29. Chapter 28 #2
Maeve pursed her lips, as if she were chastising herself for not thinking of that, before holding out her hands toward the ground.
They each matched the stance, similar to when she and Ezra were by the lake, and moments later, swaths of sand swirled into the air.
They poured it through the top of the rock prison.
As it filled, the pounding grew frantic, and cracks appeared in the wall.
“Faster!” Ivy shouted. Her voice shook and tears welled.
She didn’t want to kill the creature, despite those being the rules of the exam.
Her heart actually grieved for the minotaur.
Its fate was dictated by others, with only one end in mind.
It didn’t ask to be shoved into a cage behind cold, stone walls.
She hoped it was only an illusion or a trick of the school’s magic.
They pushed harder. The sand flew furiously toward its destination, and Ivy squinted as it threatened to get in her eyes.
She tried to keep her focus on the top, where the orange glow of flames was dimming.
Then the fire died. They continued pouring sand for a few more minutes before finally dropping their spells.
They watched the wall in silence as trickles of sand fell from the cracks. The crowd made no noise, didn’t seem to move, as they all waited for any signs of life from the monster.
Cracking stone echoed through the stadium as the walls crumbled. Sand spilled out of the crevices and Ivy expected the suffocated body of the beast to be there. When it shattered, only a pile of sand and rock, which sank back into the ground, was left behind.
The trumpets rang out a victorious tune. The announcer removed the flag. “ROUND ONE IS FINISHED! THE MINOTAUR HAS BEEN SLAIN!”
The second round was as grueling as the first. Two cockatrices—horrifying half-bird, half-serpent creatures she’d only read about in mythology texts—came from the east and west gates, squawking and screeching as they flew out into the arena.
They had to keep their eyes averted from the beasts so as not to be turned to stone, which proved difficult when the damned winged creatures dove directly for them.
Once Maeve noticed a flicker of light reflecting off the zipper of her sweatshirt was enough to distract them, she turned her magic to the sun. Harnessing a beaming ray of light, she darted the glowing light around the ground until the cockatrices finally touched the earth.
That was when Ivy, Ezra, and Liam reached deep into the sand, calling to the roots buried deep in the ground to wrap around the creatures tightly, holding them in place.
As the monsters thrashed against their confines, she and Maeve created an illusion of a giant mirror in front of them.
Once they spotted themselves, they turned to stone and crumbled to dust.
By the last round, even Ivy and Ezra were nearly drained of their magic.
She drank her last potion before the third round began, replenishing maybe half of her energy.
She hoped it would be enough to push through.
A few clouds rolled in above them, casting shadows on the ground.
And through the last gate stalked out a giant hellhound.
Shadow curled from its coarse black fur. Its red glare glowed brightly as it snarled at them. Ivy swallowed roughly as she took in the size of the beast. One of its paws was likely as long as she was tall, and her mind flashed to an image of her bones crunching beneath its weight.
“Now we need water,” Liam said.
“Keep it busy ‘til those clouds have more moisture. I can’t create a storm from nothing,” Maeve muttered.
“Anyone pack some dog treats?” Ezra asked. The hound peered between them, as if contemplating who to eat first.
“Save the jokes for when we’re not the only meal on the menu,” Ivy said. “I have an idea, but it will require all my magic.”
“I’ll help you. Just tell me what you need,” Ezra said, his hand grasping hers. His magic wavered, the strong silk sensation only fluttering against hers like a weak breeze, and exhaustion lined his eyes. He reached for his last vial and tipped the liquid between his lips.
“Lend me your energy like you did in the first round,” she said.
“I’ll take care of the rest.” Ivy watched the hellhound.
It still hadn’t made its move. Instead, it was observing them, as if it were waiting for them to strike first. She wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. But it at least bought them time.
She looked at Liam. “Once I start my spell, do whatever it takes to keep him off us.” Ivy unclipped her belt and handed it to him. “Throw one of these at the ground ahead of us when I tell you to. And Maeve, try to reserve what magic you have left for the rain.”
Maeve nodded as Liam took the belt and clipped it around his waist. Ivy knelt on the ground, shaking as she moved her tired body, and she pressed both hands to the earth.
“Now!” she called out to Liam.
Glass shattered, and the hound growled as thick smoke filled the center of the area. Thuds of heavy footsteps pulsed beneath her open palms. Ezra gripped her shoulder tightly, letting his magic flow into her, and she breathed deeply.
I can do this, she told herself. Briar’s depending on it.
She forced her magic into the earth, squeezing her eyes shut as she visualized it weaving through the layers of dirt and rock beneath her. Once she located the roots she’d found in the second round, she began her chant.
“Grow tall and strong. Breathe life into this accursed world and bring it anew. Stretch into the sky and seek the sun. Protect us from the dangers of this barren plane, and we shall care for you as our forebears once did.”
A small sprig of green leaves sprouted from the sand. Another. And another. The hound barreled through the smoke, but Liam was already dashing around the field to distract it from what she was doing.
Ivy continued her chant. Over and over and over. Little by little, the sprouts turned into saplings, which turned into towering tropical trees, bushy ferns, monsteras, and lilies. The trees shook as the hellhound weaved through its new surroundings with difficulty.
“Holy shit,” Ezra gasped.
She panted, a tired smile stretching across her face as the increased humidity clung to her skin in tiny beads of water. “Maeve!” she called out, her voice weak.
“On it!” Maeve replied from nearby. Or far, she couldn’t tell anymore.
Ezra wrapped his arms around her, holding her snugly against him. But she was already fading, her mind somewhere between this moment and unconsciousness.
“Stay with me, snapdragon.” He might have said more, but a ringing in her ears drowned him out. Even the faint pulses of magic he flowed into her weren’t enough to pull her back from the edge.
She watched the hellhound stalk through the trunks and plants of the forest she had created. Rain pattered against the leaves above them before the sky opened into a downpour.
The hound whined as the water burned its skin, and the shadow dissipated slowly.
With each raindrop, the hound grew smaller and smaller until it was a pile of dark smoke clinging to the last bit of life it could.
And the last thing she saw in its depths was a small pair of deadly red eyes before her world went dark.