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➶ ➴↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ-
𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎𝐎𝐍, the champions mingled around Brullo who continued on his lecture of various weapons. A lecture she had sat through for years, lessons and comments on various topics she refused to relearn. Just as she had begun contemplating whether she could sleep while standing up, from the corner of her eye a sudden movement by the balcony doors caught her attention.
She turned just in time to see one of the larger Champions shove a nearby guard, knocking him to the ground. The guard's head hit the marble with a crack, and he was instantly unconscious. None of them dared to move as the man hurtled toward the door, toward the gardens and escape. But Chaol and his men moved much faster than the fleeing Champion, not having time to touch the glass door before an arrow went clean through his throat. She swallowed loudly as the room went completely silent. So silent, Mia had thought she'd lost her hearing.
"Gods above," Nox breathed, so softly that his lips barely moved. "They just . . . killed him."
She moved her lips to give her agreement but couldn't get her voice to work.
He glanced sidelong at her. "I was granted immunity by my sponsor. He tracked me down and said I wouldn't go to prison if I lost the competition."
At that point, she knew he was speaking more to himself, and when neither of the twins responded, Nox stopped talking. He must have noticed her pale face, or the way she had stopped breathing as he laid a hand on her shoulder. Mia quickly grabbed Celaena's hand who squeezed it in return.
The sunlight shone through the doors, illuminating the Champion's splattered blood like stained glass.
Blood.
She became nauseous, though she clenched her teeth, fighting the turning of her stomach and her light head. Fighting the observation she made as the blood coated the floor like it had coated her parent's bed, she turned away.
