time the day of the competition rolls around. You can’t use the same magical trick over and over to win fights. It’s cool if you can freeze or levitate your opponent, but they don’t want a one-trick pony to win, so you have to employ multiple magical tactics as the rounds go on. There’s a preliminary round of single combat, and then those who win their preliminary go into a battle royale, everyone against everyone.
I distinctly recall how everyone reacted in the dining hall when Raul made our cuffs burn off, so I don’t know who thought this battle royale thing was a good idea, but if you ask me, they’re insane. I nearly killed Asher with my sonic boom, and about twenty students ended up in the infirmary after that debacle. And they want to just unleash us on each other like that again?
There’s also a rule about not killing your opponent and just trying to incapacitate them or get them to surrender, because of course there is, but I don’t know how well that whole thing will work. I’m honestly a little worried that it won’t—and that one of my men will be the one getting hurt.
Um. Not that any of them are mine, strictly speaking.
Everyone who’s competing has to check in first in one of the large first-floor classrooms in Wellwood Hall. I read over the rules posted on the entry doors one last time as everyone files in. There are tables set up for people to sign in if they already put their name down, as well as tables to register if they’ve decided to join at the last minute.
Dmitri’s stretching already while Cam and Asher wait in line to sign in. I can see Roman sitting at the table for the last-minute sign ups, looking stoic and stern as always. I haven’t gotten to sneak over to his room in a couple weeks, and I resist the urge to wave or walk over and talk to him. I certainly don’t talk to the guys—they need to focus, and I don’t want to distract them.
“And here I thought you’d be desperate to sign up, Roach,” Alyssa muses, walking up beside me and staring at the rules, like I’m not even worth making eye contact with. “Get all that attention you’re so desperate for.”
“Right, I’m the one who’s desperate for attention.”
She scoffs, tossing her blonde hair. “Please. Why else would you need three men to boost your ego? And that whole stunt with saving the school?”
“Did you seriously just suggest I helped save the school because I wanted attention? Like, as a stunt?”
“I don’t pretend to understand you,” Alyssa replies, her tone dripping with disdain. “Anyway. I think it’s a good thing you’re not competing. We wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”
I stare at her. “Are you saying I couldn’t handle myself?”
“I didn’t say it, you just did,” Alyssa replies, giving me a smug smile. Goddamn it, I’d like to smack that smirk right off her face. “But honestly, it’s for the best. I’d hate for you to get hurt and embarrass yourself in the first round. The person who saved the school basically flunking out of the competition? Ouch. Talk about a blow.”
“Your concern is so sweet,” I reply, my blood nearly boiling. “I suppose, as a first-year, you’re not entering either? I wouldn’t want you to chip a nail.”
“Oh, no, I am. You see, I’m not a coward.” She shakes her head, like she’s so disappointed in me.
“What, now you want me to enter? I thought you just said it was a good thing I wasn’t in the competition?”
“Well, there’s a downside too. The person who saved the whole academy should show a little more school spirit, don’t you think? And it does make you look rather… snobby. Or scared. Take your pick!” Alyssa smiles brightly. “Quite a Catch-22, isn’t it? Oh, well!”
I grit my teeth. She’s right that I’m not one for school spirit. I stopped Raul because he was planning to do bad things, not because he was doing them on academy grounds. And I don’t think just because I stopped a rogue mage once—which any decent person would do—that should mean I have to participate in every school event ever. What am I, fucking prom queen?
I’m not an attention grabber, and I’m not the only one who was there fighting Raul. Roman was there, and so were Dmitri, Cam, and Asher, and they’re all in the competition. I’d say that’s plenty of