This is a terrible, terrible place to be in a fight.
He stands, looming over me, grinning a toothy, fake-looking smile at the bleachers. “Now what? Any ideas?”
I ignore the burning agony in my gut and bring my knees toward my chest, then flip backward, somersaulting to my feet while keeping low. As I straighten, I send all my energy upward. My already bruised skull meets the underside of his chin with a sickeningcrack.
Hector’s head snaps back. His eyes roll into his head, and he flies backward with a massive thud.
Get up, Aurora.Fight.
I pull myself onto my knees, fumbling for the shiv, ready for him to lunge again. But Hector isn’t moving. He’s out cold, snoring softly on the concrete.
I can’t believe it. I actually did it.
After a beat, Clay pulls me to my feet, his grip like iron.
“WINNER,” he shouts, and as the roars on the bleachers crescendo, I sway, then fade to black.
???
I wake to the taste of my own blood and the distant, familiar clanking of boiler pipes.
The ceiling comes into focus, and a shadow moves beside me. When I flinch, my stomach muscles scream.
“Easy,” Taliesin says. “A blow like that to the guts is going to hurt like a mother for days.”
No fucking kidding. “Is the girl alright?" I croak.
“See for yourself.”
She’s hunched up in the corner; gray Digger coveralls swamp her tiny frame. The girl has the body of a child, and the face of an old, old woman.
“Hey,” I croak. My throat feels like I’ve swallowed a handful of glass.
Her eyes flick in my direction, then away again. Taliesin throws a wet rag at her. “Get your shit together, kid. Aurora saved your ass, so it’s your job to nurse her.”
As he stomps out of the room, the girl shuffles nervously toward me with the cloth.
“Are you OK?” I ask, struggling to sit. The world tilts on its axis and I lie down gingerly. The back of my head hurts.
She leans over and gently dabs at my face with the grimy cloth. “I…yes. What about you?” she whispers, eyes still hollow, but the wild, suicidal glaze isn’taspresent.
It’s pretty fucking obvious I’m not alright, so I don’t reply. She continues trying to clean me up, and after a while, clears her throat. “Umm…I’m sorry…”
“Forget it.” The words come out a groan.
“I can’t,” she mumbles. “I’ll never forget it, no one has ever helped…” She trails off.
Yeah. I know the feeling. Not a soul having your back sucks.
OK. I guess I have to move. Forcing myself onto my elbows, I study the kid. She has tears running down her face. “I’m Aurora, Rory to my friends. What’s your name?”
She pauses, the rag hovering over my temple. “C-candy,” she stutters.
Her voice is so low I can hardly hear it. Shit, it’s obvious this kid has been through something awful.
Also awful is the ache in my belly. Another wave of pain hits me and I can’t stifle a moan.
“What’s going on? Is she OK?”
