Page 46 of A Crown Without Mercy

“A thumb up he wins, a thumb down he loses,” Kieran explained.

Sylvana reluctantly held up her fist up and momentarily glanced between the players; she then pointed her thumb down. Whoops, hollers, and laugher rang from the winning team, while the males on the losing team gave her a slight bow and the ladies curtsied.

Nicolai smiled and winked at her. “I would have chosen the same.”

“I have never seen ladies running around like this,” Sylvana said.

“I can’t wait to see your skills, Syl,” Nicolai replied.

“I don’t think you will see them tonight.”

“Oh, I believe we are going to see a lot tonight,” Kieran said with a coy smile.

Sylvana felt her face flush, and she refused to look at either of them. However, her pulse increased, and she felt a rush of adrenaline pool in her stomach at the mere thought of being with them in such a way.

After about an hour of casual conversation, laughter, and drinking, Nicolai and Kieran stood. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“We are going to play now,” Nicolai replied.

“Absolutely not.”

Kieran bent over and whispered in her ear. “We can find another game for you to play with us if you like.”

Sylvana’s eyes widened, and she looked between Nicolai and Kieran, who were obviously not taking no for an answer.I don’t want to know what he meant.She stood, reluctantly.

“Take out three on blue,” Kieran yelled.

The crowd cheered and three of the blue vested players stepped to the sidelines.

Nicolai placed a vest on Sylvana, and Kieran handed her a spear. “Are there rules?” Sylvana asked.

“No. It’s more like mayhem. Any strike to the body counts,” Nicolai replied.

They lined up, a horn blew, and spears began whizzing past her head and body. Nicolai and Kieran knocked the ones headed in her direction to the floor and then ran along the edges, trying to flank the other team. Players were being stuck and moving off the floor, while others were wrestling for the arrows. The ladies were mostly running around screaming, ducking, and laughing, while the males met each other with more aggression and physical contact.

Sylvana stretched her arm out in front of her body toward her opponent, pulled her other arm back and threw the spear across the floor hitting one male in the head. The crowd erupted with cheers, having witnessed the impeccable throw.

“Fuck yes!” Nicolai yelled from across the floor.

“You have a hell of an arm,” Kieran yelled as he tossed her another spear.

Sylvana caught it and immediately ducked, dodging an incoming spear. She spun around and her spear landed in the center of the lady’s chest.

“Get ‘em, Syl!” Nicolai shouted as he tossed his opponent to the floor and drug his spear across his throat.

The red team was now down by more than half of its players, fewer females than males. The ladies chased each other down as they laughed and yelped while the males grabbed the females in their arms and spun them around, making sexual innuendos and gestures. A few females were lip locked while others were playing hard to get.

Sylvana yelped when she felt someone wrap her in his arms and kiss her neck. She turned her head to the side, and it was Nicolai. “I didn’t know this game would become sexual.” She laughed.

“Everything is sexual. You have seen nothing yet.” He chuckled.

A spear almost hit Sylvana in the back of the head, however Nicolai caught it. “Game’s not over,” he said as he handed it to her. “Choose your next victim.”

Sylvana looked around and threw it toward a male who was running across the floor, and it hit him in the waist.

“Damn, you’re one hell of a shot.”

“I grew up with a brother, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

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