Before Joe could gather himself for another hit, she swung herself around him, finding enough reach to kick the stake out Eva’s hand. Eva screeched in anger – a mad, inhuman sound.
Allyra took the opportunity to shove Joe, sending him stumbling into Faith, giving Jamie the opportunity to gain the upper hand over George momentarily.
In the fleeting calm, Eva recovered her stake and was lining herself up to drive it through Jason yet again. This time she appeared to be aiming for his heart.
Allyra jumped in and grabbed her arm.
“Don’t.” She begged Eva. “Don’t. You can’t take it back. Once someone is dead, you’ll always have their blood on your hands. You’ll lose a part of yourself that you might never recover.”
There was madness in Eva’s eyes, but with Allyra’s words, it slowly drained from her, leaving behind the pixie green eyes Allyra knew so well. Without her fury, Eva looked stricken and lost. Allyra reached to pull Eva into a hug, but could only catch her falling body as Jason knocked her out from behind.
“You didn’t need to do that!” Allyra shouted at him. “She wasn’t going to hurt you.”
“She’s a crazy minx.” Jason replied coldly. “I dealt with it.”
Seriously contemplating picking up Eva’s stake and finishing the job herself, Allyra stared at Jason incredulously, unable to find the words to phrase her disgust.
“Fine.” She eventually spat out. Exhaustion swept over her, making her feel as if she’d been awake for a week. “Let’s just get this over and done with.”
George crumbled to the ground under a fierce kick from Jamie. Faith was still conscious, but she was on the ground, with blood running down her face from a cut over her eye. Joe was still standing, but as Allyra and Jason approached, he put up his hands, conceding defeat.
It was over.
Chapter 28 – Jamie
There was champagne and a mountain of food waiting for them in the dormitory. The mood was somber and the dormitory seemed too big for the four of them that had returned uninjured, the rest having been taken to the medical bay.
Pierre and Cole fell ravenously upon the food while Jamie took a more circumspect approach. Allyra ignored the food altogether, snatching up a bottle of champagne.
Jamie watched as Allyra flung herself onto the bed, all loose arms and legs. She remained sprawled, facedown on the bed, hanging on to her bottle of champagne. He hesitated for a moment before following more sedately and settling down on his own bed.
The bed creaked under him and Allyra turned over slowly, groaning. For a long moment they stared at each other, silent. Finally she grinned, her hair escaping its ponytail and a smear of dirt across her cheek. Without the makeup of the first test, she looked young and real, instantly transformed back into the girl he’d planned to spend the rest of his life with.
“Did that really happen?” She asked, brushing the hair from her face, before examining her hands. Finding them covered in dirt and blood, she groaned again. “It doesn’t seem real, I feel like I’m living in a dream, a nightmare I can’t escape.”
Jamie reached out and took the champagne bottle from her hands. He unwrapped the foil over the cork, his actions slow and deliberate, trying to hide the tremble running over his hands and down his arm. He’d never fought anyone before and the reality of what had just happened was sinking in, soaking painfully into his bones.
The cork came out with a satisfying pop and he tipped the bottle back, allowing the crisp, cold liquid to run down his throat, enjoying the sensation of tiny bubbles dancing over his tongue.
“Hey.” Allyra said quietly, wrapping her fingers around his, steadying his shaky grip. “Are you ok?”
He nodded wearily, feeling as if he might never be ok again. More than anything, it terrified him that his hands were shaking but hers were not.
She extracted the bottle gently from his fingers and grinned. “In that case – get your own!”
Her easy, carefree voice didn’t seem to fit with the situation, but he couldn’t help but be soothed by it. Guilt gripped him – wasn’t he here to reassure her – not the other way around?
Somehow, his world had turned upside down.
Jamie had held his own in the Arena, but Allyra – she’d been nothing short than astounding. The way she moved – light and graceful, quick and deadly. She’d shown herself to be a formidable opponent and he wondered just how she’d managed to learn so much in such a short time. He’d watched her training with Master Mabaso, but there’d been no hint of just what she was capable of. He couldn’t help but wonder what other secrets she was hiding from him?
Jamie reached out and took the bottle away from her, setting it down between them. He took her cool, steady hands between his own and tried to steal some warmth from them.
Allyra watched him carefully. “Are you sure you’re ok?” She asked again.
He forced a smile onto his face. “I can’t stop replaying it in my mind.” He admitted eventually.
She nodded, “I know.” She hesitated, “But it’s over right? We can put it out of our minds now…” She finished lamely, grimacing.
Giving his hands a firm squeeze, Allyra reached for the champagne bottle again, taking another deep slug from it. Now that he had more time to watch her, Jamie noted the tension in her jaw and the tightness of her body. She might’ve convinced anyone else, but he could see beyond the mask she put on. The Arena had affected her just as deeply, she was simply doing a better job of hiding it.
“You were great.” He told her softly. “That’s the only thing you need to remember, the only thing to take forward.”
She lifted her head slowly, meeting his eyes reluctantly. “You don’t get it.” She said quietly. “Somewhere along the line – in that Arena. I stopped being scared and I
