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Chapter 28

Twenty-Eight

A buzzing noise wakes me up in the middle of the night. I'm disoriented as I slap around my nightstand, searching blindly for the light switch on my table lamp. By the time I get it turned on I'm more awake and know exactly what woke me up.

Sliding from my bed, I rush over to my backpack and pull out the Chaos tracker. Sure enough, a set of coordinates are flashing on the screen as well as the words, "One Hour." I go to reach for my computer before I remember I don't have it or my phone. My grounding is officially over tomorrow, but how am I supposed to know where I'm going, or even get a ride there without my computer or phone?

Panic starts to set in when I think of Tenn. Something happened to him because he skipped a Chaos trial. He's still in a coma, and they aren't sure if he is ever going to wake. If I don't figure out where this next trial is and how to get there, that could be me.

Moving quickly, I throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, not even really paying attention to what I grab. I shove my feet in tennis shoes and then look out my window. I know my parents are keeping my computer and phone in the store below, but Mr. Brone just helped them install an alarm on our front door so I can't sneak out that way. Becks and Ensley live too far away to get there in time on foot, so my only chance is to go out the window and then get into the shop from the outside. I know the keycode that will unlock the store door from the street. I just need to get down there. Once I have my phone, I can call Becks and he'll come and get me. I just hope the trial location isn't far, or else I'll run out of time.

I close my eyes, not believing what I'm about to do, and I wish, not for the first time, I wasn't magically gagged. If I could, I would wake my parents and tell them everything. Sure, they'd be furious, but I know they'd help me if they understood the consequences.

Shoving the Chaos tracker in my pocket, I open my window and look down. It's a two-story drop, and my only way to the ground without breaking something is to scale the drainpipe running next to my window. It's not something I've ever tried before, but I don't have a choice now.

I maneuver so that I'm sitting in the window with my feet dangling out over the ground. The drainpipe is only a few feet away, so without thinking too hard about it, I grab the metal pipe and swing onto the wall, anchoring my feet against the textured stones to keep from sliding. The stitches in my hand pull as I grasp the pipe. My feet have a tentative purchase at best as I start to slowly descend. Hand-over-hand, I descend the stone wall, my shoes slipping every now and then, forcing me to dangle by my grip on the pipe. At one point, the bandage wrapped around my still-healing hand snags on a jagged piece of the pipe, and I have to rip it free, exposing some of the stitches.

When I finally plant my feet on the ground, I'm shaking from the effort, and sweat plasters the fine hairs around my face to my cheeks and brow. Now that I've made it out of my room, I still need to figure out how to get into the store without waking my parents. It feels like there's a ticking clock hanging over my head, each second clanging loudly in my ears, letting me know I'm getting closer to missing the trial and facing whatever consequences may come.

I pull out the Chaos tracker and see that it's counting down. I only have thirty-four minutes left to get to the location.

Panic swells in my chest, threatening to pull me under, but I bat it away. I made it through three Chaos trials on my own, or at least mostly on my own. I'm not going to miss this one even though I have no choice but to throw it. Rushing over to the store door, I quickly key in the unlock code, but rather than flashing green and disengaging, the light on the panel turns red.

No! No no no no.

A sinking feeling settles low in my gut when I realize that my parents must have recently reset the code without telling me. I rack my brain trying to think of what they might have switched it to. I try their anniversary, all of our birthdays, even the name of our first dog, but the same red light appears every time.

An engine revs in the distance and I spin, ready to defend myself. I haven't missed the trial start yet, but now that I can't get into the shop I know it's only a matter of time. I check the Chaos tracker. Twenty-nine minutes. Are they coming for me already?

A motorcycle curves around the bend in the distance, its sleek chrome pieces flashing in the moonlight as the rider expertly maneuvers down the street, the engine piercing the stillness of the night.

I can feel the blood pumping through my veins as it nears and then skids to a stop almost directly in front of me. The rider is dressed all in black and his head is covered by a shaded helmet.

My body is primed to run, but just before I spin and take off, the rider reaches behind him and grabs an extra helmet, tossing it to me. I catch it before it hits me in the chest, confused at what's happening.

"Get on," the rider orders, but my feet are cemented to the ground.

I'm ready to drop the helmet and run when the rider yanks off his helmet and I catch a familiar scowl.

Talon .

"What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he asks.

"Not really."

"You're still grounded, right?"

I nod.

"Thought so. I knew you wouldn't have a way to know where the next trial is or get there. Bad things happen to the competitors who don't show up."

"So you came to get me?" I'm just so shocked that he thought to get me, let alone drove all the way over here, that I'm stating the obvious.

"Yes, now get on."

"But . . . why?"

