“You’re going to regret that,” Richard hissed as he moved away.
“Yawn.”
“Daniel, thank you for bringing that to our attention. However, unless you wish to forfeit, you must continue your own fight.”
A bruised Troy was standing on the edge of the pit, his colossal chest rising up and down.
Oh yeah…that.
I nodded.
“Then resume combat.”
Troy ran at me like a stampeding bull. Every inch of me screamed to give up; my mind felt like shredded wool. But instead I ran back at him. Waiting until there was only a split second left, I dived to the ground and watched his fist slam into thin air. I sprang back to my feet and jumped into a spinning kick.
The force of his own bodyweight, combined with the kick, sent him sliding back into the sand. I clambered on his back and placed the sharp bone of my forearm against his windpipe, locking it in place with my other hand. A crooked elbow was easy to get out of, but a straight arm was almost impossible. I cried out in pain as he delivered elbows into my thighs and ribs, but I held fast.
His face turned bright red as he struggled to stay conscious. He tried to stand up, but he was weakening. I bore down with every bit of strength I had, all the while pulling tighter. My arms were trembling and my own face was growing hot from the sheer effort. It was like trying to take down a rhino on steroids. Another sharp blow hit me in the rib, and I felt it crack. The pain was so intense I almost let go, but I gave one final pull on the sleeper hold – everything I had left – and his head went limp.
The crowd went mental; the sound was so loud it was deafening. I rolled off, gasping. I tried to lift my arms, but they had turned to jelly. A couple of agents ran in, carrying the booster shots. One grabbed my wrist and injected the liquid. I grit my teeth as the veins swelled up and threatened to burst. But then the strange sensation was replaced by glorious numbness, and I relaxed.
The other agent had injected Troy and was warily slapping the side of his face to bring him around.
“Troy, are you okay?” I croaked, touching his back with a shaking arm. He produced a long, low moan and rolled over. His face broke into a dopey grin.
“I can’t believe you won.”
I had to take a moment to catch a breath.
“Trust me…nor can I.”
We were given ten minutes to recover before the final fight took place. I sat on the edge of a sand dune, staring down at my feet as the booster helped the worst of my wounds heal. I knew it would be at least a full day before I felt normal again.
I dug a globule of congealed blood from my mouth with my tongue and spat it into the sand. I traced the thin line where my split lip had started to heal. My mouth felt several sizes too small for my teeth. I was rubbing my jaws when I heard the sound of someone approaching.
Squinting against the beam of hot sunlight that was streaming down on me, I looked up to see Hollie. Her wounds still looked nasty, the booster having brought out most of the swelling and bruises, but from what I’d learned about the shots, she’d be as good as new by tomorrow.
“Mind if I sit down?”
I gestured to the patch of sand next to me. “Sure.”
“I just wanted to say thanks for helping me out like that. You didn’t have to.”
“I kind of did. He cheated. That defeats the whole purpose of this thing.”
“I’m sure that the things we’ll have to face when we’re Guardians will cheat every chance they get.”
I looked up and smiled. “Well then, we’ll cheat back. But not here. That’s not what this is about.” I paused. “Besides…Richard is an ignorant idiot. He needed to be bought down a peg or two.”
Hollie laughed. “So…you sure there was no other reason that you did that?”
I felt my cheeks flush. “What do you mean?”
She shook her head. “Nothing, I’m just messing.” The tone of her voice shifted, becoming more casual. “Anyway, looks like we’re fighting next.”
“Yeah. Except I really don’t want to fight you.”
“Ah, aren’t you the gentleman?” She patted my arm. “Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you.”
It was my turn to laugh. “Good to know.”
There was a siren to start the preparation for the final round. I stood up and held out a hand for Hollie. “Guess we better go do this, then.”
She dusted the sand off her body. “Guess we’d better. Come find me at the ceremony later so we can discuss how I thrashed you.” She gave a wink and walked over to the very centre of the Prolesium, where a blue light marked our fight position.
