Page 29 of Blackheart

Beck was already chasing the Flamecastor. She cried out for help as he neared. He didn’t strike me as the type to fuck around about gold.

Then she halted, giving up entirely on running. Screaming, the Flamecastor barreled a flaming ball towards him.

Beck’s face flashed with panic. He had no time to block it.

“No!” I screeched, reaching out as if I somehow could.

A splash of violet and black poison snatched the flames midair, devouring them. The poison fell to the ground and sizzled into nothing.

I lifted my hand in awe. I’d done that. I’d used myNature.

In immediate retaliation, Beck landed a solid kick to the Flamecastor's stomach, sending the orb falling. The audience roared with excitement as I grabbed it. A fight had broken out across the field between a few other teams, and we only had so much time left.

Food. Warm clothes. Blankets.

Beck and the Flamecastor attacked each other with fists and elbows, both too weak to use their Nature again.Thank fuck.

I felt it too. The dizziness and nausea. Ihatedit.

The crowd’s mania rose louder as I neared the base, and Charles poked his head out from behind the tree, grinning with our storm orb. He was still alive.

Beck yelled out in pain. I glanced back. The Flamecastor was on top of him, her hands around his neck. I could end this. I was so close. Our base, where Charles bounced around, was just ahead.

“Eeee-Lorah! You owe me a kiss soon! I know we-r ya stay!” Charles shouted.

What made him think I would ever let him touch me again? My blood boiled, legs and shoulder burning. I was closing the distance, victory dangerously close.

Food, warm clothes, blankets.

“Get her!” someone shouted.

A world-spinning crack pounded against the back of my head, propelling me down. The echoing pain rang out before I hit the ground.

I blinked, my vision blurry. A rock laid next to my head.

The orb had fallen just out of arm's reach. I tried to force myself up, but my body betrayed me, beginning to shake.

Food. Warm clothes. Blankets.

A Stonesender stalked towards me. He knew he had won.

My head throbbed, and a warm trickle ran down my neck. I pressed my hand to the wound.

A screech cut through the air, the Stonesender’s confidence fading. He stopped in his tracks, petrified at whatever was happening. I moaned, finally sitting up.

Beck had a wad of the Flamecastor’s hair in his grasp, yanking her head to his chest. “Sorry,” he said breathlessly before snapping her neck in a swift motion. She fell to the ground, just as easily as the fly caught between Lord Ansel’s fingers had.

Wiping the crimson trail from his nose, Beck grinned at the Stonesender. “Your turn,” he said, shadows clouding his eyes.

Beck was teetering on the edge of burnout. He couldn’t do this on his own. My injuries weren’t ideal, but I was plenty used to pain.

I took three intentional breaths before hauling myself up with trembling arms. If there really was a monster within me, it had best keep me fucking moving. My head was spinning.

Charles was still alive at the base, hopping around and protecting our orb. “Eeeee-Lorahhhhhhh! KISS KISS KISS?—”

“Shut the fuck up!” I screamed.

As if the orb heard me, it struck the Imp with an electric bolt. His green body dropped to the ground, smoke emitting from his hands and feet. Lifeless.