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“Northern fuck!”
I felt the change in Rhyan’s aura the moment the chants shifted, I was so attuned to him. His aura exploded, an icy chill tampering down the darkness of Ka Kormac’s presence. I shivered in my seat, my heart twisting.
“Mother-killer!”
Brockton pushed. Rhyan stumbled. He blocked a hit, then another, ducked, kicked his foot out, and missed. Then Brockton was on top of him, pressing him down, his forehead bashing into Rhyan’s head.
The rings dissolved, the buzzing hum from each binding gone.
“Shit,” Galen muttered. “I’ve never seen anyone take down Hart.”
“He’s having an off day.”
Any other time, he would have had all five of those bastards unconscious in a minute. He would have been standing in the center of the habibellum for the four extra minutes, flicking dirt from his fingernails, looking exceptionally bored.
He was obviously still one of the best fighters in the arena, but I hated seeing this. I hated seeing him hurt. I hated seeing Brockton Kormac, of all people, get the upper hand. I hated those bastards of Ka Kormac for using his mother’s death against him.
“Looks like you don’t have the strongest apprentice anymore,” Tani yelled.
I stared straight ahead.
“Where’s your boyfriend?” she called. “No one here to defend you?”
Rhyan rolled out from under Brockton as the screams grew louder. They were cursing Rhyan, yelling obscenities, and calling him a mother-killer, a murderer, weak, a traitor, a criminal, and…a whore.
“What?” I said under my breath.Where did that come from?
Rhyan threw his arms above his head. His hands gripped the ground as his legs kicked out, and he flew back to his feet. There was something reckless in his movements now as he charged at Brockton. This time, the bastard was ready for him and kicked out so hard Rhyan flew backwards, breaking a fight between two Bamarian soturi. All three collapsed to the ground before they saw Brockton and rolled away, leaping to their feet and leaving Rhyan behind.
Brockton was on top of him again as the chants of “Whore!” and “Mother-killer!” intensified. Brockton slammed his fist into Rhyan’s face. Rhyan turned. Brockton reared back, his mouth opened wide, teeth bared, before he threw his head down on Rhyan. He clamped down on his forehead. Gods! He was biting Rhyan’s scar.
Rhyan’s scream pierced through me, and without realizing it, I was screaming, too.
“Out of bounds! He’s out-of-fucking-bounds!”
Galen grabbed my arm, holding me back from flying out of my seat, but I couldn’t stop screaming as Rhyan fought back, trying to pry Brockton’s mouth from his face.
All fighting was supposed to be below the neck, and this was Brockton’s third attack on Rhyan’s face.
Galen kept his hold on me, his deep voice now carrying across the stadium, yelling for Dairen’s and Aemon’s attention, but we were drowned out by the jeers and howls of Ka Kormac.
I screamed louder, and then I heard Haleika. As soon as she yelled, Leander froze, turning toward her in a move I prayed no one else had noticed. How he’d heard her through the racket…Gods. But then he saw Rhyan on the ground and took off, throwing Brockton backwards, crouching over Rhyan until he got him to his feet. They locked arms, Leander supporting Rhyan’s weight as he steadied him. Blood dripped down the left side of his face.
I covered my mouth with my hands as Leander punched Brockton, and some other Kormac soturion who was attempting to join the fight.
Rhyan stumbled from Leander’s grip, his arm reared back. His fist flew forward, smashing Brockton in the face. Brockton’s head snapped a second before his body flew backward, knocking over another soturion. Neither got back up. Leander rejoined Rhyan’s side. The two shared a nod, and then positioned themselves to fight back-to-back.
I turned to Haleika. Her focus was intent on our apprentices, but somehow she must have felt my gaze, as she turned.
“Thank you,” I mouthed.
Her expression was sorrowful as she offered a single nod.
But as Galen continued watching her, staring straight past me, his expression full of curiosity and jealousy, I wasn’t sure how long our secrets could remain hidden.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Themomentthehabibellumended and I could leave without being reported to the Imperator, I was gone. I needed to get to Rhyan, to make sure he was all right. Leander had stayed by his side for the rest of the fight, but Rhyan had taken some brutal hits, his feet dragging as he’d left the field.
