AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Take your seats," Isaac announced. "Let’s go over the rules for this game. Two shots will be placed at each table. You both drink, and if anyone throws up, faints, or starts coughing too hard, they're out." He paused, glancing around at the nervous faces of his friends. "We've also got to be done before midnight so the food doesn't go cold."
The atmosphere in the room changed almost immediately as everyone shuffled around and took their places. I soon found myself seated across from a young man who looked like he was from the Segunda Isla with his tall brow and narrow nose. My foot tapped against something, and I looked down to see a bucket. When I looked back up at my partner, he narrowed his eyes at me while laughter filled the space when Isaac darted to his chair.
“¡Salud!” Isaac said, lifting his glass towards us before taking his first poisoned sip.
The sick irony of yelling "health" while people raised their glasses to death made my stomach twist. These people were unbelievable, foreign beings.
The young man in front of me shifted, and I looked at the place card with his name on it. "Buena suerte, Mani."
He nodded once, then picked up the knife with one hand while taking a shot with the other. It took me a second to realize I was the only one who hadn't drunk.
I quickly tipped back my drink and almost instantly felt nauseous. My body trembled, and the urge to vomit increased.
The man before me had already sliced his finger to heal, so I quickly followed suit. Earlier, it had been hard for me to heal. I couldn’t imagine that would have gotten better by now. But, to my surprise, intense power overwhelmed me, and I went gold. Liliana must’ve gotten the hang of helping me. The gasp that rippled through the crowd made me uncomfortable, especially since it was accompanied by coughing fits.
Unfortunately, the young man in front of me violently bent over and was sick into one of the buckets. The sound was disgusting, and the accompanying smell made me want to curl into a ball.
Were we supposed to eat in this room?
I bolted upright, and two Trabajadores came; one to collect my companion while the other sent me to a new table.
Isaac had a sheen of sweat over his face, but he grinned. "Any guesses about that one?” he called out.
"Thallium!" someone shouted, and Isaac smiled.
"Eso, Charly," he called back.
What the hell was Thallium? I was in agony. This week needed to be over.
Three more rounds of the same horrible game passed, one with Ethyl alcohol, the other with a large glass of mercury, and the final with arsenic. The names hadn't come organically to me. People shouted them out by taste and symptoms. Why hadn't anyone prepared me for this?
They hated me. As soon as I approached, my partner blanched. The awareness that my power far exceeded my opponents' capabilities seemed to linger between us. Each round brought new challengers: those who felt they had a chance against me only to be proven wrong; those who saw my strength as an opportunity to gain fame; those who felt empowered despite knowing I'd always be victorious; and those who just wanted to watch one last fight before calling it a night.
I couldn't help but feel like some kind of circus freak on display for everyone's entertainment, yet I gritted my teeth, determined not to show any sign of weakness.
I won each time, increasingly more repulsed by the game. People looked at me like I had an unfair advantage. I imagined I did as the glow of my skin lit up the room. I hated being gold for so long.
Thank goodness we only had two rounds left.
It hurt me to realize it, but I could see that being on an empty stomach was a positive point in this total nightmare.
I braced myself for what was to come, unsure of who would be my next opponent, while they put down two small shot glasses of something that resembled red wine. My heart sank when I saw Santiago's face.
"No," I breathed, and he shook his head. No one was dead yet, but several losers had been escorted away.
He shook his head at me. "Don't worry about me. I'm smart, and I have a reason to be careful." Even though he said it, I could see the toll this was taking on his system. Everyone was tired, and their magic waned. I had no doubt that the Key Bearers were very busy tonight.
Even I was sweating.
Leaning forward, I said, “Please don’t tell Magda about this. I can’t help you here.”
He smirked. “I won’t say a word.”
The air was wretched, and the fire had become uncomfortably sweltering, but I raised my glass in time with Santiago and said, "Salud!" before drinking it all in one gulp. It was bitter and acidic on my tongue, yet I kept it down without reaching for my bucket.
Santiago gave me a look of approval and then drank. He closed his eyes, wincing and making an ugly sound the moment his glass was empty.
His whole body shuddered as he put his glass down, but he gave me a peculiar look. Even though he was suffering, he didn't pick up the knife until after I had.
