My Infernus surged beneath my skin. I strategically called to the bouncing melody as I ran for my life. It answered. The next thing I knew, I was smashing apart her perfectly crafted brick wall and spearing into Moira’s mind.
I didn’t have time to craft a hallucination, so I sent her subconscious a shot of fear and pulled out. Right before I opened my eyes, searing heat stabbed into my stomach.
I looked down to find Moira shaking on the ground and a dagger protruding from my body.
Gasps and cheers rang around the arena as I dropped to my knees. Oliver and Ichi shouted something, pulling my attention. I frowned. I couldn’t make out their words in all the noise. And why did it look like Rune was sleeping at their feet?
But what really confused me was MJ and Alexei.
They were shouting too—but not at me.
At Ronen.
He jerked in Alexei’s hold, his eyes pitch-black as MJ attempted to turn his head away from us. I didn’t know what she said, but I knew it had something to do with Moira. Because the way he stared ather—the way his shadows squeezed every inch of his rigid body, darkening with each second—made me think he wanted to kill her. His lover. Or former lover.
Moira groaned on the sand, and I mentally smacked myself.
This wasn’t over.
I glanced down at the knife in my stomach. It should hurt, right? But even the knife in my arm didn’t throb nearly as badly. I think I was in shock.
I moved an inch, then something wrapped around my boots, pinning me to the ground.
What the fuck?
I felt along my boots, unable to twist and see. A vine? Where the hell?—
The vine wove around my hands, securing them to my ankles. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t grab for weapons. I was completely immobilized.
Cyrus. It had to be him. Who else would help Moira cheat?
The crowd ate up the new development. I wasn’t sure they even knew what was happening— or if they could see the vines hogtying me as I leaned awkwardly back over my legs. Oliver and the rest of them knew something was wrong, but they couldn’t see either. Especially when Moira stood and blocked their view.
She smiled down at me and gripped my hair, forcing my neck back. I didn’t think her grin could get any wider—until she ripped the knife from my gut, drank in my cries, and pressed the blade against my throat.
“Even when you try, you’re worthless.”
I don’t thinkhatefully encapsulated the emotion I felt toward her. But not because of her words. I couldn’t care less about what she thought of me. The only person I imagined she had anything good to say about was herself. No, I hated her for her horrible personality and the position she was in. She shouldn’t be a leader of a Hell Squadron.
“That’s funny.”
Moira’s eyes narrowed.
“You think I give a damn about your opinion?” I pressed into her knife.
Let her think she had me. Let them all believe I was helpless and at her mercy. When it came down to it, I wasn’t about to let this bitch kill me when I could burn away Cyrus’s vines and run her through with an icicle.
A part of me wanted to win with skill alone. A larger part didn’t want Michael or the council to find me. Nor did I want to put anyone in danger. But I refused to die.
Only, when I called to my Glory and my eager Infernus, it wasn’t the crackling ice of the Glaciation Circle that answered—or any melody I was familiar with. It was a new one.
The rushing of air whispered in my ears. It whooshed in, then quieted as it whooshed out, like breathing. But what stunned me more was the purple cloud in front of Moira’s mouth, darkening and lightening with each exhale and inhale of her breath. A tiny line of purple trickled toward my face, and I pressed back, only to be stopped by Moira’s grip.
She laughed, thinking I was just trying to struggle against her. She must not be able to see what I did. When the trickle of purple air touched my lips, I had the sudden urge to breathe deeply. I gave in toit, and Moira gasped. She released my hair, dropped the knife, and clutched her throat, choking.
I tapped into the power of the Suffocation Circle.And I didn’t have to reveal my powers.
Although I was still tied up. But maybe…
