I never had to attend Battle Week because I arrived late, but that was the week when everyone competed for room assignments and their specials for the year.
“So those are all the schools joining this year’s Gauntlet,” Zeke says, pulling up the four schools alongside Purgatory so they are all on the monitor at the same time.
“So not only are we up against the elements of the terrain but all of these students and rebels as well,” Knox points out.
“Great,” I groan.
“Yep, I’d rather fuck, fuck, fuck a duck, screw a baboon, sixty-nine a frankenstein, and be naked at the zoo,” Lynx sings to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat before crashing to the ground.
I have to agree.
CHAPTER 9
Twisted Blood
Rez
Whispers caress my skin, awakening me from my sleep to find myself in a darkened hallway. It would be deja vu if Lynx were missing again, but this time I can see a bit better due to the low-lit sconces on the wall. Looking down at myself, I look more like a corporeal shadow floating in the air.
Trying to find someone I know, I call out, but my voice doesn’t work.That’s interesting. I wonder if I can move.Not really having a body, I’m able to direct myself by thought and glide down the hallway to my right a little bit, but before I can go further, something calls to me, halting me in place.
‘Nerezza.’
Yeah, okay. I’ve seen enough scary movies to know you don’t gotowardsthe lone scary voice. I don’t know what Hitchcock or Stephen King movie I woke up in, but I’m opting out of it.
Attempting just to turn and look in that direction, I find the sconces darkening as shadows dance closer to me.Yep, I knew I was doomed.I don’t know why, but dread fills me, and if I hadskin, I know it would be covered in goosebumps.This would be my nightmare; way to go, Rez. You can’t have just a normal dream after Hell. You had to have this piece right out of a horror movie.
‘Who are you?’my dumbass answers, my voice finding the strength to work now.
I really have no choice.I don’t know if this is a dream or a vision, or if what I’m experiencing is real or fake. What did Desar call these things again? Fuck, why can’t I remember? I’m not even sure how the fuck to wake up, if this isn’t that—Dreamscape!That’s what it’s called!
As the shadows creep down both sides of the hall, I begin to see a shadowy form take shape on the left. Naked sepia legs, a shade darker than mine, begin to emerge out of the shadows, long, lean, yet walking with a powerful intent. Woah! I’ll just pass over that monster between those thighs and skip up to his definitely male narrow waist. His broad chest comes next, along with a thick neck and a strong jaw, with a wicked smile.
“Ahh. There you are, little mouse,” a low masculine voice purrs out of the dark. “For something so small, you’ve caused a huge mess in someone’s plans.” He chuckles right as he leans down to bring us eye to eye, right as the room plunges us into darkness.
Fear grips me, cutting off all rational thought as I feel his hot breath on my cheek in the darkness. As his breath feathers further up my cheek, I can barely make out his outline.Wait! When did I get a solid body?As soon as the thought hits me,my body goes stiff when his hand reaches out and caresses my lower jaw, shocking me. His touch is ice cold, and my jaw clenches as his fingers feather across my cheek towards my hairline. The mixture of his warm breath and icy touch wages war over my sensitive skin, but it’s the frozen ribbons of darkness that havereached deep within my skin and have stopped my veins from flowing.
“I’ve heard so much about you. What is it that makes you so important and irresistible, hmm?” Shadowman wonders as he gently moves my face back and forth, seeking something I am unaware of.
“Who are you?” I ask, reaching up and knocking his hand off of me.
I hide the fact that I’m pleasantly surprised that it worked. Before, I couldn’t physically move any portion of myself. Now, it seems I have my control back.
He chuckles as a faint glow blooms from the floor between us, highlighting the movements of the man in front of me as he moves back slightly. The light barely reaches his jaw, and I manage to get a few glimpses of his eyes, which seem to change color, right before the room goes sideways and I become disoriented.
No, I don’t need this right now.
Blinking furiously, the room straightens back out after what feels like hours, but realistically, I’m sure it’s only a few seconds, but it’s enough to cause my body to react.
My heart races against my chest as his piercing gray eyes stare me down as if I’m the prey he’s been hunting for ages, and he’s ready to devour my soul. The pride and cruelty in his smile are enough to make anyone pause to rethink their choices in life and wonder whether blindly following this man would be the better choice.
The glow around us flickers once more, and it seems as though his eyes change color once again, but this time to a blood-red. I have yet to see anything above those eyes or catch any hair color. For all I know, he’s probably bald.
“I go by many names,” he says as he starts to circle me. Even though I am magicless—and weaponless—we can obviouslytouch each other, so I choose to keep him in my sights and turn with him.
“Care to share one of them?” I growl out, getting annoyed that I’m stuck here with this inconsiderate fool.He’s ruining my beauty sleep.
“You would know me best by Entity.”
