Suddenly, Sam charges toward the Hydra, his sword raised. “For Blaze Academy!” he screams, like that’s going to help.
“Sam, wait—!” Nina cries, but it’s too late.
His foot skids on Hydra blood, and the monster’s jaws snap shut around him.
I scream, waiting for the crunch of bones, the spray of blood?—
Instead, the teeth rebound, each one shimmering like the wall trapping us in the clearing. Sam scrambles backward, his face white with terror as he hurries as far away from the monster as possible.
Safety measures. Thank God. At least Evie was right about us not being able to die in here.
It’s sinking in that I might get out of this clearing alive when something glows in the corner of my eye, coming from the sword in my hand. And when I turn my full focus onto it, all I can do is watch in amazement as silver light dances across its surface.Mylight. It’s racing through my body, down my arm, and out through the palm holding the hilt, the electricity buzzing over the blade like beautiful sparkling webs.
Suddenly, the fear shifts, turning into something else. Determination. Because the Hydra can’t kill us. And given that I’m apparently being judged on my performance in this insane trial, I shouldtryto put up a decent fight. After all, it’s like avideo game, right? A high-tech video game I’m experiencing in what feels like real life, like inReady Player One.
Yes. Exactly. Virtual reality. It’s fake. Fun.
Well, maybe notfun,but at least it’s not deadly.
So, I pull on more of the silver electricity racing through my veins, pour it into the sword, and hurl the weapon at the Hydra’s head like a spear.
Miraculously, the blade pierces straight through the monster’s mouth, the electricity spreading in sparking webs across its teeth before dying out.
The head howls, flailing wildly.
“Holy shit.” My voice shakes as I spin, searching for someone to confirm what I just did.
They don’t. Because no one’s looking at me. Garrett, Sam, and Vera are in a heated fight off to the side, while Evie and Nina are sizing up the other remaining head.
“Did you see—” I start, but Evie cuts me off.
“Great distraction!” she calls. “Nina, now!”
Nina makes a move for the head she and Evie are collaborating on killing, the two of them working together as if they’ve done this many times before.
At the same time, the head I electrified starts getting back its bearings. And the first thing those golden eyes lock onto with pure, ancient rage?
Me.
I don’t have time to take a breath before it charges.
“Jade!” someone screams.
I’m already backing up, but my legs are shaking from exhaustion and adrenaline. My foot catches on an exposed root, and I go down hard, sprawling in the dirt. I can’t breathe, can’t move, can’t do anything but watch the Hydra head rear back in preparation to strike.
Its jaws unhinge, revealing rows of teeth thatdon’tshimmer like the forcefield. Its roar tears through my ears, leaving me deafened and dizzy, the ground vibrating beneath me as its shadow swallows me whole.
Since my sword’s across the clearing, all I can do is throw up my arms in a useless attempt to?—
Someone crashes into me, strong arms wrapping around my waist as fire explodes around us. But it’s not the orange flames the others have been using. This blaze burns with blues and purples, its edges rimmed with something darker as the fire consumes us whole. And the pain—fuck,the pain. I’m being torn apart. Ripped into tiny pieces that will surely turn to ash and disappear into this clearing forever.
I close my eyes, praying for the end to come quickly.
But suddenly, the pain’s gone, and I’m crashing to the ground, those same strong arms wrapped around me, rolling until everything goes still. My breath comes in shallow gasps, my body aching in every place possible, my heart beating so fast it hurts.
When I’m finally able to focus on the person right on top of me, I find storm-gray eyes staring down into mine, the intensity in them taking my breath away.
Logan.
