“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.