“Armed?” I ask, startled at the image of weapons here at Katmere. “Armed with what?”
“Magic,” Jaxon answers quietly. “It’s all they need.”
“What about the battlements?” Macy asks. “The dragons—and Grace—can fly off the towers—”
“Yeah, they’ve got people up there, too. A lot of them.” Xavier slumps down against the wall and says, “We’re fucked.”
“We can’t be fucked,” Flint says. “We have to do this, so let’s figure it out and get it done.”
“That’s what we’re trying to do, dragon. Do you have any more suggestions, or do you just want to bitch about it?” Mekhi asks.
“I don’t see you with any better suggestions, vampire. And I was just trying to make a point.”
Mekhi snorts. “The point has already been made. So either put up or shut up. We don’t have time for any more shit.”
Flint holds a hand to his ear, pretends to listen really hard. “And what’s your plan again?”
“Can you give us the rest of the bad news?” I ask, hoping to break up the insult trading before we have an all-out brawl on Jaxon’s floor.
“What do you mean?” asks Eden from where she’s sprawled across the end of the couch.
“Xavier said he had bad news and more bad news.” The room goes silent as we all look at him. “So what other bad news is there?” I ask a second time.
“Oh, I heard the Circle called for champions to play in their stead, some of the fiercest warriors in the world, but your uncle Finn threw down. Said if Cyrus had the balls to accept a challenge, then he could damn well fight himself.”
The churning in my stomach rises tenfold. I groan. “That’s not just more bad news. That’s awful, horrible, we’re-all-gonna-die news.”
Xavier grins now. “Oh, sorry, no, that’s not the bad news. Apparently the king is scared shitless to meet Jaxon on the field—for good reason—so he still insisted on champions. And your uncle agreed…but they have to be Katmere students.”
Okay, yeah, that’s pretty bad news. I don’t want to fight for my life against other teens. But at least we won’t be facing off against Jaxon’s parents. Or Flint’s mom, who is a complete badass.
“So who did he pick?” Jaxon asks, and he sounds as grim as I feel.
“Cole was the first to agree,” he answers, “and he’s out for blood…of course.”
My stomach drops. Why is it always Cole? I’ve never done anything to that jerk, at least not intentionally, and he’s been gunning for me from the moment I got here. I’ve never really wished ill on anyone before—except Lia when she was trying to murder me—but I am really sad I stopped Jaxon from finishing Cole off when he had the chance.
Jaxon shakes his head and looks disgusted, and I’m about 99 percent positive he’s having the exact same thoughts I am.
But all he asks is, “Who else?”
“He’s picked Marc and Quinn as his additional wolves. And—”
“That’s three wolves,” Mekhi interrupts. “Why does he get three of them on the team?”
Xavier looks at him like he’s not paying attention. “Do you know any vamps in the school who think it’s a good idea to be on a team whose sole purpose is to let the king take Grace back to his dungeon, thereby separating Jaxon Vega and his mate?”
“Fair point,” Mekhi agrees.
“What about the witches?” Macy asks, fingers nervously twisting the bottom of her sweater.
“From what I hear, it’s going to be Simone and Cam, for sure. No one knows if it’s going to be the witches or the dragons who have a third player, too, so the rumors are flying.”
“I knew it!” Macy throws out a hand, and an entire row of books falls off the nearest bookshelf. “The traitor! When I get through with him, he’s going to have lice and acne and a serious case of the bubonic plague! He’s such a douche. I knew he was pissed when we broke up, but this is seriously gross behavior.”
“The dragons are just as bad,” Xavier continues. “The two definites are Joaquin and Delphina.”
“Delphina, really?” Flint looks a little sick at the thought, which makes my already shaky stomach just flat-out revolt. If it does one more somersault, I swear I’m going to throw up, right here in the middle of our meeting. I don’t know who Delphina is, but if she can make Flint look like that, I’m perfectly happy never meeting her.