21. Raven

RAVEN

Fingers stroking through my hair rouse me from my sleep. The grogginess clings to me like a second skin, but evaporates as soon as I blink my eyes open to find Zane looking down at me. A smile spreads across his face as he continues to wake me and, despite my immediate tiredness and usual cranky morning vibes, I smile back.

It takes a moment for me to remember where I am. We all left Zane to sleep last night once Creed put together some food, but the second I was done, I curled up on the sofa at Zane’s feet again and I must have fallen asleep. There certainly wasn’t a blanket covering me, though. Someone must have draped it over me once I passed out.

“How are you feeling?” I ask, sluggishly pushing to sit up and face him.

“I feel amazing. I just need to remove the bandages and see what it looks like underneath. Want to help?”

“If it’s still gruesome and the fabric tries to stick to your skin, then definitely not.” I cringe at the thought, making Zane snicker at me.

Tentatively reaching for the end of the bandage, I slowly start to unwind it, my movements getting more cautious as I get closer to his wound. Much to my relief, other than the remnants of the ointment still clinging to the fabric, I find nothing else.

Letting the material flutter to the floor, I mindlessly run my hand over the healed skin in complete shock. I did it. I actually healed him.

“Thank you,” he rasps, placing his hand on mine, and I look up to meet his gaze.

“You’re welcome.”

With his gaze locked on mine, he gently grabs my hand from his chest and lifts it to his mouth. His lips pepper over my fingers and knuckles, sending a promising shiver down my spine, and I gasp at the contact.

“Are you ready for today?” Zane’s words cut through the desire coursing in my veins, reminding me of exactly what lies ahead.

I gulp, unable to hold back the nerves as I gently shake my head. “Not even a little bit.”

His brows crease and I get the sense that he wants to comfort me and guarantee a path out of the Gauntlet, but it’s impossible. I’m not going to stand out for showing no powers or abilities. Many have entered with only psychic power and I’ll look no different than them. The only issue is a lot of them have died. It bewilders me why they would even do this because I imagine a lot of the psychic abilities are powerful, just not physical, which a lot of this task demands.

“Where are the others?” I ask, hoping to change the subject as I slip my hand from his hold and sweep my hair back off my face.

“Probably outside training.”

I turn to glance out of the full glass doors to find all three of them doing some kind of cardio or lifting weights.

“Do you guys do that every day?”

“Pretty much.” He continues to smile at me, his gaze roaming over me appreciatively, and I feel a blush coming on.

“Why am I getting the feeling I’ll be roped into that if I survive today?”

“You will survive today.” His nostrils flare as he bites the words out. Not angrily, but in a show of determination. I try to cling to that level of surety, but it’s harder than I want to admit. “Besides, the handbook explains everything, even morning exercise,” he says with a pointed look, and I laugh.

“I’ve read your damn handbook, mister.”

He swipes a hand over his mouth, trying to hide his grin, but it’s pointless. “You have?”

“I have.” Mischief flickers in his eyes as I point to the actual thing on the table.

“And what do you think?”

My tongue sweeps out over my bottom lip, excitement rushing through my body as I shake my head at him. “I think you’re a menace.”

I barely finish my last word before my back is flush against the sofa again and Zane is hovering over me. Only, this time it’s not a gentle smile on his face. It’s a heated gaze filled with desire and want.

“Once today is over with, the party included, you, me, and that handbook, are going to be well acquainted with one another. Agreed?”

My thighs clench as I nod. “Agreed.”

I just hope he’s right about today. Because despite my growing fears and wavering strength, I can’t bring myself to ask for help.

Not even from them.

* * *

Now with two sets of uniforms piled high in the locker room and a fresh set of shorts and a t-shirt on, I exhale. Nothing I do is going to alleviate the nerves consuming me. This is so far from anything I’ve had to handle before, even in Shadowmoor, reminding me that I’m nothing but a Void masquerading as one of the powerful.

I may have faced dangers back home, but never sirens or whatever else might exist here. I’m out of my element and I’m not embarrassed to admit that, but the sinking feeling that I’m simply waiting for my execution is all I can think about.

Leila links her arm through mine as we head out of the locker room. The space is quieter and less busy than it was on Monday, and that reality seems to be weighing heavy on everyone’s shoulders.

“Are you okay?” she asks, eyes filled with concern, and I offer her a tight smile in response, unable to piece together the right words.

She accepts my silence as the Bishops come into view, waiting for us as they have every day. Brax, Creed, and I are the final ones waiting to face the Gauntlet, but the impassive looks on their faces would make you think they weren’t about to do something crazy.

They take their usual formation around us, Eldon up front, Brax behind, Zane at my right, and Creed on the other side of Leila. They stay like that until we enter the arena, just like every other day, except Eldon and Brax switch places when we take our seats. There’s no need to shuffle anyone out of their spots, though. With the casualties we’ve faced, there’s more space than there was.

