“Yeah?” His voice catches, and he clears his throat. I look him over,reallylook him over—no bumps or bruises, only deep, brown eyes widened with fear.
“My name’s Zellie. I’m part of your unit.” Lenny continues to stare at me, distrust marring his features. I try again. “I’m friends with Gwenda?”
Lenny’s terrified facade instantly melts into a genuine smile at the sound of Gwenda’s name. “Gwenda? She’s the best!”
I huff out a laugh. “Yeah, she’s pretty great, isn’t she? She’s been worried about you, but I promised her I’d find you.”
Lenny nods enthusiastically. “She takes such great care of me. When I ended up here, I was so upset that she didn’t know what was going on. She must have been really worried.”
“Once I received my invitation, I assumed this might have been where you ended up. Are you okay? This experience has been… jarring, to say the least.” I’m scared shitless, not that I’m going to admit that to an already frightened kid.
“I’m as okay as I can be. The star-shooting experience was really freaky, and I hate being in a new place where I don’t know anybody, but besides that…” Lenny shrugs casually, and my heart physically hurts for him. I feel the same, yet I’m not trying to comprehend this entire situation and cope as a teenager. This has to be so hard for him.
“We’re going to stick together, you and me—okay?” I reach out and lightly touch his arm.
“Thank you. I don’t know what to make of all of this.” He places a hand on top of mine and squeezes lightly.
“That makes two of us.” How cruel are these people to uproot us from our lives entirely without explanation? With no preparation or insight as to what to expect? It’s barbaric.
Orion grumpily stomps to my side. “Rule number one, Sunshine. Stay by my side.” I cross my arms, refusing to meet his gaze. Before he can reprimand me further, the ground begins to shake.
“What the fuck is that?” I exclaim, grabbing hold of Orion’s shoulder to maintain my balance.
“That, my dear, would be the Kosmos.”
Nine
The shaking stops almost as abruptly as it began; instead, a mysterious smoke has blanketed the arena, making it difficult to see anything further than Orion standing next to me. Lenny disappears, as do the other competitors and their chaperones. “What the fuck?” I ask Orion in a hushed whisper.
“They love a grand entrance.” He whispers back, sounding entirely amused.
The fog clears, and there they stand. Twelve divine beings emulate complete power. They’re utterly terrifying.
“Greetings, and welcome.” A male steps forward, his head free of hair and shining, his voice booming throughout the coliseum. “What a blessing it is for you all to be here.”
A blessing for whom exactly? As I look around, I’m shocked that some contestants are nodding along eagerly while others look distrustful or downright angry. At least I’m not alone in my feelings here. “My name is Pluto Lazar, the leader of the Kosmos who will monitor this year’s Gemini Games.” He looks deceptively kind. His frame is thin yet sculpted, with angular facial features hidden beneath a copper goatee. Pluto is robed in a silken multicolored cloak that falls to his feet, containing each color that represents the astrological signs. The cloak is embellished with symbols resembling the sun, moon, and stars.
“We stand before you grateful and determined. You, the chosen ten, have collectively been selected as best able to restore our treasured Gemini constellation. A crucial constellation, as you well know, in providing energy andpower to each of your worlds. The constellations are the only constant.” Pluto pauses, diverting his attention to each human standing around him, patiently waiting for each of us to repeat the phrase back to him. The guy is good; I’ll give him that. The remaining Kosmos stand effortlessly still in a straight line, hands alternately clasped in front and behind their bodies.
“Power is not granted without sacrifice or effort, though. Our divine council has created a series of challenges. In these challenges, you will be tasked with finding and successfully collecting enchanted fragments of moonstone. These shards have been forged in moonbeams. These gems are not only pure magic but also a symbol of strength. A strength that you all possess.” Okay, Pluto, you lost me at enchanted moonstone.
“Each trial has been designed to challenge the traits of a Gemini uniquely. While we cannot disclose the nature of the challenge beforehand, the Astral assigned to you as your sponsor will provide clues as they work to train you for the specific tasks.” Why do I feel like he is saying a whole lot of nothing?
“Ten shards of moonstone are required to fulfill the constellation. Collect the most, and you shall be rewarded. I will not deceive you—danger is at play. The goal is simple:persevere or perish.”
I numbly shift my weight as Pluto’s words play on a loop in my mind. He’s passed the baton to someone else now, who is reviewing the details regarding training, but me? I’m stuck on “persevere or perish.” Others have taken a defensive stance as well, and by others, I mean the strikingly handsome man who couldn’t take his eyes off me during my tantrum. This time, he catches me staring, and I refuse to look away first.
“Zellie, pay attention.” Orion scolds me while still focusing on the Kosmos in the center of the arena.
“My apologies for being stuck on this guy telling us we need to win or die,” I seethe, putting as much venom into the statement as I can.
“You will not die, Zellie.” Orion sighs. “That’s what I’m here for. Someone should have warned me about your dramatics.”
“My dramatics? We’re being used as free entertainment with our very lives at stake. This is adramaticsituation, Orion.”
“Ouch, back to the full name. You’ll be fine, I promise. Now pay attention; they’re almost done.”
I school my features into a calm mask even though every fiber of my being is infused with anger. How did I wind up in this situation?
