With a wave of my arm, I conjured a magical rope and threw it at his legs. One swift hand movement from him and my rope fizzled into nothing.
Clenching my teeth, I stomped my foot and sent a blast of magic along the ground. The vines and grass at his feet wrapped over his legs, a little trick my mother taught me, and I dashed around him. It wouldn’t hold for more than a few seconds since he’d so easily disheveled my rope but it gave me a head start.
My heart pounded almost as loud as my feet and I didn’t risk a look back. When I saw the path separating our two sides my heart sang. I was almost there! Zyacus appeared at my side and roundhouse kicked my feet out from under me. I flew through the air and crashed onto my hands and knees, dropping the flag.
He dove for it and I kicked him hard on the outside of his shoulder, but had been aiming for his head, then I rolled on top of him and elbowed him in the face as I tried to climb over his body. He growled, and bucked me off then was atop me, his weight pinning me down.
“Get off me, cheater,” I snarled and brought my leg up, hooked it around his neck and threw him back. “You weren’t supposed to use the appearus spell.” There was no other explanation for why he appeared so suddenly.
“Princess Visteal has the flag, help her!” Aric shouted, battling a boy.
“I didn’t use it,” he said, laughing as he wrapped his arms around my legs before I could stand.
Aric broke through and was running for us. I grabbed the flag and tossed it his way, but Zyacus knocked it down. Aric kicked his cousin so hard in the side that the breath whooshed from his lungs and he released me.
“Bastard,” Zyacus coughed.
I wiggled away from him, crawled a few paces and grabbed the flagpole. Another yellow team member dove on top of me, a dark-haired girl, taller and heavier than me. We grappled, and when she punched me in the nose, pain exploded and I could feel then taste the blood leaking into my mouth. I roared, my magic surged and she was thrown several feet.
The flag was inches away and I took my chance. Zyacus and Aric exchanged blows, until Zyacus saw me grab the flag and make a run for it. I didn’t know what magic he used but Aric crumpled over as if punched in the gut.
Don’t look back, don’t look, don’t look!
I was only a few yards from crossing into my side but so was a member of the yellow team with my purple flag. Lora came out of the trees and tackled the girl before she could cross out of our territory.
The ground turned to ice beneath my feet and I slipped, crashing to one knee. I whipped my head around and that arrogant ass prince was running for me. I had mere feet—feet to go. I scrambled up, slipping and sliding and dove, all I had to do was cross the flag over the line to my side. On his belly, Zyacus slid on the ice beside me, grabbing for my arm but he was too late.
A whistle cut through the air, Madison clapped and said, “Purple team wins! Valiant effort yellow team!”
Papa clapped and had the proudest look on his face. I pulled a bloody toothed grin at him.
Lying beside one another, the ice beneath us melting, Zyacus smirked. “You’re tough.”
I was still struggling for air, my body exhausted but I managed to say between breaths, “I don’t know—why you always—underestimate me.”
“I won’t anymore.” He reached for my face and I caught his wrist. “Your nose looks broken,” he said.
The pain was a dull throb now but blood still trickled down. So I nodded and loosened my grip.
He healed my nose in seconds then pulled me to my feet. I wiped the lingering blood with my sleeve and quietly said, “Thank you.” Even if it pained me to owe him gratitude.
Aric hustled over. “That was great.” Aric hooked the bend of his elbow around his cousin’s neck, grinning with a puffy eye that was about to swell shut. It made no difference that moments ago they were beating each other bloody.
Zyacus and I locked eyes and I realized that he never once struck me or really tried to hurt me when he could have—should have to win.
“If we have another game like this,” Zyacus said, “I hope you’re on my team, Princess.”
I couldn’t stop smiling at the compliment.
Chapter 12
For weeks there wasn’t anything amiss at the academy. Actually everything was going great. Aric now sat at our dining table, one of the few to venture outside their own kingdom, although I supposed he was one of us. His parents were Delhoon even if he was born in Collweya. Our little group had become pretty close, even Taz liked Aric. Vyce, the boy from the infirmary grew on me. He was funny and at least Taz had another boy to hang out with. There was no sign of the creature who’d killed the horse, nothing off-kilter.
Then I woke up screaming in the night. My clothes soaked with sweat, my hair stuck to my forehead.
Legacy held my shoulders, shaking me. “You’re dreaming,” she said over and over.
I blinked at her several times trying to get my bearings. The bedside candle was alight, casting long shadows in the room but giving off a warm glow.
Atticus, our cat, sat perched by my feet with concern painted in his eyes. “Who was the boy?” he asked.
“What?” I breathed, gently pushing Legacy’s hands off me. “I’m alright.”
She pursed her lips but sat on her own bed, giving me space.
Moving closer, Atticus asked, “The boy who dies in your dream? Who is it?”
It took me a second to process what he
