Five

Moon

“ L et me out!” I scream, but my words are muffled by the damn bag. I can tell I’m in motion, I just don’t know what’s happening. Is this part of the games?

“Welcome, contestants, to the fifth Trial in the Tournament of Blood. In a moment you will be dropped into the arena where you will need to make your way through the challenge without falling into the…well, I won’t ruin the surprise. Be sure not to fall in, though.”

“Is it just me, or is the announcer having way too much fun tormenting us?” I grumble to myself when the bag suddenly drops rapidly. I grab what I can of the cloth and squeak out a yelp.

My body hits the ground, and the bag falls open. I blink a few times as my eyes adjust to the bright lights.

“Dick move,” I complain, looking up. I landed on my hands and knees, which are now throbbing. “Hairy ball sack,” I whisper when I finally take in the trial.

I don’t know if you ever played the floor is lava as a kid, but that’s basically what this trial is. Only way less fun and way more deadly, since I’m pretty sure the lava is real.

“If you fall in, the lava is enchanted to simulate reality. You will not die…boo,” the announcer says, sounding like he’s pouting. “But you will be in immense pain until you either finish the trial or the timer runs out. If you’re unable to climb out of the lava after thirty seconds, you will be eliminated. If you do not make it to the finish line before the timer runs out, you will be eliminated. If you intentionally shove another contestant into the lava…well, just be sure you don’t fall in beside them,” the announcer cackles, and then the gong sounds.

The arena is fucking massive, and I don’t know how many challengers are in this round, but we each start on a pedestal, and the path before us leads up to what looks like a volcano. Then beyond that, I can see the finish line. The arena is laid out like a half clock, with at least thirty pedestals holding other challengers.

It looks like once you make it off the pedestal, the paths intersect, and you’ll have to cross paths with other challengers to make it to the center volcano.

“Okay, Moon, time to be a badass,” I whisper, climbing to my feet. I can see other players already making their way to the center. They still have a long way to go, but at least they’re off their pedestal, unlike me.

I look down and can feel the heat coming off the surface of the lava and take a deep breath. I might not die if I fall in, but I’m certain I’ll wish I could die if I do.

I’m not worried that I’ll fall on my own, but I am worried someone might shove me in.

“If someone gets too close, shove them in before they can get to you.” I nod to myself, take another deep breath, and then leap onto the first black rock. “Easy as pie. Although, I tried making pie once, and it was extremely hard to make the crust…” I say to myself and then laugh. “Great, now I’m talking to myself like it’s normal.”

“Well, not just to yourself…” a deep voice whispers, scaring the tits off me.

“Fenrick!” I hiss, recognizing his voice this time. “Show yourself, you pain in the ass fairy!” I growl, looking around, and wondering where the fuck he is since I’m taking up most of the room on this rock.

“Psst.” I hear him whisper, and my head snaps up. He’s three rocks away and already at the base of the volcano.

“How the fuck can I hear you as if you’re whispering in my ear?” I snap, and the cute bastard smirks.

“Magic. Now get that cute ass over here. I’ll be waiting,” he says, before disappearing.

I balance myself on the rock and crouch, then leap to the next. I land like a cat with nine lives and then leap two more times. When I reach the base of the volcano, my foot slips, and I slide back. My heart jumps into my throat, and I scramble to steady myself.

“Ah!” I shout, already visualizing my demise.

“Woah, there,” Fen chuckles, grabbing my wrist and pulling me up with him. I’d stuffed my necklace into my bra on the way here, so I could be seen during the trial, so I make sure not to touch any part of his skin, not that there’s much exposed.

“Thanks,” I smile because it’s good to see he’s okay and still in the games.

“Come on.” He helps me up, looks around, and then leans down. “You won’t see me, but I’ll be close.”

“Okay.” I nod, rolling my shoulders as I straighten up. “So, up the front of the volcano, down the back of it, and then across those moving platforms to the finish line?” I ask but don’t need him to answer.

