19. Zane

ZANE

Monday passed in a blur. Tuesday saw the third years finish and the second years take to the pits. They dwindled into Wednesday, rounding out the day with the final second-year student dying at the hands of the pit, and now it’s Thursday, also known as first-year day.

With every passing moment, the anticipation among the first years has only grown. But today, sitting around the pit like we have every other day this week, it feels even more heavy and fearful.

“Janica Feron, Victor Walton, and Rufus Meadows.” Professor Burton reads out the last of the students who didn’t make it out of the pits yesterday.

This Gauntlet has cost more lives than I expected and the amateurs haven’t even had a turn yet. Thirteen third years are dead. Just like that. And nineteen second years, bringing our death toll to thirty-two. I get the feeling it will be over fifty by the time we’re done. The years prior to us have had far more training with their magic than we have and we’re expected to compete at their level.

It’s surreal.

Professor Burton rambles his usual shit before spouting the same line he ends with every time he talks. I won’t repeat it. I never have. I don’t really understand what he means by it and I sure as hell am not chanting random words for the sake of it.

His projection disappears and the professor at the pit starts to rattle off some details. The pool of water at the far left of the pit keeps capturing my attention as I try to imagine what it will feel like to be in there with a siren. Every time one has been destroyed, another is summoned in its place—a deadly, never-ending cycle.

If I never see another scaled beauty in my life, it will still be too soon.

Raven’s thigh brushes against mine, pulling me from my thoughts. She’s murmuring about something with Leila, who sits on her other side. Brax is behind Raven again, Creed in front of her, and Eldon on the other side of Leila. It’s weird suddenly spreading ourselves out like this to protect someone, but it’s also the most natural thing I’ve ever done.

I can’t explain the how or why; if I asked the others, I’m sure they would be as confused as I am.

My hand instinctively moves to Raven’s knee, my thumb brushing back and forth over her ridiculously soft skin. She peers up at me with a faint smile before returning her attention to her friend until the professor by the pits speaks.

“First years, the final two days of the Gauntlet are now for you, and we’re going to begin with…” She looks down at the paper in her hands, trailing her finger over the sheet as everyone holds their breath. “Eldon Rhodes.”

“What? No,” Raven whispers with a gasp, her body stiffening as she turns to look at Eldon, just as everyone else in the arena does.

He stands, a smirk plastered on his face as it always is as he leans over Leila to grab Raven’s chin, and then his lips are claiming hers. Lucky fucker. Raven is left gaping at him as he retreats and saunters down the steps like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

Raven’s hand falls to my lap and I place my hand on top of hers as her breaths come in short and shallow gasps.

“You’ve got this, Eldon. I love you.”

I frown, as does Raven, until Leila points a few rows ahead of us. “It’s Genie.”

As expected, I find her making a spectacle of herself as she tries for Eldon’s attention.

He doesn’t even glance in her direction as he searches out Raven again. With a quick wink, he points at her before heading around the domed pit to where the professor waits.

Peeking at Raven at my side, I find her cheeks rosy-pink and it makes me grin.

What I would do to keep a constant blush on her face.

Raven’s nails dig into my thigh through my shorts as we all watch Eldon enter the pit. “I can’t breathe,” she whispers, fear swirling in her eyes.

“He’s got this, Raven. Don’t worry. I swear,” I soothe.

“Asking me not to worry is like asking a bird not to fly or the sun not to shine.”

I have nothing that will work as a response to that, so I clutch her hand and bring her knuckles to my lips instead. Brax’s hand finds her shoulder and Creed reaches his hand behind him to find her leg, each of us touching her. I’m not sure if it’s for her comfort or ours. Likely the latter.

Eldon remains on the sandy ground between the boulders and rocks, following the same idea that all of the survivors have. My leg starts to bounce with nerves as Eldon presses against a rock to check the water and, sure enough, as if sensing his glance, it starts to rise.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” Raven chants, nails forever marking my flesh as she grips my thigh in fear.

