Chapter 20
“Sena, pick the team you’d like to work with,” Zane says, surprising all of us. I assumed I’d just have to go with my mates. But maybe—
Shadows quickly coil around me, dragging me backward into Knox’s arms while the rest of my mates step up beside me.
“She’s with us,” Malakai says, glaring over at the other team.
But none of them are bothered, and Zane nods agreeing with the decision.
I glare at Knox, silently demanding he let me go. Instead, the dick winks at me and tightens his shadows around me.
“Let me go,” I bite out.
With a deep sigh, he slowly releases me from his shadows before dragging his arms away like it pains him to do so.
I step away from him, earning myself a glare but ignore it to focus on Zane.
“There are three obstacles. One above in the trees. One on the river, and the last in a maze in the cave,” Zane says as Theo hands us all a small rectangular card. I turn it over to find a gold square and glance around at the others to find theirs have different colors on them.
Knox has green. Malakai gets red, Cyrus ends up with black, and Theon has blue.
While Finn gets orange, Lucas purple, Striker Silver and Nash white.
“Each of you must collect the colored star in each of the obstacles. So three stars in total. Your own team can help one another but no powers are allowed,” Zane gives us all a look of warning. “There will be eyes on you all. So, if you do use them, you’re instantly disqualified.”
“No other rules?” Finn asks.
Zane shakes his head. “None.”
Finn shares a savage grin with his team. And I just know he will try to sabotage and cheat.
“The cave system will bring you back around this way.” Zane points over to a well-concealed large mound of rock to the left of us.
“If both teams make it back in time, there will be a fight with abilities and skills.”
Theo gives us all a look that reminds me so much of Knox right before he does something to piss me off.
“Oh, and you only have three hours to make it back here with all of your stars.” He smirks. “I’d advise you all to hurry.”
We rush through the forest until we find the wooden structure above. Grabbing my small daggers from my side, I slam them into the trunk of the tree and use them to help climb up to one of the dozens of small, tight platforms around the tops of the trees.
Before I reach the top, I glance over at my mates and watch as they use their hands to carve small holes in the wood, moving up it like it’s nothing.
Shaking my head, I try not to get too distracted by their good genetics and push myself harder.
Once I’m on one of the small platforms, my eyes find the other team as Lucas makes his way to wooden steps that look like a death trap.
The steps have wide gaps with no guardrails.
Each step sways and shakes with even the slightest of movements.
It leads to a larger platform with trees weaving in and around it before continuing to a path of hanging ropes that span out to reach a wooden wall built between the thick trees.
I try not to think about falling to my death as I rush after him, moving as quickly as possible to make it to the other side.
Once I’m on the larger wooden platform, I start to make my way toward the hanging rope, but I pause at the sound of movement behind me.
Turning around, I move around the trees only to find Lucas bent down over the end of the wooden steps just as he slices off the end of the rope.
My heart drops when I spot Theon a few steps away from its end.
Lucas rushes past me as I dive to the edge of the platform as the bridge starts to fall.
Theon moves quick and runs and jumps. His hand skims the edge of the platform, and I grab ahold of it, gripping it like a lifeline.
He manages to get another hand up and I help him as he pulls himself up and over the rest of the way.
Once he’s up, he immediately grabs me and pulls me into him as if he’s the one comforting me instead of the other way around. It takes me a minute to realize he’s safe, and it’s only when the shock slowly fades do I realize how badly my body is trembling.
“I’m okay,” he whispers. “I’m here.” He runs his hands up and down my back, soothing me until the shakes stop and my racing heart slows down.
I’m supposed to be mad at the dickhead, but my heart doesn’t want to listen right now. Especially when I replay over and over in my mind the thought of him falling to his death and never seeing him again.
My chest grows tight at the thought.
I eventually drag myself away from him and catch his frown but direct my gaze at the others as they run and jump to effortlessly land beside us.
I ignore them all and try to shake off the last of my shock and fear as I make my move around the trees and head to the long path of ropes.
“Climb on my back and I’ll—” Theon starts but I make a run and jump for it, catching a reel of curses from behind me as I grab the nearest rope and swing forward.
Using my body weight, I swing backward before moving forward and catch the next rope. My hands burn and start to bleed from the coarse rope, and a bolt of panic rushes through me when I realize my blood is gold.
My gaze finds the rope and the red blood. Relief fills me when I realize I’m wearing the pendant Cassius gave me, and it’s somehow managing to conceal my gold blood. Just like Levington said it would.
I shove the spike of fear and burning along my palms to the back of my mind and keep moving. Theon is right behind me with Malakai on his tail. Cyrus is close too, but there’s no sign of Knox.
I glance back to see Striker and Nash finally reach the platform, Knox is still on it and looks over at Finn just as he reaches the tall floating wall between the trees in front of us.
