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)
"Easy!" Matt said, because the livid referees were already halfway to them. "You can't get carded, all right? We can't replace you. I'm the backliner," he insisted when Neil opened his mouth. "It's my job to defend the goal, okay?"
Neil wasn't carded for his unsportsmanlike shove, but one of the referees gave him a blistering warning. Neil stared back in baleful silence. Matt pushed Neil behind him before Neil got carded for attitude and apologized in his stead. Neil turned away to check on Andrew. Andrew returned Neil's intent look with a bored stare, then looked past Neil at the hubbub surrounding Williams. The Ravens were getting another red card, but it didn't feel like a victory. Tetsuji was taking advantage of the card to sub out his players.
The only Raven making a second appearance on the court tonight was Riko. The other two filing on were brand new, another striker to balance Riko out and an offensive dealer Neil remembered from last October's game. The Ravens intended to tear the Foxes' defense wide open, and by this point it wouldn't take a lot of work. They were almost halfway through the second half. Even though the Foxes were built for the long haul they were quickly running out of steam. It cost them too much to go up against a team like this.
"They're not fast enough," Andrew said.
He had to mean their defense line, so Neil said, "I know."
"Are you tired?" Andrew asked.
It wasn't concern, Neil knew, but that didn't make it a less confusing question. He hadn't gotten the ball often enough tonight to be tired, but he couldn't say that with Matt standing two feet away from him. "Not yet."
"Then I'm taking my turn. Matt," Andrew said, and Matt turned toward them immediately. Andrew lifted a finger from his racquet to point at Neil. "We're subbing Dan for Neil and Neil for you."
Matt stared. "We're what?"
"You're limping," Andrew returned. Neil hadn't even noticed, too focused on the ball and the Ravens. He shot a startled look down at Matt's feet like he could somehow see the source of Matt's pain. "You're no use to me right now. Get Abby to put a brace on that. Neil can hold them in the meantime."
They'd said all night that speed was the fatal weakness on their defense line. Neil was the fastest player in Class I Exy, but how Andrew thought this was a feasible solution Neil didn't know. Neil wanted to point out every reason this was a bad idea, but he didn't have the right to turn Andrew down.
"I started this game as a backliner, remember?" Neil said to Matt. "The Ravens put me up against Riko when I stayed with them in December. I know how he moves."
"Two weeks of practice don't make you ready to face the best striker in the game."
"Kevin's the best striker," Neil corrected him, "and I don't have to be the best backliner to counter Riko. I just have to be faster than he is. We both know I am. Trust me. I can keep him away from Andrew while you rest."
"Coach will never go for it," Matt said.
"Tell him he has to," Andrew said, like it was that simple.
Maybe it was Andrew's conviction that swayed Matt. Andrew had never given half a damn about this game before and only honestly tried in scattered bursts. That he cared enough to argue now was unexpected and unprecedented. There were still doubts and arguments in Matt's troubled expression, but Matt turned away without another word. As he headed for the door Neil finally saw the limp in his step. Matt no longer needed to put up an invincible front, so he stopped trying to hide how much he was hurting.
Matt stopped in the doorway to argue with Wymack and Abby. Maybe invoking Andrew's name did the trick, or maybe Wymack was desperate enough to try anything at this point. Either way Dan stepped onto the court a couple seconds later. Allison started toward her, assuming she was being traded. Dan called for her to hold her place and took up a striker's starting spot for a foul goal.
"You're crazy," Neil said to Andrew in an undertone.
"This is news to no one," Andrew said.
Neil shook his head and shifted to his new spot at Riko's side. Riko looked from him to Dan to Andrew and back again. It took him only a second to put it all together, and Riko's smile was cold.
Maybe he had a right to feel smug. It didn't matter that Neil had started this game as a backliner. He'd been away from the court for half his life and had spent the last two years honing his skills as a striker. Riko had seen for himself over Christmas break how out of practice and miserable Neil was at defense.
What Riko forgot was that Neil hadn't stepped onto the Raven court until after Tetsuji beat him unconscious. Neil's health had gotten steadily worse from there thanks to Riko's constant abuse. Tonight Neil was in perfect form, and he was mad as hell at the Ravens for hurting his Foxes.
Andrew slammed the ball up-court, and the fight to the last bell began. Neil dogged Riko every step of the way, using his stick and body to ruin Riko's shots and force him away from Andrew. They fought each other back and forth across the court, ducking and darting, sidestepping and lunging, nearly tripping each other up at every turn. Riko used every trick he had to get around Neil, but he couldn't outrun Neil for long.
Minutes stretched by without a clear shot on goal. Riko snarled something hateful at Neil as Andrew batted away his latest shot. Neil laughed at him, knowing it'd only infuriate him further. Riko's impatience and rage were fuel, lending Neil speed and making him forget the growing burn in his thighs and calves.
Something in his shoulder popped and went a little numb as he and Riko hit the ground for the nth time. Since it didn't hurt, Neil didn't stop to worry about it. He was up and after the ball before Riko was, and he passed it up to Allison. Allison gave it to Kevin, Kevin to Dan, Dan to Kevin, and Kevin scored. Just like that they were tied eight-eight.