29
SCOTTY
From where I stand, I can’t see any of the members of my Bonded group, but their steady presence through Ezla’s open mind is reassuring.
“Are we ready?! I want you all to count down from fifteen with me!” The Showmaster’s voice echoes through The Dome.
Cool as a cucumber, Tiger replies. Then, Kind of. It looks really freakin’ creepy in here. Why’s it so . . . long?
Tate’s snort echoes through my mind. You know what else is long, Havoc—
Are you seriously thinking about your dick right now? Cooper’s words are incredulous.
My cock’s always thinking about Havoc.
That’s not even—
Shut up, Ezla hisses right as the audience’s chorused word shakes the arena:
“ZERO!”
“Let the Game begin!”
Fuck.
Imbeciles, my Bonded throws at the lot of us, and I honestly can’t blame her. Do you want to die? You must focus.
Sorry, my Havoc.
Hm.
Right, I say, getting us back on track as I warily step forwards, sliding one of my armoury sticks from my back. The raucous din of the crowd is stuffed in a jar at once as I cross the boundary into the maze.
The route to the middle is never simple, but in the way it’s only made of sky-high glossy black taalk, some might consider the contraption so; it’s pretty minimalistic like all other structures in Techta.
The top is open, no roof, so we have light to allow us to see by from the Avri brightening the arena as well as the energy on our suits, my dark green Avri illuminating the glinting walls either side of me.
But that doesn’t mean we can simply fly out—as well as an invisible barrier of Avri locking us in and blocking out any sounds outside the maze for our concentration, the use of our Avri pads is forbidden in this Game, and the price for breaking that rule has meant no one’s been stupid enough to ever try it .
. . not until a few over the years have reached a point of despair and attempted to escape on their jets, only for the Avri up there to singe them, burning them to nothing to have ashes raining down on the arena floor below.
So, Alby, I’ll try to find you first. Tiger, you look for Tate, I continue as I move further down the wide hall before me. Manifesting the Avri in my armoury sticks, I hear a faint flickering sound as a quiver of green-glowing arrows forms over my shoulder.
And me and Vengeance look for each other, Cooper fills in.
I nod even though he can’t see me, slowing when I reach the end of the hall.
Has everyone got their first choice to make on their first hall?
I ask, flicking my eyes left and right after I cautiously inch closer to the corner and press up against the wall on my right.
I’m not risking being so out in the open if there’s someone else nearby already.
Twelve opponents are quite a lot to worry about when we have no idea our way around and where on earth other Players are in relation to us.
No. Mine only goes to the left. Alby’s internal voice is full of nervousness and fear, and I hope the curse I want to let out can’t be heard through Ezla’s open mind.
He needs to be heading to the right to find me—that’s what we figured out when the Showmaster was going through his usual tedious speech.
When we arrived at the arena this time, we entered in a long line, with a Neutral guard assigned to each of us.
We were blindfolded as they took us to our separate maze entrances, which caused a bit of a .
. . moment with Tate when his assigned guard first tried to put the fabric over his eyes and he’d exploded, spitting mad and threatening all sorts of outlandish ways someone could harm another human being that I have no idea how he even came up with due to his inability to cope with the fact that his vision of our Bonded would be taken from him for any period of time.
He only stopped abruptly when my own guard along with a few others turned their full attention on him, hands moving to their hips where long white weapons called eliminators are always on full display that are designed to knock unruly Players right out.
For good. But I think his stopping had more to do with the simple “calm” Ezla sent his way than anything else.
After being split up and taken to our starting positions, my Neutral guard taking my blindfold off before leaving in a practiced walk without a word, I immediately projected the sight before and around me down the bond, scanning my surroundings, the side of the arena stretched out behind me, as inconspicuously as possible; it’s a huge advantage being able to send images down the bond, which is why I’m surer than ever that the Techtis Council is completely oblivious to the skill, and I don’t want to do anything that could possibly tip them off and bring down major consequences on us.
Ezla and my brothers did the same as soon as they reached their own destinations, and from there, we’d worked out each of our positions and their relations to each other, figuring out the best course of action from there.
Following our Bonded’s lead, we’d decided based on our proximity that Alby and I should try to find each other, then Tiger and Tate, and finally, Cooper and Ezla, as just mentioned.
