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For just a second, it felt like I had wrapped my fist around nothing.
But then my magic gave a sharp tug, and the gem faded back into solidity, cold and hard against my palm.
My feet hit the ground hard, and I stumbled slightly, one hand still clutching the gem. A victorious cry fell from my lips, but it broke off suddenly as I felt an invisible force latch on to me.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the ether pulled me away.
Chapter Fourteen
Shit!
I remembered what Dean Frost had said. The winner, whoever claimed the gem, would be taken immediately to the gods’ palace for an audience with them.
Desperately, I reached out with my magic as the ether sucked me away from the mountainside plateau where we’d been fighting. I felt it latch around the three men who had been standing near me, and I held on as tightly as I could as I flew through space.
A second later, I was spat out in an opulent, airy room with white marble walls. It felt a little like I’d been dragged here by my hair, like I’d been turned inside-out on the way, and I worked hard not to barf as I stumbled and caught my balance. I heard noises behind me and glanced over my shoulder to see Trace, Lach, and Merrick tumble out of the ether as well.
Thank fuck.
Whatever I had done to bind them to me, it’d been enough to get them sucked into the portal the gods had created too.
I wasn’t alone in this.
That thought was like a shot of bravery injected right into my heart, and I straightened, drawing my shoulders back and lifting my chin.
We were in a place I recognized. The main court of the palace, where so many of the gods had been gathered last time we came here. As he had been then, Omari was settled on a throne that sat atop a large dais. Several gods surrounded him, and I noticed Ryker standing off to one side, his dark hair gleaming in the light.
Clutching the gem tightly in my hand, I stormed toward the dais. The gods all watched me with narrow-eyed interest as I threw the carved gemstone down in front of Omari.
“There,” I spat out. “There’s your fucking prize.”
The stone skittered across the slick floor and under his throne. The entire room went so quiet you could’ve heard a pin drop, and Omari’s gaze slowly lifted to mine.
“You did it.”
He seemed a bit taken aback by that, as if he couldn’t quite believe the words that were leaving his mouth. Of course he couldn’t. Whatever magic they had worked on the gem had obviously been designed to ensure that no one could grasp it, no matter how hard they tried.
I wasn’t about to tell him exactly how I had managed it. He already hated wild magic users enough to want to demolish our entire race—I was sure he would fry me on the spot if he had any inkling I might possess more, stranger magic than that. If he suspected I had magic that should only be wielded by the gods themselves.
“So that’s it then?” I asked instead, still holding his gaze with a challenging one of my own. “It’s done. The Gods’ Challenge is over until next semester? Everyone else went back to earth?”
A slow smile spread across the white-haired god’s face. He was handsome for his age, with strong features and a commanding presence, but his smile made him look almost reptilian. “Yes. It is done.”
There was something about the way he said the words that made the bottom of my stomach drop out.
“What do you mean? You did send everyone back to earth, didn’t you?”
Fucking hell. Why had I ever taken these gods at their word on anything? Had they refused to send the others back?
“Yes. They are all back at Magic Blessed Academy.” Omari’s smile widened.
“What the fuck are you so happy about?” I snapped. I swore I could hear Merrick groan behind me, but I couldn’t take this god’s smug attitude. He was obviously hiding something from me, and he was either gonna tell me or not. I wasn’t into this whole “let’s drag out the suspense” thing.
Omari scowled, clearly annoyed that I was deflating his big moment. But he seemed to collect himself quickly, fixing that smug grin on his face again as he said, “You are aware the magic using population watches the Gods’ Challenges, are you not? We allow them to see bits and pieces of the games, as a way of honoring us and those who fight in our name.”
Ugh. Gag me. I was sure Omari got off on the fact that people built shrines to him.
“Yeah? So?”
