Page 77 of Rejected By a Wolf

She gasped when the answer she was looking for - hidden deep in one of her childhood memories - hit her like a hammer to an anvil.I can win this match. I can defeat this banshee.

Despite how closed minded the stories she grew up listening to were, they were also rich with knowledge - teaching the fey about the different weaknesses of unnatural beings.

Beings like banshees.

A banshee could only use one power at a time, which meant a banshee had to embody if she wanted to use a different ability. A tangible banshee was avulnerablebanshee.

Sophia held onto that bit of wisdom, knowing she might die in a few minutes if she didn’t.

I can do this,Sophia thought as the horn signifying the start of the match sounded off, a newfound confidence seizing her.

As expected, the banshee didn’t waste any time becoming intangible, a blurry outline of her body circling the arena. Sophia mirrored the banshee’s movements, making sure to remain as far away from the creature as possible.

At this distance, the banshee wouldn’t be able to immobilize Sophia with her wails long enough to cross the length of this dirt pit and attack. Which meant, as long as Sophia kept her distance, the banshee would eventuallyhaveto use her telekinetic powers to attack, becoming tangible when she did.

Sophia tightened her grip on her swords, expecting the banshee to strike at any moment. “Act fast, Soph,” she told herself, coming to an unexpected realization when she did.“Soph.”She let the word roll off her tongue as comprehension struck her.

Casper often called her Soph and it never incited any reaction from her. But when Antonio said,Fia? Gods, the simple memory of Antonio rasping it sent her heart aflutter.

I never wanted Casper like I want Antonio. Sophia was struck by that epiphany at the exact moment the banshee used her telekinetic powers, slamming Sophia into the concrete wall behind her, one of Sophia’s two swords flying out of her hand on impact.

Pain shot through Sophia. She might’ve heard a bone or two crack, but now wasn’t the time to worry about any injuries she might’ve just acquired. She expected the banshee’s attack to be painful, knowing the most important part of her quickly thought up plan was acting fastafterthe attack, bouncing back before the banshee could collect herself.

Biting her tongue, Sophia pushed off the wall. She might have dropped one sword during the attack, but she still held a firm grip on the other. She didn’t waste a second before raising the sword and hurling it forward, aiming for the banshee’s heart.

The banshee was still embodied when she was hit square in the chest, her eyes going wide in surprise while she gaped at the sword jutting from her, as if she couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.

Before the banshee had the chance to comprehendanything, Sophia sprinted forward, reclaiming her lost sword from the ground as she did.

Most of the immortal world believed elves were the fastest beings out there, having no idea how fast the fey really were. They were about to learn.

In the blink of an eye, Sophia was standing behind the confused banshee, slicing its head clean off her body before the banshee even knew what was happening.Clean kill.

Silence swept over the arena. It was as if everyone was struggling to grasp onto the fact that a fey could, in fact, defeata banshee. But that silence didn’t last long, the arena soon becoming ablaze in deafening cheers.

Sophia didn’t care about the cheering. She only cared about one person, and when her eyes landed on him, the world around her seemed to go silent.

Their eyes locked.It was never Casper, but itisyou, Antonio. It willalwaysbe you.

Chapter Forty-Six

Antonio Payne

Head down and hands clasped behind his back, Antonio paced outside the arena while he waited for Sophia. Strung over his back was a bow and arrow Casper had given to him to aid him in destroying the amulet. A personal gift from Casper himself. Perhaps Antonio really could get used to that man.

Back and forth, back and forth…Antonio was a picture of insanity and would continue to look just so until Sophia emerged from the tunnel he was pacing beside.

Antonio thought back to Sophia’s recent fight. She defeated that banshee only twenty minutes ago, the entire crowd falling into a state of shock as they watched her do what she did best -fight.She was a force to be reckoned with and she had just shown the entire unnatural world she was.

While facing that banshee, Sophia didn’t show any hints of fear. Instead, confidence exuded from her. When Antonio saw that calculating look in her eyes he knew she was far from scared. She wasdetermined.At that moment, Antonio had no doubt she would win.

An impossible puzzle had floated into the arena and she decided it wasn’t impossible enough forher.Antonio choked at the memory, his admiration for her insurmountable.

Did Antonio really once think Sophia was only unlike anyfeyhe had seen before? He couldn’t have been more wrong. She was unlikeanyonehe had seen before.

Incredible woman.

Considering this tournament took place only once every two centuries, it was a wildly popular event. Her participation in such a public and wildly popular event showed the unnatural world that the fey were not onlynotyet extinct, but one fey in particular was a force to be reckoned with.