Riley stood there frozen as Armani’s announcement settled over the hall like a weight.
Rank 90 versus Rank 80.
Weapons of choice.
Her stomach tightened.
No. Absolutely not.
She stepped forward slightly, ignoring the way a few heads turned toward her.
“I can’t fight,” Riley said clearly.
The hall went silent.
A few people actually gasped.
Skylar’s eyes widened. Quinn straightened beside her, clearly shocked she said it out loud. In their world, refusing a match—refusing a command like this—was almost unheard of.
Armani didn’t react immediately.
He just looked at her.
Calm. Controlled. Unreadable.
But his smirk faded slightly.
“You can’t?” someone muttered in the crowd.
Riley swallowed, forcing herself to stay standing even as her body still felt weak and sore. “I’m not in con
