A girl accustomed to rivalry.
Blair Archer grew up surrounded by Elites. The father knew that his daughter was special, which means she should become the next queen and strengthen the influence of the family.
Brian was born a Mundane, but persistenc...
Blair returns disheveled and furious, her face darker than the last time I saw it. I notice a slight tremor in her body, though I can't tell if it's from the cold or from rage. She throws her backpack to the ground with such force that a few pieces of dried bread spill out. She practically growls in frustration, shoving the food back into her bag.
"I ran into Andy," she snaps, avoiding my gaze.
"She caught you off guard?" I observe, though the answer is clear from her clenched jaw and tense expression. "Did you choose to slip away, or...?"
"Or what?" Her voice is like the crack of a whip, and she looks at me with a defiance. "Kick her ass like I should have done long ago?"
The venom in her tone takes my breath for a second. Then our eyes lock, and she adds, "This bitch won't come... again."
Our gazes meet, and I realize she knew exactly what she was protecting—not just herself. I nod, trying to hide how her words hit deeper than I'd expected.
"You look like you need to wash all that off," I say, steering the conversation back to something more neutral. Her eyes narrow slightly, as if trying to gauge my meaning.
She hesitates, swallows, and responds, her voice now calmer, "Yes, you're right. Let's take a break... by the lake. We're close, aren't we?"
I nod, watching her as she walks deeper into the forest, her footsteps light on the mossy ground. I stay put for a few seconds, watching her fade into the morning light, suppressing how much all that unspoken tension between us affects me.
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After another couple of miles, the forest thins out, the trees parting as if to make way, and suddenly we're met with a view of the lake. The water is a deep blue, surrounded by a rocky shore, its mirror-like surface reflecting the bright sky. The sun is high—no doubt it's already noon, if not later.
I stop, drop both packs, and survey the surroundings, watching the thick undergrowth by the water's edge. The silence, broken only by the whisper of the wind, allows me to relax—at least for now, there's no one around to disturb us.
For now, I remind myself. Eventually, other contestants will find this lake, too.
She stops beside me and looks at the water with a faint smile.
"I'm going in first," she declares, her voice taking on that commanding tone that sounds so much like her father's.
She gives me a brief glance as if daring me to object, but I merely shrug.
"Alright, I'll stay here. Keep an eye on our things and... the surroundings." I pause, adding with a faint smirk, "Don't worry, I won't peek."
She scoffs, and for a brief moment, her face softens. Then, she shrugs off her jacket, drops it onto the grass, and heads toward the water. I turn away, determined to give her privacy, though I have to resist the temptation to sneak a quick glance as she slips into the lake.
I hear her step into the water, the soft splashes reverberating across the lake's surface until they fade, as if the lake itself is pulling her into its cool embrace. I stand by the shore, leaning against a tree, trying to focus on the forest around me, listening for every sound. Yet my thoughts inevitably drift elsewhere.
I catch myself unable to shake her image from my mind. Out of the corner of my eye, as she approached the water, I noticed her dark purple hair falling over her shoulders, the harsh rays of the sun playing on her skin. She is covered in dirt and blood — there is something wild, almost unbridled, about it, and I like it. Just a few days in the forest, and she began to change. As if she had finally tasted real life.
Swallowing, I feel the bitterness of thoughts I shouldn't entertain. This is all just a game. Manipulation. But sometimes, she shows glimpses of something intriguing—something I never anticipated finding.
I force myself to focus on the trees, on the shifting shadows, reminding myself of the mission: to guide her to victory. Of course, I mean that our victory — she needs to win this Trial, and I need the place of the commander of the guard and patronage of her father. That's what I keep telling myself. That's how I convince myself.
Behind me, the water laps softly. Every sound blends into this strange stillness, which the sharp crack of a branch suddenly slices through, quick and violent.
I tense, every thought forgotten. My body coils, ready to spring. I reach for my knife, peering into the bushes where the sound had come from.
A figure moves quickly through the trees—a familiar, unmistakable speed. Flash.
He nearly collides with me before coming to a sudden halt.
"And who might you be?" I aim for a calm yet commanding tone, though my body is poised for a fight.
He doesn't respond immediately, his breathing heavy from a long run. In his hand, he holds an envelope, which he silently hands to me, though his gaze drifts past me, noticing Blair in the water.
"A letter for Miss Archer from General Archer," he blurts out, and I feel my face relax.
But before I can respond or grab his arm, Blair bursts out of the water.
"Freeze!" she yells, her voice slicing through the air like a whip. A knife whistles past my shoulder, aimed with deadly accuracy. Flash dodges just in time, losing his balance and sprawling onto the rocks.
I turn to her, stunned with equal parts awe and horror.
Her hair clings to her face, her soaked tank top clinging to her, her eyes blazing with fury. She moves like a predator, fierce and wild.
"It's a messenger—from your father," I say, still holding the letter.
She strides over to me.
"Were you spying on us?" Her words hum with tension, like a string ready to snap.
"I was just... I was just following orders," he mutters, panic filling his eyes. "General Archer said to give him to you personally..." He looks into Blair's eyes, "or to you," He looks at me.
That means this Flash is safe for both of us. I barely stop myself from laughing out loud. Blair holds his gaze, then asks, "Did you see Sadie Knox while looking for us?"
Flash spreads his hands helplessly, and I see Blair's jaw tighten. I take a step forward, my tone soft but firm.
"Miss Archer, he should leave." She shoots me a glare.
"He should," she agrees, yanking the letter from my hand. "And he'd better keep his mouth shut about seeing the general's daughter unclothed," she adds, her gaze boring into him.
Flash clears his throat, straightening his collar, and with more speed than I would have expected from an Elite of his class, he hurries away, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.
"Plague," I mutter, trying not to look at her. She really is only wearing soaking wet underwear, so I take off my dirty shirt and hand it to her without looking. "You wanted to kill him?"
"If I wanted to, I wouldn't have missed," she snaps, but there's a shadow of doubt in her eyes. She throws my shirt over her shoulders, picks up her dagger and heads back to the water. I turn around and see her sitting down at the edge of the water, next to her things, and opening the envelope.
"If you don't mind, I'd like a turn in the lake too!" I call out.
"Go on," she waves her hand royally, not taking her eyes off the letter, "I'm definitely not going to stare at you."
I grin, pulling off my clothes and shoes as I go, wading into the water up to my waist and turning my back to her. I run my hands through my damp hair, and she can't see the wide smile on my face.
