AllFreeNovel
Share Us
While their shadows hold me down, boots and punches slam into my chest, stomach, back, and legs. The only place they don’t touch is my face, leaving all evidence of their attack anywhere my skin is clothed.
I try to focus on my raspy breaths, each inhale and shaky exhale, and not on the sound of their punches as they hit my skin or the burn and agony they leave behind. Nor how their thick boots slam into my back and legs, surely leaving an imprint. By the time they start to ease up, my entire body throbs with pain.
“That should be enough.” One last final boot slams down on my leg, and a whimper escapes my lips.
“Five minutes and we’ll be back to collect you for your next round in the trial. Enjoy yourbreak.” Chuckles echo around me as their footsteps move farther and farther away until I’m left on my own.
With a trembling hand, I reach for the healing stone in my pocket, but my heart drops when I find it missing.
My stomach churns when I realize that I am going to have to fight the other competitors, those more skilled and rested, while I’m injured and in agony.
I want to break. To split open and seep out onto the floor. But this pain will pass, and I will rise like I have every other time. I can’t let them get to me. Not now, nor ever, and definitely not when I am at my weakest.
I claw a hand into the dirt and then another before pushing up on unsteady hands. A sharp bolt of pain slices down my back, ripping the breath from me once more. But I take my time, breathing through it, and it passes.
I push to my knees next, grateful when neither is broken or seriously injured, just heavily bruised and battered. Crawling over to the cell door, I use the bars to drag the rest of my body upward.
Eventually I get to my feet and nearly fall once more as a jolt of sharp pain shoots up through my right foot and pulses around my ankle. I test it again, putting a little pressure on it when it happens again, making me gasp.
I glance down and see the swelling forming around it and realize with dread that it must be broken or severely sprained.
Holding on to the cell door, I test my other foot, but it’s not as bad as my right.
Thudding boots and deep chuckles move toward me. I push away from the cell door and straighten my body, gritting my teeth against the pain from my broken ankle.
“Time is up, Sidus,” the guard sneers.
I move slowly and with a limp to avoid putting too much pressure on my right foot. But the guards seem to dislike my slow movements, as one shoves me forward.
I gasp, catching myself with my bad foot and most likely injuring it further.
Clenching my fists, I dig my nails into my hands and move forward, one step at a time until I arrive at the arena.
I ignore the guards and their whispered warnings before they leave.
Oryn spots me at the edge of the arena and comes straight over to me.
“Do you have tape?” I ask him, knowing what I must do if I want to make it through this alive.
“Yes, I think?—”
“Get it for me…please.” I grit against the pain and push it down once more.
“Seren—”
I shake my head at him as my eyes blur. “Don’t. Just do as I ask.”
With a frown, he gets me the tape and I quickly get to work, wrapping it around both ankles to make sure they don’t assume my weakness.
“Cover me,” I tell Oryn.
“What—”
I pull up my shirt and he spins around.
“I’m sorry, I…” He clears his throat before growing quiet.
I wrap my stomach and quickly pull down my shirt before anyone comes in from behind me.
