Page 160 of Salto

I knew he heard me. I made sure he did.

And then I released.

CHAPTER 57

Ilanded.

And stuck the routine perfectly.

Then I saluted the judges.

And only when I stepped off the mat did I allow myself to succumb to the violent pain ripping through me.

What should have been a moment of celebration quickly turned into a nightmare.

Rove caught me as soon as I stepped off the podium, and my knees buckled beneath me.

“Scarlet,” he said, panic in his voice. The moment my full weight fell against him, he realized something was seriously wrong.

“I—I can’t.”

“I need some help over here!” Rove yelled.

I was in too much pain to explain myself. But I didn’t have to. His arm slid beneath the back of my knees and lifted me into his arms.

I clung to him, not caring that we were in the middle of a stadium.

It all disappeared. The crowd. The judges. The cameras. The only thing that existed was the pain. And all I could do was make sure my grip didn't slip from around Rove's neck.

“Number,” he said.

“Ten,” I whimpered, my head falling against his shoulder.

I’d never said it before. I’d hoped I’d never have to.

He swore under his breath and I clenched my fists into tight balls, trying not to let the pain consume me. It was knife-like, raking through me so viciously, and I resisted the urge to scream.

I could barely breathe.

Soon I could sense multiple other people around us, even with my eyes closed.

“You can bring her back here.” It was one of the AT’s voices. There was the blur of fluorescent lights behind my closed lids, the smell of a locker room. Soon I was being set down on a bench.

“Can you sit up?” Rove knelt down in front of me, and I slumped forward, my head falling against his shoulder again.

“No,” I gasped.

His hand reached up, cupping the back of my neck. “Where does it hurt?”

“Rove,” I said, gasping.

“I need you to talk to me, kulta. Where does it hurt?”

“My back,” I managed to say.

Suddenly there was another person beside me.

“Here’s some ice.” One of the AT’s hands met my back with some ice, and I cried out.