Chapter 9

Nine

An alarm sounds, signaling that the clock has run out. I spin around. Becks stands opposite me, his eyes wide and his mouth moving, but I can't hear anything he's saying. In fact, I can't hear anything happening beyond the line I just crossed.

Lifting my hand, I move it toward Becks but hit an invisible barrier. It's smooth, like a sheet of glass, hard and impenetrable, preventing me from walking back over the line I just crossed.

Bony fingers of fear drag down my spine.

What have I done?

"Not to sound like a broken record, but I didn't expect to see you here, Freckles."

Talon's voice is as much a comfort right now as it is unnerving. Becks' gaze flicks over my shoulder to where Talon stands, and then hardens to granite. When I turn to Talon, I catch him wiggle his fingers at Becks, a full grin splitting his face.

Becks slaps his hand against the barrier, and shouts something at Talon neither one of us can hear.

"Don't provoke him," I say, crossing my arms over my chest as Talon's gaze shifts to me.

"Who, me?" he says innocently, like that wasn't just what he was doing. I shoot him a look that only makes him chuckle. "Too bad time just ran out. It certainly looks like he wants to be over here."

Becks paces back and forth in front of the line, tendrils of smoke coming off of him. If he doesn't chill, he's going to shift. Unable to hold his gaze, which is heavy with a mix of anger and betrayal, I turn away from him.

"Becks never would have entered. He's too controlled to do something so reckless."

Talon tilts his head, his blue-gray gaze assessing. "You really think so?"

"I don't just think so, I know so." He'd said as much the day we found out about Chaos. That he'd never get approval from the dragon council to enter, and I know he'd never go against their wishes.

"Hmm. If you say so." But Talon doesn't look convinced.

I don't want to talk about Becks anymore. I know he's going to be furious with me for entering, and it's not even as if I'm going to be able to explain it to him. But that was a problem for future Locklyn . The problem for current Locklyn is how I'm going to make it through this competition unscathed.

"So I guess we know where Shadow Striker is," I say to Talon as I scan the other competitors, doing my best to put Becks out of my mind and ignore the pit of terror swirling in my gut.

The hairs on the back of my neck raise when I spot Jules huddled with some of the other competitors on the other side of the tunnel, glaring at me. The growing pit inside me widens and stretches, threatening to pull me under. I snap my gaze back to Talon in time to catch a shadow sweep across his face, darkening his eyes before it clears.

"Indeed," he says, a muscle jumping in his jaw at the reminder of the artifact he's been hunting.

I tilt my head as I regard him. "The artifact must be really important to your father for you to go to all this trouble," I prod.

"You have no idea," he says, and then forces his features to relax, but the smile that stretches his lips looks fake. "But I think your entry into Chaos is far more interesting than mine. Tell me, was my story of the Vampire King so engaging it sparked a chord of interest in you? Are you hoping to use Shadow Striker's powers for yourself?"

My stomach dips. He said it jokingly, but there's a glint of something in Talon's eyes that tells me he's serious. He wants to know what provoked me to enter this dangerous game and he's already brushed too close to the truth for my comfort.

"I won't deny that the Ancient was captivating, but I'm less interested in Shadow Striker's fabled powers and more interested in the price it will fetch." I shrug. "That artifact could pay for all my university tuition, otherwise I'll have to postpone going to college after graduation."

It was the most believable explanation I could think up on the spot. Better he believe anything than the truth.

The way Talon regards me makes me think he's not buying it, but he doesn't press.

"I'll be open to talking about selling Shadow Striker to you once I win it," I say with a sweet smile.

Talon's gaze warms, a true smile fitting his mouth. He inclines his head to me. "That would be very generous of you."

"Not very generous," I say. "I'm planning on charging you double for the trouble."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," he says and then rubs his mouth like he's trying to keep his smile from growing.

A loud horn sounds, startling all the competitors. The levity I found moments ago with Talon is wiped away as the game master appears at the entrance of the tunnel. When I look back over my shoulder, Becks' gaze is fastened on the figure as well. There is a deep groove between his brows and his fists are clenched.

