Chapter 172

Round after round passes, and I’m devastated when I start to see Luca flagging. It’s not obvious – not to anyone but those of us who know him intimately. But his blows – they’re a little bit slower. His footwork just the tiniest bit sloppier.

He also stops showboating a bit between rounds, instead heading straight to his corner to have a tense discussion with his uncle. The crowd still roars for him, and he’s still winning round after round on skill alone…

But.

I can see Rafe’s point – that what the Atalaxian is trying to do here is not demonstrate his skill, or play fair, or put on any display of ability. No, he’s just here to bide his time, to wait for his opportunity, to wear down his opponent, and then strike when the iron is hot.

I glance, just once, at my father and my uncle, who stand tensely together, watching the bout. And I wonder if this has been the method of their opponent for twenty years – if this has been the Atalaxian way.

Or, perhaps, if this kind of brutality is something new. The way dad and Roger talk quietly to each other, their eyes fixed on the bout, lets me know that something, at least, is intriguing them here. That this is not just an opportunity to watch a promixing young fighter in the ring – that they’re learning something.

And I’m quite desperate, suddenly, to know what.

But my eyes are drawn instantly back to the ring when there’s a huge gasp and then a cheer form the crowd. I lean forward, my eyes focusing on Luca as I realize that he’s making a big move – that he’s somehow got the Atalaxian back on the ropes – as Rafe said that he had to – and that he’s swinging like mad now, landing blow after blow around the Atalaxian’s face and head.

Hope swells in me suddenly and my fingers tighten on the wall – but then I gasp along with everyone else as the Atalaxian lets out an insane roar and thrust himself up from the ropes, swinging wildly for Luca.

Luca stumbles back, getting out of the way fast as the Atalaxian barrels forward like a bull, clearly out of control and in a complete rage. His blows are uncoordinated and wild, easy for Luca to dodge, but the surprise on Luca’s face lets me know that this is unexpected – and unprecedented. And that even though he found a way to get the enemy on the ropes, he’s not going to have an easy time keeping them there.

The two fighters find their footing, coming back together, but I shake my head suddenly – because the Atalaxian, something is different now.

There’s a rage in his eyes as he stares at Luca – his cool patience totally gone.

My breath comes in fast pants now as I look between them, as I watch the Atalaxian move forward with a new aggression.

As I realize that the bout has…changed.

And not in Luca’s favor.

I gasp suddenly as the boxer moves forward, his fists lashing out, moving insanely fast, roaring as he goes. Luca falls back as he’s done before – but he’s tired now, his feet moving slower, and the Atalaxian’s hook lands. Hard.

My hands fly to my mouth in horror as Luca’s face snaps to the side, as he stumbles back against the ropes, as the Atalaxian corners him there and starts to pound on him. Luca grits his teeth and puts his hands up, protecting his head. But I see him gasp in pain as the enemy hits him again and again in the ribs – always in the same spot – harder and harder each time –

I feel it, viscerally, when Luca’s rib snaps –

I cry out in pain, my hand going to my own side, feeling it along with him as Luca loses control of his emotions and they all come flooding to me along the bond in his panic.

Luca gives a mighty shout, throwing himself bodily at the boxer, desperate to get away – to stop the next blow from landing and doing worse damage to his side –

“His rib!” I gasp, looking desperately up at Rafe, who looks between me and Luca in shock –

Luca gets between the other boxer’s arms so neither of them can land any big blows, pushing him back. The ref works hard to step between them, attempting to wrench the boxers apart, but the Atalaxian smirks and starts to pound a series of little rabbit punches right into Luca’s broken rib, where he knows it will hurt most.

I gasp again, falling to the side against Rafe with a moan as I feel the agony start to echo through Luca, feel the blinding pain race through me.

“Ariel!” Rafe shouts, his arms going around me, holding me close. I press my eyes shut, my hand pressed to my side.

The bell rings, stopping the round – thank god – and I can feel Luca’s relief. But still, the pain radiates, and I stay pressed to my brother’s side.

“Ariel!” my mom gasps, suddenly next to me. “What the –“

“She’s feeling it, mom!” Rafe says, his voice shaking with his anxiety. “I don’t know how – but his ribs – whatever happened, she’s feeling it too –“

“Oh my god,” my mom says as my dad comes rushing to my other side, as our family and friends simultaneously make space for us even as they stand between us and the low wall of the box, shielding us from prying eyes.

Mom looks frantically at my dad. “Dominic,” she murmurs, “is this possible? Can she get hurt because he’s getting hurt?”

“Let me see,” dad murmurs, coming close and feeling at my ribs where I gesture.

“They’re broken,” I gasp, shaking my head, desperately afraid and trying to look back towards my mate. “Luca’s ribs are broken!” I’m panting now in my fear, my pain, my desperation.

My dad’s hand moves firmly over my side. “Cora!” he shouts, and she’s there in an instant. He murmurs to her, and her hand is instantly on my side too. She looks up at my dad and shakes her head, her eyes wide.

Dad catches my face between his hands, making me look at him. “His ribs might be broken, Ariel,” dad murmurs. “But yours are not. Okay? You are feeling it down the bond – but all of it is his pain, not yours – you can control this –“

“Is that possible!?” mom gasps, looking between me and my dad.

“Yes,” dad murmurs, glancing at her. “They’re young – they don’t know how to control it. Ariel!” He snaps his fingers in front of my face, drawing my attention back to him. “You have to close it down. The bond – close your end of it, just for now, or else you’ll feel everything he’s feeling – and he’ll feel everything you’re feeling – and that will not help him right now. Okay!?”

Dad’s barking his words out by the end and I focus on his face, trying so hard.

“Come on, baby,” mom says, slipping her hands over my shoulders and stepping between me and my dad. “Deep breaths, do it with me.” And I focus on my mom’s face, and close my eyes when she closes hers, and then I feel the calming lavender of her gift sweep over me. She’s not healing me now – I know – though I desperately wonder for a second if her gift can heal Luca through me –

But no, there’s no time for that –

Instead, I just trust in mom’s light, trust in her as she guides me down into my soul to where my bonds are. There, I find it – my sweet, shining, silver bond with Luca – and I can feel all of his pain radiating down it.

I breathe deeply with my mom and then take hold of the bond gently in my mental hands, and then – as she said – just…gently pinch it off, holding it between my fingertips.

“Just for now,” I whisper to myself, perhaps aloud – perhaps in my own head – I don’t know. I don’t really care. “Just…for now.”

“That’s right, sweetheart,” mom says. I open my eyes to see her smiling at me, and I blink a few times before I realize that…that all of the pain is gone. I look down at my ribs and realize – of course – that they’re not broken. That I’m fine.

“What…what’s happening…” I ask, my voice shaking a bit as I look between my parents.

“It’s okay, trouble,” dad murmurs, stepping close to me and wrapping me in a big hug. “It’s normal – you just…you’re feeling everything Luca’s feeling, because you two haven’t really practiced yet. It will take time –“

But there’s no time for this either, as the bell rings again, and I gasp, realizing that the fight is beginning.

I push hard against my dad’s arms, desperate to get back to the barrier of our box, and he hesitates for a moment – worried – before he lets me go. Then I’m dashing to the side, holding tight to my bond in my mind, desperate to see what happens next.