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He has Mama’s magic. He has her magic, and I have nothing.
Another zap and a crackle buzzes between his palms as he glances around the rock at the searching siren, who is looking around in confusion for him. Before the monster can locate her prey, Sebastian spins from behind the rock and thrusts his hands in her direction. Thunder rumbles around the room as a zap of lightning hits the water, making the siren scream in pain before the bolt hits her directly.
The water disappears completely, the siren along with it, and the unmistakable rupture of applause consumes the room as Sebastian throws his hands up in the air in victory.
Motherfucker.
Brax removes his hands from my ears as my pulse throbs so prominently I’m sure my eardrums are going to burst.
Somehow, Sebastian manages to find me in the crowd and a smile spreads across his face as he makes a show of slicing his hand over his neck. I don’t react. I just stare him down.
He’s not wrong. Not one bit.
He’s the winner and I’m about to sign my life away to a cause I don’t even understand.
19
ZANE
Monday passed in a blur. Tuesday saw the third years finish and the second years take to the pits. They dwindled into Wednesday, rounding out the day with the final second-year student dying at the hands of the pit, and now it’s Thursday, also known as first-year day.
With every passing moment, the anticipation among the first years has only grown. But today, sitting around the pit like we have every other day this week, it feels even more heavy and fearful.
“Janica Feron, Victor Walton, and Rufus Meadows.” Professor Burton reads out the last of the students who didn’t make it out of the pits yesterday.
This Gauntlet has cost more lives than I expected and the amateurs haven’t even had a turn yet. Thirteen third years are dead. Just like that. And nineteen second years, bringing our death toll to thirty-two. I get the feeling it will be over fifty by the time we’re done. The years prior to us have had far more training with their magic than we have and we’re expected to compete at their level.
It’s surreal.
Professor Burton rambles his usual shit before spouting the same line he ends with every time he talks. I won’t repeat it. I never have. I don’t really understand what he means by it and I sure as hell am not chanting random words for the sake of it.
His projection disappears and the professor at the pit starts to rattle off some details. The pool of water at the far left of the pit keeps capturing my attention as I try to imagine what it will feel like to be in there with a siren. Every time one has been destroyed, another is summoned in its place—a deadly, never-ending cycle.
If I never see another scaled beauty in my life, it will still be too soon.
Raven’s thigh brushes against mine, pulling me from my thoughts. She’s murmuring about something with Leila, who sits on her other side. Brax is behind Raven again, Creed in front of her, and Eldon on the other side of Leila. It’s weird suddenly spreading ourselves out like this to protect someone, but it’s also the most natural thing I’ve ever done.
I can’t explain the how or why; if I asked the others, I’m sure they would be as confused as I am.
My hand instinctively moves to Raven’s knee, my thumb brushing back and forth over her ridiculously soft skin. She peers up at me with a faint smile before returning her attention to her friend until the professor by the pits speaks.
“First years, the final two days of the Gauntlet are now for you, and we’re going to begin with…” She looks down at the paper in her hands, trailing her finger over the sheet as everyone holds their breath. “Eldon Rhodes.”
“What? No,” Raven whispers with a gasp, her body stiffening as she turns to look at Eldon, just as everyone else in the arena does.
He stands, a smirk plastered on his face as it always is as he leans over Leila to grab Raven’s chin, and then his lips are claiming hers. Lucky fucker. Raven is left gaping at him as he retreats and saunters down the steps like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
Raven’s hand falls to my lap and I place my hand on top of hers as her breaths come in short and shallow gasps.
“You’ve got this, Eldon. I love you.”
I frown, as does Raven, until Leila points a few rows ahead of us. “It’s Genie.”
As expected, I find her making a spectacle of herself as she tries for Eldon’s attention.
He doesn’t even glance in her direction as he searches out Raven again. With a quick wink, he points at her before heading around the domed pit to where the professor waits.
Peeking at Raven at my side, I find her cheeks rosy-pink and it makes me grin.
