Page 20 of The Tribes of Magic (Paragons #3)

CONFRONTATION AT THE KILLFIELD OVAL

B y the time Dutch and I returned to the Scoreboard, the crowd had completely dissipated. With no Apprentices or Knights anywhere in sight, and no more than a Watcher or two standing guard outside the Black Obelisk, the district felt like a ghost town.

Dutch tilted his head back to look up at the Scoreboard. “What are we looking for?”

I scanned the list of names. “I’m not sure yet. We need to figure out who won when Bronte lost.”

He laughed. “That’s easy. Everyone, including you and I, Savannah. Bronte was at the top of the Scoreboard. When she was kicked off, everyone moved up a spot.”

“Ok, let me rephrase that: who gained the most from Bronte’s downfall?”

Dutch didn’t have an answer to that. And neither did I. Ok, so that wasn’t entirely true. I did have an answer. He just wasn’t going to like it.

“I bet you can guess which Apprentice I think is guilty.”

“Zoe,” Dutch said immediately. He didn’t even have to think about it. “But that’s just because you don’t like her.”

“Hey, she didn’t like me before I didn’t like her.”

It wasn’t the most mature response, but it was true. Zoe had had it out for me from day one, and I still didn’t know why. I’d never done anything to her.

“Look, Dutch, I don’t think Zoe is guilty because I don’t like her. I think she’s guilty because she looks guilty.”

“She looks guilty?”

I nodded. “When Bronte’s name disappeared from the Scoreboard, everyone looked completely shocked. Except Zoe. No, she looked triumphant. Almost like she’d known what was coming.”

“I think you’re seeing what you want to see.”

“Maybe, but let’s find out. Let’s go pay Zoe a visit.”

I turned away from the Scoreboard and started walking toward the road. Dutch kept step right beside me. It was nice to know he had my back, especially after the rough start we’d had.

We headed for the train station, and then back to the Oval. That’s where Dutch said we’d find Zoe. Training had been canceled for the afternoon. After all the excitement, no one could concentrate anyway.

The birds were particularly boisterous today, as though they could sense something was up.

Or maybe they were just celebrating the change in weather.

Sometime during our short train journey, dark clouds had rolled in, and the temperature had plummeted at least ten degrees.

It was still hot, mind you, just not as hot.

The breeze would have been a welcome relief during our run earlier.

Dutch and I crossed the empty street, then followed the narrow strip of sidewalk past a cluster of very similar-looking white houses.

“What are you going to say to Zoe?” he asked me.

“I’m going to tell her I know she did it and that she should come clean now before I expose her.”

“That’s very direct.”

“There’s no need to beat around the bush. I need to hit her with the accusation, hard and sudden. And then I see how she reacts.”

We found Zoe and her trusty sidekick Georgia sitting on a pair of old, rusted, lopsided swings on the other side of the grassy Oval. That was all that remained of the former playground.

Zoe and Georgia were watching a team of Fixers. Just over a week later, they were still dealing with the chaos left behind by the Techno Knight when he’d attacked the Tournament.

“Is that your mother, Savannah?” Zoe simpered. “She looks so… sophisticated in that dirty tan jumpsuit.”

Zoe’s parents were both Healers, which made Zoe think she was better than everyone else. Healers wore tidy blue uniforms and got to work inside all day, tucked away from the scorching sun and suffocating humidity. Their hands were clean, their nails neatly trimmed, and their hair perfectly styled.

“Is that a hole in her sleeve?” Zoe gasped with glee. She turned to look at her sidekick. “I suppose Fixers aren’t important enough to warrant fresh clothes.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and gave Zoe a cool look. “Actually, my mom’s not here. And she’s a Mixer , not a Fixer , but I understand your confusion. Learning the alphabet is very challenging.”

Zoe opened her mouth, but I was faster on the draw. “You know, there’s a word for people like you, Zoe. People who push others down in order to pull themselves up.”

Zoe’s arrogant gaze locked with mine. “Yeah, we’re called winners .”

“No. You’re called pathetic.”

Zoe rolled her eyes at me. “Shouldn’t you be off comforting your little cheater friend?”

“Actually, Bronte is the reason we’re here.”

“Why? Did you decide to ditch the broken little princess so you could hang out with someone way cooler? Sorry, but I don’t socialize with losers.” She and her sidekick Georgia exchanged amused glances. “But you can stay, Dutch. You’re not a loser.”

“Maybe later.” His expression was cool and guarded, but his words still annoyed me a little.

At least he was here, helping me save Bronte. That counted for something. Georgia, on the other hand, was fair game.

I turned to her, trying to keep my hands from shaking. I was just so angry. “How can you still want to hang out with Zoe? She is so mean and looks down on everyone. Even you. She treats you like her lackey. Are you ok with that?”

Georgia’s laughter stalled. She looked at Zoe in confusion, like she was a robot waiting for instructions.

“Don’t listen to her,” Zoe told her sidekick. “She’s trying to confuse you. I always look out for the people loyal to me.”

Her gaze slid to Dutch. I wondered if she considered him still loyal to her. He was here with me, after all. Dutch really needed to stop hanging out with such mean people like Zoe and Rhett. He was better than that.

But I wasn’t here to make Dutch come to his senses. I was here to help Bronte.

“I know what you did,” I told Zoe.

“Oh?” She smirked at me. “And what is that?”

“You got Bronte disqualified.” I kept my voice level. Quiet. Calm. That last one was hard, given who she was.

“And just how do you think I got her disqualified?” she replied coolly.

“You planted fake footage of Bronte to make it look like she strayed into a restricted zone.”

Zoe burst into laughter. “That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard—even from you , Savannah.

” The swing let out a pitiful screech when she hopped off of it.

“I don’t know anything about faking videos.

That sounds like the kind of shady business your shady family would be involved in, not mine. ”

She’d gotten really close, pushing herself in my face. I dug in my feet and held my ground. I was not going to let a bully like Zoe intimidate me.

“Look, I don’t know why you hate me so much?—”

“ I hate you?” Zoe cut me off. “You’re the one accusing me of getting Bronte kicked off the Scoreboard!”

“You sure looked happy when she was disqualified,” I pointed out.

“And I wasn’t the only one,” replied Zoe. “Here’s a newsflash: no one actually likes Bronte Vance, that special snowflake ‘superstar’ overachiever. She’s dominated the Scoreboard for way too long, and no one was sad to see her go.”

“So you did everyone a favor by getting her disqualified?” I countered.

“I didn’t get anyone disqualified.” Zoe planted her hands on her hips. “You’re just trying to fit me into the narrative you’ve constructed for me.”

“Because you’re such a nice girl?”

“Uhhhhh-NO. But I would never cheat if it meant I was helping you too.”

“Helping me? How does Bronte’s plight help me?” I said, exasperated.

“Because you moved up one spot on the Scoreboard.”

“So did everyone else! Bronte was at the top.”

“Exactly.”

“This doesn’t make any sense at all.”

“Then let me spell it out for you, Savannah, clear and simple. I would never , ever do anything to give you even the teeniest , tiniest advantage, even if it meant getting rid of that insufferable know-it-all Bronte Vance.” Zoe shot me a look of pure loathing.

I held her stare for a few more moments, then turned to Dutch. “I think we’re done here.”

“Yeah, you are!” Zoe shouted and plunked back down onto the screechy swing.

As I walked off with Dutch, I couldn’t help but wonder what I’d ever done to make Zoe hate me so much.