Crap, what do I do?
I followed Hollie over to the marker and waited. Ivy made her announcements and then the timer began its countdown. Hollie curled her hands into fists and raised them to chin height. I lifted my own hands into a fighter stance. Inside I was torn between my duty as a recruit and good old-fashioned guilt at the thought of hitting a girl, especially one I thought was cute.
3…2…1…
As soon as the siren sounded, a sharp jab caught me in the cheek. Hollie gave an apologetic smile and began to circle me. I rubbed a hand against the injury and then had to quickly use it to deflect another blow. Hollie unleashed a leg to my side. Catching it, I pivoted around and threw her off balance. She hopped a few steps, just managing to keep upright.
Her position left a wide opening for a solid kick or punch to the face. The muscles in my arm reacted, tightening, ready for the attack…but I couldn’t bring myself to take it. Instead I stepped backwards and carried on circling.
The crowd was shouting and whistling. Half of the Guardians were on their feet, yelling words that mixed into a blend of noise. Hollie kicked out and I stepped out of the way. She spun around with a backhand, and I ducked, letting her fist sail over my head. I shoved her away from me.
“Come on!” she hissed, recovering. “You have to fight me.”
“I know, I know,” I said.
She ran at me and unleashed a furry of blows, which I blocked until the side of my arms throbbed with pain. The crowd was yelling, shouting for me to do something. From the sides, the recruits were watching with arms folded, giving nothing away. Richard was staring at me intently. I have to do something, or they’ll believe what he said.
I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. Then I kicked out hard. My foot connected with Hollie’s stomach, and her eyes bulged. She doubled over, struggling for air. I walked over and sent an uppercut into her jaw. She yelped and flew backwards. The crowd went wild.
I felt nothing but guilt.
Hollie scrambled to recover and came at me with a flying kick. I caught her leg and bought an elbow down onto her kneecap. She screamed in pain, and the noise tore through my brain. She tried to punch me again, and I blocked the blow before hitting the side of her head. I saw her eyes lose focus and knew that she was close to passing out. All I had to do was deliver another heavy blow, and she’d be out. I’d win. I drew back my fist.
I can’t do this.
“Hit me,” I whispered through clenched teeth.
‘What?” she replied, dazed.
“Come on, hit me!” I hissed, making it sound like a taunt.
She snapped a fist into my nose. Water filled both my eyes as I reeled away. It felt genuinely broken. In what seemed like a fair reaction, I collected her off her feet and slammed her onto the ground, landing on top. But I did it in such a way that my arms took the brunt of the force, rather than Hollie. I pinned her down, blood dripping from my nose onto her chest, and sent sharp – but not hard – blows into her side. She tried to push me off, but her arms were weak. If I wanted to, I could end it at any time. But I didn’t want to. Instead, I shifted my position as though I were trying to lock her into a grapple. I deliberately left myself exposed.
Hollie took the bait.
She sent the edge of her hand into my throat. Suddenly the air was too thin. I felt my face go red as I gasped, but I stuck to my plan, rolli
ng off and landing on my back. Hollie dragged herself over to me and pulled me into her lap. She locked my neck into the crook of her elbow. She did it wrong; it was a move I could have freed myself from, but I chose not to. This is the right thing to do.
I sent a few convincing blows into her shoulders and sides, but then I let my hands go slack. Just a few more seconds…
I gave the salute.
The crowd broke into a colossal roar that shook the walls of the Prolesium. Hollie let my head go and helped me to my feet. Ivy beamed down at us from the podium. “Congratulations, Hollie! You are the winner of the Combat round and have earned yourself the maximum eighteen points.” Hollie gave a smile.
I looked into the crowd and saw Gabriella looking at me, wearing an expression of suspicion mixed with amusement. I gave an ‘oh well’ shrug.
“Guardians, we have reached the end of the Trials of the Chosen. And what an event it’s been! Recruits, you have done yourselves proud.” The crowd was on their feet, cheering and whistling.
