Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145402 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 727(@200wpm)___ 582(@250wpm)___ 485(@300wpm)
No one scored for ten more minutes, and not for lack of trying. Finally Berger got around Aaron for a quick shot on goal. Andrew wasn't quite fast enough, and he smashed his racquet against the wall as the goal went red. Andrew's irritation was as inspiring as Riko's was, but Neil couldn't hold defense alone and Aaron had gone as far as he could. The next time the Ravens fouled the Foxes and the Foxes gained possession, Wymack sent Nicky and Matt on.
Neil expected to be pulled, but Nicky traded places with an exhausted Allison and Matt took over for Aaron. The grin Matt shot Neil was at once encouraging and apologetic. Neil flashed a tight smile back at him, and they pushed forward as one. With three backliners on the court the defense line finally had a chance to regroup, and by the last five minutes of the game they'd shut the Raven offense out. Riko and Berger were taking their shots from further out because they had no other choice, and Andrew slammed every attempt away. On the other side of the court Kevin scored on a rebound, tying them up once again.
They were going to a shootout, Neil realized, and the thought of facing down the Ravens' goalkeeper when he was this worn out was a terrifying prospect. Neil had used up all his energy, burned through all his fumes, and kept moving now out of some mindless sense of self-preservation. His legs and lungs were burning, and the numbness in his shoulder had been replaced by heat. His wrists and arms were sore, and he hurt from hitting Riko and the ground so often. His elbows ached from the constant stick checks, he couldn't feel his feet anymore, and there was a chance Riko had broken a toe or two the last time he stomped on Neil's foot.
Neil didn't know they'd reached the last minute of the game until the buzzer blared overhead. His body knew what that sound meant and finally gave out on him. He fell to his knees and barely managed to catch himself with his hands. His stomach twisted inside him, but he didn't have the strength to throw up. Oxygen-starved muscles felt like they were disintegrating but it hurt too much to breathe. Neil's mouth worked on short gasps that did nothing for him.
The buzzer went off again, and Neil's heart stopped.
The ringing in his ears wasn't all him. His teammates were screaming, wordless war cries of disbelief and victory. Neil's fingers shook so badly it was almost impossible to get the straps of his helmet undone, but finally he managed to throw his helmet off to one side. He blinked sweat out of his eyes and looked up at the scoreboard.
Ten-nine, Foxes' favor—Kevin had scored in the last two seconds of the game.
Neil wished he could smile, but it took all his strength just to look at Riko. The Raven captain and Exy King was staring at the scoreboard like he expected it to change. The Foxes were running for each other, still screaming their fool heads off, but the Ravens stood still as stone. It was the first loss in Edgar Allan's history, and they'd fallen to the unlikeliest of opponents.
Neil sucked in a deep breath that ripped him open on its way down. "I'd ask you how it feels, but I guess you've always known what it's like to be second, you worthless piece of shit."
Riko finally dragged his gaze away from the board. He stared at Neil, blank-faced and stunned, and then revulsion twisted his expression into something terrible. His racquet went up over his head but it took Neil a moment to realize Riko really intended to take a swing at him. Dan screamed his name from halfway across the court, but there was nothing Neil could do except watch Riko's racquet start down. He barely had the strength to breathe. Dodging was out of the question.
Riko's racquet got close enough that Neil heard wind whistling through the strings, and then a second racquet came out of nowhere, big and bright and orange. Andrew put everything he had left behind his swing and caught Riko across his forearm. Bones gave a sickening crunch as they shattered. Riko's racquet clattered harmlessly off to one side, and then Riko was the only one screaming. He stumbled a few steps away from them before falling to his knees and holding his arm to his gut. Andrew put his racquet down in front of Neil like a shield and watched Riko's breakdown with a bored stare.
Neil lost sight of Riko when the Foxes swarmed him. Gloved fingers patted his head and shoulders, looking for any sign that he'd been hurt. Neil tuned out their frantic demands, more interested in listening to Riko's endless, agonized screaming. Then Dan caught his face in her hands and gave him a shake.
"Neil," she said, so desperate and afraid Neil had to look at her.
"Hey," Neil said, hoarse with exhaustion and heady triumph. "We won."
Dan threw her arms around him and buried a choked laugh against his padded shoulder. "Yeah, Neil. We won!"
EPILOGUE
There should have been a ceremony as Edgar Allan passed the championship trophy to their successors. Instead the celebration was postponed until the morning. In its place were cops and EMTs, statements and interviews. Neil didn't know why he'd expected anything else when the Foxes were involved.
Riko was rushed out in an ambulance, but the Ravens and Foxes were kept at the stadium until half past two in the morning. The crowd left only when the police forced them to go, and they were deathly silent on their way out of Evermore's gates. The Foxes' guests and Vixens argued for the right to stay but lost. As they left they promised to meet the Foxes at their hotel.
The Foxes were quiet when they were finally allowed to shower and change. The long hours since the last bell had temporarily worn away their well-deserved excitement. They were sore all over and drained to the point that moving was a terrible chore. Neil leaned against the shower wall because he knew better than to sit down. He fell asleep without meaning to but woke up again when the water ran cold. He yawned as he dressed and went in search of his teammates.