The Sports Captain's Tale полностью

I leaned back in my seat and watched the players reach endgame. The team that had copied us was doing well, but they weren’t using the entanglement spells as effectively as we had. I guessed their spellcasters hadn’t wanted to stay in the rear. Or that someone had sneaked up on their base, once they realised what was happening, and taken the spellcasters out … a thought crossed my mind, a tactic that might just work …

“Hey,” a voice said. Blair. “What’s a pretty boy like you doing up here all alone?”

I tried not to tense as he stepped into view. I should have noticed him well before he spoke and the fact I hadn’t was … irritating. He’d spent plenty of time sneaking around the school, just like the rest of us, but still … I cursed under my breath, wishing I’d thought to bring Mark and James with me. Blair appeared to be alone, but that was meaningless. He could have brought his entire team under invisibility or obscurification spells.

“Enjoying the view,” I grunted, finally. Blair had probably come for the same reason as I had. “It just went downhill.”

Blair gave me a cross look. “Your bad taste is not my problem,” he said, as he seated himself next to me. “You’re not my type.”

I tried to hide my annoyance. “Are you trying to be funny? Because if you are, it isn’t working.”

He shrugged. I allowed myself a quick smirk. Blair could be funny, even charming, when he wanted to be. He had a disarming grin that made boys underestimate him and girls swoon …right up to the moment he put the knife in their backs. Mildred hadn’t told me how he’d managed to lure her into the alleyway, but I had my suspicions. I’d kept them to myself. I really didn’t want to know.

“I underestimated you,” Blair said, seriously. “I never thought you’d have a chance.”

I smirked, again. It was proof he was alone. He’d never have made that admission in front of his cronies, not when they might see it as a sign he wasn’t as confident as he pretended. And that meant …

“You convinced two other teams to gang up with you on us,” I pointed out, dryly. The best team in the big leagues would have trouble winning against such odds – and we’d lost so badly we’d become a laughingstock. “You took us very seriously indeed.”

Blair’s eyes narrowed, then he shrugged, conceding the point. More proof he was alone. He’d have argued for hours if he’d had an audience. “I thought we were doing you a favour by putting you out of the running so quickly,” he said. “You do realise you’re not going to get any sponsors for the big games? Can you afford even one banner to wave in front of your team?”

I felt a hot flash of anger. Blair had a point. Dad wasn’t going to sponsor us – I knew better than to ask – and even if he wanted to, he couldn’t. I intended to cross that bridge when I came to it. The Grandmaster would probably give us some money, just to keep up appearances; there were others, Lady Emily or Queen Alassa, perhaps, who might be interested in sponsoring us. I’d played on Alassa’s team, when she’d been a student. She might just listen to my request without laughing in my face.

“That’s none of your business,” I said, finally. Let him think I was completely without options. “There’s no rule that says you need a sponsor.”

Blair smirked. It made me want to punch him. My fists clenched in anticipation. “But you’ll look like a bunch of commoners aping your betters.”

I stuck out my tongue. “You needed to outnumber us to win the first match and you lost the second,” I said. “I think we’re the better team.”

Blair’s face became ugly, just for a second. “You think your tricks will win in the big leagues?”

“It’s only stupid if it fails,” I said, quoting one of our old sergeants. “If we win, if it works, it’s smart.”

“No, you just got lucky,” Blair countered. “And that trick won’t work twice.”

I shrugged. “We’ll see,” I said. “Tell me, is there a reason you’re inflicting yourself on me? I’m sure there are places your company is merely unwelcome.”

“If only you were as witty as you think you are,” Blair said, crossly. “Kai, let’s be honest here. Your team is a joke. You won because you came up with something new and that trick won’t work twice. It really won’t.”

“So you said,” I reminded him. “Get to the point.”

Blair met my eyes. “We ally to wipe out the other teams, then fight it out,” he said. “If you win, you give me and two of my best players places on your team; if you lose, I give you a place on mine. You’ll go to the big leagues whatever happened.”

I blinked. He couldn’t have surprised me more if he’d conceded defeat without a fight. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.” Blair gave me an honest look. I wasn’t remotely impressed. Dad had taught me well. No honest man is ever quite so honest. “There’s no reason we have to be enemies. We can go onwards, together.”

I stared at him for a long moment. “You …”

“Me,” Blair said. “We must put aside our rivalry and think of the school’s best interests.”

“Oh,” I said. “We must, must we?”