Page 89 of The Stone Initiation
I was almost there when something hit me in the face. Cold, wet, and blinding. The mud ball stole my vision. I stumbled, my ankle twisted, and a tearing sound filled the air.
I went down hard, fiery agony blooming in my ankle. I didn’t have to look at it to know it was swelling fast. I’d torn ligaments. I swiped mud from my eyes as the air above me shifted and Curi’s bellow of rage told me he’d been taken out.
“Cam!” Sharniza cried.
The ground thundered as Waxen and Dayn ran toward me.
“Got you rat!” Dayn called out with glee.
Sharniza was headed my way, but if she touched me, we’d lose. I had to do this alone.
For the team.
Fuck the pain. I pushed myself to my feet with a roar, scrambling for purchase in the mud for a second before bursting forward in a sprint. I blocked out the pain by channeling the rage that Dayn’s words had evoked.
Rat? Motherfucker. I’ll show you rat.
Shar’s eyes widened as I ran toward her, then a grin split her lips. I raced past her.
The crunch of stone body hitting stone body rattled the air behind me.
Go Shar.
I caught sight of Touron several meters away. Shit, he was on Dayn’s team.
“Stop her, Touron!” Dayn cried.
Touron broke into a jog toward me.
No. Fuck that. No. With a final burst of speed I cleared the line and grabbed hold of the post. My fingers felt clumsy and numb, but I managed to slot the flag into place.
“Yes!” I fist pumped the air. “Yes!”
Curi let out an uncharacteristic whoop.
Farnell approached with an unreadable expression. “Very well done, Miss Walker, now I suggest you get to the infirmary and have them treat that ankle.”
My foot?
I looked down at the bulbous flesh straining and forcing the Lastonflex of my sneaker to expand to accommodate it. Pain hit me in a wave that made my knees weak.
“I’ve got you.” Sharniza swung me into her arms. “I assume we can be dismissed,” she practically growled at Farnell.
He looked down coolly at her. “You may. We’ll discuss the merits of this exercise in our next session.”
But Shar was already airborne with me clutched tight in her arms.
“I’ll meet you there!” Touron called out from below.
I held tight to Sharniza, trying to block out the deep ache in my ankle. “We won. We fucking won.”
“You did good,” Sharniza said with a small smile. “You crazy bitch. You did good.”
CHAPTER39
My ankle throbbed dully as Touron gently lowered me onto my bed. Sharniza grabbed a pillow to prop my ankle up.
“I think one of us should stay with her,” Touron said. “In case she needs anything.”
