Enemy Fire | J. Saltzman - Legacies [3]

T W O

"Lizzie, have you thought this through?" Aaron asks as he grips the rope tightly in his hands. He squints at the other team and nervously realizes that Alyssa has somehow surrounded herself with vampires and werewolves.

Behind him, Josie stands as the anchor in this tug-of-war battle, and Aaron couldn't possibly feel worse about it. She looks nervous enough to vomit. "This is going to be a disaster," she says. "We need to rethink this."

"No way, Jo-say," Lizzie replies with a smile. "Because as stirring and intentionally terrifying as my speech was, do you know what speaks louder than words?"

"Actions." Josie and Aaron send each other looks as they speak at the same time.

"Winning." Lizzie eyes both of them with a frown. "Duh."

Aaron shakes his head. "Alyssa wormed her way onto a team filled with creatures who have super strength, Lizzie. We witches are screwed."

"This rope weighs more than me. I shouldn't be the anchor." Josie nervously tugs at the knot pressed against her stomach.

"Not if you cast immobilus," Lizzie says, arching a brow suggestively.

"No, I can't do that—"

"Don't think of it as cheating," Lizzie says. "Plus, I mean, you said you took it back, right? So, this is just a small, little test. Taking action. The perfect hero move."

Aaron raises a finger and says, "Honestly, heroes are overrated."

"Ignore the newbie. Be the hero, Jo."

"No, no, no, Lizzie!" Josie shouts as the blonde bounces away. "This isn't going to end well. I didn't take back the magic."

His eyes widen. "Uh..." He looks down the line of witches. "Ok, can you use that weird bond thing?"

She shakes her head. "The bond..." Looking down, she purses her lips. "It's not really there anymore."

"Well, I'm not going to cheat for you."

"I don't want you to. We're so going to lose."

"All right, Salvatore Stallions!" MG shouts. "Is everybody ready for some for some friendly, inter-faction competition?"

"Lizzie!" Josie yells, but her voice barely carries over the cheering on the sidelines. Despite the incredibly low stakes, Aaron can feel his blood pumping through his veins, ready for action.

"Thank you for your words of encouragement, Jo," Lizzie yells back from the front of the group. "I think I speak for us all when I say it lifts our spirits to victory. We're ready. Blow the damn whistle."

"This is not going to end well," Aaron whispers, his tattoos that stick out from under his jacket glistening in the sun. He can feel them heating up but elects to ignore them and the few people daring enough to stare at him.

As MG blows the whistle, Aaron is instantly knocked forward a step by the sheer strength of the other team. Whispering a spell, Aaron's muscles tense as he yanks back, smirking at the bewilderment from the other side. None of it matters though as the other team slowly drags them towards the mud pit in the center.

Suddenly, he hears Lizzie shout, "Jo, what are you waiting for?!"

"I told you, I can't!"

Lizzie screams as she jumps off the platform to avoid the mud, many of the other witches following. At the last second, Aaron wraps his arm around the thick rope and jerks himself and Josie off of the platform before she can be tossed into the pit. She lands just beside him on the ground, both of them groaning at their rough landing.