The Pain in Our Veins (Maven Time Travel)

Chapter Nine

Training has become my favorite part of the day. Mare is always there, laughing and sweaty, outpacing me in all but endurance. I can't be mad at her for it. Her strengths balance mine as mine do hers, a dance of sparks and knives until one of us kills the other. One day, she leans into my ear. "Remember when you guys were fighting over the Cycle?" Her cheeks flush. "I didn't realize you could hold your own for that long."

I shrug. "He goes easy on me."

"Still." She chuckles. "You're pretty strong."

A warm feeling blooms in my chest. "Tell that to Arven. He won't stop comparing us."

I still remember the first day of Training, how he had taken me aside after I failed to beat Cal. His brow had been furrowed, his mouth a grim line, all hard edges as he stared me down. His allegiance was to my mother. He too, thought pain made you strong.

As if on cue, Arven clucks his tongue. Evangeline pauses her stretches, Elane blinks back into view, and Sonya dismounts from the tree she had been dangling atop of. Mare stands at attention, rigid, eyes darting past me to the Telkies emerging from the shadows. "What's going on?"

I grimace. "You'll see."

Sure enough, the floor parts, curling upwards on either side. Metal pokes out the top, evenly spaced spikes. Seats rise beneath our feet, and Mare clings to my arm. I tremble, brushing my hand along her shoulder, then her cheek. Her skin feels like satin beneath my palm, and I lean in for a kiss. Arven's voice rings through the arena. "Tirana."

Mare turns to listen, and I get a mouthful of hair instead. I duck my head and pray no one notices.

Something taps me on the shoulder, and I turn to find Evangeline's smirk. "Rejected, Loverboy?"

My lip curls, but Mare pays her no mind. Her cheeks flush as she glances my direction, saying nothing and everything all at once. Arven calls me to stand, only for Evangeline to raise her hand. "Lord Arven." Her voice is sweet as honey. "May I take Tirana's place?"

I stiffen. She promised me vengeance. She promised them a show.

"Very well." Arven has no mercy for me. "Give us your best." He chuckles. "Or your worst."

My fists curl into my side before flaring outwards, flames raking up my arms until even my head is on fire. I peer at her through the flames, and she grins. Her training suit is studded with steel, but she's far from satisfied. The spikes quiver, the walls straining, and Arven frowns.

In the corner of my eye, Cal sidles up to Mare. His arm stays away from hers, yet his lips lean close to her ear.

Air slices past my shoulder, a knife embedded behind me. My fire has melted it beyond recognition, but it still catches my breath. Cowardice. I clench flames into my palm and thrust, a wild direction that makes Evangeline cackle.

I always get disoriented, overwhelmed by sensation, every nerve firing in a random synapse. Perhaps it's what Mother did to my brain.

I can't see Mare as spikes rip from the walls, concrete splattering at my feet. They twist in on each other, a metal ball of death, barreling towards me at high speed. I dodge, flames rippling from my hands in a circle around us both.

Evangeline spreads her hands, and the metal taps its way back to her. The spikes untangle until they spread along her back, the skeleton of wings that thin into claws. They scratch the floor, the shriek of a banshee, stretching towards me until pieces fly off as bullets. My flames flare, misshaping them, but still they hit. One buries into my shoulder, another in my thigh. One skewers through my stomach and pins me to the wall.

Blood leaks from my skin onto the floor, yet I've never felt less like a Silver. Tirana would not have taken this much joy. Cal would never have let her corner him.

I used to never yield, enduring the pain long past the point of necessity. There was no bone they could not break, no tendon they could not slice, no nerve they could not tear until my instincts screamed for it to end. But it never let me win.

Yield.

Yield.

Yield.

I whisper it past all reason, too soft to make a difference. Louder, and it will end. Louder, and Mare will watch me fail.

"Yield." I cough onto the floor, taming my flames to embers. Evangeline draws back, huffing , sending her shards out of my body and into her hands. The ache of their absence leaves me emptier than ever. "Thank you."

"Remember this next time you open your mouth." She spins a rod into shards that embed in her uniform. "I don't hold back."

Walking hurts, too much to bear, but I have to stand tall. I am the son of whispers and flame, crowns of ash and webs of exhaustion. I do not bend. I do not break. I cannot let them see me fail.

Wren slides an arm beneath my shoulders and gets to work, running a hand along my wounds and leaving smooth flesh behind. Pain flows out my brain and into the ether, never to return. Whether it was weakness or strength, I'll never know.

Mare shoves Cal aside and races to Wren, stumbling over ruined concrete and molten patches of metal. Her hand is rougher than Wren's, more fierce, pumping with blood and adrenaline as she traces my cheek. "You're not dead, right?"

I force a chuckle. "This is par for the course."

Wrong move. Her face lights in horror, fingers tightening until my cheek smarts. I shake my head. "Remember what I said about hiding your heart?"

She stares into the distance, face turning to stone. Her hand stays at my cheek, and I pry it off, sneaking a kiss on the knuckles before I let go. A flush creeps up her neck, and I'm tempted to kiss that too.

Cal keeps his eyes away as I settle beside her. He doesn't offer advice. He doesn't pat me on the back. Only edges closer as Sonya and Elane duel, murmuring against my ear. "Keep to the shadows. Your best bet was to take her by surprise."

My eye twitches. "You're a bit too late, brother dearest."

He frowns. "Don't call me that."

I snort. Evangeline gloats from atop the bleachers, eyes narrowing as I lay a hand on Mare's shoulder. She claps as Elane wins, straightening until all eyes are on her. "I challenge Mareena Titanos."

"Absolutely not." I scoff. "You've already had your turn."

Beside me, Cal stiffens, Mare tightening in turn. Evangeline only smirks. "Queens can always bend the rules, Your Highness." She makes it sharp as an insult. "Is Titanos above the arena?"

Mare juts her chin. "I'd like some more time observing before I get in the ring, if you don't mind." Bold words from a shaky voice, one I cannot protect as thoroughly as I'd like. "When I fight, I intend to win."

Evangeline raises a brow. "Scared?"

I scowl. "Our pain is new to her, Samos. She's braver than you are to have gotten this far."

"Oh?" A feline grin. "Let's test that theory."

Mare folds her arms. "I will not fight. Challenge someone else."

A blade flies from her wrist and thunks into Mare's shoulder, the training suit too thick to allow blood to seep through. The world stills.

Lightning strikes from the ceiling, narrowly missing Evangeline. Mare runs, sliding as if on ice, but I know how this will end. Mare has never managed to beat Evangeline. Not when she has years of experience on her.

All I can do is prepare for the worst.