Page 35 of The Wishing Game

"Come on, we need to line up," she mentions, and I notice that everyone is forming a line in front of the newly appeared hole.

"We're not supposed to worship that hole or something weird like that, are we?" I ask in a hushed tone. My perception is a little screwed from everything I've witnessed at the hacienda, and worshipping a hole would not be the strangest thing.

Thea stares at me for a moment before she bursts out laughing.

"What? Of course not. The Wishing Well collects all the wishes. Think of it as locking in your wish before the game starts."

"Oh." I nod slowly. "So once you make your wish, you can't change it?"

"No. The wish you start the game with is the wish you end the game with."

We take our places in line. Thea is in front of me and her brother stealthily joins us, giving death stares to everyone around.

I crane my neck to see what's happening at the end of the line. The first person walks up to the stage, stopping right by the hole in the ground.

He exchanges a few words with Inu and Inara before he takes a step forward, plunging into the hole.

"What?" I gasp.

He resurfaces a second later. His clothes are wet—a sign that there is an actual well and not just a metaphor. He has a wide smile on his face as he walks to the side of the stage, getting down and taking a seat at a table. He seems fine, but that doesn't make me any less wary about this.

Think of Nikki, I urge myself. I'm already down the road of no return—I have no family, no home, and a warrant on my name. There's nothing waiting for me outside of this. No matter how crazy it gets, at least there's a chance that at the end of it all I'll have my husband back. For that sliver of hope, I'm willing to put aside all my disbelief and surrender to this madness.

Surprisingly, the line moves fast. Even with at least a couple hundred people in here, it takes only a few seconds for each person to jump in and be right back out. As we reach closer to the stage, I see that Inu and Inara greet every person in turn, exchanging platitudes.

"That's nice of them," I mention to Thea.

"Isn't it?" She sighs dreamily. "I can't believe I'll get to talk to him."

While Thea gushes about Inu and his celebrity status, I continue to look around, studying the other participants and wondering what their wish could possibly be. Now that I know most arenothuman, I see them with different eyes, and I can't help but wonder how their different advantages will play out during the game. Inu had mentioned that this will not only be us against the trials, but also against the other participants. Does that mean that suddenly everyone here is an enemy?

Despite the fact that my injuries have healed, I am aware that I'm neither the strongest nor the fastest person for ahuman. Compared to mythical creatures? I likely don't stand a chance. Regardless of that, though, I have something they don't—my love for Nikki. Conviction slowly fills me as I envision having him by my side once more. For that, I'm able to withstand anything—even the deepest circles of hell.

The line moves swiftly, and before I know it, it's Thea's turn.

She's giddy as she jumps on the stage. Stopping in front of Inu, she looks at him with stars in her eyes.

"Do I know you? You seem familiar." He frowns as he peruses her.

Her eyes widen.

"You remember me?" she asks in a small voice.

Inu smiles, taking a step closer to her.

"That little..." Cer mutters. I turn to him, but he's already gone. What...

He appears out of thin air onto the stage, grabbing Thea's hand and pulling her into the well with him.

"You're not supposed to go two at once," Inara cries out as she rushes toward them. But by the time both Inu and Inara get to the mouth of the well, they're already gone.

"You need to be more careful." Inara's eyes flash at her brother. "We can't afford any mistakes."

His brows furrow in confusion as he stares at the well.

"I could have sworn I've seen her before." He scratches the back of his head.

"You and your girlfriends." She rolls her eyes. "She could be any one of your flings and you wouldn't remember anyway."

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