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“You can help yourself and stay the fuck away from what’s mine.”
I had a feeling something like this would happen after the way she stared at me in the courtyard, but a part of me thought she might be a little more worried about our fates instead. Apparently, she’s more obsessed with the Bishops than I thought. Unluckily for her, I’m a hardcore petty bitch.
“I’m going to cut to the chase and assume you mean the Bishops, right?” She sneers at me as I take a step toward her. “They were never yours. The quicker you realize that, the easier all of this will be on you.” I smile sweetly before shouldering past her. I count in my head, and when I get to three, her retaliation comes in the form of a fist in my ponytail.
“Listen here, bitch,” she hisses, yanking me back as the room quiets. I drop my body and spin, just like I’ve done many times before, and drive my shoulder into her gut, making her stumble back.
Genie’s hold on me loosens as her back hits the floor and I grin like a mad woman as I hover over her. “What did you say,bitch?” Her nostrils flare as she looks up at me.
Rising to my full height, I step back to let her stand. The girls move around me, creating a makeshift circle, but as soon as Genie is on her feet, a professor I haven’t seen before steps between us.
“I don’t care what your issues are; save your energy for what actually matters. If you’re not ready, the Gauntlet will claim you without even caring for your name.”
18
RAVEN
Still biting my tongue to not react to Genie, I heed the professor’s warning and follow everyone else outside. The girls seem to give me an extra wide berth but I don’t take offense to it. Once we’re through the doors, we mingle with the guys leaving their locker room all heading in the same direction.
A hand on my shoulder startles me and I turn back to see it’s Creed.
“Don’t startle me like that. I almost hit you,” I grumble, falling into step with him as the others emerge from the crowd.
“What took so long in there?”
I roll my eyes. “Genie happened.”
“What did she do?”
“Nothing. I can take care of myself,” I reply, shaking my head dismissively. I do not need these guys thinking I need their protection every moment of the day. I’m prepared for some backlash but, to my surprise, he lets it drop. “Where are we going for the Gauntlet?” I ask as the crowd moves outside.
“The arena.”
Since when has there been an arena? I really need to explore this place instead of just bouncing between my room and class. Only knowing what falls in my direct path isn’t giving me the upper hand, especially in comparison to how it was back in Shadowmoor. I had learned every trail, every hiding spot, every loose bit of pathing. All of it. But here, I seem to be in some kind of imaginary security blanket where none of that stuff matters.
If I survive this test, I need to change that.
The sea of people thins out a little as the pathway widens. I feel fingers brush against mine, and my body instinctively reacts, taking the hand at my right that my gut knows belongs to Zane. A quick glance in his direction confirms it and a pleased smile is evident on his face.
I have no idea what I’m doing, this isn’t me at all, but I’m enjoying it too much to stop.
Veering to the left, my steps slow as a vast stone building comes into view at the end of the walkway. I try to recall if I’ve been down here before or not, but either way, it’s standing obnoxiously in the middle of the grounds regardless of my memory of it.
“When we’re in there, I need you to stay as close to us as possible. I don’t anticipate them splitting us into genders, more likely year groups, so we can keep you safe,” Creed murmurs against my ear. His voice is raspy, the resounding ripple like electricity zapping across my skin. Maybe it feels more intense because he seems the quietest out of the four of them.
“Keep me safe from what? I should be fine spectating. It’sinthe Gauntlet I should be most concerned, right?”
“You say that like you don’t have targets on your back from both Sebastian and Genie. One of those is because of us and we won’t let anything happen to you.”
My eyebrows pinch in confusion, a refusal on the tip of my tongue, but we approach the open archway into the stone arena and I’m completely distracted.
A black dome replaces the bright-blue sky as we enter the arena. Torches burn every few feet, illuminating the entire space, and row upon row of tiered seats overlook the middle pit. When I move my head slightly, I notice an iridescent glow over it—an invisible mini dome hovers above the center, separating the action from the spectators.
“First years to the right. Second years to the left, and third years make your way to the bottom, go around the dome and fill the middle block of seating.” I have no idea where the instructions are coming from, but I follow their order.
Zane tightens his hold on my hand, leading the way as Creed remains closer to my back. I search the crowd, hoping to see Leila, but she’s nowhere to be found. Worry forms in my gut but I cling to the fact that she was with her father. She’ll be okay.
Coming to the end of a row, Zane takes the next available seat and I drop down beside him. Creed shuffles into my left side while Eldon leaps forward and takes a spot directly in front of me.
