Kacie
I gasped as ice cold water hit my face and washed down body. My eyes flew open and the shock of it had me questioning where I was and what was happening. I pulled myself up into a sitting position, I gasped out in pain. Every breath I took was haggard and caused a sharp stabbing sensation in my chest and stomach. My feet felt light and my head heavy.
My clothes were wet and clung to my body. My hands squished in the dirt turned mud beneath me. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion as I tried to figure out what was going on. I struggled as I tried to remember something, anything. Flashes of training with Jade, the earth cracking open, and the mud monster flit through my mind.
The mud monster.
It was all coming to me now. I had been fighting Jade’s mud monster and I flinch as I remember the punches to my gut. It wasn’t looking good but in the end I remember feeling victorious. Gently, I pushed on my sensitive skin. I was definitely bruised and was ninety-eight percent certain I had broken a few bones. I had two options: wait for it to heal or go and see the pack doctor. Looking up I found Jade holding a bucket of water. I looked around us and found we were in front of the packhouse.
How did I?
It must have brought you here.
…
There’s no other explanation. She didn’t carry you.
I highly doubt that Ath. A huge mud man carrying an unconscious Luna would arise suspicion.
“I,” Jade said and pointed at herself, and then pointed at me, “beat you.”
“Oh really?” I laughed.
“Yes really. Because from what I remembered you were the one out cold. I think you’re the one who would think you were victorious in that situation,” Jade scoffed.
“I melted him,” I scoffed.
“Melted? I didn’t know you could melt dirt.” She said it in a condescending tone. Jade knew how to rub me the wrong way.
“You know what I mean. I burned it. I burned your monster. I saw him falling apart.”
“Before you knocked out?” Jade threw in my face.
“Yes,” I gritted out. “Before I knocked out.”
I know what I did and I know what I saw before I passed out. My flames hadn’t hurt him at first but it did eventually. It wasn’t until I put more strength, more push into it. My flames grew hotter, when the temperature went up that’s when it affected him. That’s when the mud dried, burned, and began to fall apart. That’s when I was victorious.
“I defeated your monster, Jade,” I said.
“I don’t remember you defeating me,” Jade said.
“What?” I asked.
“Did I stutter? You defeated the monster, Luna, you didn’t defeat me. The monster isn’t me. I controlled it, yes, but it wasn’t me. You broke down a barrier, you didn’t get to me. All you did what beat one. After that one there would have been another and another. I can call them up from the ground easily. I’m still standing, you didn’t even touch me. So you can get off your high horse. I’m not going to lie and give you a false trophy. You actually have to defeat me, you have to harm me, hurt me, beat me. Until you’ve done that, you haven’t won. Get that straight. You lost and I won that round,” Jade said.
Her arms were crossed in front of her chest. There was no hint of humor in her eyes. She was serious. I should have been upset but I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that she could create more than one mud monster at a time. The short amount of time I fought against the mud man I was most definitely losing.
It was only by luck that my flames had grown hot enough to burn it. I thought I’d been victorious against Jade, but that mud man was one of the many things in the way between me and Jade. The world was caving in on me. I felt like I couldn’t do anything right. I couldn’t beat Clara and I couldn’t beat Jade.
There was no way I could beat Nyx. The guys and I have discussed how fortunate we were to have them on our side. I’d agreed but didn’t really think much into it. For the first time, since the witches made an appearance in our lives, I knew just how lucky we were to have them on our side.
I feared what it would be like to fight against them. We didn’t stand a chance against them. What confused me was the fact that they were so strong but ran from wolves and humans. At any time they could have fought back.
Why hadn’t they fought back?
“Are you going to stay down there like a victim or are you going to get up?” Jade asked.
People were noticing us and I knew what it looked like. I looked weak. I looked like the girl I used to be when I first came here. I’m not that girl anymore and pack members knowing about whatever feud is going on between me and Jade wouldn’t help anyone. I got up as quickly as I could. When I got to my feet I gasping in pain.
“We’re done for today,” Jade said.