“Recruits, please join Hollie and Daniel at the centre of the arena whilst we tally the final scores and reveal the final results.”
The others made their way to us and we all stood in a line, facing the podium, which was slowly lowering itself down to the ground level. The crowd’s cheers faded until there was utter silence.
After the podium settled, Ivy stepped out and stood smiling at us. Then she gave the Alliance salute. The crowd did the same, the beat of a thousand fists hitting chests like a giant drum. There was a pause, and then we all returned the salute. I could feel myself brimming with pride. Even though I’d technically cheated, I didn’t feel guilty. It felt like I’d been presented with a moral choice and chosen right. Before my time was up as a Guardian, I would probably have to hurt several females. But that day didn’t have to be today.
“Recruits, you have all performed well and tried your hardest. No matter what the results, you should be proud of yourselves and what you have achieved here today. Take what you have learned and develop it. Train hard, and you will make impressive Guardians.”
Ivy finished her speech and then turned to the furthest screen, which was black as the scores were calculated. There was a flash of yellow and then the word 7th appeared on the left of the screen, which meant that someone had tied.
“In last place and required to retake the Trials of the Chosen is…”
There was a pregnant pause. “Lucy Winters, with eighteen points.” Lucy’s face collapsed like an eroded sandcastle. She saluted and took her place at the side of the arena, arms folded behind her back.
Ivy announced Elliot next with nineteen points. He seemed nothing besides relieved he wasn’t last. He gave Lucy a commiserating shoulder hug when he joined her at the side. Richard was fifth, with twenty-two points. He wasn’t last as I’d hoped, but his deep scowl was satisfying enough. Andrea and John were joint 4th on twenty-seven points.
Ivy stopped speaking and pressed a button. Just beyond her, a cylindrical podium rose from the ground. The numbers one two and three were etched onto the front and glowed neon blue.
“Now we come to the final three. In third place is….Troy!”
Troy lifted his hands in the air and was cheered as he took his position on the lowest step of the podium.
“And in second place is….”
I started to move forward before she even said my name. There was a burst of raucous applause and cheering. Beaming, I waved at the crowd. The step was low, but it still felt higher than anything else in the arena.
“And the winner of this month’s Trial of the Chosen is Hollie White!” The Prolesium went wild. As Hollie took her place on the highest platform, she turned to look down at me. “You let me win, didn’t you?”
I looked away. “I haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about.”
Ivy continued to speak as the crowd cheered. “The top two recruits will—”
A loud siren drowned out Ivy’s voice. It was different from any of the ones that had been used during the tournament. The Prolesium interior clicked and began to emit a red glow. Suddenly the atmosphere shifted. Guardians jumped to their feet and rushed for the exit. Ivy dropped the microphone with a burst of feedback and joined the rest of the Guardians exiting the Prolesium. Agents ran over to the recruits’ stand at the side of the arena, ushering them from the stadium. Forgotten in the chaos, we jumped down from the podium. I stared at Troy. “What’s going on? Is this part of the event?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so, mate.”
Hollie was staring around as the mass of people slipped out of the stadium like a receding wave. She was spinning on her feet, trying to make sense of what was happening.
“Jesus!”
A hand locked onto my wrist and yanked me to the side. I turned to see Gabriella was the one pulling me away. “Follow me.” She sprinted out of the doors, and we followed. The fierce sun illuminated an almost countless number of Guardians charging through the Warren grounds. The Vampires stuck to carved routes that were sheltered from the sun. Skinshifters raced ahead, dark fur shimmering in the light.
“What was that siren?” asked Hollie as she struggled to keep up.
We joined up with the rest of Orion, who were tearing across the grounds.
“One of the hidden alarms has been activated,” Gabriella answered.
“Why? What’s happening?” I asked breathlessly.
“The Warren is under attack.”
