A Wicked Game [The Crown Saga II] (Under Editing)

Streets of the Elite

A bead of sweat trickled down my damp brow, my breath steaming in front of me as I moved closer to the corner.

My heart was pounding painfully in my chest, pulsing surges of skittish heat through my tense muscles to prime me for battle.

"What's going on, Will?" Koa wrapped his fingers around my wrist.

I looked back at him, fury burning in my eyes. "I hear him, Koa," I said, wrenching my wrist from his hand. "He needs my help."

Koa looked at me with skepticism. "He? Who? Will."

Two more steps, and I rounded the corner. Three boys stood further down the street, two taller and older than the small boy they violently pressed against the wall.

The young boy's dark hair was ruffled, and tears spilled from his swollen eye. A reddish tint shaded his bruised cheeks as he clung to the blond-haired boy's fist curled around his collar.

"Levy!" Tristan sprinted past us. I instinctively caught the collar of his shirt before he could do something exceptionally reckless.

He fought my grip, but I'd gotten too strong. "Let go, Will! They're hurting Levy!"

The three boys snapped their heads to us in reaction to Tristan's loud yelling. I gritted my teeth when I noticed the shimmer faintly tinting the tall boys' cheeks. Iridis.

"Let go, Will!"

"Stay back, Tristan." He stilled at the sharpness in my voice. "You'll only get yourself hurt."

I probably shouldn't have been proud of Tristan for wanting to rush in and save his friend despite knowing he wouldn't stand a chance against the bullies. I would've done the same if not— Heck, I had done the same so many times before, but I didn't have a big sister to protect me back then.

"Tristan." A wicked, sinful smile that made my skin crawl tugged on the freckled boy's lips. "Have you come to play, too?"

I tightened my grip on Tristan's collar as he fought me again. "Let Levy go, Banner!"

"Did you hear that, Levy?" The blond boy leaned closer to Levy, grabbing his beaten face. "Your little fire brother has to rescue you."

So that was the Levy Tristan mentioned yesterday—the one with the Fire Brothers figures.

Levy jerked his head to free himself from the blond guy's grip and bit his hand. "Run, Tristan!" Levy shouted. "Save yourself!"

"You little punk!" the blond boy sneered and thrust his knee into Levy's stomach, leaving Levy breathless.

"Hey!" I barked, my fingers twitching as anger slowly erased the remnants of fear still lingering in the back of my mind.

Banner snapped his head to look at us again, chuckling like a maniac. "Do you see that, Daxton?" he said, lightly slapping the blond guy's shoulder. "Tristan is being protected by a pretty girl. How pathetic is that?"

I tsked. They didn't recognize my face. That gave me a good edge.

Koa grumbled behind us, and I heard his knuckles crack. "Wait, Koa." I pressed my palm against his chest, holding him back. He was a lot stronger than me physically, so it would be no problem for him to brush my warning off, but he didn't. "They're Iridis," I whispered. "You're strong, but strength is no match against the forces of Nature. My powers are."

Koa's face paled. "Will..."

"Take him." I pulled Tristan into Koa's arms. "Stand back."

"No, wait," Tristan shouted, grabbing my sleeve. "Y-you can't, Will. They're seniors. They're too strong."