COMBAT This was Ella’s first tournament. She had heard tales about how the events went and the champions that emerged at the end, but she had never actively participated until tonight. She wouldn’t be participating if Lyla hadn’t been so convincing, and every minute since she saw the Blackthorn twins, she wanted to run out of this place and head straight home. But then, she had made a declaration that she was going to have the time of her life, and she might as well get around to it. “Fake it till you make it,” she muttered as the queue moved slowly. She had decided to register for the tournament, which would begin in an hour or two. What she wasn’t sure of was if being part of this was a good idea. She had never been in combat all her life. One thing she knew was how to avoid confro

