Page 44 of First Ritual

“No one knows. But Wild is pissed. Sven and Corentin have stepped in five times to stop him going too far.”

“They’re not practicing then?” Rooke asked.

He blew out a breath. “Nope. No one fights like that unless it’s serious. Something is up.”

“Maybe that’s why he stormed out of the hot springs.”

Bedwyr lifted a shoulder. “Could be.” He sought me out with his eyes again. “I thought we’d see you there, Bronte.”

“I forgot.”

“Bronte has been in the library,” Rooke put in.

“Not my favorite place,” Bedwyr said, scratching his chin.

On that, we could agree.

He faced forward and sucked in a breath. “Ouch! Good hit.”

“Wild or Huxley?” I blurted, rubbing my chest. Be awesome to be taller right now.

“Huxley. Oof! Gonna feel that tomorrow.”

“Wild or Huxley?” Rooke asked.

“Wild.”

The crowd groaned again a second later.

I exchanged a dry look with my cousin. “We have bad seats.”

“Wild is winding down now,” Bedwyr said, then added, “Yep. Whoa, watch out. He’s coming this way. Clear a path!”

Rooke and I were pressed down the tunnel as the onlookers surged away from the magus.

“Phew, he’s still steaming,” Bedwyr hushed, peering down the tunnel. “Whatever happened between them, it’s huge.”

Another path cleared, and Corentin and Huxley staggered through. I gasped at the state of Huxley. Blood covered his face, which was free of glasses. Several vicious bruises were starting to form.

“Bad choice,” Corentin was saying to him.

“Useful information,” Huxley replied.

As they passed by, Huxley ignored me—though I wasn’t sure he could see out of either eye. I blinked when Corentin glared murder my way. Or was he just furious over the fight and that was his resting angry face?

Rooke whispered in my ear, “Why does Corentin look like he wants to kill you?”

“When did you say Wild lost his cool in the hot springs?” I asked slowly. Surely it couldn’t be.

“About thirty minutes ago.”

I sighed.

Right when I’d kissed Huxley.

12

There was no way this was in my head.