The water level stops at Eldon’s knees before the telltale melody drifts around us. Lifting my hands to my ears, Raven does the same, giving my leg some much-needed relief as a flash of red hair floats through the water.

Brax’s hand remains on her shoulder and I instantly hate that he doesn’t have to cover his ears like the rest of us. Asshole.

I spot the moment Eldon sees the flash of hair too, locating the siren as she starts to drift toward him. He flicks a fireball in his hands, once, twice, and on the third time, his whole body turns red. The water starts to bubble around him, his body heat quickly increasing the water temperature, and an almighty cry reverberates from the siren as she leaps from the water.

Rows and rows of teeth contort her face, attack mode activated, and as she launches through the air at Eldon, he aims the fireball in her direction. In one clean throw, she’s a roaring inferno of flames as they lick across her skin and draw pain from her soul.

The siren evaporates into nothing as the water level lowers once more and Eldon throws his hands up in triumph.

“Ah, shit,” Raven gripes, wiping a hand down her face. “I was so worried about his safety. I didn’t actually consider how much of an obnoxious winner he would be.”

Students cheer around the colosseum, celebrating the first first-year to successfully make it through the gauntlet. I either succeed too and have to listen to his rambling about how awesome he is, or I let the siren take me instead.

I can’t decide which might be worse. But the fact that there’s hope for us all is the only thing that matters.

* * *

Student after student steps into the pit as it continues to claim lives. Sixteen people have entered since Eldon succeeded, or “slayed that bitch” if we’re using his words, and five didn’t make it out. I do not like those odds, especially when the woman sitting beside me, who has officially captured every inch of my attention, has no magical abilities to protect her.

Many of those who aren’t making it out have psychic or divination magic, which puts Raven at bad odds, and it messes with my head.

Genie surprised us all with her nature-based telekinesis abilities, though. It did take a few attempts but, much to my dismay, she managed to dislodge a boulder and successfully aim it at the siren.

Lunch passed far too quickly and now we’re reseated as the professor runs her pointed nails over the script of names again.

“Next up will be Leila Fitch.”

She squeezes Raven’s hand as she stands. Her nerves are so shot that I can practically feel it in the air. The worry from Raven increases again and she nibbles on her bottom lip as she watches her friend head down the stairs.

Professor Fitch meets her at the bottom, draping his arm around her shoulders as he walks her to the waiting professor. She wrings her hands out as she nods at whatever they’re saying to her and, just like that, she steps through the protective barrier.

Eldon shuffles closer to Raven and I offer her my hand. The four of us silently try to give her the support she needs.

It feels like time moves in slow motion as I will the siren to appear and get this shit show over with. This time, her hair is brown when she appears in the rising water, and Leila stiffens in her spot in the sand.

Gaping in horror with her mouth wide, she doesn’t move, losing the opportunity to react quickly and catch the siren off guard.

“Move, Leila. Fucking move,” Raven hisses under her breath, but, as expected, it does nothing and the siren’s melody dances through the air. Once again, my hands lift to my ears, but the tune becomes stilted as the water rises to Leila’s knees.

The tune gets quieter and quieter until it stops altogether. “What’s happening?” Brax murmurs from behind, and I shrug, just as bewildered as he is.

“Look at the water,” Creed points out, briefly glancing back at us before returning his attention to the pit.

It takes a second for me to understand what he means but, ever so slowly, the water begins to cloud. “She’s freezing it,” I murmur. “The siren along with it.”

I’m not entirely sure Leila realizes what she’s doing, but it seems her frozen state is aided by her ability to…freeze?

“Shatter it, Leila,” Professor Fitch growls from the outskirts of the pit, and his voice seems to break whatever trance she’s under. Her hands clench at her sides, speeding up the freezing process, and the water turns to solid ice except for where she stands.

Leila lifts her hands in the air, spreading them wide before clapping. The boom that echoes from the motion is astounding as the ice splinters into millions of shards and explodes around her. The pit becomes a snow-dome before our eyes and Fitch heaves a sigh of relief I didn’t realize we were all holding.

