So, I remember every lie anyone has ever told me and picture the people who betrayed me standing in Ten’s place as I defend each strike, repelling him as best as I can.
“Move your feet, Ever. Check your stance and keep the blade up,” Crimson calls pointers from the sidelines.
“Quiet!” Fenix snaps, and it’s the first sign of weakness from him. This is harder for him than keeping people immobile. He tossed me off that cliff and kept all of us in our place in the fight with Calix with ease.
“Watch out!” Crimson calls, and I switch my eyes to Ten as he rounds on me, arcing his arm wide and slicing the air with the blade. My own blade catches his, but then slides off the edge, and runs in a sweeping motion, catching Ten across the torso.
“Ten!” I drop the sword to the ground as blood seeps into his shirt. But he doesn’t drop the blade. Fenix pushes him forward, and he lunges, swinging it towards me. I’m not quick enoughand have nothing to defend against the weapon. It slashes across my shoulder, the pain blazing like a whip and branding me with a matching red stain on my shirt.
“Arghhhh!” Ten’s strangled cry cuts its own wound through my heart to match the one he put on my arm, and it breaks a part of me that my brother—my blood—would play this game. He wants me to cooperate, and then does this?
“That’s enough, Fenix.” The Usher’s voice squeals out.
“We were just getting to the good part.”
“You monster. You really think this is the way to get me to train with you? To help you?” I roar.
“It’s worked, hasn’t it? You’ve used your magic offensively without touch. You’re learning to fight on the battlefield.”
“This isn’t a fucking battlefield, Fenix,” I snap back.
“It will be.”
With the menacing threat, he turns and leaves, letting Ten drop to his knees, the control over him seemingly gone.
I race to him, as does Crimson, and we both check the wound that’s gone straight through his shirt. I bunch up the fabric to put pressure on the bleeding. The sight of him like this is another stab to my heart.
“We need a healer!” I shout. “You said you’d give us one after training. Or do you expect just to pick us to pieces and make us weaker day by day?”
“Ever, I’m sorry.” Ten’s voice is hoarse and thick with regret.
“Don’t. Don’t apologise. You had no control.”
“I couldn’t fight it. It was…”
“Shh, Ten. Save your strength,” Crimson comforts, and I bite down on my instinct to tell her to get away from him. She’s here to help. Risking her life for me. We’re not rivals now.
I stand and march toward the Usher who’s been keeping watch like a decrepit old bird, peeking out from behind the safety of his hood.
“We need a healer. Now.” If I had any strength left, I’d have forced that thought into his mind as if I were wielding an axe to chop wood. But even thinking about it makes my vision blur, and my head pound.
He ruffles his cloak and nods to the side of him, apparently into thin air, before he, too, turns and leaves.
I walk back towards Ten and Crimson, exhaustion now closing in and winning against the adrenaline rush. Every part of my body wants to give in and sleep, more so than any training that happened at The Court.
Ten’s on his back, lying in the dirt, his shirt balled to the cut on his stomach. Crimson’s still cradling her broken wrist.
The urge to cry, scream, and vent is there, but instead of a roaring flame, it’s a simmer—a glow, gathering strength. But I won’t let it die out. I will let it continue to grow, build, and burn until nobody can extinguish me, and I will get us out of here.
Clare, the girl I followed this morning, approaches us, with two other women following her. They don’t introduce themselves or speak to each other or us. But the three of them join hands in a row, before Clare holds her hand towards Crimson.
She looks to me, scepticism flashing in her blue eyes, but turns away, as if not trusting to watch as she holds out her arm to Clare.
She takes it, and the oldest woman completes the circle and presses her hand to Crimson’s wrist.
It reminds me of what Perrin did to me after that day in the ring against Calix.
The three of them close their eyes, and I observe them and Crimson, but also feel Ten’s eyes watching me in turn.
