Page 27 of Blackheart

As we waited for the game to officially begin, I scanned the bits of the field that were actually visible. There were no indicators of where the other two bases were, but the arena was only so big, with only so many trees and hills to hide behind. Finding them wouldn’t be the challenge.

Lord Ansel created our team's orb with ease, a storm tapped inside of a light blue sphere the size of my palm. It was remarkably different from others I had seen in the past. A Dreamsoul’s, while the other teams would have signature balls of light from the Lyonheart Witchlords.

“It’s not uh… er—heavy!” Charles marveled, grasping the orb. The king and his council would never approve, but I skipped the prayer to Fate and instead sent one to the Mother of Moons that Charles wouldn’t lose our orb. He was sneaky when he wanted to be, and a pain in the ass. Hopefully, he’d use those skills for good.

“Remember, don’t lose,” was the last bit of shitty guidance from Lord Ansel as he left us at our base.

My chest ached. I wasn’t ready.

Hardly a minute later, a loud horn echoed through the field.

Begin.

Charles gripped the storm orb tightly between his long, warted fingers, and gave us a promising nod. Beck wasted no time moving, trusting me to follow. Sighing, I reluctantly left Charles to guard our base and hurried to catch up.

The warm light above dimmed to a deep blue, while fog rapidly spread across the field.

“Splendid,” Beck mumbled. It wouldn’t be easy to navigate. The Witchlords had made sure of that.

“Don’t poison me when I touch you,” Beck warned. “I’m going to guide us.”

If only he knew I was more afraid of using my Nature than he was of feeling its wrath. I nodded, letting him grab my wrist.

We sprinted through the fog. My heart pounded in my chest as I spent every second anticipating running into an opponent.

As we traversed the field, the roar of the crowd fell away, almost as if muted. Beck’s nature took over, shadowing us. Our footsteps made no sound. Our clothes, devoid of any rustling.

It was only for a moment, but he’d still used his nature far longer than I could have.

I panted as I leaned my back against a tree. Beck hooked an arm around my shoulder and held a finger to his lips.

Lyander, a Stonesender, was just ahead. He wore a dark blue shirt and had spiky brown hair that pointed towards the rapidly darkening sky. As he snuck up to invade a base, his steps were sly enough not to attract the attention of the brutish Blackheart who guarded it.

I knew him, too. Aeri. Neither of them had any idea that Beck and I were watching.

“Keep an eye on them. I’ll be back after finding the other bases,” Beck said into my ear. He was gone faster than a penniless father.

Lyander charged towards the brute when he wasn’t looking. As Aeri turned his head, Lyander’s hands released a burst of pebbles directed at the orb in the Blackheart's grasp.

It was either a friendly approach, a warning, or a lack of ability. Nevertheless, the orb was knocked from Aeri’s grip andsent rolling down the hill. He let out a guttural growl that promised no less than a brawl.

The orb was for taking, and I had empty hands.

Aeri ran at Lyander, muscles rippling and veins bulging. Lyander was ready, his arms shaking as rocks exploded from his palms, building a barrier between them. The Blackheart hardly slowed down, pushing right through the wall until his fist connected with Lyander’s pale cheek.

Mother of Moons.

Their attention was focused on killing each other rather than the glowing, pulsating orb in the grass. Waiting for me. I bolted before I could change my mind.

I’d moved approximately ten feet before making the mistake of glancing back. Lyander stood over Aeri’s body, suffocating the Blackheart on a necklace of rocks as he clawed at his throat.

Then Lyander spotted me, murder in his eyes.

My stomach fell through my ass as he realized where the orb was.

“Don't be scared,”Lord Ansel had said. Yeah, well, he wasn’t the one out here. Fear kept one foot in front of the other as I swept up the orb and ran straight into the fog. Through the blur, it seemed to separate, making a path for me and swallowing the world behind.

Looking back was not an option, and there was no use in worrying about where I was going. The only footsteps I heard were my own. It was as if Lyander had given up. But that couldn’t be possible?—