and grief. That’s true, but I didn’t tell you everything. He’s already moved on. Already fucking someone else.”
“Aron.” I batted away the weapon, trying to reset things.
“I’m telling you the truth, Brexley. If you had given me just a moment of your time instead of looking at me like I was your most vile mistake…”
“You were,” I hissed.
“Blind to the end,” he growled, leaping for me.
Our familiar dance was one we could do for hours. Kicking, punching, wrestling. We moved around each other, sweat sliding down my face, my energy weaning, allowing him to dart in. His foot hooked mine, tossing me painfully onto my back, knocking the air from my lungs. Jumping on me, grief in his eyes as he primed the weapon at the soft spot in my throat—a weak point for humans and fae alike.
Once again, I could feel a presence move around me, poking and prodding at me, as though telling me not to give up. My gaze darted to the stands. Warwick hadn’t moved. His expression was even angrier, swirling around him like a storm. He snarled, turned and stomped away, disappearing in a tunnel near his seat.
Returning to Aron, the sparks of rage built through my bones again. Instinct was feral. Wild. It didn’t think or care. It wanted to live—by whatever means necessary.
Aron’s arm went up. “I’m sorry, Brex.” He dropped his arm like an ax, ready to take off my head. With all my might, my legs swung over, flipping him to the side.
Thud!
Aron smacked into the ground as I rolled him over, the wooden spike falling from his hand. Clawing and digging into his skin, I climbed on him, pinning him down. A crazed noise echoed from my lungs as I understood what I had to do.
Gripping the dagger, I only hesitated for a split second. The sheer terror and anguish in Aron’s eyes imprinted on my mind as I swung down with a guttural cry.
“Brexley! No! Pleas—” His scream was cut off as the sharp point drove through his neck, ripping through his skin and muscles, blowing a hole in his esophagus. His eyes widened in horror as his mouth gaped and wheezed for air. His body lurched and jerked as his hands went to this throat.
Sliding off him, a cry wracked out of my chest at the sounds of my comrade gurgling and choking on blood, his body in the throes of death.
His wide eyes looked at me once with torment, shock, and anguish. Then his pupils glazed over as his life leaked out in a final shudder.
Aron was dead.
He was the first guy I’d ever been with, and we had fought each other on the mat countless times. I never imagined this would be our end. That I would be the one who took his life.
Guttural emotion swirled in my chest. I had killed my comrade with savage brutality and little hesitation. “Oh, gods...I am so sorry.” The words dribbled over my lips, my breath heavy as I curled over him. At that moment, I just wanted to bring him to life to go back in time. “Aron…”
Suddenly his eyes bolted open, his mouth opened, and a hiss of sound—my name—came from his lips. His hand reached for me, and I jerked back with a cry. The moment I moved away, he went limp, falling back, his head rolling to the side, his dead eyes open and blank.
What the hell was that? Like some horror movie, the killer came back for one last scare. Was it the last bit of life leaving him?
I blinked at his motionless form, still and very dead, wondering if I had imagined it.
“Kill! Kill!” The onlookers in the stands clapped and chanted, bringing my attention back to the moment, their voices scraping against my skin. “Kill the bull! Kill the bull!”
I lifted my head and peered over at the figure feet away from me. Rodriguez’s chest barely moved, his body shivering as his life leaked from him.
Fuck these monsters. Hadn’t I given them enough? The man was dead anyway, but they wanted me to put in the final stake. Their lack of empathy and respect for life wrenched me up to my feet with a snarl.
Rage gurgled in my gut, my face twisting with rage as I peered at the faceless crowd, stepping closer to Rodriguez, escalating their cheers.
The wood spike dripping with Aron’s blood hung at my side.
“Dooo iiiittt,” Rodriguez hissed through his teeth, coughing and choking.