“I did, but I was late to the party. I was traveling through the realms when it started; I returned home once I learned what was happening. By then, it was nearly over. I only shared a battlefield with you once, on the day they captured King Leonidas. I never saw you again after that, as you went to rescue him.”
And I’d failed, which I could never forgive myself for.
“So, no lightning here; that will make this competition unfair,” the giant continued.
“And what is so fair aboutmetrying to get throughyou? You have at least a hundred pounds and a good foot on me.”
“I can’t help it if I was blessed with a size as impressive as my looks.”
When Ellery chuckled behind me, I shot her a look. I was glad this tree of an immortal amused her. I was not as entertained.
She grinned back at me. “What? He is good-looking.”
The giant laughed as my irritation grew.
“Your lady is averysmart woman.”
“I’m not hisanything,” Ellery retorted.
The giant’s eyebrows rose as my scowl deepened. When the man looked between Ellery and me, the behemothgiggled.
I’d had enough of this shit, and Ellery’s words had irritated me more than this man ever could. They were true; she wasn’t my anything… anymore, but I didn’t like hearing her say it with such conviction. The giant was a lot bigger than me, but I was ready to beat the shit out of something.
“So, Scourge, you have your training, strength, and agility. What makes you think you won’t be a match for me?” the giant taunted.
Commonsense, but I kept that to myself.
I could defeat this man… if I stayed out of his grasp. Once this beast got his hands on me, it would be over.
“Are you coming to me, or am I going to you?” I inquired.
“We can go back,” Ellery muttered.
“No, we can’t.”
“Let’s meet in the middle.” When the giant turned to the kids and said something, someone tossed him another staff. He held it out toward me. “Loser takes a bath.”
“And what happens after that?”
“That depends on how well you take losing.”
I would enjoy seeing this man sopping wet and floating down the river.
“Good luck,” Ellery whispered as I stepped onto the tree.
I bounced a little on the log to ensure it would hold my weight before striding toward the middle. When the giant stepped onto the tree, it sagged a little but didn’t snap as he approached me.
He stopped a few feet away and tossed the other staff to me. I caught the smooth, thick wood.
I turned it back and forth as I examined it, ensuring they hadn’t given me something that would break the first time I used it against him. I had some training with staffs but not as much as other weapons that I preferred to use.
The wood was solid and ready for battle as I clasped it in both hands and focused on the giant. I would have to avoid his swings; one blow from him would probably snap my back.
CHAPTERSIXTY-ONE
Ryker
When the giantedged toward the middle, the tree sagged a little more beneath his weight. “We might both take a bath by the time this is over,” I told him.