He throws his head back and groans, and then pulls out his Chaos tracker and checks the time. "The next trial is a twenty-three-minute ride away. We only have another twenty-seven minutes. Do you really want to stand out here and have a discussion about this?"

Shoving the helmet on my head, I rush to the bike, throwing a leg over the seat. A zing of awareness runs through me when I lean forward and wrap my arms around Talon's waist, but I brush it off as nerves as he hits the gas and takes off.

I've never been on a motorcycle before, but it makes me think of flying. At least the way Talon drives it feels that way. I don't try to check the speedometer over his shoulder to see how fast we're going as we zip through the streets, passing the few cars out at this time of night.

I can't hear much with the helmet on besides the buzz of the engine and the wind whipping by. There's a stretch of winding road up ahead, and Talon doesn't bother slowing to take the turns. The bike tilts to the side as we careen around the first curve and with a yip I tighten my hold around Talon, bringing the front of my body completely flush against the back of his. If I fly off this piece of metal, I'm taking him with me.

I can only breathe easier once we hit straight road again. "This is crazy," I mumble to myself. "He's going to kill the both of us before Chaos gets the chance."

I hear a chuckle. "Don't worry. I've been riding almost as long as I've been walking."

Eep . There must be some sort of microphone system in the helmets so we can hear each other.

"Oh, ah. That's good to know." Now that we're past the curves, I try loosening my hold on him, but as soon as I relax my grip Talon hits the gas and I have to clamp back around him to keep from jolting back.

"You did that on purpose," I accuse.

Rather than answer, Talon makes some sort of noncommittal sound. We fall silent as we slice through the night, the wind whipping my hair behind me as the darkened landscape passes by in a blur. I don't dare loosen my grip around Talon's waist another time, but as his nearness starts to get to me, I start counting down the minutes to distract myself.

"We're almost there," Talon announces as we speed past a red sedan.

I nod even though he can't see me, and then less than two minutes later Talon pulls us into the gravel parking lot of what looks like an old, abandoned building that foliage has almost completely taken over. The structure would almost be beautiful if it weren't so creepy. It looks like the plants covering it are trying to swallow the structure whole.

I recognize the small purple blooms that dot along the ivy creeping up the cobblestone walls: shade ivy, a highly poisonous plant that shoots spores into the air and whose vines have three-inch thorns. Inhaling the spores will cause hallucinations, but they only shoot spores when they are burned or encounter fire, so we should be safe.

Talon slows to a stop near the smattering of cars parked along the grounds in front of the building and then cuts the engine. A handful of competitors loiter in front of the arched building entrance. This is nothing like any of the other trials. There are a few spectators, but for the most part there are only other bleary-eyed competitors with us, waiting for the trial to begin.

I don't realize I'm still holding tight on to Talon until he places his hand over where mine are clasped around his waist and says, "It's safe to let go now."

I immediately rear back, almost losing my balance and toppling from the bike.

How embarrassing .

Scrambling off the seat, I yank the helmet off and hand it to him. His gaze goes from my face to my hair, and I self-consciously reach back to find a matted mess.

Fantastic .

As I finger-comb the mess, he flips open the top box behind the seat and pulls something out. "Here," he says as he offers me a small black ring.

"A hair tie?"

The corner of his mouth quirks, and it's charming enough that for a moment I forget how angry I am at him. "You didn't think you were the first girl I've had on the back of my ride, did you?"

And I'm back to being annoyed.

Rolling my eyes, I snatch the hair tie and twist my matted hair up into a bun on the top of my head.

"Let me look at this," he says, snatching my hand when I'm done.

The bandage wrapped around my injured palm is ripped, and one of the remaining stitches has popped. That's just great. I was supposed to get them removed tomorrow. At least it's healed enough that it's not bleeding. Reaching back into his box, Talon pulls out a roll of gauze and starts re-dressing my hand, expertly covering the healing wound.

"Thank you," I say quietly as Talon looks up from my hand. As much as I want to be angry with Talon right now, I know I owe him.

"It's no big deal. You should get someone to look at those stitches tomorrow," he says as he ties off the gauze.

"Not just for that. For coming to get me tonight. I don't want to think what would have happened if you hadn't shown up." A shiver runs through me when I realize just how close I was to missing this trial.

"I told you I don't want to see you get hurt," Talon says, his gaze connecting with mine, and a different type of shiver works through me. "Besides, I'm sure your princeling would have come and saved you if he wasn't snoring away in his castle right now."

I cock my head. "You know you could have just called him and told him about the trial. He would have come to get me."

A wicked smile kicks up the corner of Talon's mouth. "And miss the feeling of you holding on to me for dear life? Never."

My stomach flips and I have to turn away. I can deal with a grumpy Talon, even a dark and mysterious one, but I'm not too proud to admit this flirty one is the one I need to stay away from.

