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But then, Riley’s desperate voice grounded me.
“Talan!” she cried, her hands on my face, pulling me back from the precipice. “Stay with me!”
I locked eyes with her, feeling a surge of determination.
The wound itself wasn’t large, but the intensity of the pain was overwhelming.
A searing sensation radiated from the gash, spreading throughout my body in agonizing waves.
I felt lightheaded and shaky, my vision becoming fuzzy at the edges.
With a sinking realization, I knew I had been poisoned.
“No… no,” Riley whispered, her face pale as she inspected the wound.
Tears streamed down her face, her fingers trembling as she touched the skin around the slash.
Her eyes darted toward the clearing in desperation but Krexar blocked the way out.
“Let him die, little one,” Krexar said. “There is no cure for jilla poison.”
Riley glanced at Krexar’s blade, which only made our adversary smile.
He tossed it behind himself and stood more firmly in the pod’s entrance.
There was no getting past him.
He grinned maniacally at her, at the both of us.
He knew all had to do now was wait for the posion to take its effect.
“Riley…” I said, my lips already turning numb. “It’s… It’s okay.”
“No!” Riley screamed. “It’snotokay! I don’t want him! I want you! I wantyou!”
She turned back to Krexar, her eyes beseeching. “Please! Please let us win! Then we can all go home! We can all leave!”
“I can’t do that, little one,” Krexar said. “Only the victors leave this place with their lives.”
“But wedidwin! And we would have if they didn’t change the rules!”
Krexar shrugged his massive shoulders. “I am sorry, little one. For what it’s worth, I shall be gentle.”
He reached in to take her but she pulled back and clung to my arm. “Talan! Talan! No!”
I was too weak, barely even able to move my feet.
I was useless to her.
Then Riley did something neither I nor Krexar had even envisioned:
She put her mouth to my injury and sucked on it.
I hissed at the intense pain as she drew part of the poison from me.
The pain subsided but I was still as weak as a newborn.
Krexar growled. “What have you done!”
