I loved them like lovers did.
People were annoying.
They weren’t.
Case in point, I was having a panic attack and blubbering pathetically, but they were holding me up.
They always held me up.
From the first challenge where we’d been thrown into the sea to suffer, John had held me up for hours. When he’d left, Luka had done the same.
Memories of the punishment with John made my stomach hurt, and I blurted out, “But I’ve hurt you.” I couldn’t go another day not knowing if he was okay.
John traced his thumb gently under my eye and caught a tear. “Aran, you’ve never hurt me. You saved me.”
My lips trembled.
Luka wrapped his arms around both of us and said, “Same.”
I wept.
The universe had blessed my life when it had created not one but two of these amazing men.
I wasn’t alone.
Luka cleared his throat as he rubbed his chin across the top of my hair. John’s eyes were suspiciously shiny as he continued to stroke his fingers under my eyes.
“What are you three doing?” Malum ruined the moment by barking angrily, “We need to get to the arena. We don’t have time for this.”
John and Luka didn’t move.
“What do you want to do?” John asked me like Malum hadn’t spoken.
I wiped away my tears and pinched my cheeks, then used the shoulders of the twins as a crutch to pull myself to my feet.
They stood up with me.
Luka pushed me behind him like he was protecting me from Malum.
“We don’t have time for these theatrics,” Malum sneered, and flames shot across his temples in a creepy crown while his mates flanked him.
Orion stared at me without blinking. Scorpius scowled with his arms crossed over his wide chest.
The demons looked at me with sympathy, then turned to glare at Malum.
It felt like I had people on my side.
I leaned forward, and for a long moment, I pressed my forehead against Luka’s back and let him shelter me from my problems.
Taking a ragged breath, I ripped myself away from the twins.
I stood up straight and sauntered lazily toward Malum. “Sorry for my theatrics.” I tossed my hair over my shoulder. “Some of us have had some unpleasant experiences in the arena.”
As I walked past, I raised my hand to my head and gave Malum a middle finger salute.
“I am still your captain. You will show me respect,” he shouted behind me.
I didn’t look back.
Gone was the blushing man.
He was angry.
“Go fuck yourself, Captain.” I waved at him with my third fingers.
He growled like a wild animal.
I kicked a rock at Malum. “Can you stop lollygagging? We have a showcase to compete in.”
Sun god, messing with him filled me with an immense amount of personal satisfaction.
There was a loud crack as said rock slammed dead center against his flaming chest.
Malum exploded into flames, but he didn’t move. He arched his brow slowly like he was taunting me.
I narrowed my eyes back. The irrational urge to scream at him, hit him, yell at him until he released his flames and lost all control overwhelmed me.
I tapped my foot and pretended to examine an invisible watch on my wrist. “Oh, look, it’s time for you to pull the stick out of your ass.” I pursed my lips. “Also, we’re going to be late.”
Malum growled, and I smirked.
Getting under his skin always gave me little bursts of pleasure.
I wanted him furious. Uncontrolled. At my mercy.
Before Malum could respond, Zenith stomped forward. “Let’s go. Enough with this bullshit. It’s getting old.”
Everyone reluctantly followed him.
“Zenith for captain,” I said loudly.
Malum choked and stumbled.
I smirked.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” John whispered down at me as he and Luka resumed flanking me like they were my personal bodyguards.
I gave him a manic smile. “Of course, why would you ask?”
Luka grunted.
They could see right through me.
John wiggled his eyes suggestively. “So, tell me about this room we’re in.”
I laughed and told him about my theories. I told him we were competing over a hot nurse.
“No way,” John shook his head. “If anything, we’re both fucking him. That’s the only thing that makes sense.”
A sharp jolt of pain lanced my spine.
I ignored it.
As we walked toward the lawn, adrenaline and fear mixed until I practically vibrated with energy.
When we made it to the arena, the student section chanted, “Let’s go, academy legion.” They stomped their feet in unison like this was a sporting event and not literal hell.
Every day, I hated people a little more.
The other legions sat beside them and scowled at us. The angel with heterochromia spat on the ground, and he mouthed, “Sinful blood.”
I rolled my eyes and turned away.
In the middle of the field, six people waited for us.
My breath caught. Jinx looked impossibly small pressed against Jax’s side like the child she was.
Anger made my chest throb from the force of my heartbeat. My skin felt too tight for my body as a whiplash of emotions boomeranged through me.
If I were Malum, I would have exploded into flames.
She shouldn’t be here.
Sun god, she’s only thirteen years old.
This was so wrong.
Lothaire’s voice echoed, “Welcome to the showcase round. To begin, each competitor is to climb to the top of a post. Further instructions will be given at the top.”
No one moved.
All of us looked around at one another warily as the silent question hung loudly in the air. Were they going to make us jump?
“Now, competitors!” Lothaire shouted, and we each moved reluctantly to a post.
I focused on my nails, and a now-familiar zap of energy traveled down my spine. Sharp ice daggers erupted from my nail beds.
The kings similarly brandished their claws. Ink dripped from the demons’ hands and formed into a row of eight shiny black daggers. They tossed two each to John and Luka, who nodded their thanks.
Across the field, the shifter legion was in a huddle arguing over something. How is Jinx going to climb?
The only power she’d ever manifested was when her jaw had dropped open in the beast realm and her scream momentarily paralyzed people. Also, she apparently could make people forget things.
None of that would help her climb the wooden post that towered hundreds of feet into the cloud cover.
Physically she was scrawny and weak.
Before I could walk over and try to help, Sadie shifted into a saber-toothed tiger and tossed Jinx onto her back like a doll.
The shifter men ripped off their shirts and gave them to Jax. He tied them into a rope, then wrapped it tightly around Sadie’s neck and Jinx’s body.
After inspecting the harness for what felt like forever, Jax nodded.
I held my breath as Sadie leaped off the ground and grabbed the post with all fours.
Jinx screamed but didn’t fall. Thank the sun god.
“Are you okay to climb?” Malum asked, and I realized the kings were standing, waiting for me.
He was staring at me like he was waiting for me to admit I’d been secretly a damsel in distress this entire time.
I rolled my eyes and stabbed my razor-sharp claws into the posts.