Merrie-Beth's beautiful doe-like eyes widen even more, not replying. She grabs my hand instead and pulls me toward one of the bathrooms. Confusion slaps me in the face.
The second Fae’s hair color is very similar to mine, only his has streaks of blonde throughout. He beats us to the door and places the tips of his fingers underneath her chin. "Merrie-Beth, we mean you no harm. May we have a word with you? Please."
She stares at him for a long moment, then looks toward me because she's unsure of how to respond. A blush is spread prettily across her face. How they know her name is a mystery to me, maybe even to her. They are both dressed in traditional Fae formal garb. Which is only still worn by the Fae that choose to live in other realms besides the human world. I like the one touching her better than the grumpy one over there, so I throw him a bone. "What do you want to do, Merrie-Beth?"
Grumpy rolls his eyes, but I look straight ahead into my best friend's face ignoring his attitude. The red head still has a light grip on her chin, he takes that as his cue to bring her eyes back to his. "I've only ever said please once in my life, don't make me utter it again." He gives her a roguish grin that has her melting in the palm of his hand. I'm intrigued.
She smiles up at him shyly. "As soon as the last task is done, I will meet with you. I need to heal Arabella first."
He nods and gives her a panty dropping smile. "Thank you, Sunshine. Intermission is almost over, and they are about to start the last task. May we walk you back to your seat?"
She looks at Grumpy and he surprisingly looks hopeful. Merrie-Beth nods, then gives me a hug. "Do you need me to heal you first?"
"I'm good for now. I'll see you after. If you need me or Billie, just say the word." My gaze wanders between the two of them but stays a second or two longer on the dark-haired Fae prince.
Walking back into the box, Uncle Radix greets me with a hug. "You did well, Arabella, our people have so much to be thankful for."
I smile genuinely. "Thank you."
The intermission music fades into the background, alerting people that they need to get back to their seats. Looking over the edge, I spot Merrie-Beth wedged in between the two mysterious princes. She was sitting in between my cousins during the first round. I can’t wait until she and I get a chance to talk more.
Estrella Fitzgerald takes the stage. "The next round will test not only the contestant's agility but also their durability."
Regrettably, Damien is back in his evening attire. Sorry, Sebastian, but I really miss that ref outfit. "Our next task will be a challenging one. War is unpredictable. Things can change at the drop of a hat, and our last three competitors need to prove they are capable of handling those type situations."Squeals ring out through the arena and without needing to look I know the spotlight has been placed on Alberto. "This is not an ordinary obstacle course. We’ve made it hard on these last individuals, and only the best two will emerge victorious."?
Estrella gives instructions to the remaining three. Her description of what this round will be is harsh. "Each of you will be given a package. Its contents are something that is quite, shall we say, flammable. There is no special antidote. If your package explodes, so will you." Damn.
Damien's face is full of pride as he looks at the remaining three with admiration. "Lux members, your names will forever be in our history books as the fiercest three, and I am proud of each of you. Princess Amelia, your strength and courage have made me want to be a better fighter. No one thought you'd be standing here, even me, and for that I'm sorry. I'll never doubt you again. Prince Sebastian, your ability to pull apart your opponent has made me evaluate my own fighting skills. I’ll never get in the ring with you! Anthony, my man, you're making me look scrawny! You're a beast, and I don't wanna face you in the ring either!"
The lights go dim, and the arena floor changes once again. A multidimensional platform replaces the flat surface, and I can't believe how much detail has gone into every crevice. Magic is the only answer. I've never seen anything like it. There's a small forest along with a dirt road that has multiple twists and turns and is completed with mountain highs and valley lows. A true masterpiece of ingenuity.My adrenaline goes into hyperdrive. In just a short while the next two members of the Guardians of War will be named. I’m nervous and excited.
Each of them is given a package, and a hoverboard that lifts off the ground. They have to go around the arena three times before they can discard their explosive packages. Ten minutes have been placed on the clock. Thunder crackles in the distance, and a flash of lightning almost strikes down Sebastian about a second later. Thankfully, my dark Prince proved agile and moved out of the way before it hit him. Amelia screams, but quickly regains her composure.
My heart is racing as the smell of burning wood enters all our noses, making us all turn in the direction of where the lightning struck. Smoke rises from the top of one of the pine trees. A light rain begins to fall on the area of the platform wherethey stand. Loud thumps sound through the arena as white balls of ice drop down on the floor.
The rumbling sound of a train filters through the air and lands in our ears. Grabbing Uncle Radix’s hand, I look from left to right but see no evidence of a funnel cloud. Lightning strikes again in the middle of where Amelia and Anthony are standing.
A little girl with blue hair in the next box whimpers loudly, as she points towards the sky. Her little fearful eyes are my undoing. Taking a deep breath, I follow where she's pointing, and unease settles in my bones. A tornado begins to form in the sky.
In seconds, it touches the ground, and the remaining three jump on their hoverboards and scatter in different directions. The time clock finally starts. The tornado is small, but incredibly fast. Despite the rain, the lightning strikes have caused a small fire in the forest, and as the tornado whips through the trees, the fire and the tornado merge into one.
It grows in size, angrily swirling around the course. Even from here we can feel the heat that’s radiating from it. Not able to hold it in any longer I voice my worry, "Do we need to start evacuations?"
Uncle Radix shakes his head firmly. "No. Despite appearances, they have everything under control. We are safe, even though they are not."
War is hell, but this is barbaric. They were trained to handle the first two events, but I highly doubt they were trained to survive this kind of catastrophe. Thankfully, the final three have managed to go around the track twice, without being harmed or killed.
The final lap starts, and I hold my breath. Anthony grabs the handle of his hover board and takes a sharp left. It was toosharp because he tumbles off, rolling down a steep hill. We all watch in horror, because he’s not moving, and the fire breathing tornado is coming.
Jumping up, I can’t stop myself from yelling down. If he doesn't get up soon, he's going to die. “Get up, Anthony, get up!"
The crowd jumps to their feet and starts chanting the same. A big man who must be his dad starts running toward Anthony. He's muscled and well over six feet. Security tries to stop him, but he barrels past them. If his father can get to him in time, he will be disqualified, but at least he will live!
Please, God, let him get to him in time. My heart is pounding as he grabs Anthony and starts running away from the direction of the incoming tornado. I grip the edge of the balcony tightly, but he won’t make it. It's too close, he’s too late.
Closing my eyes, I can't watch. A small gentle whisper comes to me. It’s my Eleanor. You have the power to stop this, use your necklace. Hurry, before more death happens this day.Startled, I look across the arena into the awaiting blue sapphire eyes of my mother’s best friend.Do it now!Her voice is commanding and so unlike her. I snap out of my self-doubt and grab my necklace. Visualizing the water underneath the forgotten stage, I reach out my hand as an electric current flows from my fingertips. Focusing on only the elements inside of me, I tune out the noise around me. The mind is a powerful thing, and I visualize holding the water in my hands, but it’s not enough to put out the fire. Taking it a step further, a form of me is transported into the saltwater tank.
The familiar scent of salt surrounds me, and a strand of seaweed touches my cheek. All my senses are on fire. Floating to the surface, I hold my hands up above my head. The water heeds my command, as it rises above me, and over the racing track.The water attacks the fiery cyclone and eliminates any remnants of its existence. Vanishing without a trace, the water dissipates.
