Page 77 of Stormbreaker

“I won’t pledge to either,” I say. It comes out quiet, my breath tight. I’ll lose everything. My family. My friends. But at least I won’t be a murderer.

Devon and Stevie exchange an uncertain glance. I see something in their expressions. My father isn’t the only one who thinks I’m weak now. I’m starting to realize that almost everyone here is already at least a little bit like him.

Devon sighs and turns back to me. “We can’t force you to compete, but we were told that if you tried to walk away, they’ll both die anyway.”

“What! Why?” I cry out.

His expression hardens, that brief moment of uncertainty gone. “Because you don’t have that luxury. You are the daughter of the scion, and . . .” He shakes his head and scoffs. “Do you know how many people would kill to be in your place? And you’re treating it like it’s some kind of burden?”

I exhale a sharp breath like I’ve been kicked in the chest. Of course. He’s like everyone else. He sees my rejection as a rejection of everything he stands for.

“You have no choice,” he finishes. “Now quit stalling and prepare yourself.”

He nods to Stevie, who unfolds her arms from where she’s been standing, watching our entire exchange. My gaze meets hers, and she tips her head as something flickers behind her eyes.

“Ready?” she asks.

Not at all, but I nod anyway, spreading my stance.

Ten minutes.

I face off toward each path, imagining the two people somewhere in the shadows. How far away are they?

The park is huge. It could easily take me ten minutes just to reach them.

Quickly, I set the timer on my watch, waiting for the signal.

Stevie calls out, “Ready, get set—”

A terrified scream pierces the silence off to my left, and I don’t wait for her to finish before I start running.

28

It sounded like it came from close by, and I maintain the possibly foolish hope my “prizes” aren’t hidden too deep in the trees.

I don’t even remember which direction I went.

It wasn’t a conscious choice to save one or the other.

I just heard the scream and reacted.

“Where are you?” I shout. Another cry has me veering left, crashing through bushes until I emerge into a small clearing and quickly happen upon a man inside a wooden cage suspended from a rope stretching between two massive trees.

I try to remember which way I went. Left. That means this is the accused person.

House Aria.

I don’t have time to consider the implications of that right now. I just need to save him.

The cage swings back and forth over a large pile of rocks.

I let out a long sigh. Maybe this isn’t so bad?

But then the cage suddenly rises a few inches, and my gaze follows the rope up to see that it’s attached to a mechanical crank that’s slowly lifting the man toward the sparking purple net of General Sol’s protective tree barrier.

My stomach sinks. If the cage reaches the top, the man will be dead.

He spots me and falls to his knees as he grips the bars and presses his face between them.