Spark by Krysta Maravilla

Author:Krysta Maravilla
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Krysta Maravilla

Chapter Twenty-Three

Phe sat at the edge of the stone platform, overlooking the now empty stadium, and diligently studied the remnants of her trials while they waited. What they were waiting for, Phe was certain they’d told her, but it had gone in one ear and out the other.

She surveyed the flecks of blood marring the arena floor. In two spots, blood pooled in different shades, from dark to lighter red. If she wanted to, she could recreate the scenes, dissect their movements into a choreographed dance. But she didn’t.

Her skin felt raw and uncomfortable under the pressure of her torn clothes.

Tension rode her shoulders, and her crushing headache had nothing to do with physical injuries. Orc had healed those. Instead, they had everything to do with waves of emotions battering her.

I am a monster.

Lightning had pummeled the ground while Rosea and Phe had clashed. Each strike had charred a tree-like pattern in the dirt. Phe concentrated on tracing those with her eyes.

It was easier than meeting the worried gazes of her team.

The moment she’d regained awareness, she’d found a limp, unresponsive Rosea underneath her. Orc had helped her move, while Roar had pulled her twins from Rosea. Twins she had, somehow, successfully embedded into the earth, pinning Rosea in place. Once Rosea had been freed, she and Ambassador Genor had disappeared.

Technically, Phe had won the last trial, but it didn’t feel that way. Not at all. In fact, out of all three trials, this one gutted her the most.

Fighting with hands, feet, and weapons, she could do. Looking an opponent in the eye, feeling every sharp contact, facing them head on—that was the challenge. It pared adversaries and determined skill levels.

What she’d done to Rosea wasn’t skill. It was unnatural.

Phe swallowed, risking a quick peek at Shadow Unit.

If I’m a monster, what does that make them?

She slogged through the thought, unable to compute how the group of people lingering around her were monsters. Or how they fit into this terrible society.

Yet they had to be monsters, and not just tiny monster babies. They were full-grown dragons with armored skin, fire breath, razor-sharp talons, spiked tails, and dexterous wings. Hovering horrors.

Phe struggled to envision them this way, except for Finian.

She eyed Finian, contemplating his monster status. He stood shirtless next to Kirzia, beaming.

A proud, vicious dragon, puffing his chest and licking his gleaming teeth.

Finian winked at her, his gaze twinkling, and a dimple appeared.

She averted her eyes, instantly enthralled in the lightning pattern, and hoped he stayed where he was.

Gads, there’s only so much I can handle.

It was as if the stars had conspired on what would make life horrible for Phe and then brought every one of their ideas together in succession to see which was worse.

I should’ve stayed in bed.

Then she’d have undergone the humiliation of Shadow Unit prying her from its blanketed depths, forcing her to face this horrid day.

No, thank you.

Gravel crunched, drawing Phe’s attention.

Kirzia, Ihrone, and Finian stood together. Phe caught Ihrone, his tone rising slightly to one of disbelief and incredulousness, saying “.

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