All of a sudden red lights illuminate the building in front of us, making it glow like it's on fire. Talon and I exchange a look and then head for the front entrance where the other competitors are waiting. Even as we make our way there, a sleek silver convertible comes barreling around the corner and then skids to a stop just feet from Talon and me.

The door swings open and Titus, the fae who gave me fighting tips during the cage fight trial, pours out of the car wearing only a pair of sleep pants and sandals. His back tattoo is on full display and his light hair is spiked in different directions. His cheeks are flushed, but a look of relief settles on his face when he sees the trial hasn't officially started yet.

"Cutting it a bit close, aren't we?" Talon asks.

Titus bares his teeth. "I wasn't expecting that blasted tracker to go off in the middle of the night. I'm a deep sleeper."

Talon's gaze drifts to a mark on Titus's neck that looks suspiciously like a hickey. "Deep sleeper, you say?" he asks with raised eyebrows.

Titus scowls back at Talon, but in fairness it does look like his disheveled hair could have been from someone running their fingers through it, so I have to swallow the giggle that wants to creep up my throat.

I sober as we join the other competitors. There's no loud music or flashing lights tonight. No cheering spectators. No revelry of any kind. It's just our small group of remaining competitors waiting outside of a creepy dilapidated structure drenched in red.

Nope, nothing ominous about this setting at all.

It's strange to think that Becks and Ensley probably won't even know about the trial until it's over. Perhaps that's for the best though. Watching me put myself in harm's way has been undeniably hard on Becks. By the time he learns of the trial, it will most likely be done, and then I'll be out of Chaos, exactly what he's been hoping for since the moment I crossed that yellow start line.

As we wait for something to happen, I do a head count and realize there are only fifteen of us. Someone is missing, but I can't figure out who. Talon's shrewd gaze moves over the others, and I think he notices as well, but before I can ask him if he knows who isn't here a horn blares and an explosion of smoke detonates in front of the group. When the smoke clears, the game master stands before us in his usual hooded red robes.

"Welcome to the fourth Chaos trial. Congratulations for making it this far in the competition. After making it through the cavern maze, triumphing over your fellow competitors in hand-to-hand combat, and overcoming compulsion, you might be feeling somewhat invincible right now, but be warned that these final two trials are more dangerous and challenging than the ones before."

I don't doubt the game master. I squeeze my aching hand, reminding myself that the dangers of Chaos are very real. My mission tonight is simple: fail out as soon as it's safely possible to do so. I don't like that I'm giving up on Shadow Striker, especially since Becks' and my relationship is far from sanctioned by the council, but I'd be lying if I said part of me isn't a little relieved to know this will be my last trial.

"Tonight's trial will challenge your wits," the game master says. His hood swivels as he takes each of us in even as his face is obscured to us. "You will enter the asylum as a group."

Asylum? I didn't think this trial could get any creepier. I was wrong.

"The rooms inside have clues you must decipher to find the safe route out of the building. There is more than one path to make it through the rooms and out of the building, but if you fail to decode a clue correctly, there will be consequences. If you fail to make it out of a room in a timely manner, there will also be consequences."

It might be my imagination, but it sounded like the game master said that with a touch of anticipation that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

"You will have until sunrise to make it out of the building and to the gazebo in the back gardens. If you are still trapped in the asylum and haven't reached the gazebo when the sun crests the horizon in an hour and forty-two minutes, you will be disqualified. Those who do escape, however, will move on to the fifth and final trial."

Trapped . Escape . I don't love how he put that. Especially since in order to fail out I'm going to have to wait out my time in the scary asylum. He needs to stop talking because everything he says just makes this night even worse.

"It will take a keen and intelligent mind to make it through the rooms of the asylum. Look around," he commands, and our gazes start to roam. "You might think the person next to you is your friend but they're not. They're what's standing in the way of your victory."

I glance at Talon, expecting him to be glaring at me since he's made it clear that's how he sees me, but instead he's sizing up everyone else. The hard look on his face as he assesses each of the other competitors is chilling, reminding me that Talon has a dark side I've only seen glimpses of.

"But," the game master continues, "not every challenge awaiting you in the asylum can be completed on your own, so choose your allies, and your enemies, wisely. This trial will not be broadcast to spectators as the others have been. You are allowed to help, or hinder , your fellow competitors at your discretion."

Well, my plan is to stay put the moment I enter the building, so I won't need to worry about finding allies or watching my back for enemies. At least there's a silver lining.

"Once the doors seal behind you, they won't reopen until after sunrise. The only way out of the asylum . . . is through. Let the trial begin."

With a flourish, the game master disappears in a plume of smoke. When it clears, the asylum's double doors are standing open, welcoming us inside.

As a group we all shuffle into the building. When the last person crosses the threshold, the doors slam behind us.

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