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“It means it’s you.” Earth jokes didn’t perform as well in Talamh. I needed to keep that in mind going forward, but there were some recent sayings that were hard to break.
He shook his head. “Then why not just say that?”
A loud shriek cut off our conversation, reminding us of where we were.
Kieran frowned and released me. He took my hand, tugging me away from the oak’s support, and scanned me. “Are you okay to keep going? We need to move in case the other manticores come here to investigate their friends’ deaths.”
As if I had a choice in the matter. They wouldn’t let me out of a trial because of shoulder and head injuries. If anything, they’d cut me so I bleed more. “Let’s move.” I didn’t want to be here for the other monsters’ return. I’d like a moment to shake off the last fight before we fought again.
Though my head hurt, it was more manageable. The ground didn’t shift with each step like before, so that had to count for something.
I stretched out my wings as Kieran and I moved quietly through the woods, listening for any hints of the monsters and other contestants.
A roar came from a quarter mile away, and Kieran and I ducked under a tight group of three oaks as two manticores flew overhead. They headed in the direction we’d come from, and I wondered if they were, in fact, searching for their friends.
After a few beats, Kieran and I continued and soon heard blades clanging through the woods.
That had to be Silent Man and Curry.
Kieran nodded in that direction. We should watch the fight and see who the survivor is.
My stomach roiled. He was right. It would help to know who we were up against, but that meant Kieran and I would be two of the last three survivors. The inevitable that I kept pushing from my mind couldn’t be ignored for much longer.
Would Fate be so cruel as to pit Kieran and me against one another?
Hey, everything will be all right, Kieran assured me as he squeezed my hand.
The clanking of metal grew louder, and I couldn’t believe there weren’t any manticores there. The noise alone should’ve attracted them, but when a mourning wail filled the air from where we’d killed four of the monsters, I realized what was taking place. Maybe these monsters weren’t heartless and had a lion’s pride mentality.
With that thought, we stepped around a tree, and the two men came into view.
Curry and Silent Man fought in the center of a small clearing, their swords clanging and glinting as they danced around each other. Kieran and I paused. There wasn’t an easy place to hide and watch, but that would be futile anyway.
If we hid, the winner of the match would hunt us down.
With each block Silent Man made, Curry pushed him back. Silent Man stumbled a step but managed to stop a blow to his head. Curry put pressure on the man’s sword, trying to power through and slice his face, but Silent Man kept holding on.
Part of me wanted to help Silent Man. I didn’t know why since he was as likely to kill me as Curry, but he hadn’t done anything horrible to me or anyone else in the games, as far as I knew.
I’d stepped forward to help him when Kieran wrapped an arm around my waist.
What do you think you’re doing, Alina? Kieran asked, concern rushing into me.
It was a valid question, but I had no reason not to join the fight. Three people would die, and I damn well wanted to make sure Curry was one of them. Ending this, I answered, slipping from his hold and racing toward the other men.
As I stepped out into the clearing, I lifted out my hand, the vines listening to my call. A vine snaked from the ground, wrapping around Curry’s sword hand.
Snarling, Curry kicked Silent Man in the chest, and the man fell back as Curry turned to face me. He grabbed a knife from his side and sliced through the vine. I conjured more earth magic as he rushed toward me, dodging each and every one. He held his sword high and readied to attack.
Letting my fire magic pulse out, I shot a stream of flames at him, which he countered with his water magic and a shocked shout. Steam hissed from the two clashing elements as he barreled toward me.
I’d just lifted my other hand to send pulses of the earth magic to capture Curry again when Silent Man stood and ran toward me.
Clearly, I shouldn’t have felt obligated to help him. The prick.
I went back to focusing my earth magic against Curry, wishing like hell I’d removed the dagger from the manticore’s stomach when it had fallen. This was all I had.
I’ll take Curry. You fight Daniel, Kieran said as he came to my side. Take my sword.
