Nova's POV
The clearing wasn't empty.
At least three other pairs circled the glowing flag, each of them waiting, tense and hungry-eyed. But the moment Damien and Kieran stepped into view, the air shifted. It was like everyone suddenly realized there were only two real threats here.
The Blackwood heir.
The infamous vampire–fae.
All the other pairs were dangerous, sure. But none of them looked like they could tear this whole place apart with a flick of their wrists.
Kieran cracked his neck, casual as ever, that irritating smirk tugging at his lips. Damien stood across from him, calm, cold, shadows already bleeding across the ground like they belonged to him.
Two kings.
Facing off.
Over a single flag.
And stuck in the middle? Me and Serena.
Her eyes found mine, sharp with something that wasn't just rivalry. It was personal.
"You look ridiculous beside him," she hissed under her breath, making sure the boys couldn't hear. "Like a child playing dress-up in a war she doesn't belong in."
I clenched my fists. "At least I'm not drooling over my partner like he's some prize stallion."
Her cheeks flushed pink, but she lifted her chin higher. "Better a stallion than a stray mutt."
That one stung, but before I could spit something worse back, the shouting started.
Two pairs lunged for the flag at once, blades and claws flashing. Kieran stepped forward, blocking one with a clean sweep of fae light. Damien's shadows ripped across the dirt, swallowing another pair whole and sending them flying backward.
The clearing exploded.
Every fighter leapt at once, sparks of magic and snarls filling the air. The ground shook, trees splintered, blood hit the grass.
But all I could see was Damien and Kieran—two forces colliding like fire and ice, their power crackling across the battlefield.
Damien's shadows surged forward, sharp and fast. Kieran countered with a blade of light, sneering as the clash sent shockwaves through the air.
"Careful, Blackwood. Don't lose your temper in front of the omega."
Damien's jaw locked. He didn't answer, but the flare of his eyes was enough.
My heart slammed, too fast, too heavy. I hated it. Hated that heat crawled up my neck just from the way Damien looked at me.
"Nova!" Serena's voice yanked me back, claws flashing as she lunged.
I blocked her just in time, our movements clumsy compared to the kings but sharp enough to sting. I slashed, she ducked. She swung, I caught her wrist.
We weren't trained for this—two sisters clawing at each other, hearts pounding too loud—but the venom in her words cut deeper than any blade.
"You'll never beat me. Not here. Not anywhere."
I shoved her back with all the force my wolf gave me, breath ragged. "Watch me."
The fight around us only grew bloodier. One pair went down screaming, another fled, leaving only us—the Sinclairs and their kings.
Then it happened.
A sound like bones cracking echoed from the trees. Every head whipped toward the forest edge.
Something was moving.
Not another pair. Not even close.
Branches snapped, trees bowed, and out of the darkness crawled a beast twice the size of the others—its body covered in scales, its mouth lined with teeth longer than my arm. Its eyes glowed red, locked on the clearing.
The other pairs scattered.
Even Damien and Kieran froze mid-clash.
And me?
I was too slow.
The thing lunged, faster than I expected, its claws tearing into the earth as it came straight for me.
I barely had time to scream before the ground gave way beneath my feet, roots wrapping tight around my legs and dragging me down.
Trapped. Exposed.
And the beast's shadow fell over me.
The clearing was chaos.
Pairs clashed all around us, magic and claws tearing the air apart. The flag floated in the middle, glowing faintly above a stone altar, but I couldn't even focus on it.
Because something else was moving.
It stepped out of the trees, and the whole forest seemed to hold its breath.
Not a student. Not one of the usual beasts. This thing was bigger, wrong, dripping black sludge from its jaw. Its eyes glowed red, and the air smelled like rot.
A monster. A real one.
For one second, everyone stopped fighting each other. Even Kieran stilled beside me, smirk slipping as his golden eyes narrowed.
My chest tightened. I backed away—just one step.
Snap.
The ground gave out under my foot. I didn't even have time to scream before the earth disappeared, and I was plummeting. My arms flailed, reaching for anything, but the pit was lined with glowing thorns, each one sharp enough to tear me apart.
Panic slammed into me. My heart thundered so hard it hurt.
"Nova!"
Two voices—at once.
Damien.
Kieran.
I jerked my head up mid-fall, my stomach twisting. And in that heartbeat, I saw him.
Damien.
His eyes weren't cold. They weren't bored, or sharp, or full of that usual contempt. They were raw. Burning. Like he would rip the whole damn forest apart if it meant I didn't hit the bottom of that pit.
It made my chest seize, my thoughts scatter. Because Damien Blackwood wasn't supposed to look at me like that. Not me. Not ever.
But then—Kieran moved. Lightning fast. His smirk was gone, jaw tight, fangs flashing. Deadly serious.
Both of them lunged.
Shadows burst from Damien, whipping like chains through the air. Golden light flared around Kieran, his fae power sparking as he reached.
The world blurred.
The pit yawned wider, the glowing thorns rushing up at me. My fingers scraped uselessly at the dirt, tearing skin.
Too fast. Too close.
And then—heat. A hand. A grip so strong, so desperate it nearly tore my arm out of its socket.
I gasped, head snapping up—
And froze.
Because it wasn't just a hand. It was a choice.
Damien's shadows curled at the edge of the pit. Kieran's golden eyes burned in the dark. Both of them moving. Both of them there.
One of them had me.
I just didn't know which one.
The monster's roar shook the forest as the world hung in that one, breathless moment—before everything dropped into silence.