Chapter 12
Chapter
Twelve
TATE
Since I’m back, I throw all my energy and focus into preparing for the flight games.
Except my best friend currently challenges that concentration by pacing my room like a caged animal.
If I had to guess, his restlessness is likely due to Zaza.
The way they dance around each other and sneak glances when the other isn’t looking is getting ridiculous.
I’m sitting at the desk in my room, reviewing and sorting the notes piled in front of me. It’s the work of years of careful research and compiling everything I could find about the flight games. Since they happen every ten years and started about 300 years ago, it’s a lot to go through.
“Do you really think you can plan like that?” Jared's voice has me looking up.
My brow furrows. “Of course I can plan it.”
“But we won't even know what we’ll be up against until the trials start.”
“There are still patterns, repetitions. And the qualification phase is close to the same every time.” I point at my notes, and Jared steps closer, looking over my shoulder.
“There’s always a race of some sort, often an obstacle course, as well as one-on-one challenges.
” I point at the next list. “The elements are always involved, and gods seem to love mind games.” I look up at him.
“So let’s say a flight has gifted from various elements, and is good at shielding against mental attacks.
They have a far better chance.” I pull out another list. “I studied the winning teams from the past century. Their gifts were always well balanced, and their skills too.”
“Where the mists did you get lists of their gifts?” Jared’s eyes scan my notes, and I understand his confusion. Gifts are personal and often closely guarded since knowing them gives your opponent an advantage.
So if anyone compiled an official list of a flight’s gifts, they would probably be shot without a question asked. But by observing, you can guess many gifts easily, especially elementals.
“I read through all the records and eyewitness reports I could find.”
“Did you sleep at all over the last years?”
I ignore his question because I never sleep well, and he knows that. The only quiet nights I’ve had lately were those I spent with Ara in my arms.Another reason why she’s better off without me. I don’t want that darkness to ever touch her.
Since the incident with the suppressors, my nightmares are even worse—more vivid and more frequent. Only the empty eyes too often belong to Ara now.
Knowing that my enemies tried to use her to get to me and are still waiting in the shadows for me to mess up… I exhale. I can’t let that happen.
“We got fire, we have ice and air… Zaza is great with arrows and knives. We have you for shielding, healing, and truth. Confusing people is my pleasure…” Jared’s finger is halfway down the list of the members of our flight by the time I jolt out of my thoughts.
“You could add Ara for the obstacle course and her Phoenix—”
“No, absolutely not.” I shake my head, my eyes still on the list. “I won't bring her into this.” I know Jared, so it’s obvious her skills are not the only reason he suggests her. “And she might not even be back before I hand in our final lineup for the games.”
“But she is exactly what you… What we need.” He keeps poking.
“What if she doesn’t get back at all?” I raise my eyebrow at him. “And the last time I saw her, she was more likely to spit in my face than follow my orders,” I counter.
Jared raises his hands in mock surrender. “I just thought spending time together would do you good.”
“Well, think again,” I snap.
“Damn, your mood is even worse since you two broke up,” he grumbles. “Do you already have some riders in mind?”
Instead of answering, I tap the bottom of the page he just read.
“No first years?” he comments. “Hmm, you think Cassius will go for it? Give up his chance to rise in rank in the coming years?” Jared looks up from my notes.
I shrug.
“If we had a certain someone, he would be sure to jump at the chance.”
I only glare at him.
“Just saying. It's not my fault he likes her,” Jared adds innocently.
So it's not just my…
“Jealousy,” Daeva supplies helpfully.
“Perception,” I correct her. But I’m reminded of Blackstone and Cassius’s conversation back when I didn’t realize they were talking about Ara.
I always thought you would have ended up together if she hadn’t been promised to the crown …
How can it be that she had been mine for half my life without me knowing it? And fuck, yes, it bothers me that he wants her, even if she seems oblivious. The way Jared's mouth twitches tells me he knows it too.
“Stop trying to mess with my head. And if you have nothing helpful to say, just shut up or leave.”
Jared sighs. “Okay, let me see your list again.” After some consideration and back and forth, we have a list of four people to add to our crew and a flight that I’m confident can win the games.
“She would be good for the obstacle course,” Jared comments.
“Still not going to happen,” I press out.
“So who did you plan for the obstacle course?” Jared asks and groans when I only smile at him. “And who else?”
“I thought you and Zaza would make a good team.”
“Of course you would,” he grumbles, and now it’s my turn to smirk.
“How about taking some of your own advice? Or I could talk to her?” I offer, my grin widening at Jared’s horrified look.
“You clearly haven't been around when she told Ara that she isn’t into younger men or that she advises any woman to stay away from the guys in our flight,” he snaps.
“I don't think Ara’s age was the problem, more that she looked like a kid,” I point out.
“Solve your problems, not mine,” he gripes.
“So you want to annoy the hell out of me, but I can’t tease you back?” I ask. “That's not going to work.”
We look at each other for a moment and then change the subject back to the flight games. That’s what I’ll focus on. To win the trials, earn a favor from Iza, the goddess of hunt and secrets, and make the bastards pay who cost me everything.