Page 30 of Blackheart

Our orb had electrocuted him.

Beck charged the Stonesender as he ran towards me,towards the orb.I flung myself on top of it, using my body as a shield. The Stonesender clawed at my shoulders, pulling me like a wild animal fighting for food.

“I’ll kill you!” he screamed with crazed desperation. He knew the value of this victory. He knew how horrible these winters were. “You wretched bitch! Let go!”

I held on, squeezing my eyes shut just as he punched the back of my head. I choked back a cry. The impact of his fistwas somehow worse than the rock. It was all I could do to fight against the darkness at the edges of my vision.

Then everything stopped.

There was no more pulling and punching. I blinked against wet eyes, the light of the arena nearly impossible to bear. An icy shiver ran down my spine, a reminder that I was still very much alive.

Beck landed a tooth-knocking hit into the Stonesender’s face as the two of them brawled next to me. Across the field, another team ran with the third orb to another base. I had to move.

Get up, dammit,I begged my body.

A bone snapped. I could not force myself to look to see if it was Beck’s or the Stonesender’s. I heaved myself up and stumbled forward with the orb, limping as I counted my steps.

One, two, three,

Someone belched and gagged behind me, likely vomiting. Maybe even burning out.

Four, five,

A woman’s voice screamed at an octave I didn’t know was possible. The smell of melting flesh permeated the air.

Six, seven, eight,

The line was so close.

Nine, ten.

I cried out as I fell to the base.

A horn sounded, and the Waywards roared with cheers. The world became so loud, the thoughts in my head faded into the distance.

I lay in the grass, Charles’ body a few feet away. Had Lord Ansel done that? Or was Charles just that stupid?

The spectators were a howling beast above, but I couldn’t move, much less give them a victorious show of pride.

“What are you doing on the ground? We won,” a slick voice said, smiling proudly over me. Beck was bloodied and dirty, but it could’ve been much worse.

“You’re not dead,” I whispered, examining his brown eyes.

“Of course not. You, though, look ready to join Charles,” he said, extending a hand.

I took it, grimacing as I stood. My head was pounding.

The partying had already begun and would go on all night. How many people had bet on us losing? How much money had been made tonight? Gazing across the field, I counted the cost of the victory. At least five lives, maybe more. They’d died for this. Was it worth it?

While winning was a complete shock, I was in more disbelief that I’d used my Nature to smother a flame.

The Witchlords gathered once more, talking amongst themselves, hashing out coins.

How much had I actually earned? I prayed it was enough for a blanket, a fresh loaf of bread, and a warmer sweater.Thatwould be a dream.

Lord Ansel took long strides across the field, his cloak billowing behind him.

I swallowed as he approached, motioning to Charles’ body. “Did you kill him?”