Page 74 of Wild Fury (Fallen Royals 6)

Miranda smirks. “You’re with us now.”

I raise my eyebrow, but the three of them move ahead of me. I’m taken back to high school, the invisible, quiet girl with her camera. I tag along behind them and the guys, at the edge of the pack. There are banners hung along the wall with prior championship years stitched into the fabric.

There are a few vendors inset along the outer walls, and it reminds me of other, larger stadiums I’ve seen in movies. I didn’t know LBU had a stadium this large. It didn’t factor into my decision… oh, wait, I didn’t have a decision.

They turn down one of the openings, and we step out toward the center of the long stretch of field. We go down the stairs, and I glance around. There aren’t many more rows… And then Felicity reaches the barrier and rotates, pointing to the grouping of seats.

Holy shit.

The LBU team benches are directly in front of us.

“This good?” Felicity asks. She grins at me. “Better than what you were expecting, surely.”

I choke on a laugh. “You could say that.”

Ruby side-eyes me.

“What?” I snap.

She still hasn’t said anything about her lie. At this rate, I can’t expect her to, but… I guess I thought we were going to be friends. Not torn apart by this secret. She’s being pulled into another world, and I’m just going to be left behind.

Again, a little voice in the back of my head reminds me. Amelie left me, too. My parents. Hell, even my grandparents opted to give me back and move away. The only home I knew until I was seventeen was sold out from under my feet, and they didn’t give me a say.

“Want a beer?” the guy asks, first Ruby, and then me.

She hesitates, but I nod. After a moment, she agrees, too.

“Coming right up. Come on, Felicity.”

The two of them slide past us and back into the aisle, hurrying away. We’re early, so the teams aren’t out. There’s just the rustling murmurs of the growing crowd. The stadium is bigger than I would’ve guessed. There are two sections of seating that wrap all the way around, an upper and lower. Above the two long sides of the field are enclosed rooms overlooking everything. Press boxes, owners’ boxes. Who knows.

There are more photographers on the field, milling around. That’s where I want to be—in the action. Leaping to avoid oncoming players like you often see in the professional games, so close you’re practically hit with their sweat. Well, I’ve seen photos and clips… I can’t say I’ve ever watched a full game.

“Have you been to a college game before?” Miranda asks, leaning over Ruby to direct her question at me.

I shake my head. “Just high school.”

She smirks. “Well, prepare for a treat.”

It isn’t long before the guy and Felicity return, and suddenly a horn sounds. Music follows, inciting the crowd. I grip my plastic cup of beer and rise with everyone around me. A marching band comes out, streaming onto the field from all different directions. They circle around each other in the center of the field.

“Is this typical?” I yell at Ruby.

She laughs.

We yell along with everyone else until the band suddenly splits into two groups, and a hush falls over the field. Then the drums. My heartbeat picks up, suddenly pounding in time to the booming drumline. Spectacle.

The coaches appear first, stopping just under the overhang. We all crane our necks, trying to see our team. Their navy-blue helmets glint under the lights, and every single one of the players bounces up and down. Their chanting floats over the stadium. I’m too tense to even grab my camera—it sits forgotten beside me.

The rest is a blur: the teams warming up in front of the stands, the cheerleaders shaking their pom-poms, the whole stadium stomping in time to the songs playing over the speakers. I sip my drink, and my face warms. The last time I drank, I killed someone.

His face flashes in front of my eyes again. I haven’t had nightmares about it, surprisingly. It’s like getting out of town banished those demons. But… now they’re returning in bits and pieces.

The game begins, and I fumble with my camera. The settings, the lighting… I wing it, taking just a few test shots before finding Theo’s jersey number, his last name across his shoulder blades. He’s sitting on the bench beside Hale Devereux.

“Do you know what’s happening?” I ask Ruby.

She grunts. “Too much, unfortunately.”

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