HANNAH
The pain in my hand radiated upward and outward. In a quarter of an hour, maybe less, my arm would go numb from how tightly Cade was clutching it.
I didn’t care, though. The pain was the only thing keeping me grounded as we waited for the duel to start.
I hadn’t looked at everyone present—the crowd was too much anyway—but I was sure Asher wasn’t here, even though all the important people in the territories were. Some had even brought their families.
“Are you nervous?” I asked Cade, my voice just above a whisper.
I noticed him tapping his foot anxiously. Now he stopped.
“I am,” he admitted. He jutted his chin toward the fighting ring, still empty. It looked just like the one where I had fought and killed Julia—what felt like a lifetime ago. “Whatever happens in there today will
