The Ice Queen's Comeback
The puck missed the corner, slamming violently off the iron goalpost.
It didn't just slide away, it ricocheted off the pole at a vicious angle, rocketing straight back across the ice and striking me squarely in my weakened, unprotected knee.
A low groan tore from my throat as my leg buckled beneath me. I hit the ice hard, clutching my knee, the blinding, white-hot agony making the world go gray around the edges.
"Vance!"
The mock titles were gone. Her skates hissed violently as she threw herself down beside me, her helmet clattering across the ice as she ripped it off. Before I could push her away, her small, cool hands were all over my leg, expertly checking the joint with urgency.