Aureate Fates

5

A sorrowful shame, Marisol thought. A shame.

"Hit him harder, Reese!," Marisol screamed at the ring, mimicking the crowd.

A shame.

"Take him down!"

The truest shame.

"Right hook!"

The ground beneath her shook as the victor of the fight was announced. Reese locked eyes with her, and rose a brow.

Are you okay?, he seemed to ask.

Marisol nodded once as Reese's former opponent was carried out of the ring—a product of stubbornness, of not tapping out even when his body could no longer function. It was stubbornness or Reese's inability to lose a fist fight that landed his poor opponent in severe impairment.

When Reese climbed down the steps of the ring, Marisol embraced him briefly. He was wearing a black short sleeve shirt with dark pants, his usual fighting attire. He still wore his small diamond studs, which he was allowed to wear in the ring—though it was discouraged.

"Imagine the marks you'd receive if you put that much effort into school work," Marisol mused, pulling away from the embrace. Her eye caught the blue beaded bracelet she had given him years ago, it put her at ease.

Reese's tired smile stretched, and he shoved her lightly. "School work doesn't pay me two-thousand coins, does it?"

"Valid point," Marisol remarked, drifting her eyes over to the other side of the ring where her opponent readied. Her heart sank as she observed the familiar two braids. The razor sharp teeth made to tear apart throats.

Holy.

Reese followed her line of vision and winced. "Shit."

Marisol gave him a dark look, "Not helping, witch."

Reese grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look away from her opponent—Kyra. Before he could speak, Marisol beat him to it.

"The elixir you gave me isn't working," she hushed, growing a tree of angst in her belly. "I'm not focused."

Reese pursed his lips momentarily then gave a shaky laugh. "What? Impossible."

She gave him a pointed look, which made him sigh in surrender. She noticed that he still hadn't healed his cuts. They made him appear much older than he was.

"All right," Reese said, crossing his arms. "The elixir is to enhance your...abilities. Strengthen your endurance."

She could only stare.

The wine-haired boy said in an obnoxiously high tone, attempting to imitate her, "Thank you, Reese. You're my hero."

Marisol gave him a gesture that relied heavily on one finger. Just one. "That isn't how I sound."

"But you admit you're grateful for me?," he asked. She could see the way his eyes were spent, exhausted from the fight.

"No," she responded. "I'm quite angry with you."

Reese grabbed a jug of water nearby, drank a sip. "And why is that?"

"Jaak was asking for you at the festival. He expected you to be there," she said flatly. "What was so pressing?"

Reese rose his brows, and looked affronted. "I was busy getting that elixir that's going to give you a chance against Kyra. That's what was so pressing."

Marisol snapped, "I didn't ask you to do that, Reese."

He locked his jaw and nodded, eyes dancing with vexation as they drifted away from her. "Noted."