Chapter 31

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

How true were his final words.

"How long do you think we've been down here?" I asked Tegan.

Tegan and I were working our way along the walls in search of a weak spot in the barrier. My feet were sore from the hard ground and I had a few singes on the palms of my hands from getting too close to the red wall. I stopped and studied a distorted point in the barrier but my heart fell when I realized it had only formed to the grain of the rock.

He shook his head. "I don't know but it must have been several hours already."

I furrowed my brow. "It was almost eight when we went in, wasn't it?"

"About that," he agreed as he reached the tunnel where freedom was so close yet so far.

I dropped onto the stone bench that wound its way around the perimeter of the room and sighed. A faint shock from behind me warned me that I'd leaned back a little too far.

"Are you sure we shouldn't try our magic? Or maybe you could transform into a dragon and break through the thing?"

Tegan plopped himself down beside me and sighed. "I might crush you before the barrier is broken, if it even is broken."

My face drooped as I imagined that horrible end. "On second thought, let's skip the dragon transformation."

We sat in gloomy silence for a long while, each of us studying our prison. After a few minutes, I couldn't take it anymore and threw up my arms. "Well, what do we do? Wait here and hope that Clara decides to fly to our rescue and let us out?"

Tegan's eyes widened and he turned to me. "Have you figured out how to whistle?"

I snorted. "I haven't even had time to practice."

"Then now is a good time to practice," he insisted.

I blinked at him. "What are you going on about?"

"Your broom," he reminded me as he nodded at the exit and the red mist that covered it. "If you summon it, it may be able to weaken the barrier enough to allow us through."

"Won't the broom just explode from the pressure?" I pointed out.

"Matty gave you that broom, didn't she?" he asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, but what does that matter?"

"She was a witch expert in barriers, that much was obvious from how she trapped those souls in the Gallery," he mused as he nodded at the red mist that surrounded us. "Perhaps the broom picked up on some of her magic while in her care and can undo barriers."

I tilted my head askance and frowned. "That's a bit of a stretch."

He grinned. "Do you have a better idea?"

My shoulders slumped and I hung my head. "No. . ."

Tegan clapped a hand on my shoulder and his eyes twinkled. "Then I look forward to hearing your first good whistle."

I sighed before I straightened and took a deep breath. I puckered my lips, set my tongue in roughly the spot for the appropriate noise, and blew. A huff of air escaped my creased chops but that was about it.

Tegan's laughter filled the room. I scowled at him. "At least you're enjoying yourself."

He gathered himself and cleared his throat. "I am. Now try again."

I cleared my throat and tried again. And again. And again. By the time I was done trying my lips were chapped and the hour had grown later.

I blew my last attempted whistle and slumped off the front of the bench and onto the floor. A heavy sigh escaped my sore lips as I shook my head. "This isn't working. I just can't get it to blow."

"You do have a knack for not being able to whistle," Tegan teased.

I cocked my head to one side and glared at him. "How can you joke when there's not much time before the last trial. What's going to happen to us if we fail on our blood contract?"

He stood and shook his head. "I don't know, but I don't intend for us to find out." He strolled to the center of the room and spun on his heels. He stopped facing me and began to undress.

My jaw hit the floor as his coat hit the bench beside me. "What are you doing?"

"Giving you more incentive," he teased as he unbuttoned his shirt.

He revealed his muscled chest and smooth skin. I instinctively let out an appreciative whistle. It wasn't a good whistle, but it definitely had more sharpness than I'd done during the last hour of effort.

Tegan grinned. "It looks like you're losing streak is over."

I scrambled to my feet. "How can you tell?"

"Can't you?" he wondered.

I stared hard at the floor and furrowed my brow. "I. . .I think I feel something . Kind of like wind."

"That's your broom coming to fetch you," he told me as he dressed himself. "We should be hearing something just about-"

He didn't get a chance to make the announcement as the broom did it for him. My sweeper special swept down the dusty stairs, stirring the cobwebs and dirt into a duststorm in its wake. The tip of the broom handle slammed into the misty barrier and red sparks flew up at the point of contact. Tegan jumped over to me and wrapped his arms around me, covering my body with his against the worst of the hot sparks.

The broom and barrier both quivered, each vying to break the other. My heart jumped when the broom shuddered, but that was only because it was wiggling its straw butt for another slam. The second, closer impact did the trick as the barrier shattered into a thousand pieces. I broke from Tegan's embrace and leapt at the broom. It flew into my arms and I hugged it against my chest.

"Good job!" I shouted as I squeezed it tight. The thing seemed to squirm like a happy puppy.

Tegan clapped a hand on my shoulder and I looked up to find his expression dire. "This night isn't over yet. We need to get to the house."

I nodded and tucked the broom between my legs. Tegan hopped on and one silent thought from me was enough for the broom. We zipped around our former prison and down the tunnel to the fresh air. I took a deep breath of freedom as we sailed over the fields and toward the twinkling lights that were the house.

Tegan pointed in the direction of the beach where some activity was happening. "Land there!"

I turned sharply and flew us down. We were nearly there when the gong of a clock began to strike the hour. Midnight had arrived.

I landed us on the beach just in front of the crowd. The bleachers had been turned to face the ocean and the four contestants and Lusio stood before them near the water's edge. Clara stood to one side and the waves lapped at her ankles. She had her hands spread out to her sides with the palms facing the ground and a soft purple glow emanated from her palms and flowed into the water. Her eyes widened as we landed between the groups.

"Stop!" Tegan shouted as he hurried off the broom. "You have to stop the trial!"

Lusio glared at him. "What are you shouting about? Explain yourself!"

"I will explain it for him."

The voice came from the crowd and the people parted to reveal Hugh. The young man strolled out into the open with a crooked smile on his lips. He looked us over with interest mixed with slight irritation. "I will have to spread more blood for the next trap."

I glared at him. "There's not going to be another trap."

He laughed. "How naive. Of course, I have several traps, and I will spring one right now." He lifted one hand in the air.

My eyes widened as I watched the crowd at his back mimic his movements. It was just like the carving on the door.

"My God. . ." I heard Lusio whisper as he pointed a shaking finger at Hugh. "Hugo!"

Hugo chuckled. "So you remember me, do you? I thought perhaps your feeble mortal memory had erased me."

Lusio's eyebrows crashed down. "Then you're the one behind all this trouble! It was you who tried to have me killed!"

"I am not done trying," Lusio warned him as he turned his head toward the crowd.

The well-dressed audience climbed off the bleachers and toward us. Even Morrigan and Conor were among them. They all had the same empty eyes as I had seen Miles exhibit during his possession.

"Conor! Miss Shea!" Quinn shouted but he received no response.

Hugo folded his arms over his chest as the crowd passed him by. "Now I will be the audience and you the contestant. The goal is to not die."