Page 592 of The Bonding Games: Part 1

“That was awful,” Cooper says.

“It wasn’t . . . that bad . . .” Alby attempts to stick up for me but sounds unsure himself, and I pout at him.

The betrayal!

Scotty clears his throat, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Ah . . . thank you, Ezla. For . . . sticking up for my brother. That was very . . . efficient.”

Cooper raises his straight brows. “That’s one way to put it.”

“Thank you. I agree,” Ezla replies in that exact same tone again, before turning around and continuing on her way to our private training room. “Someone fetch my armoury stick, would you?”

In somewhat of a daze and after a couple wary looks thrown at the severed head and body—with me getting a curious closer peek as I rush over to pick up the ebony baton that’s bounced off the wall and landed nearby, demanifested, before I hurry back to my brothers—we once again follow.

***

“Oof!”

The air leaves me in one gigantic rush.

“Ezzy, I think I just cracked a rib!” I whine from my position on my back on the taalk ground while she whips around my brother and Alby, flooring both in the next second so that we’re all triplets with matching aches and pains.

Scotty curses while Ez drawls, “If I wanted to break your ribs, that is the only way they would be broken. And I currently do not wish that.”

“Awwww! That’s so romantic, Deadly Nightshade!”

“Up. You are nowhere near close enough to pinning me down. You must try harder.”

“We are trying,” Scotty mutters as he pushes himself to his feet, offering a hand to Alby and hauling him up, leaving poor little old me to my own devices. “We’re just not as good as you.”

“Obviously.”

Back on my feet with a new bruise on my assaulted butt—already sore from the half an hour spent trying to beat Ez in this training room—I get into position. “Okay, Ezzy! I got it this time! Come on, Bestie, brother, let’s do thi—”

Whack!

“OWWWWWW!” I sing my agony to the heavens as I sprawl out on the floor again.

“Are you o— Oomph!”

Alby lands in a heap on the taalk beside me.

“Focus!” DN snaps, the whoosh! of her impossible moves slicing through the air along with my brother’s grunts and the sound of hits landing rapidly as they continue to fight playing out in the background of my pity party.

“I’m dead, Bestie!” I cry, throwing my arms and legs out wide like the shining star I am. “Leave me here to die! You have to make it out alive! Run!” I prove I’m thoroughly deceased when my tongue lolls out and my head falls to the side.

“What the fuck is he doing?” Coops mutters from somewhere.

“Dunno,” Tater Tot grunts.

I pop an eye open—

And scream.

Ezzy stands over me, her glare through her visor leaving me more scorched than any sunburn ever could, toned arms folded over her chest.

I spring to my feet.

Beside me, Alby’s already got to his, and he squeaks as he ducks when our Bonded swings her armoury stick mercilessly—no Avri manifested, of course—before slamming her elbow into Scotty when he comes up behind her, subsequently using him as leverage to send Alby flying when he’s brave enough to come at her front again: a yelp is shoved from my bestie as Ezla leans back on my brother’s chest and throws both boots right into his gut. Then her legs come back down and her right one bends behind her to slam into the back of Scotty’s, swiping them out from under him and sending them both toppling backwards, her body protected by his, while his takes the full brunt of the fall, a grunt forced from him. In a flash, Ezla’s spun around, straddling him and miming slashing his throat with the baton in her hand. “Dead,” she says, no indication of any shortness of breath like me, Scotty, or Alby.