Just like that, the Abrus demon was gone and a buzzer went off. I scrambled to get my footing, totally unprepared for the start, and ran toward our weapons. The Dark Mage threw something right at me, a purplish black blob spinning through the air, but Shea’s own spell collided with it.
I ducked down low, two feet from reaching Sera, when that damn Beast Shifter pulled a switchblade on me. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw the moment he yanked the hidden weapon from behind him. He chucked it, and I reared back in an attempt to dodge the blade, but it sank into my bicep before I even had a chance to get out of the way. Pain exploded in arm, but I ignored it and reached over with my good hand to pull the knife out swiftly. Lincoln would say there was no time for pain.
Blood started bubbling up out of the wound. I quickly yanked at a strip of cloth I’d knotted around my thigh just for that purpose, tying it off with my teeth while my bestie kept the Dark Mage engaged and I held my eyes on the Beast Shifter. He’d grabbed Sera and his sword, and was gunning it for me.
Good luck, asshole.
Just as I thought it, Sera lit up in his hand and he yelped, dropping her.
I was ready.
Bursting forward, I scrambled to pick up my weapon, flinching when the torn muscle in my upper arm protested. As I neared the shifter, I smelled the burning flesh where Sera had scorched him. Using my advantage, I flapped my wings to propel me forward, taking up nearly the entire span of the cage as I hurled myself at him. He tried to hinder my advance with his sword, but I threw my steel cuff up to block him as Sera shot out with a precise beam of light that blinded him.
He let out an animal’s roar and started to swipe out blindly. I crouched to the ground, slashing out at his ankles until he went down—Lincoln had taught me all about the Achilles tendon and how vital it was for standing. I was just about to straddle him and hopefully get him to submit when I heard Lincoln’s scream, and a second later something slammed into my back. My whole body instantly felt like it was on fire.
A panicked cry ripped from me, and immediately Sera started pulsing power into my hand, traveling up my arm and throughout my body.
‘I can take the fire spell, but then you’ll need to drop me because I’ll be too hot to hold for at least an hour until I can dispel it,’ she informed me quickly.
I was on fire. I didn’t see flames, but it sure as hell felt like it. Sweat poured down my face as my skin reddened, and my hands started to shake.
‘Do it,’ I told her.
The power she’d sent throughout my body then snapped back and instantly sucked the spell out. Suddenly her handle was a searing-hot iron. My hand sprang open and Sera fell to the floor, a red-hot glowing dagger.
I spun on the Dark Mage. Lincoln had prepared me for this, saying for the entire year that I had to learn to fight without Sera. He’d turned my body into a weapon, and I was about to throw down on this bitch.
The Beast Shifter was still moaning, backed against the cage, as far as he could go without touching, slashing out with his sword blindly. My guess was that he was sightless for the next few hours until his healing could kick in.
My gaze went to the floor where Shea had been deposited seconds before. Her ear was bleeding and looked half torn off, but otherwise she looked okay. So why wasn’t she getting up?
“Necktie!” Shea shouted, her voice warbled. She must have been under some kind of spell.
Another purple ball flew my way and I fell backward, letting my wings keep me from falling all the way back as I dodged the spell.
Necktie. Shea had said necktie. I hadn’t wanted to use my dark magic. Not here, not ever. Lincoln would be disappointed in me.
‘Lincoln will only be mad if you die,’ Sera stated from her place smoldering on the floor.
She was right, and this Dark Mage had held down my best friend and forced her to take the death mark.
I felt that shadowy power within me rise, and it scared me how quickly and easily it went from being just under the surface of my skin to burning in my throat and begging to come out. I roared and the black inky magic shot from my mouth, slamming into the Dark Mage’s neck.
The entire crowd went silent, then gasped, followed by a roar of approval.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Fallen Academy has been holding out on us!” the announcer thundered.
The Dark Mage fell to her knees, clutching her throat as her face turned blue.
“Submit!” I shouted at her.
Could I even call it off if she did? I didn’t think I had that much control over it, but I wasn’t ready to become a killer tonight.
Her lips barely moved, but she managed to croak the words out. “I… submit.”
A buzzer sounded overhead, and the cage door suddenly sprang open. The metal walls were no longer an electrifying blue.
“The winners of this round are Brielle and Shea from Fallen Academy!” the announcer’s voice boomed over the speakers. The crowd went wild with a mixture of cheers and boos.
I held out my hand and tried to call the blackness back from her throat, but it didn’t move.
Oh shit.
The girl’s eyes were rolling in her head now, and the crowd was starting to shout in panicked screams.
The silver-haired Abrus demon from before burst into the cage and snapped his fingers. The inky black rope fell away from the girl’s neck, and she took in a huge gulp of air. My heart was hammering in my chest, the adrenaline pumping into my veins making me feel dizzy.
The Abrus demon looked my way and smiled, stepping closer to me. “Keep up the good work. The Dark Prince is very pleased,” he murmured and then walked out, leaving me to realize what I’d done.
I was using all my dark gifts, Lucifer’s gifts. Yet I was blessed by four archangels and was not relying on any of my light magic. I’d given too much attention to the darkness, and I could feel it gaining power within me.
Another thing I’d just realized—the Prince of Darkness must have been watching me.
Chills broke out on my arms.
“Brielle!” Lincoln called, standing on the outside of the cage, peering in.
I pulled off my steel arm cuff and ran forward, scooping Sera into it, careful not to touch her because she was still too hot. I was hoping she’d be usable for the next fight, but at that point, I wasn’t so sure.
“You okay?” I reached out to my bestie who was sitting down, panting.
Our competitors had been helped out of the cage, and now Lincoln was arguing with the guard at the door to be allowed to help us.
“They can make it out okay,” the guard retorted.
“Step aside or I’ll take off your head!” Lincoln roared.
Shea wasn’t moving to take my offered arm. Something was wrong.
“I… need… my spell lozenge,” she panted.
While Lincoln was arguing with the guard, Chloe zipped through the open cage using her vampire-like speed.
“She needs her spell candy,” I told the Nightblood.
Chloe slipped one arm under Shea’s legs and another behind her back, scooping her up into her arms.
“Hey, girl. You did good.” Chloe shoved a lozenge in her mouth. I hadn’t even seen her grab it from her pocket.
The second it hit Shea’s tongue she perked up. “Hey.”
We exited the space quickly, and then I was in Lincoln’s arms. He somehow managed to tuck me into his body while keeping my torn arm from getting further injured, and still getting a good glare in at the guard.
“Be ready for the next fight in twenty minutes,” the guard barked at our retreating backs.
I’d been stabbed in the arm, almost lit on fire, Sera was unusable, and Shea’s ear was hanging off. I was not looking forward to seeing how the next six fights went.
“I used the dark magic,” I admitted, breathing against Lincoln’s neck.
“It’s okay. Do whatever you have to do.” Regardless of his words, I could hear the disappointment in his voice.
He ferried our small group over to a corner, where he started to work on healing my arm.
“No, Shea first.” I pushed his hand away.
His brow furrowed and he opened his mouth to retort.
“No. Her ear is hanging off. Shea first,” I repeated. “I’ll work on myself a little. Noah taught me how to self-repair last week.”
Lincoln frowned. “It depletes your energy.”