Chapter 29
Braxton
Luckily, Fintan woke Eliane and me early so we had time to change into our fighting leathers and get some weapons, not knowing what’s next. Eliane looks around amazed before she turns to me.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this place?” she asks. The place has pillars all around and bright light shines from everywhere, with the stone inner circle as a target. We follow the group and I answer, putting my hand in my pockets, but holding my chin high.
“I didn’t know this place existed.” I shrug. She cocks her head in surprise, but continues to follow everyone, strolling towards her friend Kailey.
“Where do those bruises come from?” Kailey asks worriedly, reminding me of the horror I put Eliane through last night. I point my ears to hear her answer, but I get distracted. Caleb slows his pace, coming shoulder to shoulder to me, clapping me on the back.
“Hey mate, at least Gwen is not bothering us anymore. Heard she can’t enter because of her failing the previous one,” he jokes.
I try to force a grin, but it must have looked more like a grimace.
“This place is insane, do you have any idea what is going to happen?” he asks.
I shake my head to answer. He is also wearing fighting leathers, but not everyone is.
Hazel wears her normal clothes and so does Ethan.
I stop as everyone circles around Zephron.
It is the first time I see him after Mom.
I think it is fair to say it is actually the first time since this trial I have really looked at him.
My brother has stubbles all over his chin and his dark hair is wild.
He has something in his eyes I didn’t catch before.
Something like a contradiction. He looks messed up, eyes red and droopy, eyebags so purple they look like bruises.
He still looks like a royalty though, way more than me that’s for sure.
Not a single tattoo covers his body for as far as I can see, while mine is covered in a mix of doodles and art.
As he turns around the circle the only moment the corner of his mouth lifts is when he reaches Hazel.
A blush cracks on her face as he shows his teeth to her.
I am standing next to her and that makes me next in the circle.
His gaze meets mine and I nod my head. It is the first kind of contact we make in a while.
“This is where the third trial will take place,” he announces, holding his arms wide.
“There will be people watching from here.” He clicks on a button on a controller and a white screen rolls down.
It is as huge as this place, and I would fit in it over 100 times.
“The king and audience will watch through your eyes and mind again. You will drink a new potion before the trial starts, that will sharpen your view.” He nods towards a guard standing behind him, handing us all a potion.
“The trial starts in two hours, so the potion will have time to work, to rework.” He looks down to his shoes before he speaks up again.
“In this trial you will take a seat in the chair standing under the screen. One of our people will slip into your mind and let you and your duo experience your biggest nightmare.”
He coughs, and his eyes meet mine. He holds my gaze for a moment before continuing, like he already knows what my nightmare will be about. “You will have to find your way out. The duo who does this the fastest wins.”
And that is all we get.
Eliane walks over to me and cheers her potion towards mine. We both knock them back at once.
Being backstage while being ready doesn’t help with the nerves. We can hear the people walking in and the audience becoming louder.
“How are we going to get out of there?” Eliane states.
She bows to grab a sword and hands it over to me.
I am not even sure she has all her powers back.
I really hope so. She will be okay if she doesn’t, though.
She is fierce, with or without her signet.
Her eyes aren’t as shimmery as normal, and darkness seems to have replaced the light, just like mine.
Like she is ready to fight. I take my jaw between my fingers as I take the swords from her.
She puts more daggers on her body, under her belts that cover her fighting leathers.
“I am not sure,” I answer, my mind spinning a 100 miles per hour. Her eyes wide, but she covers it fast and starts braiding her hair into a waterfall braid. Caleb hurries towards my brother behind Eliane, and I sharpen my ears hoping I will pick something up over their conversations.
“Can we die in there? Can other people die? Or is it just an illusion?” Caleb asks. A fair question to be honest. All my brother does is give him a nod and clap him on the shoulder. My gaze switches back to Eliane as she studies my face, tightening her belts.
“What can I expect?”
She pushes her shoulders back, stepping close to me.
What does she mean? What can I expect?
How should I know?
“Your dreams, Braxton,” she clarifies, clearly seeing or maybe even mind reading my confusion.
Before I can answer a shoulder brush against mine. I turn my head to see who it is.
Zephron nods his head forwards in an instruction to follow him.
“Later,” I tell Eliane. “I will tell you later.”
My head cocks in my brother’s direction who disappears behind a red curtain.
“Yes, now go follow him, please. I know you don’t go that well together, but it seems like he wants to talk to you,” she advises, smiling at me, but her smile does not reach her eyes the way it normally does. I nod my head and hurry after the man I used to call my brother.
I open the curtain, and behind it Zephron strolls around. He doesn’t notice me at first, his hand ruffling through his almost black hair. His green eyes meet mine.
A tart feeling wells up in my mouth and I have to urge to vomit. All I see as I look at him is the king when he was younger. And I hate the king for it.
I step closer to him, closing the distance between the two of us.
“Why did you want me to follow you?” I command. My voice is bitter about what happened between us.
“Because I know what your nightmare will be.” He shakes his head, like he doesn’t want to accept the truth, confirming my suspects.
He looks down at his feet, but my words force him to look up.
He might be my brother, but he let me suffer.
It wasn’t his job to care for me, but he really didn’t care.
The words fly out of my mouth in disgust as I spit them out.
“You have no idea what my nightmares are. You have no idea who I am.” I force my chin up. He steps closer and I step back, like we are dancing around each other.
“Dad is planning on something, something with this trial—something with your duo,” he whispers. This time I listen to his words, trying to not show my disgust as he gives the king the title I would have never given him.
“With Eliane?” My voice breaks.
He nods his head.
“I am not sure what, but I feel it is wrong, that he is planning on something evil. All I know is that it starts with her.” He shrugs his shoulders.
“How can you tell me this? What do you want me to do about it?” I meant to say the words softly, but I am yelling.
“You are my brother and you let me suffer. You always chose him, Zephron! Always him. You know what he did to me and now I am not there to torture so he tortures you!” I shout.
I bite my lip, trying to calm me down. He looks at me. Really looks at me.
“I am sorry.”
Words I never thought I would hear from him. Maybe when we were very young, but words don’t mean anything until they get meaning. “Then help me!” I scream. “Help me win this thing! Help me prove myself! Help me escape this nightmare!”
His eyes water and I know he knows I am not only referring to this trial.
“Find the one thing you love with everything you have and let that feeling in.”
It is all he says before walking out, leaving me completely shattered as I crash to the floor.