So it’s really not fucking promising when Alby’s first turn forces him in the opposite direction to me. The closest to his left is Tiger, but we’d deduced that the gap between them was vast, which is what lead to Alby needing to find me rather than my blood brother to begin with.
Do not worry, Puppet. It is a maze, after all. Chin up. We knew this would not be simple.
I can almost hear his gulp from here. But he does ease slightly, calmed as always by Ezla. Yes, Ezla . . .
You’ve got this, Bestie! Tiger sends a moving picture through of him peeking around a glossy black corner and aims at Tate next, You’re this way, right, Tater Tot?
I don’t fuckin’ know. That looks the exact same as all the other halls.
Hmmmm . . .
Letting my curse find everyone this time, I move down the left hall, seeing the end of this one ends on a right angle to point me directly towards the middle of the maze. Please don’t tell me you’ve forgotten where you are in relation to your starting point already, Tiger.
I’m not sure. I just thought I’d keep going left.
And what way did you turn first?
Right.
Fuck’s sake!
There wasn’t another option! he insists vehemently.
You—
Do not argue, Ezla interrupts harshly. I think you are forgetting it is in my head that you are doing so. It is very loud. I must concentrate.
Guilt and concern crowd me instantly. Fuck, sorry, Love. I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t even think about that—
Me too! I’m sorry, Ezzy! I didn’t mean to mess this up already either—
The bond abruptly slams shut.
I stop dead in my tracks.
Heart in my throat, blood rushes through my ears in an overpowering rush all at once.
Ezla?! I call out for her. EZLA?!
No answer.
Fuck, fuck, fuck . . .
Spinning around, I break into a sprint without hesitation, backtracking—
Apologies. I needed concentration. I have just had a lovely interaction with Player 60.
An image of a mess of mushed-up organs, pools of blood, and ruby-red Avri mixed in with it all comes through. At the same time, that familiar robotic voice—the only sound other than the countdown when it reaches fifteen minutes to be allowed into this contraption—announces, “Player 60: Eliminated.”
I can’t even process the human remains as Ezla’s sudden return has me almost falling flat on my face when I come to an abrupt stop in the middle of the taalk hall. A frantic, discordant ruckus batters the bond from all sides in a heartbeat.
What the fuck, Vengeance?! I thought something had happened to you! Fucking started running like a madman!
Ezzy?! Ezzy, you’re okay?! I don’t know how to get to you!
Ezla! Oh god, I thought you’d—I thought you’d gone again!
Breathing pattern all over the place from the panic, I press a palm over my jack-hammering heart. Jesus Christ . . . Jesus fucking Christ, Love. Please give us a warning next time. Are you okay? No injuries?
Havoc, don’t do that to me. The rumbling voice almost seems to crack, even in Tate’s thoughts. Then he adds with an out-of-place bolt of arousal, But look at my fucking girl go. That’s so goddamn hot, Havoc—you got ‘em good.
To all of us, Ezla replies calmly, that gory sight now gone from my mind, I am perfectly well. It is insulting that you would think otherwise.
Love, we know you can handle yourself in a fight. But none of us have forgotten what Joseph’s been able to do over the weeks, especially with such easy access to you with his Avri in your face.
I was not in any pain.
That doesn’t fucking mean we shouldn’t worry!
Cooper seethes. You were gone for days, no presence!
Did we feel any pain from you? No. Were you fucking gone, with us wondering if we’d ever see your damn eyes again, hear your voice?
! Yes, you fucking were, Vengeance! And yes we did!
And it was torture! At least bloody warn us before you disappear on us—
I do not answer to you! Ezla explodes. I do what I wish! I will not be put in another cage—
That isn’t what I’m trying to do, Ezla! I’m not stopping you from doing anything, just asking for a simple fucking warning so we all know you’re okay before you close off the bond—
Both of you, stop arguing! Right now! I absolutely lose my shit. We’ll speak about this later. Now is not the time. We don’t have time for arguments when we only have an hour to get to the middle of this maze.
You are angry with me, Ezla observes. And yes, she’s got the bond back open, but she suppresses her emotions as she speaks, causing a flood of both pain and rage to come forth from my brothers, though the rage is mostly only from Cooper, with the rest from Tate, not aimed at Ezla but at the fact that he can’t feel her.