Page 108 of Forsaken Oath

My mind races as I speed down the narrow dirt path, trying to picture the maze’s layout in my head. The corn blurs past my windows, an endless sea of green and gold. I strain my ears, listening for the telltale roar of engines over the growl of my own car. But all I hear is the rush of wind and the crunch of dirt beneath my tires.

Worry gnaws at my gut as I think of Beau, of losing sight of his taillights in the chaos. Is he looking for me too? Or is he focused on the race, on securing his own spot?

I dismiss the thought as quickly as it comes. Even in the short time I’ve known him, I’ve seen the depth of his loyalty, the fierceness of his protectiveness. The way he looks at me sometimes, like I’m something precious, something to be cherished and guarded at all costs . . . it steals my breath and makes my heart race in a way that has nothing to do with the adrenaline of the race.

No, Beau would look for me. I know it in my bones, in the deepest chambers of my heart. If he said he wanted me to stick close, he wouldn’t leave me behind, not willingly.

I force all thoughts of him out of my mind and focus on driving, praying I’m going in the right direction. Thank god there’s not a time limit on this race because I have no idea where I am and how close—or far—away from the end I am.

The path ahead of me curves sharply to the left, and I yank the wheel just in time, my tires skidding across the dirt. My car fishtails for a heart-stopping second before I regain control, the smell of burnt rubber filling the cab.

I let out a shaky breath, adrenaline singing in my veins. I turn the volume up and let the feminine vocals wrap around the tattered ends of my nerves.

The path winds on, each turn revealing more endless walls of corn rather than a way out. Frustration mounts as the minutes stretch on, with no sign of the other racers or the end of the maze. I’m flying blind, with no way to tell if I’m even going in the right direction anymore.

Time ticks down, an invisible but persistent countdown. A warm flush rolls over me, and I flick on the A/C.

A flash of red surprises me on my right, a cruel reminder that I’m not alone in this labyrinth.

My headlights illuminate a brief clearing, a wide patch of dirt where several paths converge. I glance at the GPS—still within bounds. But which path leads forward?

“Think, Eloise.Think.”

I grit my teeth and veer right, tires clawing at the dirt as I throw everything into this gamble. The corn swallows me again, the tight path narrowing, the leaves scraping against the sides of my car like whispered taunts.

The track dips suddenly, and my stomach drops as I fly over a small ridge. The suspension groans on impact, the jolt rattling my teeth. I grip the wheel tighter, steadying the car as it hurdles forward.

My pulse thrums in my ears as I glance at the rearview mirror and see headlights. My foot eases up for a moment, when I think it’s Beau. But once the headlights get closer, I realize with dread it’s not him.

I don’t know who it is, and everyone’s warnings about the Gauntlet fly through my mind like a macabre highlight reel. Sabotage, wrecks, drivers playing dirty to get ahead.

The headlights grow brighter in my rearview mirror as the car behind me gains ground. My heart races as I try to placethe vehicle, but in the shadowy half-light filtering through the cornstalks, it’s impossible to make out any defining features.

All I know is that it’s not Beau’s distinctive Hellcat on my tail.

I press my foot down on the accelerator, coaxing every ounce of speed from my little car as the path twists and turns ahead. The corn blurs past, a disorienting wall of green and gold.

Ahead, the corn parts for another clearing, this one framed by dark trees. The light shifts as I race into the wooded section, the sun filtering through the canopy in fractured beams that streak across my windshield. The dirt track narrows even further, gnarled roots snaking across the surface like tripwires.

“Shit!” I slam the brakes as a root juts up like a trap, swerving hard to avoid it. The car wobbles, the tires catching the edge of the track, but I manage to straighten out.

The woods seem alive, the shadows closing in, the underbrush trembling with unseen movement. Every instinct in my body screams to slow down, to be cautious, but I know better. Speed is my only ally here.

A flash of metal in the distance catches my eye. Another car? Some kind of sabotage? My grip tightens, and I push the gas harder, my heart pounding like a war drum.

I glance at the GPS, noting that I’m nearing the far edge of the mazes perimeter. That could go either way. I have no idea where the maze ends, or fuck, I don’t even know which side I came in on. I should’ve been paying better attention, but everything happened so quickly.

A faint voice in my mind whispers that I’m nearing the final stretch. It’s probably wishful thinking. I don’t let myself get swept up in it, though.

The headlights behind me fill my car, and I play a game of Ping-Pong between the rearview mirror, my side mirrors, the windshield, and the GPS.

A flash of headlights to my right startles me from my frantic mirror check. I whip my head toward the passenger window just as a car bursts through the woods perpendicular to my path, sticks and leaves flying and metal gleaming as it barrels straight toward me with frightening speed.

“Fuck!” I scream, slamming on the brakes and wrenching the wheel to the left in a desperate attempt to avoid a T-bone collision and a rear ending. My tires lock up, skidding across the dirt and sending the back end of my car fishtailing wildly. For a terrifying moment, I’m spinning, the world blurring.

“Shit, shit, shit!”

The last thing I see is a tree rushing toward me, its jagged trunk a cruel inevitability.

---