19
Alex
My insides no longer belonged to me. They twisted and shifted as if I were a shell filled with thousands of insects all scrambling over one another. I’d spent most of the afternoon drifting in and out of feverish sleep. I could barely hold down water anymore. Whatever was happening to me, it was accelerating.
My breath was too hot, and my mouth tasted bitter. I rolled onto my side, pulling the pillow into me and doing everything I could to forget the desperation of my situation. The bed was damp from my sweat, which clung to the sheets, making them heavy and uncomfortable. A beam of light had escaped into the room through a thin gap between the curtains. I tried to press my face to it, tried to let the warmth comfort me, but it was too bright and made my eyes sting. I shrank away from it as if it were acid.
A muffled cheer floated through the open window, and for a moment it left me feeling disorientated. Then I remembered that the Trials of the Chosen were taking place. I hope Danny’s doing well.
I gasped as the tattoo shifted without warning. The tendrils slid up my arm, tightening around my muscles like the grip of a boa constrictor. Almost immediately the whispers started, like a detuned television hissing in my ears. Scrambling for the elixir on the side table, I shook a dozen drops onto my tongue and waited as it took control.
You cannot keep us at bay for much longer, Alexander. We will consume you.
The lead voice scraped at my insides as it was forced back into the dark corners from where it sprang. In a miserable moment, I knew it was right. The elixir wasn’t working as well anymore. How long can I hold out?
I got up and stumbled to the bathroom. Using a shaking hand, I splashed my face with water, trying to ground myself in reality. It had a small effect, but it was better than nothing. As I made my way back to the bedroom through the gloom of the darkened lounge, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I stopped in the doorway to the bedroom.
Someone is in here with me.
Pretending I hadn’t noticed anything, I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me. Keeping my footsteps light, I tiptoed to the wardrobe and inched opened the doors. My bag with the Crimson Twin was inside. As carefully as I could, I slipped the weapon from its holster and then climbed back into bed, sliding the blade underneath my pillow. I wrapped one hand tightly around the hilt and turned onto my side, waiting.
Nothing happened for several minutes. Then I saw the handle of the door slowly rotate and heard the subtlest of clicks as the door was unlocked. My
stomach tightened as a shape stepped into the gloom. My grip on the sword tightened. I pretended to be asleep, pushing my eyelids as close together as I could whilst still leaving the tiniest slit so I could see.
The shape was joined by another. It was the first to speak.
“This is the Dark Vessel?”
“Yes.”
“You sure? Just looks like any other Chosen.”
“Irrelevant. It’s him. Yeth said it was.”
Who the hell is Yeth?
“So we get him and get straight out, right?”
The main shadow scoffed. “You scared?”
“No. I’m being practical. There are ten of them to one of us. If we get caught, we’ll be slaughtered.”
“Relax. They’re on a skeleton crew. Yeth has confirmed that most of them are spectating their ridiculous trials.”
The other one gave a dark laugh. “Not for much longer.”
“Come on, let’s get him and get out of here.”
I waited until they were almost on me, and then I bought the tip of my sword up to the throat of the first shadow. It froze on the spot, and I used my free arm to click on the lamp. After an initial flare of light, I focused on the face of an Imp and an Incubus. The latter had a thin trail of blood seeping down from the tiny, smoking wound on his throat. I’d expected to see the familiar red cloaks of the SOS, but both of them were dressed in normal clothes. I was stunned into inaction until I realised I’d never seen them before. Whoever they were, they weren’t Guardians.
“Who the hell are you?” I demanded.
The Imp swallowed hard and raised both hands. “We are simply two of your followers. We are here to take you back with us.”
“Why the hell would I go anywhere with you?” I said, climbing out of the bed, keeping the Incubus’s throat on the tip of my sword. The Imp was looking warily around, as if he expected backup to jump out of the closet and en-suite. “What do you want?” I insisted.
The Incubus bowed his head. “We only wish to collect the Dark Vessel.”
The Veil: Corruption (HASEA CHRONICLES BOOK 2) Page 28
