Page 101 of Powerless

The prince blinks at the scene before him, looking completely unfazed.

He knows I can take care of myself, and though I’m flattered by that fact, I could use his help at the current moment. Hot blood begins to trickle down my neck, and I will myself to remain calm.

Kai simply shrugs at the threat. “Go ahead then.” He nods towards the blade pressed to my throat. “See if I care. We are only opponents, after all. Less competition.”

I can practically hear Sadie blink behind me. She’s clearly stunned by his lack of concern, especially after seeing the two of us dancing together only minutes ago. I would be stunned myself if I wasn’t so used to seeing his masks—if I didn’t recognize the cold one he’s just slipped on.

She stiffens behind me. “I’m calling your bluff, prince.”

I feel her hand begin to jerk, begin to slice deeper into my skin.

And then I strike.

I slam the razor-sharp throwing star into the soft tissue of her stomach, pushing it deep as I push her hand still clutching the knife away from my neck. She screams and jerks away, sending me stumbling into Kai. Well, one of them. There are now several muscled forms, all mirroring his messy black waves and stormy eyes. He’s taken on her ability.

I ram into his chest before strong hands grip the sides of my arms. When I look up into his face, he has the nerve towinkbefore saying, “Good work, Gray. I can always count on you and your violent tendencies.” With that, he spins around and drives his sword through one of Sadie’s duplicates.

A throng of Sadies surround Kai and his own copies, keeping him occupied and unable to get to the real one and end this fight quickly. I’m reminded of a day spent training at the castle, when I watched Sadie sparing with Braxton. They would fight and dance around each other until Braxton made his way to the real Sadie, finally taking her down and ending the fight.

And that is exactly what I am going to do. Except, unlike Ace’s illusions which I’ve already had the pleasure of facing, Sadie and her copies can touch and hurt me. With this unsettling thought in mind, I dance on the balls of my feet, prepared to strike. I turn away from the copies swarming Kai, knowing that he can handle himself while he trusts I can do the same.

There are only three Sadies left, and two of which guard the real one currently clutching a bloodied hand to the wound on her stomach. Their heads snap towards me, and I barely have enough time to sink into my fighting stance before one of them charges at me.

Unfortunately for me, Sadie knows how to fight. Since her power is simply duplicating her own body, she automatically has strength in numbers. But she’s trained so that those numbers having strength of their own.

A right hook flies at my face and I duck under it, landing a quick blow to her stomach. The Sadie stumbles back with a grunt, and I use the opportunity to send a kick connecting with her side. She catches my leg and pulls me forward. Exactly what I was hoping for. I grip her shoulders and jump, driving my other knee deep into her stomach. She drops my leg with a cry of pain, and I slide my ring onto my middle finger before throwing a fist at her temple. I mutter a curse as I shake out my stinging hand, but she’s out cold before she even hits the ground.

A hand pulls at my hair, hard, and my head yanks back. I let out a strangled gasp as an elbow hooks around my throat, crushing my windpipe. I can’t breathe, dizzy with pain as spots swim before my vision. But I stomp on her foot before elbowing her hard in the stomach. She loosens her hold, and I whirl around, grabbing the back of her neck and slamming her nose into the knee I drive upwards. She sputters and flings her fist out, managing to connect it with my jaw. I ignore the aching pain and drop, sweeping my leg out before she’s swept off her feet. She slams into the ground with a thud, but I’ve already turned my attention away from her sprawled form.

My eyes find the smoldering hazel ones belonging to the real Sadie. She steps toward me, blood oozing from between her fingers as she covers her wound. “Just know that I don’t want to do this,” she says, her voice strained. “But I have to.”

And then her fists are flying at me in a combination of hooks, jabs, and uppercuts. I’m impressed by how much speed and strength she still has after being stabbed, forcing me on defense. I dodge her blows until I land one of my own, square in her jaw.

She grunts in pain before sending a roundhouse kick at my temple. I barely block it, her heel still clipping the side of my head. We dance around each other, throwing various combinations of punches and kicks.

Her fist crashes into my lip and my head snaps to the side before I spit blood. I send a hard kick into her already wounded side and she screams in pain. Then I land a blow under her jaw, another to her wound, a kick to her temple.

She cries out, trying to hit me with a lazy punch but I catch her wrist easily, twisting it at an odd angle before kneeing her in the stomach. I grab her shirt in one hand while the other is balled into a fist currently cocked back and ready to strike. I send it flying towards her face, ready to end this fight with one final blow.

Except my fist doesn’t move.

Cold hands clamp around both of my wrists, pulling at my arms until they are tucked tightly behind my back. I’m so shocked, so strained and tired that I can’t fight the strong grip, can’t do anything to break my hands free.

My head whips around and I’m face-to-face with a bloody nosed Sadie, the one I fought immediately before.

“Look at me, Paedyn.” My head snaps back the original Sadie now clutching a knife in her bloody hands before me. I kick at the legs of the Sadie behind me, only causing her to kick in the back of my knees, sending me crashing into the ground.

Helpless. Powerless.

Sadie stands over me, seeming to contemplate something as I kneel before her. “You are never going to stop fighting me, are you?” In response, I writhe in the Sadie’s grip, desperately trying to break free. She shakes her head at me, offering an apologetic look. “Maybe Kai was right. The less competition, the better.”

She grabs the handle of the dagger in both hands, raising it above her head.

So this is how I die.

I’ve survived my whole life as an Ordinary, and yet, this is how it ends. By a measly dagger. I can’t tell if I want to laugh or cry.

Sadie holds the knife above her head, ready to plunge it into my rapidly beating heart as she whispers, “I told you I didn’t want to do this. But I have to.”

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