Chapter 7 · Ante Up Or Die

"Move, Vance!" Valerie's shield slammed into Jesse's chest and sent him skidding across the arena wall.

The floor dropped away beneath him.

Not cracked. Not tilted. Dropped.

One second his boots were planted on black iron. The next, gravity yanked him sideways toward a row of spinning blades. Valerie caught his wrist before he vanished under them, her gloved fingers locking around his arm hard enough to hurt.

"You said the arena was stable," Jesse snapped.

"I said the arena was powered. Don't confuse the two."

A war-construct crashed through the wall behind them. It had six legs, a plated body, and a red card-core burning behind its jaw. The machine swung one hooked arm at Valerie's head.

She pulled Jesse close and raised her shield.

The impact rang through his teeth.

Her shoulder hit his chest. Her breath brushed his throat. For half a second, they were pinned together against the shield, her heat trapped between them and the construct's metal limb.

"You're crushing me," he said.

"You're welcome."

"I wasn't thanking you."

"You will when that thing stops trying to turn your spine into loose parts."

The construct ripped its arm free.