Page 78 of The Mortal Trials

The god of war smirks. “You may begin.”

Torsten waves for his team to follow him down first. They gather at the bottom and push through together.

Taeniset and Akira jog down the steps, clasping hands before stepping through.

The large group of unchampioned takes to the stairs and enters the trial.

August throws a kiss into the air like the superstition might save us, then turns to me. “We can win.”

I try to smile, ignoring the nervous throbbing of my heart. “We can win.”

Ulani and Vailea volunteer to lead, taking the steps and pausing at the bottom to wait for the rest of us. August and I look at Koda, but Niall and Elias are prepared to help him or even carry him if necessary.

My fingers tighten around the spear.

Torsten and the others might be waiting for us on the other side. That’s probably why they went first. I saw how he looked at our weapons. He’ll try to take them.

My heart thunders as Ulani suggests that Niall, Elias, and Koda pass through after them and for August and me to be right on their heels, spear ready – for whatever lies beyond the glimmering portal.

With a plan in place, we move in front of the swirling miasma of gold. When Ulani and Vailea disappear, Niall and Elias usher Koda through. August’s eyes meet mine as we walk forward together.

No sky. No wind. No mirrored ground here.

It’s so dark, my eyes struggle to adjust. Our ragged, panicked breaths are the only sound.

I…this can’t be real.

My mind drags me, fingernails breaking as I try to stop it, to another time. Another day. To a dank hole that looked like this.

Niall’s voice thins. “What is this place?” He extends his arms and reaches out to touch the tall walls encasing us.

I reach out and do the same. The stone is slick with moisture and the air is stifling, so humid and hot my skin turns sticky.

“We’re in some sort of long corridor,” Elias says. Something winged swoops over our heads and we collectively duck. Niall hisses a curse, frantically swiping his hair to be sure nothing is stuck in it.

The portal behind us dims, leaving only one way forward. The designing deities would never allow us to retreat.

In the first trial, we all arrived at the start of the race together. “Where are the other contenders?” I ask.

August cranes his neck, using his height. “I can’t see anything.”

“Everyone, look,” Ulani calls from where he crouches.

We huddle around him as he lifts his hands to reveal a coiled strand of string that glows bright gold like it was spun from sunlight, made from the same substance as the portal that carried us here.

“This was on the ground.” He stands and raises the string high, casting light onto the tall stone walls. At the end of the hall, there’s a wall with passages that open to the left and right.

Elias curses. “I think I know what inspired this trial.”

We all turn to him.

“We’re in a labyrinth, I think, and this is Ariadne’s thread,” he explains, his breaths shallow with fear.

My ribs tighten. Theseus only made it out alive because of Ariadne’s ball of gold thread. Everyone who entered it before him died. A beast haunted the middle of that maze. A minotaur. But that was centuries ago.

“Ariadne gave Theseus a spool of thread so he could find his way out of the labyrinth after slaying the minotaur. That is our way out. We need to tie one end to something here so we can follow it back to this portal,” Elias quickly explains, wiping sweat from his brow. “Gods! Why is it so hot?”

Vailea and Niall search around the dull, golden slab for something to secure the string to.