23
Hazi runs the boar through again, holding it to the ground. “Go!” he hisses. Veronia and I hesitate, neither of us wanting to leave him here alone, but Hazi insists. “I’ll be right behind you.”
I take off, spear at the ready.
Veronia falls into step beside me. “Where’s Torsten?” she asks.
“I don’t know.” Don’t care.
We rush between the trees, upsetting the fog that’s already devoured August’s trail and settled again. A branch cracks overhead as a woman leaps from a tree and onto Veronia’s back, tackling her to the forest floor.
The veins under her eyes are sooty. I can’t hit her like Hazi did the other infected man without hitting Veronia. I consider it, though, then grab a handful of the woman’s red hair and try to wrench her off. The crazed woman snaps and gnashes her teeth at me.
Veronia throws her weight to the side, rolling them both until she’s on top and straddling the woman. As the woman tries to bite her, she holds her head to the ground.
“Kill her!” Veronia screams. “Use your spear.”
But killing her won’t help. It didn’t stop the boar. And I don’t want this woman’s blood on my hands, or people blaming me for her death when the gods are the ones who caused it.
I grab the obsidian end of my spear and drag it across the back of her heel. With a pained howl, the infected woman writhes in pain and stops biting at Veronia long enough for her to extricate herself.
“Callalie!” Hazi shouts from behind us. “Veronia!”
“Over here!” I yell.
“Hazi!” Veronia reaches out as he almost runs past us.
The spear he’d been using is gone. His golden blade is back in the baldric across his chest. He gawks at the sobbing woman lying on the ground as we start to run. “What happened?”
“Callalie cut her Achilles heel,” Veronia supplies, glancing uneasily at her friend.
“To stop her from coming after us again. And to keep her from biting you,” I aim at Veronia.
He nods. “I’ll try it on the boar next time, if it finds another way to come after us. Right now, it’s pinned. I’m worried it will eventually work the branch free, though. The moss is so thick and the ground so full of roots, I don’t know how deep I was able to drive it.”
“It bought us time,” I tell him.
“Callalie!” a familiar voice calls from far away.
“August!”
I push faster, hurrying toward Aymes, who keeps calling my name, drawing to an abrupt stop when from behind a broad tree, Torsten steps into my path. A symbol is cut into his forehead. Blood from it has run down his eyelids and onto his cheeks. The blood is dry despite the cloying mist.
When he sees me studying the mark, he gives his friends a feral grin, and in his thick accent, says, “Well done.”
I look from Veronia, who wears a victorious smile, to Hazi.
And… my stomach drops.
Torsten’s eyes slip to Veronia. “The portal is that way. It’s not far. Go.”
“But…” She hesitates, cutting her eyes to me.
“What did I say?” he snarls, taking an aggressive step toward her.
She flinches before reluctantly jogging in the direction he told her to go.
I blow out a frustrated breath. Torsten’s allies have been working this whole time to separate me from mine, and I ran right into their trap. A trap the gods helped set, since the divine architects decided where we were dropped and near whom.
I start to raise my makeshift weapon, but Torsten notices. The tip of his stolen golden sword pierces my bodysuit and shallowly slits the skin covering my heart.
I hiss from the sting.
If Aymes is close, he’ll come to my aid. “Aug—”
Torsten slices upward. The blade cuts into the underside of my chin, severing my words. A stream of warm blood trickles down my neck.
“None of that.” The Norseman’s nostrils flare as he stares me down.
My chest rises and crashes, breath rushing in and out. If I didn’t think he’d run me through, I’d make fun of his still-puffy, crooked nose.
As if he knows what I’m thinking, he bares his teeth and lifts my chin a fraction higher with the blade.
“Let her go,” Hazi says so casually, I shift my eyes to try to see him better.
Torsten sneers, “Why would I do that?”
Hazi eases the curved golden dagger from his baldric. “Because you’re not going to kill her.”
“We’re allies.” The Norseman stares at Hazi, a warning in his eyes.
“Not anymore.” Hazi spits on the ground at Torsten’s feet.
“Is that so?” comes a gruff masculine voice.
Hazi grunts as Kallik, championed by Nanook of the Inuit pantheon, pulls his shoulder back. A knife glints as he presses the tip into his spine.
I look at Hazi, expecting his fear to match mine, but Hazi isn’t afraid.
He gives me a cunning smile and twists out of Kallik’s grip so fast, he becomes nothing but a blur of purple.
Hazi slams a hand down on Kallik’s wrist, forcing the man to drop the blade.
Hazi catches it by the handle and stabs Torsten in the hand he holds the sword with, jerking it free again.
