“I knew it was all going to work out. See, I told you!” I squeezed his arms.
A grin spanned across Ivy’s face. “I’m just glad thebothof us got our man. I’ve wanted Chancey and I to have what you and Charlie do for so long, and now, it’s finally coming true. Thank youso much, Ava.”
My spirit fell into my stomach as I watched Ivy twirl away. Chancey and Ivy seemed closer than ever, but when it came to Charlie and I, we just seemed so far away. This prophecy was pushing us apart, and I hated it.
I slid beside Charlie in the cafeteria. Kallie and Marcus, who were sitting across from us, leaned inward. Oberi panted under the table while Rishi batted at my shoelaces.
I nudged Charlie, but he didn’t say anything— just remained stiff. I bit my lip, wondering if I should tell them what I knew. If it made Charlie upset, I didn’t want to have anything to do with it.
But this was prophecy stuff. And I knew we couldn’t avoid this forever.
“Did you find out anything?” Marcus asked.
I bobbed my head. “Yes! My grandpa gave me really good information.”
I launched into an explanation of the phone call. By the end, Kallie was twirling her braid around her finger.
“The clues are definitely trials to get to the key, and according to your grandpa, only the right person can get through them,” Kallie mused. “Interesting.”
“Yeah, which means maybe we shouldn’t try,” Marcus said nervously. “We’ll get killed if we try to get through those traps.”
“Don’t you get it? The trials were set up fordemigods.That’s who the Elves wanted to find the keys to Forevermore!” I said. “We’re the perfect people to get through those traps, because we’re the only people whocanget past them. They’re basically designed for us. What better hint do we need that we’re on the right path?”
“How are we going to get into the mines? Charlie’s the only one who’s got clearance, and it’s off campus. We can’t get there unless the bus takes us,” Marcus said.
A guard came to the front of the room, calling everyone to attention. “Listen up!” he barked, and the cafeteria immediately fell silent. “The Warden wants to increase noxite production down in the mines, and the current output isn’t enough. We’re taking volunteers for prisoners who are willing to perform extra work down in the mines. You’ll be compensated with points from Commissary, as well as the potential to have infractions wiped off your record. Anyone interested should sign up on the sheet at the front of the cafeteria.”
The guard went to stand behind a table by the head of the room, and my heart started. This was our chance.
“Why does the Warden want to increase production down in the noxite mines? What’s he looking for?” Marcus whispered.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” I asked. “Heknowsthere’s a key down there, just like we do. And now he’s excavating the caves, trying to find it.”
“Which means we need to find it first,” Kallie said. “We should volunteer, so we can get down in those mines as soon as possible.”
“Exactly,” I said.
Charlie made a sharp sound. “No, Ava. That’s no job for a girl.”
“What, do you think Kallie and I can’t handle it?” I snapped.
“That’s not what I meant. But it’s horrible down there. There’s a reason they only schedule boys for the mines, and let girls work in the mining office. It’s worse than hard work. I don’t want you going through that,” Charlie said.
“Well, we don’t have a choice, so we’ll have to suck it up,” Kallie replied. “I’m sure we can mine better than limp noodle over here.” She jerked a thumb at Marcus.
“I’m not even offended,” Marcus stated. “I know I’ve got weak arms.”
Charlie grumbled, but I said, “This is the only way to get down in those mines. We have to do this.”
Kallie, Marcus and I went to the table, and put our names down on the sheet to volunteer to work down in the mines. We were the only ones that did— nobody wanted to sign up for the worst job at the prison, even if you got extra privileges because of it.
“Doesn’t it look a bit suspicious that we’re voluntarily going down there?” Marcus asked as we walked away.
“Yeah, but what choice do we have?” Kallie asked. “We need to get down in those mines.”
My insides tumbled with nervousness. I could tell Charlie was discontent with our plan just by the way he was acting.
He barely spoke to me for the rest of the day.
