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Something’s happening, Aidan thought as he stepped outside a gift shop after inquiring of the owner if he’d seen a man fitting the description Onnika had given. The merchant had just shaken his head and then attempted to sell him, of all things, a protection charm. Amused, Aidan had seriously considered buying it for Onnika as a memento of their first meeting. Then the crowd began to stir with low murmurs that grew in the chattering excitement while an odd whisper of unease skated over his shoulders.
“What do you suppose has everyone riled up?” he asked the merchant, whose own curiosity had led him to follow Aidan out.
“Someone must have entered The Gauntlet,” the merchant replied. “See there? They’re flocking to the higher level for a better vantage.”
Sure enough, the lower level of the arena was thinning out. The best view would be from the second floor or higher.
Aidan scanned the bustling crowd, hoping to spot Onnika’s familiar white head, but he noticed with irritation that too many fans had bleached their hair to be as near in shade to hers as they could get, or perhaps were wearing synthetic wigs to achieve the desired look.
He reminded himself that she was no longer in danger. Those who hunted her were dead and gone. There was no reason for the palpitating dread that was accosting his heart. Yet he couldn’t shake it.
“There are two of them in there now!” someone hollered, and the commotion grew louder. That gave him a modicum of relief. A duo of competitors were attempting The Gauntlet together while Onnika still doggedly searched for the old man.
Motion from a high floor of the station caught his attention…
Bright lights reflected off the silver skin of a man who had leapt from the fifth floor. Aidan watched with his jaw slightly ajar as Asher fell through the air and landed on the base level in a crouched position, resulting in a resounding quake and the groan of metal bowing under him. The surrounding crowd screeched in fright and confusion, swiftly backing away. With barely a pause, Asher was up and racing toward the open door of The Gauntlet, his expression tight with aggression…and panic.
That sinking feeling plowed into Aidan’s chest once more, and he suddenly knew the identity of the contestants who’d entered that deathtrap.
He shot into action, racing for that opening as well, only a few yards behind Ash and closing fast.I have to get to her.Just as he felt burgeoning hope that they would make it in time, a stone slab crashed down in front of them and they both slammed into it, banging and clawing and bellowing.
It didn’t budge.
Aidan rushed the registrar and grabbed him by the neck. Wide eyed, the man yelped and put up his hands.
“Let them out,” he snarled, not recognizing his own voice…because he was on the verge of changing.
“I-I cannot, sir. I have no control over what goes on in there.”
“Who does?”
“The c-commissioners, I expect.”
From above, a great roar echoed through the space and multiple screams rang out. Apparently, Lear had finally figured out what was happening, had transformed into his dragon form, and was now perched on the edge of a seventh-floor balcony, staring down at The Gauntlet like it was his greatest enemy.
Aidan decided it was time to follow his prince’s example. He shoved the registrar away. “Then we’ll rip our way in.”
If Caryn hadn’t cried out, Onnika would have been a crispy critter. She’d jumped back a millisecond before that glowing tile had burst into a shooting fountain of flames. The heat was immeasurable, scalding even from where she now stood, plastered against the edge of the room on her tiptoes, terrified of the floor. What kind of hellish game had she just walked into?
Caryn, still standing motionless on her own tile, angled her body away from the heat so that her front was protected from the molten castoffs sizzling all around.
Finally, the flames died down and the tile was once more deceivingly innocuous. The air carried the bite of strong fuel, and the temperature had notched up several degrees.
“Caryn,” Onnika wheezed. “What are you thinking, coming in here?”
Caryn opened her mouth to respond, but a sudden thunderous noise shook the wall behind her. Onnika thought she heard someone—or several someones—yelling, but the thick stone muted it to mere babbling.
She glanced all around, trying to get her bearings. The room was of average size with four walls, that tiled floor, and a solid stone roof…or she thought it was stone at first. On a second examination, she could tell it was simply a simulated roof, comprised of either hologram tech or a giant screen. Cameras were probably set up all over the place in here, hidden in cracks. She imagined everyone watching having a grand ol’ time, while her and Caryn’s lives were on the line.
“It’s a maze,” Caryn finally explained. “They call it The Gauntlet.”
The ominous name sent icy shivers over Onnika’s shoulders.
“We need these vouchers,” Caryn continued. “I can get them. You weren’t supposed to be here.”
“You’re insane. You’ve been poisoned. You need to be in bed. All this exertion is going to make the poison spread through your system faster.”
