Deadly Games

Начало книги

In the predawn light, Amaranthe Lokdoncharged up the worn travertine steps of the ancient stadium. Herthighs burned, her calves ached, and sweat streamed into hereyes.

“Idiotic,” she muttered to herself betweenstrained breaths. “Deranged…masochistic.”

A dark, round shape blurred out of theshadows. Instinctively, she lifted her hands and caught the heavy,sand-filled ball to keep it from slamming into her chest. Barely.She wobbled, the weight threatening to knock her onto the stonebenches, but she compensated and continued upward. With a lastburst of energy, she hurled the ball back to the shadowy figurethat had appeared at the top of the stairs.

Amaranthe kept her hands up, thinking hemight throw it again, but he propped it against his hip and waited.Legs trembling, she reached the top step and forced herself tostand up straight instead of collapsing in a sweaty, exhaustedheap.

“Dedicated,” Sicarius said.

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