Page 84 of A Kingdom so Crimson

"Are you insane?" I yelled, anger coursing through me, making my already burning body feel even hotter. I rubbed my arm, already swelling with a bruise from the fall.

"Make it to the top, you win," he rasped, catching his breath. "Don't make it to the top, I win." He flashed me a devilish grin, squaring himself in front of me.

"What do I getwhenI win?" I breathed, hoping to distract him long enough to sneak around him.

His grin widened as he opened his mouth to respond, but I bolted to his side, shoving his muscled arm away.

A laugh bubbled from his lips as I dug my feet into the crisp ground, hauling myself up and forward. He lunged, grabbing hold of my right ankle and sending me sprawling to the ground. Quickly catching myself, I whipped my left leg toward him, and he barely dodged my boot aimed at his pretty face.

Trying to retreat, I stomped on his arm with my leg. Despite it all, he kept smiling. "How are you going to escape?" he taunted, still holding tight to my ankle.

"Not by having a conversation," I spat, throwing myself back down the hill, quickly twisting my body so that Levon lost his grip and tumbled after me. I found my footing swiftly and darted diagonally toward the right side of the hill. A laugh burst from my lungs as I glanced back at him chasing me, pumping his arms as quickly as mine. I abruptly changed direction and headed straight up, my legs screaming in agony with each push against the ground as I neared the top of the hill.

"Give up?" I hollered, looking back to see him only steps behind me right as I collided with a solid body and was knocked to the ground.

My vision blurred as I saw the familiar end of a leather cloak flicker into view. Two hands pinned me down, and I saw Kaizen's smirking face above me.

"Took you long enough," Levon panted, looking down at me with a smile. Beside him, Kaizen's amber eyes sparkled with pure enjoyment at seeing me pinned beneath him. I wiggled under his grasp, but Kaizen only held tighter.

"Seems like you've been caught, orphan," he mused.

I pursed my lips at him with a snarl, demanding he let go, but he only smiled.

"You're still a cheat," I barked at Levon, who walked up the last of the hill, effectively winning.

"Find your way out," Kaizen growled, still pinning me to the ground.

I grunted, feeling frustration bubbling within me, and strained against his weight, attempting to free my hands from beneath him.

"Free yourself," he barked, his eyes ablaze with a feverish passion.

With my legs partially free and my head clear, I quickly surveyed my surroundings, noting that I was still slanted on the hill, my head positioned lower than my legs.

Gritting my teeth, I dug my heels into the dirt, feeling the earth give slightly beneath me. I braced myself, preparing to use the force of my momentum to throw him off.

With a determined grunt, I continued to wiggle and squirm beneath him, putting on a convincing display of resistance despite the weight pressing down on me.

"Do it, Eliah!" he yelled just as I hoisted myself up and twisted, sinking my teeth into his forearm.

He cursed and hissed as his coppery blood filled my mouth. At that same moment, his weight shifted, and I clutched his arms, throwing all my weight into him and sending us both rollingdown the hill. He finally let go as we tumbled forcefully down the hill.

A laugh escaped him as we tumbled to the bottom, lying on the ground and gazing at the bright blue sky scattered with fluffy clouds. Our breaths were staggered, but a sense of comradery settled between us.

Levon came running, his white tunic damp with sweat clinging to his chest. His bright smile emerged as he reached me.

"One day, I might let you win," he teased, chuckling as he hoisted me up. Kaizen was still lying on the ground, and the smile from moments ago vanished as he quickly rose. He started up the hill to retrieve his fallen cloak, clutching his blood-spattered arm.

His gaze met mine, a fire burning in his eyes—whether it was anger or acceptance, I couldn't tell.

"You'll pay for that," he asserted through gritted teeth.

I scoffed with a smirk and turned toward Levon, pushing his shoulder playfully. "You'll always be a cheat," I quipped, wiping Kaizen's blood from my mouth.

Levon grinned at me and headed back up the hill. "Let's do some real training now," he suggested. Energized by the sun's rays, I followed after him, ready to win.

My arms and shoulders ached from the continuous jabs and hook maneuvers, followed by a ruthless leg and arm workout that left me reeling on the ground, allowing the hot sun to soak up my sweat. Kaizen left quickly once practice started, only scanning the surrounding area as he stayed hidden within the tree's edge, then disappeared into the woods themselves.

We stopped our battle play once several carriages pulled to the front gates, deeming it time to hurry back inside to freshen me up for measurements.

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