Thank the universe that’s over.I twisted to face the Spellcasters’ starting platform and gave my team a thumbs up so they knew it was safe to proceed.
“Nice work!” a voice called. From one platform over, I saw Dasha waving at me. Back at the starting line, I’d been a little annoyed at the shifters and fae, thinking maybe they’d known what the vampires had done. But Dasha’s genuine smile said otherwise.
“Thanks! I hope the others make it too,” I called back.
“Yeah. Same. If Gregor would ever freaking jump, that is.”
I turned to face the starting platform and saw that she was right. Howley was on his third swing, but Gregor remained planted on the platform.
Andre leapt next. The bar next to me swung into action the moment his feet left the platform.
It should have been beautiful, the way the bars soared toward each other at the same speed, but Andre kind of ruined it by barfing his guts out a quarter of the way across.
“Keep it together!” I screamed, my eyes glued to him as he flew closer and closer. He was almost to the middle, and I wanted to close my eyes so as not to witness the tragedy of Andre missing the bar.
And then, to my everlasting glee, he released the first bar before I ever would have had the guts to, and flew toward the other bar like a legit acrobat. There was awhackwhen his hands met the wood, and unable to help myself, I let out a whoop.
“Hell yeah, baby!” Diana screamed.
Andre flew toward me, and I reached out to grab him.
“Thanks, Odette,” he managed to mumble before hurling his guts out over the side of the platform.
Vomiting aside, this trial was turning out better than I could have imagined. We were keeping up with the shifters!
When Sam stepped off the platform, my hopes had already started to rise. Which was why it crushed me hard when Sam missed her transfer.
“No!” I whisper-screamed.
To make matters worse, Howley had finally gotten the timing right, and landed on the final platform. The shifters yelped and jumped with glee as my stomach sank.
Sam swung back to the first platform, and Diana caught her. The third-year appeared to be swaying violently, and I realized that while she wasn’t puking, Sam was as bad off as Andre.
I needed to help her, or she’d never make it.
At my side, the trapeze bar hovered, waiting for Sam to leap again. Following my instinct, I placed a hand on it. “Diana! Sam!” I waved to get their attention.
The ladies had been discussing something, but their necks twisted at the sound of my voice.
“I’ll meet her in the middle!”
Sam gave me a thumbs-up.
It was go time.
Once again, when Sam leapt off the other platform, the bar hovering on mine soared toward the middle. The only difference was that this time, I clung to it.
“Let go on my call!” I screamed as Sam and I flew toward one another.
“Got it!” she yelled back.
Closer and closer we came until only a few feet separated us.
“Release!” I screamed.
Sam complied and she barreled toward me, arms outstretched. Throwing caution to the wind, I unlatched one hand and reached for her. Her fingers grazed mine, and I closed my hand.
And we missed.
