My life flashed right before my eyes—the memories that held themselves just out of reach for me and all. I considered I might have rushed, but the chains kept on groaning, and I knew that if I hadn’t jumped now, I never would have. Iwilledmy body to move faster, farther, and swung my arms and legs with all my strength, reaching for the edge of that doorway, but it didn’t work.
Until something warm blazed my back, propelled me forward, like a gust of very warm wind—and threw me against the edge of the doorway.
Maybe the game’s way of finally giving us a little help?
I couldn’t breathe. My legs dangled in the air, but my arms were up, and there were plenty of roots to hold onto to drag myself all the way onto the stone floor. I did so without thinking.
Cheers. Screams. Complaints.
I stood up, completely disoriented, my backside still warm. March was there, watching me, and the others were either smiling, hopeful, or terrified as they looked at me. Mainly Anika, Russ and Levana. They thought I would leave them and go, or even try to kill them—but didn’t they realize weallneeded to unwin the trial to get out of here?
Regardless. I was shaking, but I refused to let myself acknowledge it.
“Jump!” I shouted—at March first, hoping he’d be next, but he was already stepping to the side. The rest of them moved, too, to give way for Mimi.
She had her eyes on me. “Catch me, Ora!” she shouted, and I would. If she landed on the edge like I had, I’d pull her up right away.
Mimi jumped.
March’s hand became red with magic, which then shot forward and straight for Mimi’s back, propelling herforward, throwing her right onto the edge of floor, just like it had done me.
It wasn’t the game.March, March—of course it’s March.
I leaned down and grabbed Mimi’s arms as she screamed, and pulled her up within two seconds. She was tall but she was skinny, and right now I could have pulled anything up from the sheer panic alone.
One by one, the others jumped, each with more confidence than the last, because we were there to catch them, and March was there to propel them forward with his magic.
Onlyhewasn’t going to have magic to push him forward when it was his turn, and so I was looking around at those roots spread about on the stone floor that slowly transitioned towoodthree feet in. And seamlessly, at that. Wherever this doorway led, it was darker and greener were it curved to the right, and right now we still needed to make sure that we all made it off the cage.
So, while the others helped whoever was jumping next, I searched the small space as well as I could in the dark.
I spotted the remnants first—not rope exactly, but a thick, frayed cord worked into the bark where what I assumed a branch had once been tied off. It didn’t look like much, but since there really were no other options, I tested it to see if it was strong enough. It seemed to be, but just in case, I pulled loose more strands from the tree and twisted them together. Easy enough to do. I’d grown up in the forest, had made all kinds of swings from leaves and cords and anything else I’d found on the forest floors, both with friends, and with Father and Jinx.
The cord was pretty long, and I twisted it and pulled it to test it as well as the space allowed me. It would have to do. The tree didn’t even groan when I pulled at where it was stuck inside the thick bark, so that was a good sign.
The last to jump before March was Seth. He had notrouble grabbing Russ’s hand and pulling himself up, and then March was all alone in the cage, his hands on the bars on either side of the door, his expression serious.
“Let me through,” I said, and the others reluctantly did, but only when they saw the cord I was holding.
Then I was at the mouth of the doorway, the others behind me—and it did occur to me that they could push me off if they felt like it. It’s not like anybody here seemed to care whether we lived or died, but…
March grinned, his eyes glistening when he saw the cord in my hands. My chest warmed up immediately, and the echo of the memories from the morning before was suddenly at the center of my mind—but only for a second.
“Catch!” I called, and I threw the cord with all my strength, terrified that it wasn’t going to reach all the way to him.
It almost didn’t—but March was certainly not afraid of heights. With his hands on the bars on either side of the door still, hepulledhimself back with all his strength even before I threw the cord, then practically came out of the cage as it swung forward, half his body outside. He grabbed the cord in one hand and held onto the cage with the other.
That I didn’t scream was a miracle, and March didn’t hesitate. With the cord in hand, he waited only a moment for the cage to swing back, then forward again—and he jumped.
Someone pulled me back—good thing, too. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have thought to move. I was terrified, eyes wide open, limbs frozen in place, waiting to watch him fall.
He didn’t.
March landed onto the edge of the doorway with the cord still in hand, and then Seth and Helen were pulling him up by the arms. I reminded myself to breathe while he made it to his feet, the grin still on his face, his hair all over the place.
Time’s Teeth, I didn’t think I’d ever been closer to losing my shit.
March threw the cord on the floor. “Good thinking, but I didn’t really need it.” He winked.