Raven claps as Leila rushes back up the stairs with a dazed look on her face. She’s barely sat down when the professor calls the next student.

“Zane Denver.”

Well, shit.

Turning to Raven, I smile, despite the panic flashing in her wide eyes. If I fuck this up, I want her to be the last thing I see. Lifting my hand, I cup her cheek. My body stiffens when she leans into my touch and lust floods my brain as I move toward her, delicately pressing my lips against hers.

She responds instantly, prompting my dick to come to life, and now really isn’t the time for that. I pull away, despite my reluctance, and stand.

Adrenaline pumps through my system as I make my way down the steps. I can feel all eyes on me as I come to a stop beside the organizing professor.

“Mr. Denver. Be safe,” she says with a tight smile and waves toward the pit. Excellent, like those are the last words I want to hear. There are no words of wisdom or hint of encouragement before I’m sent into the pits of Hell. I don’t know how I keep my lips locked tight and snark to myself, but I turn and step into the pit.

A weird sensation ripples through my body as I pass through the barrier.

I let my instincts take over as the sand sinks slightly beneath my feet. The water teases me from my right, like it’s not hiding a monster intent on devouring me. As Eldon did, I keep on the ground, my fingers flexing at my sides as I test the connection to my magic. I’m blessed with two abilities. Divination is my primary skill, which should work in my favor, so my secondary skill may not be needed.

Taking cautious steps, I’m acutely aware of the crowd watching me and I hate that they get a glimpse at my magic. It’s private, personal, yet they’re making us put on a show for everyone to see.

I instantly hear the trickling of water as I round a boulder, stunned by how fucking big it is. Glancing around the edge, I check the water levels before I rush to the next formation. By the time I’m in my calculated position, the water is past my ankles and the sound of the siren’s song starts to flood my senses. I don’t have long to act if I don’t want her music to capture me, but I can’t press my hands to my ears while trying to defend myself.

Curling my fingers, I focus on the larger rocks, testing the weight of them against my magic. Too heavy. Fuck. Genie risked it with a smaller one, and I don’t like those odds.

My brows furrow as the music gets more challenging to fight off and I catch a glimmer of purple hair before it breaks through the water's surface. She’s attacking quicker than the others did. I don’t have much time.

Her big blue eyes and full pink lips don’t hold their form for long and I watch in horror as her face transforms before me.

Move, Zane.

Curling my hands tight, the boulder nudges but doesn’t dislodge at my attempt. Fuck. Shaking my hands out, I try again, my brain ready to splinter in two to give in to the tempting siren’s tune and it’s all too much.

Pain rips from my arm down to my fingertips and across my chest, searing deep into my veins as the Siren gets her teeth into me.

The gasp from the crowd echoes in my ears as I close my eyes and focus on my secondary ability. My arm throbs, but the grip on my limb softens before I fall to the floor in a heap. The melody around me stutters as I glance down at myself. A second round of gasps bounce around the arena and I hate that I’ve revealed myself. Well, my magic, anyway.

My self is a different story.

I’m not there. I don’t exist. Only my mind and thoughts as my body becomes invisible to the naked eye. I don’t know how long I have before she realizes I’m still here, still a threat to her, and I need to act quickly.

Agony ripples down my arm as I poise my hands in front of me, biting back a grunt as I focus on the rocks once again. It moves a little easier this time but it still takes three attempts to get it completely dislodged. I’m using so much force now that it goes hurtling through the air, crashing into the siren without any further effort.

I stand frozen in place, waiting for the telltale sign that the siren is gone—when the water disappears. My breath is lodged firmly in my throat until the water level slowly drops.

Zane.

Creed’s voice in my mind has me releasing the secondary magic clinging to me and my body reappears before the crowd. My gaze instantly lands on Raven’s, her pink hair like a beacon in the mass of people.

Cheers erupt but I don’t feel like a winner as I head for the outer ring of the pit. I’m injured, sure. I can get over that. But people knowing I can turn invisible, better than I can use telekinesis to move shit, feels like a loss to me.