“Lead the way,” he agrees, but then startles me when he stops me, “Wait—” I pause, turning back to him since he’s still visible. “You smell like a Dragon and a Cyclops.” He lifts a brow, and I shrug.

“Heart Bonded. That’s number four and five,” I say, sighing, as Fen smirks.

“But you know there are others?” he questions, and I nod.

“Of course. Well, I mean, I do now.” I tap my chest, indicating the lack of the necklace he gave me, and he nods.

“After,” he says, and I give him a thumbs up.

Yeah, after. We’ll probably need to talk about the whole, I can touch him when no one else can, thing, too.

There’s someone running up behind Fen, but I don’t have time to warn him, so I bend low, give the Fae Prince a shove, and then send his would-be attacker flying over my shoulder when I use his body's momentum against him.

When he hits the lava’s surface, he screams, and I cringe.

“Oops.” I didn’t intend to send him into the lava, but oh well. He was probably going to try to shove Fen in, so serves him right.

“Only you would say oops, after eliminating another competitor in a Tournament you’re trying to win,” Fen chuckles, and I shrug my shoulders.

“Come on, we have to move before we get ourselves eliminated too.” I walk around him, and search the area, making sure no one else is going to attempt to attack us from behind.

As far as I can tell, most people are just trying to get to the finish line. It seems like this is only a small portion of the competitors that are left.

“Remember, you won’t see me, but I’ll be close,” Fen says again, and I nod.

The rock base of the volcano we now have to climb is slimy. “Oh, gross,” I complain, lifting my hand and looking at the goop. What the fuck is this shit? I inspect it closely, even giving it a sniff, but it just smells like burnt earth. The game makers are certainly trying to fuck with us. I shake my head and return to my task. Climb the mini volcano, don’t fall to my death. Win the games. Simple. Every so often my foot slips, pissing me off, especially when I hear a certain Fae prince chuckle.

I move my foot, trying to hoist myself up further, when I slip again. I lose my footing, but before I can fall, a firm hand on my ass catches me.

“Really?” I ask, since no one can see his hand groping me. My mind flashes to all sorts of dirty places, with the thought that he can’t be seen doing anything to me… “Focus,” I hiss, but I might be snapping at myself, more than him. At some point, I have to eliminate all of my competition, including Fen.

“I have a theory,” Fen says loudly, as I attempt to focus on climbing up the damn volcano. It’s a small one. A baby volcano. But it’s still hard as shit to climb with whatever the fuck is making it so slippery. Slime? Because the threat of falling into hot lava wasn’t enough, they had to make us feel all nasty?

“About?” I grunt, as I hoist myself higher. Fen releases my ass, as I make it up another foot or so.

“Why you can touch me when no one else can.”

“Oh? That’s good since I have no fucking idea how it’s possible.” My fingers slip on a shallow ledge, and I yelp but manage to catch myself. "Everything hurts. This is hard as shit,” I complain, and hear Fen laughing behind me. “Also, shouldn’t we save the confessions for when I’m wearing my necklace?” We literally just said later…

“It’s later. And no. I can’t be seen or heard like this by anyone but you.”

“So, only I need to behave? You could do…” I want to say naughty things, but maybe that’s a bit too much for a moment like this. “Mischievous things, and no one would be the wiser?”

“Pretty much.” I can practically hear his smirk. “As I was saying, I have a theory, but I need to do something to confirm my suspicions.”

“Something like what?” I ask, only half listening to what he’s saying, because I’m literally trying not to slip to my death, here.

“Taste you.”

And with those husky words, my grip slips, and I’m scrambling not to fall.

“Sorry, I meant test you,” he chuckles, and I swing my hand back to smack him, risking death. I miss, but when we make it out of this trial, I’m getting him back for that.

“Test me how? What does that even mean?” I grumble, continuing my climb. We’re almost to the top, thank fuck.

“Well, I know something you don’t seem to know. I want to know if I can…do things that wouldn’t be possible, normally.”

“Cryptic,” I murmur, shaking my head.