Page 35 of Reckless
The crowd splits, creating a path to the cage.
She beat me back to the cellar after practically jumping off the roof to get away from me. I take my time strolling inside, staring at her through the wired cage, though she looks in any other direction than mine.
When the door swings shut behind me, shouts erupt. The crowd is already gambling on the outcome of the match, shouting what they must believe to be words of encouragement at their chosen fighter.
She wastes no time before beginning to circle me. This is not the same girl I kissed on the roof, and if feels as though we are meetingagain for the first time. Though a public reunion in which we are both hiding our identity is not exactly ideal.
I watch her as we slowly circle one another, each of us attempting to anticipate the other’s move. Words stick in my throat, unable to say something worth the weeks of silence between us. Because what happened on the roof hardly counts as a reunion. Hardly counts at all.
“Took you long enough,Flame.”
Her words are laced with bitter amusement, void of whatever emotions we left on the rooftop.
Good. We are carrying on as normal. As enemies.
“What,” I ask, “finding you or coming to my senses?”
“Well, clearly you haven’t really come to your senses, considering you stepped foot in this ring. With me inside it.” Her hands twitch at her sides, itching to connect with my face.
I almost laugh. “I could say the same to you,Shadow.” My voice drops to a whisper I’m not even sure she can hear over the crowd, though I know my eyes shout the title at her. “Or should I say,Silver Savior?”
“I’d watch your tongue,Prince.” I can see the sharp smile in her eyes. “Unless you’d like to swallow it.”
“Have you been practicing that little line?” I drawl. “You know, for when I inevitably found you? Or did—”
Her fist finds my jaw. Hard.
I don’t even have time to react, to dodge, to do anything other than take the blow as it whips my head to the side. “No,” she answers sweetly, “but I have been practicingthat.”
I spit blood onto the mat, drawing a roar from the crowd. “It seems I won’t need to remind you how to punch correctly. Again.”
This time, I duck before she can break my nose. Her arm swings over my head, and I take advantage of her unguarded stomach to senda quick jab below her ribs. She staggers slightly before filling the space between us with a foot flying toward my temple. I twist, blocking her kick and pushing her leg away from me.
“Are you prepared to let me go when I win this fight?” she pants, pelting me with a combination of punches I scarcely block. She’s persistent, as per usual, and far less fatigued than I figured she’d be. I suspect our time on the roof likely added to her bloodlust.
After exchanging blows, most of them blocked, she drops into a crouch to swing her leg out. I jump, narrowly missing her attempt to send me sprawling onto the mat. But she’s up in an instant, twisting with a back kick that has her heel careening toward my skull.
This time, I block before catching her leg. Using the momentum of her kick, I have her flipping onto the mat before her next blink. She rolls, her back colliding with the cage wall, making it rattle while the crowd roars on the other side.
I wipe an already bloody hand across the line of crimson trailing from my split lip. “Look,” I pant, moving to stand over her. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to—”
Both of her booted feet fly into my stomach, thoroughly knocking the air from my lungs. I stagger with the sudden force of it, my back slamming into the cage wall. She’s on me in a moment, her hands on my shoulders and…
We’re dancing in the Whispers.
Pale moonlight streams through the trees, illuminating the eyes staring up into mine, sparkling like an indigo pool I’m all too willing to dive headfirst into.
Her hands anchor me, tethering us together with a tentative touch. Soft but sure. Steady but seemingly timid. Unsure what this means, but sure that she wants it.
Her hands are on my shoulders and…
And her knee is driving into my stomach.
Once. Twice. Three times before I come to my senses and block with one arm before swinging the other at her jaw. Her head snaps to the side, and I take advantage of the second of shock she allows. I have her gripped by the collar and pressed against the cage within the next heartbeat.
That’s when she knees me in the groin.
The crowd grunts right alongside me. “Classy as always,” I choke out, still clutching her tightly.
