Page 117 of On Wings of Blood

“You really want me to hurt you?” His voice was sharper now, frustration seeping through the cracks of his control.

“Yes,” I shouted. “Fight me, you fucking coward. Instead of always picking on someone weaker than you are.”

I yanked my hand free and lunged again, this time landing a punch to his ribs. But before I could hit him again, he grabbed both my arms and twisted them behind my back, holding me tight against him.

I struggled, thrashing in his hold.

“But you’re weaker than me, Pendragon,” he breathed in my ear. “You know you are. Look at you. You’re pathetic.”

“Shut the hell up and fight me. Why won’t you fight me?” I demanded, my voice trembling with rage. My body was burning, every muscle straining from the effort of trying to reach him. He was wearing me out and he knew it.

“Maybe you’re not worth it,” he murmured. “Did you ever think of that?”

I roared, thrashing in his arms. He held me tight, his jaw clenched, but I could feel the frustration in him mounting. If he was wearing me out, I was wearing him out, too.

I didn’t want to admit the truth. Blake was different from Visha. I'd been training for months. If this was Visha, I’d have been more than a match for her this time. Blakewasstronger than me. By a lot. But I still wasn’t giving up.

I might lose today. But I’d work to become just as strong. No matter what I had to do. I wouldn’t stop fighting him. I’d never stop.

I managed to break his grip on one of my arms and half-turned, trying to swing behind me, but he caught my wrist.

“You and all your friends,” I panted. “You’re all bullies. And you have the nerve to call me pathetic. Look in the fucking mirror.”

“Stop!”

The word rang out across the training yard.

Instantly, Blake let go of me and stepped away.

I blinked, suddenly disoriented.

Professor Sankara stood at the entrance to the yard, his eyes blazing with anger as he strode towards us.

It was only then that I realized we were surrounded by a crowd.

Highblood students, blightborn students–there must have been a hundred or more gathered around. They’d come in from thecorridors, and now stood there, whispering, their eyes wide with shock and fascination as they watched Blake and I.

I spotted a familiar face at the edge of the crowd. Vaughn.

I’d expected him to look relieved. But instead, he looked horrified. Was he afraid of retaliation? I’d have to reassure him later.

Still, a wave of guilt went through me. Had I done the right thing? Had this really been for Vaughn at all?

“Everyone to the arena,” Professor Sankara barked. “The House Leader ceremony is about to begin and you are all expected to be in attendance.”

The crowd started to disperse, the students raising their voices once more into an even louder murmur as they filed out of the yard.

Professor Sankara walked towards us.

“You are both in violation of Sangrathan law,” he declared, his voice hard as stone. I stared at him. What was he talking about? “But you’re needed in the arena, Drakharrow. Whatever this was will have to be dealt with later.”

Blake went to move past me, then paused and glanced my way. Our eyes met.

He held my gaze for a moment, his eyes cold. Then he turned and walked away.

I was left in the yard alone, my fists still clenched by my side, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

A soft snuffling sound pulled me out of my fog. A faint whimper followed, then a tiny yap.

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