The Arena novel Chapter 40

As Kaylani and I alternate our fire and ice around the arena, I see Ishir fighting up by the harpoon launcher. I heard it launch and then saw Cedric jump and pull it down away from Kaylani.

On my next trip around the arena, I saw him shooting the harpoon launcher into the stadium, causing chaos. The spectators may have thought they were safe from my fire, but they’ve basically put themselves in an oven, and I keep turning the oven on. Then Kaylani comes behind me and freezes them into place until I come around and literally start melting them where they stand.

“I hate the smell of burning flesh,” Kaylani says to me.

“I love it,” Avani says, slamming onto the arena floor and causing the walls to shake.

“Nearly there,” I yell as I come back around and see Cedric fighting with someone. The person has him on the floor of the stadium and is about to punch him. I direct my fire at the person. As much as I wish I hated Cedric, I can’t stand by and let him die, not when I can save him.

The person drops off of Cedric and I continue my flight around the arena rim. I see that the walls are beginning to crumble, and Avani starts pulling cages out of the underground. As I swing back around, I expected to see Cedric up and running or fighting or something. Instead, he is laying there. Is he dead? Please don’t let him be dead. I can’t tell Kenna I watched while her father died.

I pull up, lifting higher so Kaylani can fly under me. “What’s going on?” she asks as she flies by.

“Cedric is just lying there. The stadium is about to collapse. He’ll be crushed,” I tell her.

“The Lycan?”

“Yeah, and my daughter’s father.”

“Oh shit!” She turns her head and just as the stadium collapses, I dive down, reaching out with my talons to snatch him from the air.

The walls all around the arena are falling. “Help Avani. I need to find out what’s wrong with Cedric,” I tell her.

I fly far enough away to feel safe landing. I gently place Cedric on the ground before shifting back.

“Cedric. Cedric!” I shake him. He’s not moving. I check his pulse, and it’s much too slow.

“Cedric!” I shake him, and his eyes open.

“Tana.”

“Cedric, what’s wrong? Tell me what happened to you.”

“Tana, I’m sorry. You need to know that I’m sorry. I made a mistake. I came back, but it was too late.”

I lean down and sniff him. “Shit, that’s silver.” I sniff down his body and realize that it must be in his bloodstream. It is spreading throughout his body, which means that it will get to his heart soon, and then he’ll die.

I put my hands over his body, heating it, trying to melt off the silver in his system. Kaylani comes running up.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“Silver. He must have been injected with it.” I tell her, continuing to heat his body. I can see blisters forming on his chest.

“Here, let me,” she says, and she pushes my hands away. “My element is more gentle than yours.”

I snort. “Yeah, tell that to the ships that tip over in the rough waves of the ocean, never to been seen again.”

“All elements have strength and power, especially when angry.” Her hands hover over his body, moving up and down his torso, his legs, and over his arms.

“What are you doing?”