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One way or another, it would all be over soon.
We were no longer in the tunnel, but instead a large room. The Banda had disappeared somewhere. It was obvious where we should go—to the gilded elevator directly in front of us. I walked, heart beating harder with every step.
The elevator, which on closer inspection was more like an ornate bird cage, was a few inches above the ground and it shifted as we stepped up into it. I grabbed an interior side rail, clawing at it desperately to keep from falling. It was like walking on a floating dock during a violent storm.
As soon as Kaio was inside—standing more steadily than I had—a gate slid closed, and the elevator cage began to rise. If we shifted at all, the hoist started swinging like a wild pendulum. I began hyperventilating as we were lifted higher and higher. The ceiling opened and I could see a large pulley in the sky above. We were soon lifted into brilliant light, a surreal blue sky shining down on us. Harsh sunlight made us blink, blinding us momentarily.
It seemed to take forever for my eyes to adjust.
But when they did, I gasped in horror.
We were still in the frozen tundra area, and snow spilled over sheer cliff walls on all sides. I could see no rough-hewn stairs, no means to escape. We were locked in a quarry of ice and stone. The elevator shuddered to a stop as the ground reclosed beneath us. The pulley lowered us back down the last few inches to stable ground, and I was grateful for that. The wild shifting of the cage had made me sick to my stomach.
And there was no time to be ill, not now.
“Do you see any caves or…or doors, or any way out of here?” I breathed out, voice shaking in fear. We would be dead in seconds, that’s all it would take for an opposing gladiator to stand at the top of the unclimbable surrounding walls and shoot down at us. There was zero sanctuary, not even a single large boulder in sight to hide behind.
Kaio shook his head slowly, finally pulling his arm into sight from where it was hidden and setting my pharmaceuticals case on the ground. “Bloodworm has designed this for drama, for terror. I doubt we’ll find an exit easily.”
He strode away from me a few paces, swiping the snowy ground with his boot. Beneath the inches of soft cold powder was thick ice. Something he saw made him take another step, sweeping his shoe across the ground once more to kick away more snow. He sucked in a breath and blew out what I could only assume was an alien expletive.
“We are standing on a powder keg of magick, Gwen. And I am ill equipped.”
“What do you mean?” I joined him, staring down at the ground. What appeared to be strange symbols and pictures were carved into the ice. They were intentional, cut deep, with some stained in crimson and blue.
“These are runes of the olde ways, the olde powers.”
“From your planet?”
He took another step, clearing more of the ground.
“I recognize them because of J’onn’s teachings, but I have not practiced the dark magicks. What little I’ve used here, in these games, has been accidental. A reaction to the danger. If we are facing someone who is a true wielder, we stand little chance.”
My thoughts raced back to our tropical paradise pool, to the gladiator who had pushed me down in the water and possibly saved me from some unseen danger. I could close my eyes and see the lightning flickering across his skin, the fire pulsing from his hands.
“The gladiator at the pool,” I whispered. “He was a magick user, Kaio. Could he be…”
Before I could finish my thought, a scorching ball of flame rocketed between myself and Kaio, pushing us apart as we avoided bodily harm.
We both fell, our falls cushioned by the snow around us. I rolled over, coming to my hands and knees as I searched wildly for the source of the fire.
“There,” I pointed, scrambling to a standing position.
In seconds, Kaio had lifted me, abruptly racing toward the elevator. It would provide poor protection, but it was the only thing available, the only thing in sight.
He dropped me to the ground beside my rolling bag, then dropped down to huddle beside me.
I could feel his hearts racing and his mind reeling. He did not bother to hide his internal dialogue from me now. I could see a young boy pouring over ancient tomes as a tall man with waist-length hair hovered over him, speaking in a low instructive voice.
“See these symbols, Kaio. They are the heartblood of all magick. They can be used for good or evil. You must memorize them, take them into your hearts, but never use them. It is important you know the ways of our enemy, yet always stay righteous in your path.”
The memories flashed forward. Kaio was older now. A teenager? He was skipping large silver stones into a glassy lake. He moved his hands, making symbols in the air, and the stones continued skimming the water long past what Gwen thought was possible.
Flash forward.
His father is dying.
Then his mother.