I have the sudden urge to throw myself into his arms, but even if it were possible to step back over the barrier, I wouldn't. The only chance Becks and I have is for me to not only make it through the Chaos trials, but to make it through them as the victor.

I'm not delusional enough to believe I have a good chance, or even a small chance of winning Chaos. The truth is my chances of beating out the other competitors are minuscule at best. And I also don't know if I can even get powers from Shadow Striker. There's a high probability that the story Talon told me is just that, a story, and that Shadow Striker is just what it was presented to be, a very old weapon. But what I do know for sure is that I can't just sit back and let Becks be mated to some faceless female he doesn't even have affection for.

So yeah, the odds aren't in my favor, but I don't care. I'm fighting for this anyway. I'm fighting for Becks, and I'm fighting for me.

"You'll have exactly one hour to make it through the maze, find a gold coin with the Chaos symbol on it, and then make your way out of the labyrinth," the game master announces. "If you are late exiting the tunnels, you will be disqualified. If you cannot find the coin, you will be disqualified. Those are the only rules."

Those are the only rules? He said nothing about sabotaging or interfering with other competitors.

I covertly glance around at the fae, shifters, and vampires nearest me, and can tell I'm not the only one who picked up on the game master's omission. Competitors are blatantly sizing each other up, some with looks of glee, others with trepidation.

I try not to let emotion show on my face, knowing that showing fear will just paint a bigger target on my back, but then my gaze connects with Jules. The smile on her face is nothing short of sinister. She's too far away for me to hear anything, but her lips start moving, mouthing the words, "You're dead."

A ball of lead drops to the bottom of my stomach, and I glance back at Becks for comfort, but when there's only concern and anxiety splashed across his face, I only feel worse.

"You've got this," Talon whispers in my ear, and I jolt, looking at him in surprise.

His gray eyes spark as he stares back at me. In direct contrast to Becks, he looks so sure and confident that it helps me shove some of the noise from my mind. "Creatures underestimate you. Use that," he says, and then straightens, focusing on the game master, who tells us the first trial will officially start in sixty seconds, and then disappears in a cloud of smoke.

Dramatic.

Creatures underestimate you. Use that. I mull over Talon's words, looking for the confidence I so desperately need right now. What if he's right and I could turn my biggest weakness into my greatest strength? Someone like that could be unstoppable.

The barrier between the competitors and audience drops, and cheers and shouts from the creatures in the cavern behind us slam into me.

"Locklyn," Becks roars, shattering the small amount of peace I'd managed to wrap around me. His voice sounds shredded and frantic to the extent that something inside me wants to soothe his pain.

I start to turn toward Becks, but Talon grabs my arm, staying my movements. He doesn't say a word, but slowly shakes his head, giving me a look that tells me to ignore Becks, but I can't. Yanking away from Talon, I sprint over to him.

"Come back," Becks begs.

There's a slight shimmer in the air between us, letting me know the barrier is still there.

"I can't. You heard what the game master said. Once you enter the competition, there's no backing out."

"It hasn't started yet," Becks says. "You can still back out."

I don't know whether or not that's technically true, but either way I'm torn. Do I try to step back over the barrier and return to Becks, return to how life has always been? Or do I take a chance and maybe my life will change in ways I can't even imagine now?

One choice is safe. One is dangerous.

"Locklyn," Becks murmurs my name and holds out his hand. "Come back to me."

Ten. Nine.

A countdown starts, the numbers ringing clearly through the air, making the crowd in the cavern go crazy.

I stare at his outstretched hand while the countdown ticks down, my heart beating hard enough to bruise my ribs.

Seven. Six.

"Nothing has to change," Becks says, a touch of desperation in his voice. "We can forget this night ever happened and everything will go back to the way it's always been."

Those words make up my mind for me. I don't want things to stay as they are with Becks. I can't go back now. I won't go back. I want more.

Three. Two.

I've sat back long enough and let things happen to and around me, seemingly powerless to change my circumstances. At my core that isn't who I am. I'm a fighter. It's time I acted like it again.

One . . .

"I'm sorry," I say, and then take off after the other competitors, disappearing into the pitch-black tunnel.