Chapter 10: Clash of the Alphas
The rest of the alliance didn't return that evening or night. The death had been of the District 11 girl, who looked very young. I wondered what the cause was.
I didn't bother to try escaping in the night; I didn't want to break my word to Sanara. We hadn't talked to each other anymore, but she had given me a chunk of bread from Hawk's supplies, so I knew that she wasn't all bad. I was still hungry and thirsty, and the next morning I was forced to relieve myself, which made me wish for a cleansing rain.
Early in the morning there had been another canon shot, and around what I guessed was noon, the careers and Hawk returned. If it was possible, they were in a worse mood than when they had left. Sanara asked if they had gotten the District 9 boy, and Hawk said yes. Amber looked like she'd been in a cat fight, with three parallel slashes down her left thigh, two across her cheek, and three, nasty crisscrossing ones on her back, not to mention all the minor cuts she had. She was a mess of drying blood and I wondered how she had walked back in such pain. Hawk and Onyx were weirdly untouched.
''What happened?,'' Sanara asked, standing up. Hawk looked away uncomfortably and Onyx just stared at her and said nothing. Amber was obviously growing more and more livid as no one answered the question.
''I'll tell you what happened,'' she finally spat out. ''We're out tromping around the woods, and 9's gets the jump on me. Hawk shot him, and Mr. Knife Expert over here didn't lift a finger!'' She whirled around to face Onyx. ''Why didn't you do anything?,'' she snapped.
''You had it under control, babe,'' he grunted, beginning to look annoyed.''Don't call me that.
You stupid idiot, he was tearing me apart! Are you blind?,'' she asked, stomping her foot. ''What is wrong with you?''
''Nothing! I just thought you could use some real life experience,'' Onyx huffed.
''Experience?! Are you freakin' serious?,'' she laughed. ''We're supposed to be winning you moron. That doesn't include dying. Ever since we left home, you've changed into someone I don't know. I don't understand, Onyx! What's the problem? Is it her?,'' Amber pointed a finger to me with burning hatred. Onyx was silent. ''Fine! Don't tell me. But don't forget why we're here. Onyx, maybe the guy I once knew is still there, so here's a reminder: We're in this. Together. To win.'' Onyx balled his fists and met Amber's fierce eyes.
''Yeah?,'' he said quietly. ''Well maybe I don't want to win with you!,'' he threw his hands in the air and thwacked Amber's head in the process.
She gave an angry cry and swung her fist across Onyx's face. He yelled and reeled back. In barely a second, Amber had shoved him to the ground and was on top of him, her flashing short sword drawn. She jabbed it down and Onyx rolled to avoid it. None of the astonished onlookers moved a muscle.
Amber was strong, but Onyx was bigger. He shoved her away and fumbled to try and get a hold on one of his knives. She tackled him again and managed to slash his shoulder and arm, distracting him from getting a weapon. Instead, he punched the wound on her thigh and she screamed, clutching the gashes that had begun to bleed again.
Onyx seized the moment and leapt on her, thrashing her with his fists. She struggled under his weight and pulled her legs up to her chest. Then she gave a powerful kick to his face. He stumbled back and was able to pull out a knife just before Amber attacked him again.
The two weapons locked at the hilts with a flourish and held as both people struggle to overcome the other, each sweating old blood. Onyx gave a war whoop and suddenly pulled back, causing Amber to fumble forward. He spun around and brought the knife slashing down to her back, the final move. But, at the last moment, she turned and dodged, causing Onyx to fall instead. In one, swift move, she swung her blade across his throat and he was killed.
As his body fell to the ground, Amber stood there, breathing hard, her sword splashed with crimson droplets. No one said a word. She looked disgustedly down at the body as a canon shot, then slowly turned around. She looked at Hawk, and then Sanara... and then me.
''You,'' she said venomously, ''this is your fault.''
Amber raised her sword and began stalking toward me, her face furious. I vainly scrambled back against the tree, fear coursing through me and accelerating my heartbeat.
''No,'' I stammered, ''I didn't have a choice! I didn't want this!''
Despite my pleas, Amber stood over me and lifted her weapon to strike. My dry voice cracked and I looked away, fearing the killing blow. When it didn't come, I tentatively looked up. Her face had changed to a sneer.
''Death is too easy for you,'' she said, and dropped her sword.
Amber went to the back of the pine tree and I felt her undo the ties. Death is too easy for me? What does she mean by that? I thought as she rebound my wrists and feet and shoved me over.
''Hey!,'' I exclaimed, and coughed out dust.
She cut a length of rope and then attached my feet and hands, preventing me from getting up. With a grunt, she took hold of the line and began dragging me through the field. Stalks of grass scratched my skin and left red marks. What in the heck was she doing?
After hauling me a good ways into the middle of the meadow, Amber dropped me and walked around to squat infant of me.
''Have a nice life,'' she sneered, and stood, raising her heal. She swung it hard into my stomach, and I cried out in pain.
''That's for stealing Onyx.'' She drew her foot back, and then hit my leg. ''That's for messing with me.'' Amber stood over me and raised her boot. Then she smashed it down on my wrists and there was an audible pop! I screaming and twisted into the ground, tears coming to my eyes. ''That's for everything else,'' she seated, and stepped back.
I squinted up and flinched in fear.
''Don't think of leaving,'' Amber said in a sweet voice with a savage undertone. Then she pulled back her heal and struck my face with all of her might. A wall a black crashed dow on my scream, and the world shattered away.
