Jean was helping Father in his workshop and Maman had long been asleep. I followed Marley, who was chattering a million miles a minute about the games. My head was too fuzzy to pay much attention, and I only caught every other word that she was saying.
Upstairs in my room looked like a bomb had gone off. Clothes were strewn about everywhere, and in the center of my bed was a suitcase propped open with several outfits hanging out like limp spaghetti noodles.
I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration as Marley bounced on the balls of her feet with excitement. “Ta-da!”
“Wow… this is?—”
“A mess, I know, but look!” Marley grabbed one of the dresses and draped it over my body, turning me to look in the full-length mirror. “Doesn’t it just make your dark eyes pop? Put it on! I want to see how it fits.”
Obliging, I turn to undress and step into the cumbersome looking thing. Once it was zipped in the back by Marley, I marveled at my reflection in surprise. Normally, I wore modest clothing. No frills or anything fancy. But this? This was a dress fit for a queen. Its sweetheart neckline plunged far lower than I ever dared to show. The waist was trim about the middle, accentuating the natural curves in my hips. The fabric flared out in a bell shape like I’d been plucked from the Notre Dame itself. The bottom was covered in a fine lace and the black material glittered against the dim light as I moved. My hands slid over the dress in awe. It looked as if the starry night sky had spilledonto my body in an array of twinkling starlight. I’d never felt so beautiful in all my life.
“Marley, this is stunning. Where did you even get it?”
She shrugged her shoulder. “I found it at the thrift store and was saving it for a special occasion.”
“Thank you,” I said, taking her hands in mine. “Really, this is going to be perfect for the masquerade. Help me get it off though? I want to try and get some sleep if I can before tomorrow, and I still need to finish packing. You didn’t put any contraband in here, did you?”
Marley dramatically pressed her hand to her chest. “Moi?” It was typical of our city to speak in a mixture of English and French, sometimes melding the two in the same sentence. The elders, however, refused to adopt English, and spoke in French only.
“Yes, you. I don’t want to get in trouble if you slipped a knife in there. You know how strict the rules are.”
Marley rolled her eyes and patted me on the top of my head. “You’re so dramatic. My little rule follower.”
I glowered at her, and she put her hands up in surrender. “I swear. It’s just the essentials. Clothes, hairbrush, a photo of the family. Honest. Now turn around so I can unzip you.”
I did as she asked and tried hard not to worry that this might be my last night with my sister. Thinking like that would only get me more anxious than I already was, and possibly killed. No, I needed to focus on what I could which was putting these clothes away, finish my packing, and try to prepare myself for what awaited me tomorrow.
Chapter 3
Odessa
All night, I spent looking at my ceiling, unable to sleep with dread boiling deep in my stomach. As much as I tried to push away the anxiety, it kept coming back tenfold. The city was eerily quiet, making me feel even more unsettled than I already was. Normally, I could hear the rumblings of people at all hours, but not tonight. Even in years prior before the games, the streets would be packed. I wondered if it had anything to do with that mysterious arrival at the gates. Since the war was ongoing and the gods were picky about who was allowed within our borders, we didn’t get many visitors since our city was flanked by battles on all sides. Our high walls surrounding the city kept us safe, for now. But the Kings of Destar were relentless in their pursuit of our lands, wanting our people and resources for themselves. I feared that one day they would breech our defenses.
Jean would soon be joining the military ranks, and that knowledge filled me with dread. While he was strong, tall, and agile, he was still mortal. Most first years that get carted off to war barely make it past their training, and if they did, they were stationed at the front lines. Used as cannon fodder. They werenothing more than another body to place between us and the enemy.
Even with the war raging outside, the games were still scheduled to commence. For as long as I’ve been alive, the gods have hosted the games every year like clockwork. We’re told it’s a chance at a better life. One with magical powers and more riches than we could fathom. But I liked my life the way it was. Sure, there were things I wished I could change, like my mother’s condition, but overall, I was content for the most part.
My mind whirled with possibilities of what was to come, remembering all the stories of the winners throughout the years. How they fought their way through the labyrinth of tunnels full of traps and ultimately clawed their way to victory. Many of the winners chose the strength mask, barging through the limestone rock and their fellow opponents until they reached the end. A few others chose invisibility which afforded them the ability to slink through undetected. If the healing mask wasn’t available, the invisibility one might be my best bet at survival.
No matter how much I theorized though, I wouldn’t be able to make a selection until I was down amongst the dirt and bones.
Light filtered through my sunroof alerting me to the new day. I dressed carefully in the outfit Marley, and I had chosen together the night before.
I’d chosen a simple black v-neck shirt with long sleeves, and hunter-green pants that were easy to move in and more my style than that of any colorful ensemble they might be expecting. My black boots were ones I’d worn in the winter months, that would be perfect inside the catacombs. They had a good grip, and held my ankle in place, which was extra helpful when walking on ice. I didn’t know what kind of terrain to expect in Nocturne, but I figured these were my best bet.
The last things I put on were my necklaces that Marley insisted I take to give the outfit a little something more. Marley loved anything that sparkled.
My fingers worked with practiced movements as I tugged my long brown hair into a wispy braid. There. That should do it, I thought, taking one last look in the mirror as nerves skate down my spine, pirouetting along my limbs and finally settling into my core like a boulder. It’s shape lumpy and cumbersome, and ugly.
Just as I was tucking my hair behind my ear, a loud bang came from downstairs, before muffled shouts could be heard. A stampede of feet clamored up the steps and before I could even inhale, three large guards burst through my closed door.
“It’s your lucky day, sweetheart. Now grab your things and let’s go,” the tallest and meanest looking one with greasy black hair and pock marked white skin said, his black gun prominently displayed like the very real threat it was. He was across my room and in my face within two short strides, leaning down over me and flicking his soulless almost completely black eyes down the length of my body. I felt like I wasn’t wearing any clothes from the hungry way he stared at me.
Certainly, I’d heard the stories of maidens who’d been caught in the crosshairs of the guards to either go missing or come back violated. People disappeared for even looking at a guard the wrong way. Their reputation was as cruel as the gods they served. It was best to steer clear of them altogether, but now, here were three of them in my room, with nowhere to run or hide. They smelled of body odor and gunpowder.
I swallowed hard, hoping they’d let me around them, but as I made to move, the tallest one grabbed me by the elbow and yanked me into his body. I could feel all my parts smash against his muscles, making me feel trapped, helpless, and panicked. His hot breath hit my neck and sent unwanted shivers down my spine.
“Such a shame that something so pretty should be forced to play the games. I bet you don’t even last an hour.” His hands roamed down my sides, and instinctively I took my elbow and jabbed it into his ribcage.
