She sighs, toying with a few beads at the bottoms of her braids. “I think we have to try, right?”
I want to ask what Rhea thinks, but she’s still face down on the ground having a full-blown meltdown, so I’m not sure now’s the right time.
So I turn back to Sullivan, my brows raised. “You still think we should wait?”
“I think we should do whatever’s going to get us out of here.”
“Okay, then.” I look back at Arjun.
He nods and steps forward, reaching for the key. But his hand passes right through it, like it’s not even there.
“Does that mean—” Fifi’s voice cracks with fear while everything inside me does the same thing.
I have no idea what’s going to happen next, but it can’t be good.
Arjun tries for the key again, shoving a frustrated hand through his hair when he once again can’t grab it.
“It’s okay,” I tell him, stepping forward to try to pull him back before whatever’s going to fly out of that trunk can get him.
But the moment I move, the key lights up until it’s glowing almost as brightly as Fifi’s disco apple.
“I think that means you should try,” Sullivan tells me,his eyes wide as he looks between me and the key.
I don’t want to—I really don’t want to be the one responsible for something terrible happening again. But I also don’t want to be here forever. So I take a couple more steps forward until I’m standing right in front of the chest. Then I try to grab the key, even though I know my hand will pass straight through.
Only it doesn’t. Instead, I feel the cold brass of the key against my palm and I wrap my fingers around it. Seconds later, I pull it from the chest and the chest slams closed.
“You did it!” Fifi crows, and she’s jumping up and down like I just won the lottery. I’m not so sure. It seemed too easy. But I keep my face blank to hide the fact that I’m freaking out as I move toward the teal door we used to get here.
Breath held, hand shaking, I slide the key into the lock and turn it.
36.A Mist Opportunity
AS SOON AS I DO,all six of us are back in the field with Dr. Minthe. And unlike getting through the door, getting out lets us stay on our feet. Even Rhea, whose shaking legs and impossibly strong lungs seem to have made a full recovery.
“Nice job,” Dr. Minthe says, grinning at me as he holds his hands out for the key. “You’re the first group back.”
“The first group? Really?” Sullivan sounds surprised.
Which makes sense, considering it felt like we were in there forever.
“The first group,” Dr. Minthe confirms. “So, how was it in there? You all look a little worse for wear.”
“Worse for wear?” Rhea screeches. “We were attacked by snakes. What did you think we were going to look like?”
“Snakes?” Dr. Minthe looks at each of us in turn. “Thereshouldn’t have been any snakes in there. Just vines and—”
A chill runs down my spine, though it feels more like a warning. “The vines turned into snakes,” I tell him. “They even tried to bite us.”
“Did they?” His confusion turns to alarm. “Did they actually bite any of you?”
“No, though one did scratch Ellie’s cheek.” Fifi shoots me an apologetic look, but I don’t mind her looking out for me. I don’t think it injected me with any venom from that one light brush, but I’d definitely feel better if a teacher checked to be sure.
“Are you the only one they got close to?” Dr. Minthe asks as he takes off his shades and steps forward to look at my cheek.
“They were on all of us,” I answer. “But I think I’m the only one they actually succeeded in laying a fang on. It didn’t break the skin, though.”
“Interesting.” He narrows his eyes in thought. “Very interesting.”
