I looked for other guards; there could be more than two protecting this thing. Then my eye caught a flash of purple. Viktor was across the clearing moving swiftly from tree to tree. I wished I could get him a message or… I could run around behind these two and get to Viktor.
I had it in me to make myself invisible again for a short burst. Whispering the spell, my body tingled and then I ran, light feet, hardly a sound, and in a few long strides I made it to Viktor. When I appeared next to him, he cursed and almost fell over.
“Could you give me some warning next time?” he whispered.
I shrugged, not knowing what sort of warning I could give without revealing myself to the other team. “So how are we going to take these two out quietly?”
Viktor rubbed his chin. “Subduing them will take too much time and will draw others. That girl is too good. I’ve watched her during class. One of us goes in to distract, probably takes a beating, and the other grabs the flag and makes a run for it.”
I took a deep breath. Knowing we’d both want to be the one to grab the flag and run, I suggested, “Rock off?” Rock, paper, dagger. “One round.”
“What sort of man would I be if I let the Princess of Delhoon go in alone to take a beating?” He shook his head. “I’ll fight them, you get the flag and run like you never have before.”
Squeezing my hands into fists, I nodded. “I’ll make it.”
He grinned. “I don’t have a doubt.”
Jumping to his feet, he charged in with a battle cry and the two guards ran at him. They clashed, hitting swords, and I took my chance.
I pushed my legs hard, snatched the flag and sprinted away, giving the yellow team a vulgar gesture as I went by.
“Get her!” The boy yelled but Viktor smashed his shoulder into the boy’s gut, and tripped the girl.
The girl swore loudly, and I knew she’d be up in a matter of seconds. Light footsteps followed me; she was close behind, too close. I turned conjuring a glowing green rope and threw it at her legs, when it wrapped around I pulled it tight. She fell hard, and cried out smashing her face into the grass. It would take her time to get out of that so I focused on what was ahead of me. Running faster than I probably ever had in my life.
I heard him before I saw him, a flash of yellow careening toward me. I skidded to a halt, hoping he’d fly by me, but Zyacus’s arm caught my shirt and we both tumbled to the ground. I rolled, ending up on my knees. From his back, he jumped to his feet in one swift movement.
“You’re not leaving with that flag, Princess,” he said, a wicked smile forming on his lips.
I slowly rose to my full height, gripping the flag like my life depended on it. This wasn’t just about winning for my team, it was a personal vendetta against the Hesstian Prince now. I took a step to the right and he mirrored me, blocking my path. I wasn’t within his grasp but he was too close for me to run by him.
“Give it to me,” he said, holding out a hand as if simply commanding it would make me do so. There was a sort of power laced in his voice and I wondered if he was using magic somehow.
Either way it wouldn’t work on me. I laughed in his face.
With a wave of my arm, I conjured a magical rope and threw it at his legs. One swift hand movement from him and my rope fizzled into nothing.
Clenching my teeth, I stomped my foot and sent a blast of magic along the ground. The vines and grass at his feet wrapped over his legs, a little trick my mother taught me, and I dashed around him. It wouldn’t hold for more than a few seconds since he’d so easily disheveled my rope but it gave me a head start.
My heart pounded almost as loud as my feet and I didn’t risk a look back. When I saw the path separating our two sides my heart sang. I was almost there! Zyacus appeared at my side and roundhouse kicked my feet out from under me. I flew through the air and crashed onto my hands and knees, dropping the flag.
He dove for it and I kicked him hard on the outside of his shoulder, but had been aiming for his head, then I rolled on top of him and elbowed him in the face as I tried to climb over his body. He growled, and bucked me off then was atop me, his weight pinning me down.
“Get off me, cheater,” I snarled and brought my leg up, hooked it around his neck and threw him back. “You weren’t supposed to use the appearus spell.” There was no other explanation for why he appeared so suddenly.
“Princess Visteal has the flag, help her!” Aric shouted, battling a boy.
“I didn’t use it,” he said, laughing as he wrapped his arms around my legs before I could stand.
Aric broke through and was running for us. I grabbed the flag and tossed it his way, but Zyacus knocked it down. Aric kicked his cousin so hard in the side that the breath whooshed from his lungs and he released me.
“Bastard,” Zyacus coughed.
I wiggled away from him, crawled a few paces and grabbed the flagpole. Another yellow team member dove on top of me, a dark-haired girl, taller and heavier than me. We grappled, and when she punched me in the nose, pain exploded and I could feel then taste the blood leaking into my mouth. I roared, my magic surged and she was thrown several feet.
The flag was inches away and I took my chance. Zyacus and Aric exchanged blows, until Zyacus saw me grab the flag and make a run for it. I didn’t know what magic he used but Aric crumpled over as if punched in the gut.
Don’t look back, don’t look, don’t look!
I was only a few yards from crossing into my side but so was a member of the yellow team with my purple flag. Lora came out of the trees and tackled the girl before she could cross out of our territory.
The ground turned to ice beneath my feet and I slipped, crashing to one knee. I whipped my head around and that arrogant ass prince was running for me. I had mere feet—feet to go. I scrambled up, slipping and sliding and dove, all I had to do was cross the flag over the line to my side. On his belly, Zyacus slid on the ice beside me, grabbing for my arm but he was too late.
A whistle cut through the air, Madison clapped and said, “Purple team wins! Valiant effort yellow team!”
Papa clapped and had the proudest look on his face. I pulled a bloody toothed grin at him.
Lying beside one another, the ice beneath us melting, Zyacus smirked. “You’re tough.”
I was still struggling for air, my body exhausted but I managed to say between breaths, “I don’t know—why you always—underestimate me.”
“I won’t anymore.” He reached for my face and I caught his wrist. “Your nose looks broken,” he said.
The pain was a dull throb now but blood still trickled down. So I nodded and loosened my grip.
He healed my nose in seconds then pulled me to my feet. I wiped the lingering blood with my sleeve and quietly said, “Thank you.” Even if it pained me to owe him gratitude.
Aric hustled over. “That was great.” Aric hooked the bend of his elbow around his cousin’s neck, grinning with a puffy eye that was about to swell shut. It made no difference that moments ago they were beating each other bloody.
Zyacus and I locked eyes and I realized that he never once struck me or really tried to hurt me when he could have—should have to win.
“If we have another game like this,” Zyacus said, “I hope you’re on my team, Princess.”
I couldn’t stop smiling at the compliment.