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Chapter Eighteen
My pack felt heavier and heavier with every step I took.
In actual fact, without much food and only a limited supply of other items, it really wasn’t that full. But at the moment, I could’ve sworn Trace had packed it full of rocks this morning as a practical joke. Not that he would do that—I was pretty sure he liked having his balls.
So. Much. Hiking.
If I never had to walk again for the rest of my life, it would be too damn soon, as far as I was concerned.
After our incredible night in the cave, we’d traveled for another day and a half, unsure whether we were even going in the right direction. Outside the playing area, there were no clues, no hidden packs, nothing to help us along. Beyond the normal creatures lurking in the forest, no one had come for us, which made me think either the gods didn’t know we were here, or they were playing games with us.
“Shit.” Trace’s voice broke into my thoughts, and I looked up to see him gesturing me closer from the top of the hill he and Lach had stopped on. “You gotta see this, Ari.”
I huffed out a breath, digging my boots into the soil as I climbed up the hill just beyond the tree line of the forest. Merrick held out his hand and helped me up the rest of the way, then the men and I stood side-by-side.
Immediately, I knew what Trace had been talking about. It was impossible to miss. From our high vantage point, the four of us stared out at a huge, breathtaking settlement in front of us.
“Holy shit. The city of the gods,” I whispered, unable to keep the awe from my voice. I didn’t want to be impressed by anything the gods did, but it was impossible not to be dazzled by the sight before me.
It was massive, stretching as far as my tired eyes could see. The beautiful white stone buildings were elaborately structured, with what seemed to be hand-chiseled details, statues that reached toward the sky, and a glistening glow to it all that almost hurt the eyes. The streets that ran between the large ornate buildings looked like gold, but there were no cars driving on them, only masses of people, all dressed in similar robes and walking in groups.
Trace motioned to the right, where the hill sloped down into a divot surrounded by large purple and blue flowering bushes. It was hard to move from the spot where I stood, entranced by the beauty of the city in front of us. But as I tore my gaze from the glimmering city, I noticed a group of what looked like guards making their way around the outskirts of the city.
Fuck. Last thing we need is to get caught when we’re so damn close.
Quickly we all ducked and headed down into the gully, allowing the large plants to hide our presence.
Dropping into a crouch between Merrick and Trace, I glanced around at the men. We had made it to the outskirts of the city, but that was only the beginning.
“We need to get through the city gates somehow,” I murmured quietly.
Lachlan carefully pushed back several branches of the bushes and looked down at the city. “Those people below—the ones enterin’ and exitin’ buildings in perfect formation. They’re not gods, are they?”
Merrick glanced over Lachlan’s shoulder. “They can’t be. I think we’d feel the power coming off them even from here if they were gods.”
“Are they more of those messengers?” Trace asked. “Like the ones who came to Magic Blessed just before the preliminary competition?”
“Probably.” I peered over Lachlan’s shoulder, his whiskey and ginger scent tickling my nostrils as I leaned close to him to get a good look at the city in the distance. “It makes sense. We already know that mages live in the realm and serve the gods.”
Trace shook his head, wrinkling his nose. “I heard they’re more than just messengers. They do everything. They’re servants, concubines, and house staff. They pretty much take care of everything in the city while the gods rule everything from the main palace building.”
Lachlan sat back, wiping the dirt off his hands. “We’re goin’ to have to go in disguised. From the looks of it, there are only two choices here. We either go in as gods, or we go in as servants.”
I shook my head. “There’s no way we’re gonna pass as gods. I’m sure they can sense it or something. It would be much safer if we went in as servants. We just have to figure out how to get our hands on their uniforms.”
Slowly, we began to make our way around the city, scoping out the gate that surrounded it and the activity inside. After about thirty minutes of walking through the brush in a low crouch, Merrick held up a hand to stop us. Then he jerked his chin toward the city of the gods.
“There. That gate up ahead—there are no guards there. It seems to be some sort of private servant entrance and exit.”
Biting my bottom lip, I peered through the leaves and branches, staring down at the gate he had indicated. It was much smaller than the larger gate we had seen earlier, which I’d assumed was the main entrance to the city. The guys all gathered close, and we watched as mages, all dressed in similar uniforms, walked in and out of the city through the small gate. They wore long, dark blue cloaks with gold emblems on the front and the hoods shading their faces. I could barely see any of their bodies.
Merrick pointed down at the group. “Those are the servants of the gods. Their messengers, like the ones they sent to visit the academy. They’re the ones that are closest to the gods themselves. I think that’s definitely what we need to take aim at.”
The other two men agreed, and so did I.
“Well, it’s pretty early in the day,” I whispered. “We can either take our chances and spend the night here, or we can try to intercept some of the messengers as they head out of the city and steal ourselves some mage robes. What do you guys think?”