A projection flickers above the dome and Professor Barton appears like clockwork. “Good morning, Silvercrest. I hope you are all basking in your victory or prepared to face the Gauntlet today. For all those who prove triumphant, the gala will commence this evening. This is a regal event, so if you haven’t paid a visit to the on-site seamstress, I highly recommend that you do so after today’s events. I look forward to seeing my Gauntlet champions then. Follow the sun, destroy the shadows, and survive another dawn.”

“Follow the sun, destroy the shadows, and survive another dawn.”

A regal event? Shit, I’m almost glad I’m dying today. Although, the Bishops dressed in suits is a sight I’ll regret not seeing.

Before I can get sucked too far into my thoughts, the professor pulls out her scroll and calls the next name. Thankfully, I’m not first, but it doesn’t end well for the girl who starts. I recognize her as one of Genie’s friends, and that fact is confirmed when she dies at the hands of her siren and Genie starts to sob uncontrollably.

I can’t decide if she’s genuinely hurt or vying for attention, but I refrain from judging since I made a spectacle of running to Zane yesterday.

The announcing professor glances down at her sheets and my breath catches in my lungs. “Creed Wylder.”

Fuck.

I turn to my left, watching him rise to his feet. He rolls his shoulders back and glances in my direction, nodding slightly in acknowledgment before he trudges down the steps.

Did I want him to kiss me like the others did? Am I disappointed? I’m not sure, but worry for his safety claws at me. Maybe I should have gone before all of them so I didn’t have to deal with this crippling anxiety.

Zane laces his fingers with mine and draws my hand into his lap, but I don’t pull my gaze from Creed as he speaks with the professor before stepping into the pit.

I know when we went on the trip to the outpost, Creed joined the psychic group, which doesn’t help my stress, but he enters the siren’s lair with unwavering confidence.

My heart hammers in my chest, waiting for the siren’s song to begin, and the second it does, I clamp my hands to my ears, too scared to blink as I watch Creed climb the boulders.

“What the fuck is he doing?” I mutter to no one, panic taking over as he does what everyone else who has failed before him did.

He’s climbing the furthest boulders from where the pool sits but, surely, that won’t make a difference. The higher ground has worked for no one.

The water starts to rise and, to my surprise, Creed is almost to the top. The moment he reaches the highest point, he turns back to look at the water, his eyes scanning for the siren. My eyes narrow as I do the same and it takes a moment for me to see her.

Blue hair, blue tail. She’s blending in with the water, which is making her harder to locate. Alarm rattles through me but I spot the moment he sees her. Creed crouches down as the water level rises, faster this time, like it’s seeking him out. All at once, the siren’s melody stops and the water halts its ascent.

I’m on the edge of my seat, hands falling from my ears to my mouth as I wait with bated breath for what may follow. Waves start to form in the water, lapping at the barrier separating the pit from the observers, and it quickly becomes apparent that it’s because the siren is thrashing around beneath the surface. An almighty scream crackles through the air as the siren rises from the water, her face contorted with teeth protruding, ready to attack.

The second she’s out of the water, it evaporates into a small pool again as she starts snapping at her own tail. My gaze flicks between the siren and Creed. He looks deep in thought, his hands twisting slightly as the siren repeatedly attacks herself, and the spectators gasp as blood splatters against the iridescent wall.

“That’s sadistic as fuck,” Eldon states as the lifeless siren flops to the sand in a heap of blood and gore.

“It can be whatever he wants if it means he survives,” I murmur, still in shock as Creed climbs down from the boulder. Claps and cheers erupt and I join in, rising to my feet even though I’m still confused by what the fuck just happened.

Creed pays no mind to anyone as he takes the steps two at a time to rejoin us. Blood coats his bare arms and legs and people try to give him a wide berth as he passes. Leila jumps from her seat before he can sit down, clambering over Zane and me to sit on his other side, leaving the spot free beside me.

“Hey.” He drops into the seat and, before I think about it, I launch myself at him.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” I breathe, wrapping my arms around his neck, and he slowly squeezes my waist in response.

“She likes them unhinged. Noted,” Eldon jokes from behind me as I lean back out of Creed’s hold. He shrugs, not responding to Eldon’s statement as he turns to look at the pit. His thigh brushes against mine and I smile.

Unhinged…

Sadistic…

Whatever we’re calling it, he’s right. I like it.

I just need to survive the damn thing myself to enjoy more of it. With exactly zero ideas of how I can achieve such a task.

Apprehension continues to rattle my bones as the list of remaining first years to take on the Gauntlet dwindles. Each name being called out is like a missed arrow aimed at my heart, including the next name.

“Brax Carlsen.”