Knox gives him a savage smirk. Right before he shoves Nash straight off the platform.
Finn jerks, his eyes wide. But Striker quickly dives and catches Nash’s foot with a grunt and glare toward Knox.
I stare over at Finn as I get closer to the end of the wall. He and Lucas are halfway up to the stars. Once they see Nash is okay, they continue to the top and grab their stars.
There’s one winding rope hanging from the tree beside them. Finn grabs a hold of it first and jumps, landing on his feet before letting the rope go. It springs back up and Finn takes it, following down after him.
Before they leave, I catch the glare Finn directs at me. It tells me he will make sure this test is a lot harder than it has to be.
I shove it to the back of my mind and quickly glance around at the others making sure they’re all safe and moving.
My hands are shaking and still bleeding, but I push forward, my focus on that last rope and with one last swing, I make it to the end of the floating wall and get climbing up it to where my golden star gleams off the sunlight.
A rush of adrenaline floods my body as I reach for my star and start to untie the small rope around it. I survey the forest beneath me, and spot Finn and Lucas at the edge of the river. There’s some structure on it but I’m too far away to make out what it is.
I pocket my star when a glint catches my eye, and I find myself staring at the long, white structure Levington pointed out earlier. It climbs up into the sky before disappearing into the clouds.
How on earth did I not see it before? It’s enormous. Seconds later, it starts to shimmer and soon completely disappears.
Distracted while wondering what else it’s used for, I don’t feel Theon until he’s beside me, grabbing his star to untie it.
“Sena—”
I reach for the rope and wind my hand around it.
“Wait—” Theon starts but I don’t give myself time to think about what I’m about to do before jumping.
I hear another reel of curses as I grip the rope and fall, passing three angry faces on my way. My stomach dips but exhilaration quickly floods my veins.
My feet hit the ground, and I let go of the rope. It quickly springs back up, and Theon grabs it and jumps, landing beside me before I make any progress to move toward the river.
He grabs my hands, a deep frown forming when he sees the long raw scratches and bloody streaks.
I try to tug them back to me, but his grip tightens.
“Let me heal them,” he says just as I finally manage to tug them out of his grip.
“You can’t. The rules, remember? No powers or we’re disqualified,” I remind him. There’s no way I’m letting him chance it for a few cuts and scrapes.
But from his deepening frown, you’d think my hands were practically falling off.
Malakai lands beside us and a minute later, so does Cyrus.
Theon tells them about my hands, but I ignore them and watch Knox land before turning and making my way toward the river.
“Sena, stop…” Cyrus says, but I don’t. Instead, I quicken my pace.
“I’m going to the Hollow whether you like it or not,” I grit out, reminding myself what’s at stake.
I need to go to the Hollow. Everything inside me tells me that I need to be there. That this can all end. All the killing. The war. Everything.
“If that’s what you really want, then we’ll support you. But we’ll be right there beside you,” Theon sighs. “We just want you to talk to us.”
“Fucking let us in,” Knox begs, but it only makes me angrier.
“Let you in when you all froze me out?” I ask, spotting the river just down from us.
“Look, we realize now how much we fucked this all up,” Malakai says. “We know that. But—”
I stop and turn around to face them. “It doesn’t matter what you say. Each of you have proved to me that none of you have my back when it truly matters. I had enough people like that growing up, I don’t need another four.”
Four shocked and hurt expressions stare back at me. My heart drops, but I shove it away, turning when Malakai steps in front of me and stares at me like I’m his entire world.
“Then we’ll prove you wrong,” he vows. “We always have your back, baby. No matter what.”
I open my mouth to tell him he already proved the opposite but think better of it and get moving.
Striker and Nash are already making their way down here, and we’re running out of time.
I come to the edge of the river and find the next obstacle we need to make across to reach the other side.
The width of the river we have to cross is over a hundred meters. The water itself is treacherous with a powerful current that drags everything toward a waterfall.
Small blocks make a path, but each one appears to be anchored by the smallest piece of rope available. And each block moves with every ripple from the current, making the path across hazardous.
I spot the small stars at the sides of different steps along the path and eventually find mine in one of the farthest steps across from us.
Lucas and Finn are nowhere to be seen. I don’t know whether to be happy they’re not here to sabotage us, or angry they’re ahead of us.
“Be careful,” Cyrus says, but I drown out everyone as I move to the first step. The water is deep and moving fast but the step below me holds steady.
I move to the next one and then the next, only focusing on the path in front of me and my star.
After what feels like ages, I finally reach it and try to balance before bending down and untying it. Quickly pocketing it with my other star, I hear a shout from behind.
I turn to make sure the four dickheads are okay when the step below me becomes unsteady. A snap sounds out, and I whip around to find Finn at the other side of the river, dagger in hand and vicious grin on his face.
I don’t get the chance to be pissed off before the step gives way and I plummet into the river.