I know she’s right, and I can’t help wondering what it’s going to feel like, though I don’t want to ask.
Hudson answers anyway. “Like you’re caught in the middle of a tornado. Everything goes really slow and also superfast at the same time. And you’re just along for the ride, waiting to see what part of the storm is going to kick the shit out of you.”
A whole new flush of adrenaline surges through me. “Which part usually does the kicking?”
“In my experience?” he asks, brows raised.
“Yeah. I mean, who do I need to watch out for?”
“The dragons,” he answers with a disgusted shake of his head. “It’s always the bloody dragons who have the most tricks up their sleeves.”
75
Now You See Me,
Now You Don’t
By the time our turn comes an hour later, I’m about to jump out of my skin.
“Break a wing,” Hudson tells me as we head down to the waiting area while the refs and teachers reset the field, realigning the portals to come out different places than they did in the previous games, so that no one who’s been trying to keep track has any extra advantage.
“Excuse me?” I answer, super offended. “Why would you wish that on me right before I go out to play the most important game of my life? Especially when I need to fly?”
He laughs. “I meant it in the break-a-leg context,” he tells me with a shake of his head.
“Well, maybe be more specific next time,” I answer. “Because it sounded like you meant it in the break-a-hip context.”
“What are you, ninety?”
“What are you?” I snipe back. “Three hundred?”
“Age is just a number,” he answers with a sniff.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” I roll my eyes.
“Don’t be nervous,” Jaxon says, taking my hand and squeezing it so tightly that I’m not sure he hasn’t broken something.
“I don’t think I’m the only one who’s nervous here,” I tease.
“Just excited.” He grins. “I can’t believe I’m actually going to play Ludares. This is going to be so kick-ass.”
My chest squeezes as I remember the Jaxon everyone knew before I got to Katmere. So certain he couldn’t show an ounce of joy or weakness for fear a war among the species might break out. I’d forgotten this was the first time he’d allowed himself to compete.
“I know, right?” I start to say more, but Flint is in the middle of his team-captain-slash-cheerleader tour, where he gives every player a clap on the back and some encouraging words, and apparently it’s Jaxon’s and my turn.
“You’ve got this, okay?” he tells us. “Jaxon, don’t be afraid to shake this shit up, literally, and you—” He gives me a mock-serious look that has me struggling to keep a straight face. “You just get up in the air and fly your little heart out. You’re our secret weapon. Every other team only has two flyers, but we’ve got three—four if you count Jaxon.”
“Yes, by all means, count the blimp,” Hudson drawls.
Stop it, I hiss, but honestly, it takes every ounce of self-control I have not to laugh. Which only encourages Hudson more.
“Too bad there’s a roof on this place. If we were lucky, he could just float away.”
Stop, I say again as we start to walk out onto the field. I actually have to pay attention now.
“Okay, okay.” He stops at the sidelines and watches as we head, single file, onto the field. We’re almost to the purple line when he calls, “Hey, Grace?”
“Yeah?” I turn toward him instinctively.
He gives me a little chin nod. “Break a hip.”
I burst out laughing all over again, and as I do, my stomach unclenches and the last of my nerves dissolve.
This time it’s Aiden who marches onto the field with us and takes his place in the box. He’s a lot more serious than the other members of the Circle—though not quite as serious as Cyrus—so there are no encouraging smiles from the dragon and no wishing of luck.
He just stands there waiting as team four lines up across from us. Liam is in the direct center of the lineup, and so is a dragon I’ve never met before. Flint calls him Caden, and the two do a little friendly trash-talking, but it’s obviously all in good fun. That, combined with the fact that Rafael and Liam are on this team, convinces me that, while the competition might be fierce, it will probably also be fair.
One of the great things about my friends is they tend not to associate with assholes—which is a good quality to have in friends, if you ask me. Flint and Gwen line up in the center of our group with Jaxon next to Gwen and me next to Jaxon. Xavier is on my other side.