He stands and heads toward the pit without a backward glance at his friends or me. I don’t know how or why I’m becoming so goddamn attached to these men, but as much as he’s an asshole, and despite the shitty stuff he said last night, I still worry for his safety.

I can’t figure out how they got under my skin like this. Once again, bile burns my throat as I watch him enter the pit. His ears turn to stone first as he walks across the sand. He doesn’t climb, like Creed, or even consider hiding as the others have. Instead, he stands dead center in the open space facing the pool of water.

“He’s crazy,” Leila states, and I nod in agreement.

“Did you expect anything less from him?” There’s no humor in Zane’s voice like there usually would be. I guess I’m not the only one filled with trepidation.

The siren’s song starts, inciting fear in us all as my hands clamp down on my ears again. The water levels rise, quickly traveling toward Brax, but before it laps at his ankles, he turns completely to stone.

What the fuck?

His entire body is an array of grays covering him from head to toe, but I only get a moment to appreciate him before the water engulfs him. It rises to the top of the highest boulder before continuing to touch the top of the dome covering the pit.

Gasps ring out, my own mingled in with them, as the entire Gauntlet is flooded with water. As the white-foamed top calms, the water clears into a stunning turquoise, revealing the siren. Pink hair floats through the water as lime green scales sparkle, shimmering in the light, and the siren dances around Brax’s stone statue.

She swims past him once, twice, three times, and it quickly becomes apparent that she doesn’t recognize the stone statue at the bottom of the pit as her target.

I turn to Creed, tapping his arm with my bent elbow to get his attention. When his eyes meet mine, I speak. “What’s he going to do?”

The shrug he offers in response doesn’t fill me with confidence, it seems he could use the reassurance too. As if sensing my question, I watch as the stone statue starts to move, unbeknownst to the siren, whose attention is now on the watching crowd.

Her melody gets louder, trying to lure us closer, leaving her completely open and exposed to Brax, who remains in his stone form as he grows taller and taller until a shadow forms over the Siren as she waves sweetly at the second years.

She doesn’t stand a chance as his immense hands grab and crush her with no effort at all. It’s like someone pops the dome and the water drains from the pit once more. Brax tosses the lifeless body over his shoulder without a backward glance. Relief washes over me as I watch with rapt attention as Brax shrinks back to his usual height and turns back into flesh and blood. His cheer is deafening and I clap along with everyone as I turn to Zane.

“What is he?” I ask, still confused, and he grins at me before leaning in to press his lips against my ear.

“Brax is a gargoyle.”

Wow. That’s mind-blowing. I didn’t even know they existed, never mind ever seeing one before.

I stand with everyone else as he steps out of the pit, but my heart turns to ice as the professor calls out the next name.

“Raven Hendrix.”

My pulse thumps so hard it feels like my head has its own heartbeat, and Brax’s words from last night replay in my mind. “Because when you die tomorrow, he might not be quite as attached to you as he could have been.” I can’t shake the thought as I head toward the steps, deciding it would be better if I don’t glance back.

“Raven,” Eldon calls out, but I can’t look. I can’t stare into the eyes of the people I’m suddenly enthralled with. I can’t see the hope and excitement for a life, a future, when none of it matters now anyway.

My eyes lock with Brax’s as he slowly walks up the steps, ascending to victory as I descend to my doom. It’s fitting, really. I can look into his eyes and recall the anger he stokes inside of me.

I expect him to step past me without a backward glance but, to my surprise, he grabs my arm at the last second, pulling me into his side without looking down at me. “Moss in your ears. Left boulder stack.”

I frown at his words, but before I can question him, he’s gone. Focusing on one step in front of the other, I force myself not to worry my bottom lip, attempting to put on a strong front.

“Everybody say goodbye to the Hendrix family’s black sheep.” My spine stiffens at the sound of Sebastian’s voice and the round of laughter that echoes around me, pissing me off even more.

It takes everything in me not to react to his attempt at showing dominance at my expense as I stop in front of the professor. “Good luck, Miss Hendrix,” she breathes, barely looking up from her scroll, and I take that as my cue to move.

Approaching the iridescent barrier, I reach my hand out first before I step through fully. I can’t describe the sensation and I have no time to delve further into the thought as the atmosphere around me changes.

Being in the pit is nothing like seeing it. I feel like an ant under a microscope for everyone to look at and assess. The boulders are twice as tall as I assumed and the smell reminds me of the fish market at Shadowmoor, but scarier. A thing I didn’t think was possible.

My gaze darts straight to the water and every single thought and consideration I’ve had about how I’m going to handle this thing evaporates from my mind. I don’t have long before the siren’s song is going to start. I need to move quickly.

Dashing to my left, away from the source of the water, I stumble a little when I step off the sand and onto the lower boulders. The surface is slicker than I expected and my arms fly out at my sides to keep my balance. With my eyes wide, I freeze in position, attempting to catch my breath as I look down at where I nearly face-planted and spot a flash of green.