Torsten’s sword falls to the ground and he clutches the wounded hand to his chest, bellowing and cursing Hazi. “Backstabbing bastard!”
I dip down and pick up his fallen blade, turning it on a stunned Kallik.
Torsten flexes his hand, still roaring. The stab wound goes all the way through to the other side.
Hazi grabs my elbow and tells me to come with him. We use the fog to our advantage, concealing our path as Aymes still shouts my name in the distance.
The forest gives way to a wheat field with healthy stalks striking mid-thigh. A path has been trampled through it, and I smile when I realize it leads to a glowing portal.
August runs to intercept us, sharpened branch ready.
“Run!” I motion wildly.
“They’re right behind you!” he yells, waving us on. “Come on!”
I pump my arms, obsidian spear in one hand and Torsten’s golden sword in the other.
“Drop that sword, bitch!” Torsten seethes as he and Kallik tear through the field on our heels, panting and snuffling like the boar we just put down – twice.
“Into the portal!” August shouts, urging us on. “Go, go, go!”
Hazi and I run into the churning gold at full speed and crash into the sand of the arena. I land on my side, somehow managing not to lose either weapon or impale myself.
I get up as fast as I can and hurry to Koda. Elias sits at his side, supporting him upright, while Niall stands over them both, clutching the spear protectively. “You okay, friend?”
Koda gives a weary smile. “I’m here, Callalie. Thanks to you all.”
“Oh good, you got my sword back,” Elias drawls. He scowls when I ease it away from him.
I’m not sure I’m giving it back. August needs a weapon, and I’d rather arm him than the Greek who still has mixed emotions about killing me.
Niall stares at the portal, his brows furrowed. “Where’s August? I thought he’d be right behind you.”
Hazi joins our group, but he wisely keeps his distance, like he’s not sure if he’ll be welcome.
Niall raises a brow at his presence but continues. “He carried Koda into the arena, then went back for you.”
Fear squeezes my heart. “How did he know it would take him into the trial again? How does he know it’ll work for him twice?”
Elias winces. “I don’t know, but I don’t think that’s what he was worried about.”
“But the gods might –” I let out a low curse when August calmly emerges again.
He doesn’t seem to be hurt. I blink, wondering why he’s wearing a devious grin.
Where are Torsten and Kallik?
Hazi knocks the grit off his arms and clothes and shrugs a shoulder at me.
When Torsten and Kallik finally tear through the portal a few breaths later, both of them are limping. Torsten’s palm sprinkles the sand crimson as he staggers to a stop.
“What did you do to them?” Hazi asks August, smiling appreciatively, hands on his slender hips as he works to calm his breathing.
August smiles innocently as he strolls toward us, but there’s a sinister glimmer in his eyes. Amused, but sinister.
With a bloodthirsty growl, Torsten rushes toward August with his bloody fists raised, despite August’s back being turned. He makes it two steps before the tip of my sword dents the Norseman’s stomach. He sucks in a breath when I step closer, repaying him for the wound on my chest and neck.
“Touch him, and I’ll run you through. Bitch.” I keep my eyes on him as the crowd erupts.
Fists pump to the chanting that begins… “Bitch. Bitch. Bitch.”
It spreads through the entire arena like wildfire until it sounds like every mortal in the stands has joined in the anthem.
A muscle bounces in Torsten’s jaw as he lifts his hands and backs away, but the stare he gives promises I’ll pay – not only for taking his weapon, but for humiliating him.
Freyja stands and stalks out of the divine box.
Torsten raises his voice so I can hear him above the din. “Enjoy it while you can. They’ll chant for your death when you finish the final trial championless.”
I smile brightly, cup a hand to my ear, and wave for the crowd to get louder. They eagerly rise to the occasion.
Veronia circles the arena to join her allies. She and Kallik lead Torsten across to a safer spot, where they work on binding his wound. Freyja could heal him if she wanted. How can she expect bravery from her mortal when she, as his champion, won’t stand up to Ares?
I jab my weapons into the sand, then jump into August’s arms. He catches me, not even rocking backward and holds me tight to him. I pull back to clasp his face. “You went back for us?”
His blue eyes fasten onto mine. “I went back for you,” he breathes.
I hug him again. Fiercely. Until the fear climbing up my throat settles back down. “Thank you.” I lower my legs and slide down his body.
His eyes flick to my mouth.
Mine goes dry.
With an ornery grin, my ally bows like a gentleman and offers his hand like we’re at a ball and not standing in the middle of hell. I take it.
August Aymes pulls me in close and holds my eyes as he starts to sway. I sway with him. He hums a song I’ve never heard but want to learn. Then he winks and spins me away, sand flying from my steps as he reels me back in. And when he dips me…
When he dips me…