“We’re a team. We go together.”
“Ready when you are,” Khalid said.
Lucian was just staring at our joined hands like he was trying to figure something out. I went to let go because I thought he didn’t like it and we kind of just met. He tightened his grip on my hand like he didn’t want me to and looked towards the portal like he didn’t want to discuss it.
I wasn’t going to make him, so we stepped through. We appeared to be in a very big cave with pools of hot springs. There were sigils painted on the walls and floors. The cave was lit by thousands of candles and there were a group of people standing at the back.
“Welcome. We always take bets who is going to walk through first and who they might be. It’s never who you think it’ll be. Sometimes, the war gods are the last to come through and sometimes, they are first. I heard the tattooed one is probably a trickster and that tracks. They are naturally curious and like shiny things. They arealwaysthe first ones through.”
“Don’t go getting all comfortable and thinking I’m predictable because of your knowledge of tricksters, love. I’m always going to surprise you.”
“Oh, we know. The new Loki is currently a sophomore and the new Anasi just graduated. It probably means something that we’re getting so many tricksters.”
Liam just shrugged.
“I’ve got a weird feeling in my arsehole that I’m not a trickster. That label is like having sex with a lass and accidentally wearing her knickers home. It doesn’t feel right.”
“That happen to you often?” Lucian drawled.
“Twice and it made me feel pretty, mate.”
“What are we supposed to do here?” Khalid asked, redirecting everyone.
That’s what I wanted to know. I should have been terrified. This had been drilled into me for ages that this kind of thing would invite demons to possess me and be a one-way ticket to Hell. If the other gods were real, then my father’s was, too, which meant Hell was a possibility.
I probably should have asked alotmore questions when I was meeting with Headmaster Mykene.
“Now that we’re all here, we’re ready to get started. You’re all going to need to get a little wet. All you need to do is—Oh, dear.”
And, Liam was somehow naked and running towards the hot springs. How did he manage to lose his clothes that fast? The pools might not be that deep, but he hooted and went for a full cannon ball that splashed a lot of people.
Liam came up soaking wet and I really shouldn’t be thinking about how insanely hot he was since he was slightly unhinged. Like, unhinged enough to cut off someone’s dick, wrap it in a bow, and leave it on my pillow, but yeah, Liam was hot.
He was smirking at me and he winked.
“If you didn’t get a good peek, I can get out, Sage.”
I wasn’t a virgin. I took care of that after I got kicked out. I’d been flirted with a good bit on my travels. Some of the guys werewaymore offensive than Liam had been so far, but Liam just made me blush.
“Please, stay in the water, Mr. O’Breen. The ritual doesn’t require nakedness.”
“What kind of horse-shit, magic ritual requires clothes? I feel like history lied to me.”
“A lot of that history is human propaganda. Another rule I didn’t think I’d have to tell you, Mr. O’Breen. Don’t show other students your penis unless they ask. Moving on. The ritual issimple. Simply submerge yourself in one of the pools with your chosen team. You need to go completely under. The sigils and the herbs we are burning will do the rest.
“You’ll be shown a vision. It’s a hint of who you were. It might not make sensenow,but you’ll probably laugh you didn’t see how obvious it was when you figure out who you were. Some of your magic will start to unlock on the trials. Those are also hints. Learn to use it as you go as it will help you in the trials.”
Here went nothing. I should probably be asking alotmore questions and I definitely wasn’t getting naked, but I was getting in that pool.
We didn’t even get a chance to process or even discuss our visions before we were ordered out of the pools and sent through another portal. I hadn’t actually seen the castle we were staying in from the outside and I couldn’t see it now. I could basically just see the tops of the spires in the distance.
“Does anyone have camping experience but me?” I asked. “My Baba took us camping all over the world. I can navigate the map and find things to eat.”
“I can,” Liam said.
Liam was a little wild, but at least he would be useful. If he was just going to run his mouth and slow us down playing pranks, I didn’t want him on our team. But he looked ready to work and I could respect that.
Lucian had soft hands, and he clearly took care of his nails. He was also well groomed, and I doubted he did much roughing it. I just hoped he pulled his weight. Right now, he looked visibly shaken by whatever he’d seen in the pool, and I didn’t need him distracted. My parents were big about talking things out.
