defiantly, then lowered his gaze to my wound. A muscle twitched in his clenched jaw. “You’re bleeding a lot.”

“It will stop soon, it’s not that deep.” After all, the leather armor had fulfilled its purpose; that must be admitted. I glanced briefly at our foes, who, weary of waiting for us, were starting toward us. “Let’s go,” I said and climbed off the chariot.

Amlach took his weapon and jumped off as well. “We must first retrieve your sword.”

“I don’t need it.” I reached for the quiver on the chariot and pulled out a dart, brandishing it as if it were a dagger.

Amlach gave me a smirk, which I returned slightly, and shook his head.

So, we advanced with determination toward the desert-dwellers. When we were about sixteen feet apart, we all stopped, glowering at each other.

The man on the left and the one on the right unsheathed the curved daggers on their chests, energizing the citizens further.