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There were five hours before the contestants were to be stuffed inside that arena together. Unnatural beings of allspecies looking to win The Heart of Aphrodite for all the wrong reasons would be forced to brawl to the death. Sophia was skilled in one-on-one battles. Even two-on-one. But this?
She wasn’t sure she’d live to see tomorrow, and that was a terrifying thought.
But then she remembered a certain competitor whomaybe willing to help her get through the night alive. It was a long shot, but it was the only shot she had.
Decided on her next move, she broke out into a run.
Chapter Eleven
Antonio Payne
“You seem happier,” Lance commented, throwing a football to Antonio, who caught it with ease. “You never tossed a ball around with us back at Castle Brannack, but you are now.”
This was true. Antonio always found better things to do than play ball with the other clan members. Those better things being wallowing in his room alone.
Antonio shrugged, throwing the ball back to his friend. He wanted to tell Lance,because I have a reason to live again, I almost have Giselle back,but decided that may be too deep of a conversation to have during a game of catch. So he settled with saying, “I guess things are changing.”
“I wouldn’t argue with that.”
The two of them stood beside the tent Antonio pitched for himself the other day. Thankfully, it was large enough for two. In fact, it could fitat leastten immortals inside. They were camped in the middle of some grass field located just between town and the Colosseum looking arena that would host the tournament. Considering all the inns in town were booked, this field was loaded with both competitors and those here for the entertainment The Elaron Games provided. It was like an overcrowded campground.
One hour remained before Antonio and the other competitors of The Elaron Games were to be introduced to everyone. Which meant Antonio only needed to wait one more hour before he had the chance to scope out his competition.
Antonio was glad to have Lance around to keep him company while he waited for his turn to fight tomorrow. It helped the time to pass by faster, and for the last two hundred years it seemed time did nothing but pass slowly for Antonio. However, Antonio wasn’t happy when Lance admitted he didn’t entirely like Giselle. Last night Lance had explained to Antonio that he’d support him in every way, but he didn’t approve of the fey. Apparently, Lance believed Giselle died because of her own stubborn mistakes, not Antonio’s.
Antonio knew how wrong Lance was. Giselle’s death was Antonio’s fault and no one else’s. If only he had been able to control his urges the night of the full moon. If he had, then he wouldn’t have scared Giselle so much that she saw no way out except death.
Of course Giselle could’ve been a bit sweeter, but could Antonio blame her for not being so? She was born into a species terrified of any beings different from them. They were especially terrified of the monstrous werewolves that couldn’t control their lusts. It wasn’t her fault she didn’t accept him. She didn’t know any better.
But Sophia was also a fey, wasn’t she? She wasn’t scared of Antonio. She didn’t even flinch when he told her he was a werewolf. Not only that, but she willingly kissed himafterlearning what he was.
Where the hell did that fey girl come from?
Antonio became so lost in thoughts of Sophia,again,that he wasn’t paying attention when Lance threw the football his way, causing it to slam into his chest with athudand bounce into the grass.
“What’s wrong? Too busy thinking about what you’re going to do with Giselle once you get her back?” Lance jested.
Antoniowishedhe could busy his mind with thoughts of that. The truth of the matter was that he expected it to take months before she would allow him to claim her, which meant he’d have to run somewhere far away from her once every month until she was ready. Thank the gods the next full moon was occurring just before he would be given The Heart of Aphrodite and bring her back to life. At least that meant he would have almost an entire month to get her acclimated to everything before she saw the first full moon of her second chance at life.
“If only that was where my thoughts were,” he mumbled as he reached for the ball and tossed it back to Lance.
“So what is it that has your head spinning? You’ve looked distracted all day. You’re not worried about this tournament, are you?”
“Gods no.” Antonio had a long reputation of success in battles. He may have been out of commission the last two hundred years, but that didn’t mean he forgot anything. To him, killing was like swimming. You didn’t forget how to do it. His only weakness was that others knew about him and his talents. They’d be plotting how to better him on the battlefield.
They’d fail. His determination to win Giselle back was insurmountable. No one would stop him from winning The Elaron Games.
“Then what’s bothering you? You’re in a weird funk. Weirder than usual, and that’s saying something.”
That damned fey won’t get out of my head!He thought to himself, and he wasn’t thinking of Giselle.
He couldn’t understand why he couldn’t stop thinking of that loud mouthed fey. From her plain hazel eyes to her dull hair, nothing about her screamed extraordinary. So why couldn’t he just forget her?
Before Antonio had a chance to respond,thatfey girl came running into his view, her pointy ears bouncing with every step she took, her ash hair in that same tight braid.Speak of the devil…
“Antonio, I finally found you! You aresodifficult to find!”
To say he was surprised to see her was an understatement. He expected her to regret their kiss the moment she woke up, as any decent minded fey would.
