Page 163 of Stormbreaker

But I need to focus.

I empty my mind of all thoughts but me and the obstacles in my path. I grab the rope and swing, kicking my feet out and landing on the far platform with plenty of room. The act has the effect of clearing my mind and shifting me into focus. I push the Extinguishers and my House test, and even Rook, from my thoughts.

Next, I reach a set of rings hanging from a rope dangling high above the ground. I grab the first and then swing down and begin the arduous task of lurching across. It’s hard work, but it’s also not as daunting as I thought. It’s my first chance to marvel at how strong I’ve become over the past few months.

Still, as I reach the three-quarter mark, my shoulders scream and my arms ache. If I fall, I probably wouldn’t die, but I would likely break an ankle, which I guess is kind of the point. I notice someone lurking in the bushes under the trees: a woman with tanned skin and a long red braid, woven with plum-colored strands. Her shiny purple harness tells me it’s one of the Breakers keeping an eye on us.

Again, I clear the next platform to reach another climbing pole.

When I reach the bottom, the route feeds me through a tight path, bordered by dense bushes, before I come upon a small corner of a lake with a balance beam stretching across it. The net above my head buzzes, and somewhere off to my right, the first burst of Spark strikes.

It spears down, and I listen for the sound of anything to suggest someone was hit. When nothing happens, I breathe out a sigh of relief, mostly worried about Domino, Journey, and Rook.

I hop onto the beam and, with my arms out, lightly step across, maintaining my balance. It’s surprisingly simple given everything, and I hop down, running to the next pole, which finds me at another ladder leading into the trees.

My confidence wanes when I spy the obstacle before me.

A long, narrow platform stretches ahead with less than a few feet of space between the planks and the electricity net hovering above it. The goal is clearly to shimmy across without breaching the barrier. I wonder if anyone has been blitzed, but I don’t notice any charred bodies nearby. Hopefully, that’s a good sign.

I drop down on my hands and knees and then realize my ponytail will cause an issue. I yank it out and quickly braid it tightly so it hangs down over my shoulder. Then I flatten myself to my stomach. There is only a hairbreadth of distance between me and the Spark waiting to expose my lies.

Fuck, this is going to be tight. Slowly, using my fingertips, I drag myself forward, focusing on keeping my stomach and hips pressed to the surface. I lay my head down as my cheek scrapes along the wooden plank.

With my hands stretched out in front of me, I scoot forward and then slowly inch my way across, using the toes of my boots for leverage. The sun is rising over the park, burning through the morning clouds. A bead of sweat slides down my temple as I stop to rest. The low drone of the net buzzes in my ears like a siren’s song luring me to jagged rocks.

The sound intensifies, the frequency pitching up. I whimper, sure it’s a sign that the net is about to discharge. What if it decides this would be a good spot? A strike hits in the distance, and someone screams. I yelp and twitch, trying not to jump and touch the net.

A moment later, everything goes silent, save the low drone of Spark.

I don’t dare lift my head to check my progress, but I gauge that I’m about halfway across. Another reach of my fingertips and I drag myself farther with a series of heavy grunts and pants.

I anchor my toe into the wood and wince as my palm snags on a splinter. Something else catches near my eye, and I resist the urge to brush it away, blinking rapidly through my watering vision.

Bit by bit, I inch my way across until I’m almost at the end.

When I have just a foot or two left, I collapse onto the wood to catch my breath, praying this is the hardest part of the course. Probably not.

When I’m ready, I lurch another few inches just as the buzzing intensifies again. I don’t know why, but some instinct tells me it’s coming for me.

With every ounce of strength I can summon, I drag myself through to the end, jumping up as I clear the net. A blast of energy strikes the very spot I was lying, catching my foot.

I don’t scream. Instead, I launch myself behind a tree and stamp out the sparks climbing up my leg, hitting and swatting myself until they’re doused.

That’s when I notice a movement in the bushes.

A dark shape shifting and then retreating.

A flash of red hair.

I think.

I hold still, hoping I just imagined it.

My muscles seize, my heart pounding up my throat.

Was someone there? An Extinguisher?

Or the Breaker I saw earlier?