Moss.

What did Brax say?

Moss in your ears.Was he trying to help me?

I reach for the small splattering of moss, plucking it from the ground and feeling the spongy texture in my palm. A melody begins, enveloping me, and my eyes clench closed at the assault on my senses. Holy fuck, it’s ten times louder in here.

Prying my eyes open, I glance toward the pool, noting the slow rise, and I don’t have time to think, only act. Tearing the moss in half, I plunge it into both of my ears, and the world becomes muted. I can still hear the tune coming from the siren, but it’s not overpowering, more like a hum in the background.

Thank you, Brax.

Water ripples around my sneakers, and I remember there’s a time limit on my life right now. Rushing further into the center of the pit, I pass the first boulder and the water is at my knees by the time I’m halfway toward the second set.

I think I’m going to be sick.

My pace lags with the water restricting my movements and a flash of blond draws my attention, swimming effortlessly through the shallow water on the opposite end of the pit.

Fuck.

Time’s up.

Splashing my way to the second set of boulders, I press my back against the jagged, damp surface, my heart pounding. I try to take a deep breath and imagine that I’m facing some asshole from Shadowmoor, but my gaze snags on the spectators and it becomes a lot more difficult.

I spy Sebastian with a smug look on his face and my teeth clench. Refusing to waste my last seconds on him, I whip my head to the right and find the Bishops. The fear on Zane’s face is as real as the tightness in my chest. Creed’s brows pull together and Eldon clenches his hands, leaning so far forward in his seat that I’m sure he’s going to tumble over the seat in front of him.

I should have said goodbye. I shouldn’t have been a coward. But it’s too late for all of that now.

Spying Brax, I’m at a loss for how to feel. The annoyance on his face is clear, the tightness of his jaw close to cutting glass as he nods sharply at me. I don’t know what he’s trying to convey to me until he shakes his head in irritation and mouths one word at me.

Push.

Scowling, I turn away from him and lean further into the boulder. My foot gives out under me again, but this time it’s not because of the damp surface. It’s a cluster of small rocks. I look down at my feet with the same confused expression. There’s debris floating under the water.

I turn to look at the boulder and my eyes widen with shock. There’s a gaping dent in it. It’s only noticeable since I’m close-up. From a distance, it would just look like another jagged edge. The gray marks scratched across the charcoal boulders stand out too. I don’t see them anywhere but here.

‘Moss in your ears. Left boulder stack.’

My gaze flicks back to Brax. Did he do this…for me? The look on his face tells me no. His anger is bubbling at the surface, but something tells me it’s aimed at me, not because of me.

Holy fuck.

Adrenaline zaps faster through my veins as the water hits my waist and I search for the blond hair floating in the water. Testing my weight against the boulder, I push and it budges a little. If I can get the siren in the right spot…I could survive this.

Rubbing my lips together, I take a deep breath and drag myself to the other side of the formation. I feel like I can’t breathe as the siren spots me and quickly starts swimming in my direction.

Shit.

Darting around the boulder as fast as possible, I plant my hands firmly against the smashed remains and push with everything I have. My arms burn, my palms cutting against the ragged edges, but it starts to move. I need to be quicker for this to work, though.

I’m going to need to throw all of my weight at it. Now.

Dropping my arms, I tilt to my side, slam my eyes shut, and throw my shoulder into the boulder with all of my strength. I grunt at the initial contact, the pain crippling, but I don’t stumble backward. I continue moving as the boulders crumble.

Solace consumes me, but it’s short-lived as the rumbling comes to a stop and the boulders settle. If it worked, the water will start to drain. If it didn’t, I’m up on a silver platter, ready for the siren to claim.

Disoriented, I can’t fight any longer. I curl up on the boulder I landed on, water lapping at my body as pain takes over, and await my fate. Shallow breaths are all I can manage.

One… two… three…

Nothing. She’s coming for me.

Four… five… six…

At least I can say I tried.

Seven… eight… nine…

I went down fighting.

Ten… eleven…

The water retreats, forcing me to push up with my good hand. Too scared to get my hopes up, I remain locked in place until only a pool remains at the far end again. Swallowing feels like nails slicing at my throat, it’s that raw.

I try to stand, but I really did throw all of myself at the damn thing. All of my strength, and now I’m feeling the repercussions of that. Cradling my weak arm, I manage to get down from the boulder and make my way to the edge of the pit closest to the first years. I can see people clapping and a gentle hum of cheers, but the moss in my ears dulls it all.

My eyes lock on the three Bishops, who race down the steps to greet me with Leila hot on their heels and, as much as I’m appreciative of their presence, my eyes are fixed on a lone Bishop.

Brax.

I survived the Gauntlet. I’m still breathing, still here, and undefeated as a Void.

I made it.

And it’s all because of the guy who hates me the most.