49. Kami

49

Kami

I shriek, frozen, aware the azag is a lot faster than it looks. Even with three legs, it's gaining.

I need to join my team, but they're occupied fighting the elves.

Hearing Ries swear doesn't instill confidence.

So I turn and run as fast and far as I can, going in the opposite direction from where I saw Serl earlier. A good thing, as he and his companions are engaged with two azags of their own.

I keep sprinting, the azag's furious call a harsh music close behind.

Until I'm stopped by a wall of shrubbery that's suddenly appeared, stuck in the maze.

Normally, dryads can only bond with trees.

Good thing I'm anything but normal.

I send out a thought and mentally bond with the happy shrub, kept healthy and well-fed for just these trials. The shrubbery is laced with elven seed, stronger than normal greenery would be .

It's happy to share its strength and lets me push past its branches while keeping the azag out.

The spawn trumpets again, and I can hear its rage and frustration easily enough.

I'm safe for the moment. Unfortunately, I don't know where I am in relation to my team.

The shrubs are no help, just happy to be strong, watered well, and loved by those who care for the maze.

I don't know how protected I'll remain since the Nyte Guard are somewhere in play. There are twelve of us tributes and twelve of the guard, so it's anyone's guess if they're assigned to each of us or in some other formation.

Though only a dozen of us survived to play in this nightmare maze, I wonder how many tributes are actually left. At least fifty of us started this day in the arena. But are there other groups going through?

We started with more than a hundred, I think. Though Oz had mentioned the Radiant Trials as a way to thin out the population's less desirable—meaning anyone not fully fae.

Oz, where are you? Why did you leave us? Are you okay?

I sigh, wishing I could find him.

Wishing my arm didn't continue to hurt.

Now that I'm no longer in immediate danger, I'm able to focus on the throbbing pain from my burn.

I hear screaming and freeze, backing toward the shrubbery to keep in the shadows. The sky is bright blue overhead, cloudless, the temperature on the warm side.

The dirt trail I've been walking over has turned green, with grasses now underfoot.

I stop and wait, hoping to hear something from my companions.

I hear nothing but cheering from the stands .

My bet is someone has died. I hope it's not Crash or Malkar.

Or Ries, I grudgingly concede.

He tried to save me—and himself, to be honest—from our opponents. But what happens when it comes down to a choice between him or me? Do I honestly think Ries will choose my life over his own?

I spend the next hour or so wandering, not threatened by anyone but not running into anyone either. The crowd has roared its approval three more times, so my guess is three more tributes have died.

I hope Beyrthnel chokes on their sacrifices.

"Fuck you," I mutter and kick at a small stone.

I keep walking, listening hard for any hint of danger.

As I cautiously turn right, I see nothing.

But a glance to my left shows Malkar crouched on the ground.

"Malkar." I rush to him and slow as I see him chewing on something.

Oh, please gods, don't let him be eating anyone I know.

He sees me and grins. "Crash is tasty."

I gape, and he laughs so hard he cries.

"You're an ass," Crash says as he comes into view dragging Ries.

The merman is leaning on him and limping, his leg obviously injured.

Relieved to see most of the team in one piece, I ask Malkar, "What are you eating?"

"Chocolate. One of the guards had it on him. Believe that?" He finishes his treat. "I'd have saved you some, but I thought you were dead."

"So concerned," I mutter.

He winks. "Kidding. I knew you'd be okay. "

"Glad one of us did." I look around. "Where's the azag?"

"It joined the other two and attacked Serl's group," Ries says and grunts as Crash drops him to the ground. Not gently. "Dick."

Crash ignores him. "Sorry. I'm having anger management issues."

Ries sighs. "Seriously? You're carrying a grudge? Man, I was playing a part. Get over yourself."

"Get over yourself. "

I blink. "That's the best you have, Crash? ‘Get over yourself'?"

After a pause, I can't help snickering. Malkar and Ries join in, and Crash manages a growly half-laugh.

"Okay, that was stupid. But I'm sick and tired of having no magic. This sucks."

I nod.

Ries lays flat. "Same. I can feel the water teasing me. It's all around us." He sounds frustrated. "So close yet so far away. Like an itch I can't scratch."

"Sleeping with regulars can do that," Crash mutters with a sly smile.

Ries glowers at him. "Keep it up, Firefly."

Crash's smile disappears.

Malkar walks to me and hands me something. A small piece of chocolate?

"I lied. I save you a bite."

I can't help tearing up. Such a sweet thing for him to do.

He rubs my head. "Eat up, pet."

I ignore the pet reference and devour the chocolate. "So how did you guys get away from the Nyte Guards?" Or the azag? Escaping one threat is impressive, but two?

Crash answers, "Ries is surprisingly deadly even on land. He took out the weak assassin?— "

"That elf wasn't weak," Ries growls.

"—while Malkar handled the other guards. I got the azag to attack them. While they fought each other, we took off." He pauses. "I don't think Serl's team made it. I saw a lot of liquified guts on the ground near that pair of azags they were fighting."

"No loss there." Yet part of me cringes at the thought of anyone dying like that, turning to monster goo to feed the gross demons.

"Now that's not nice," a Nyte Guard says as two of them appear out of nowhere.

The maze shifts, and we're facing a new nightmare in the path that appears.

A trio of hellhounds are snarling at us, awash in brimstone and sulfur. They're half the size of the azags, their eyes full of flames, surrounded by smoke.

A whip cracks and then wraps around my neck, dragging me back on my ass.

"Kami," Ries yells.

The hellhounds attack while the Nyte guards leave with me wrapped in a whip then tossed over one of their shoulders.

I don't hear any cheering from the crowd.

That bothers me more than being captured.

The next thing I know, the guard carrying me trips, and I'm thrown to the ground.

I hear a scuffle and swearing and manage to untangle myself from the whip.

But before I can get to my feet, I'm yanked up by my hurt arm.

I try to scream and find myself pressed against a hard chest. A large hand covers my mouth, and I'm dragged into a shadowy alcove along the maze wall I hadn't seen before.

"Shut up," my captor warns in a low voice .

I tense. I don't know this person, but I recognize a threat when I hear one.

"Better."

He slowly loosens his arms. I turn around to see glowing eyes in the darkness. But it's an unnatural darkness.

The sky overhead is still blue. Over my shoulder behind me, the main path is grassy and bright. It's like we're tucked away in a secret space in plain sight of anyone passing by who'd look our way.

There's not much room for us to maneuver, just a slender stone bench, I realize, as I'm yanked down to sit.

I swallow around a dry throat. "Wh-who are you?"

My assailant sits next to me, thigh to thigh, and leans close. "How quickly you forget, little pretty."

Oh shit. I know that voice.

"It's me. Serl. Your new lord and master."