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Wyatt and Riot, my twin Backs, start barking and pounding their massive chests. Soren adds another leather tie into her slick dark pony, and Kauri, ever the Wildcard, is standing slightly separate with her arms crossed.

“We know we need to win, Leaf,” my fellow Front says. Soren rolls her eyes. “This is the same speech you give before every game.”

I scoff. “This is different because it’s the qual—”

“Qualifiers!” the entire team shouts back.

“Exactly. Which is why we need to w—”

“Win!” they say in unison, stealing the words right from my mouth.

Those extra practices are really paying off. Finally, listening to their captain. Especially now that there is another player introduced into the league.

I tighten the guard around my bicep a little more.

Soren slaps my hand. “You’re going to cut off the circulation, and I need you holding that flare for as long as humanly possible.”

“Elvenly,” Kauri corrects.

I give her a flat stare, then flash my teeth.

“Yeah Gryphon thinks he can just recruit an elf onto their team. Well, we have one too, sun fuckers!” Wyatt booms to no one in particular.

Riot seems really pleased with his brother’s proclamation.

Kauri raises her eyebrows at me.

Soren drops down to the ground to do a few abdominal exercises.

I smirk at my team. We are ready for this.

“Yeah,” I say, adjusting my arm guard for the final time. “You have me. The better Elven Prince, by far.”

“Exactly, Cap!” Riot slaps me on the back.

It definitely doesn’t hurt.

A bell tolls seven times, and the game begins.

“To the tunnel!” I shout, and the team follows me through the rest of the hive locker room until we are clustered in the darkened tunnel to the amphitheater. The thumping in my chest is picking up slightly with the reverberating stoning of the massive crowds above.

The stadium roars as Pictor announces the opening of the game. To our right, another team emerges in navy blue, led by their captain—also a Front like me—and second-year Moon’cher, Gryphon.

I swear that motherfucker got bigger since I last saw him.

Prince Ladon stomps behind him, like a fish stuck on dry land. I have only been to the River Tribe territory once as a child, and given how many of the structures are submerged in water, most of the Elves become used to wading through currents. He swings a coif of blue hair over his shoulder, and Kauri swoons next to me.

My elbow twitches.

“Ow!” Kauri rubs her ribs.

I nod at Prince Ladon.

He nods back.

Sabra nods. “Oh, this is going to be ruthless.”

“Shut up, Sabra,” Soren bites.