From the corner of my eye, I observed Draven and the dark bruise that stood out against his pale skin. I couldn’t say I felt sorry for him. At all.
The bond stirred, stealing my breath as if someone had driven a punch into my ribcage. I gasped, struggling not to draw unwanted attention, my fingers curling around my neck. Tears pricked in my eyes, and the relief when the feeling inside me finally settled was sweeter than a hot bath.
I caught Draven’s narrowed gaze and gulped.
“What’s that? On your arm?” Yvonne asked, inching closer to me, her eyes finding the mark on my hand.
“I have no idea. I woke up with it. Maybe it has something to do with the magic in our systems?” I lifted my arms, aware that it wasn’t the best excuse.
Yvonne replied with a squint but didn’t push the subject further.
Theo’s eyes screamed at me to acknowledge him, but I turned my head, focusing on our surroundings.
Today’s trial belonged to Hades and Artemis. Even if I was someone with little knowledge about the two gods, I still would have anticipated that a game led by the Goddess of the Hunt and the Wild and the God of the Underworld would be far from merciful or pleasant.
My fingertips danced on my throat, sliding down to my chest and pressing my palm on the throbbing sensation that lay underneath. All I hoped was that the bond wouldn’t cause a problem today.
A dark fog, thick and heavy, rolled in as I took a deep breath, my lungs filling with mist as a vibration thundered over the ground.
“God, I hate this,” I thought I heard Georgie mutter.
I sharpened my gaze, trying to squint through the fog to locate the gods, but the swirling darkness offered no clues, only the promise of what was about to come. Even if Artemis and Hades explained the trial to me, knowing what was to come didn’t ease my nerves.
The dagger under my waist felt reassuring as it pressed against my skin, and I almost reached for it, wanting the solid comfort of its handle in my grip.
From the sky, a blanket of darkness descended toward the soil. “God of the Underworld, Death, and the Lord of the Dead—I stand before you, opening my gates to the next trial.”
“And I, Goddess of the Hunt and the Wild, will ensure you have the right motivators to make it out.” Artemis chuckled, the sound a distant echo.
I turned around, expecting to find her behind me, but I was met by the dense fog instead. My ponytail looped around my shoulder as I moved back into my starting position.
Hades landed on the ground, the smoke diffusing under him. “The dead shall rise.” His rough, gruff voice filled the space and as the last remains of the mist cleared, his eyes, darker than obsidian, blinked at us. “Those unworthy shall fall with them.”
Artemis’s black nails scraped over Hades’ black coat, her leather heels digging into the ground when she stepped from behind him, a vicious smile resting on her lips. The woman who I met not long ago in the dim lit room inside Athena’s house and the one standing in front of me were drastically different.
A shiver ran down my spine. Artemis winked at me, her smirk not faltering.
“This game follows the narrative of a cat and mouse chase, or, how I like to call it . . .” she said, extending a hand in the air. “The predator and its prey. If it’s not obvious yet, mortals, you are theprey.”
“And wh-wh-who is the predator?” Theo’s gulp was louder than a thunderstorm.
Draven huffed. “Why are you hooting like a fucking owl?”
Riley let out a quiet laugh, stifling it inside her clenched fist but the sound died as soon as Artemis’s voice reached us.
“The dead.” Her deep-set blue eyes danced in their sockets, a mischievous glint lingering. If I didn’t know about her distaste for the games, I might have thought she was actually enjoying this. Or perhaps she was. She hadn’t earned her name for nothing.
The gods stepped aside as two skyscraping gates creaked open and a crimson surge cascaded on the Earth in a rising tide. We didn’t receive any instructions to start. The frantic drumming of countless feet at our backs told us to move. I didn’t hesitate, my legs breaking into a run, carrying me forward as I entered the Underworld forest, the ancient trees reaching toward the vault like cadaverous fingers. I dared to take a look behind, watching how the army of the dead poured through the gates, their skeletal frames and decaying flesh moving firmly forward.
I plunged deeper, ignoring the tremble in my limbs. Beside me, Georgie and Yvonne ran hand in hand beside me, the sound of their feet drumming on the ground accompanied the hurried steps of the group behind. The horde barreled after us, screaming and howling like lonely wolves ready to dissect any innocent animal who comes into their way. Jaw set tight, I pressed my feet to move faster, dodging the thorns clinging to the trees.
The blood ground became warmer, and as my boots slammed into the soil, droplets tumbled onto my skin, sinking into the fabric of my clothes. I hissed in pain as a bead landed on my face, the searing sensation akin to molten metal on my skin.
A primal, unfamiliar shriek tore from my throat as the heated liquid pulled at my boots, ripping through my bodice. With a quick jump, I wrapped my legs around a tree’s trunk and dragged myself to its outstretched branches.
“Jump onto the trees!” I screamed. My teeth sank into my lip as I hauled myself over a branch, the rough bark scraping my palms.
The forest would soon be drowning in blood, and only those who’d run fast enough would make it out.
