Page 70 of The Wishing Game

They're both giants, and although of similar heights, Ze is slightly taller, his features more fearsome due to his inherent coldness. Although Cer tends to be aloof and sometimes reserved, there's a warmth to him that is completely absent in Ze.

"Stand down, soldier." Ze gives Cer a deadly stare.

"I'll do it. There's no reason to fight over this," I interject, getting between the two of them.

"You're going to get yourself killed." He pins me down with his gaze. I hold it, not letting his impressive height intimidate me, even though I barely make it to his chest.

"I'll do it," I repeat, turning my back to Ze and ignoring Cer.

I can feel Ze's gaze boring into my back just as an arctic air descends upon the room. Damn, the man is the definition ofchilly.

"She's our best bet, Ze. Twice the demon has shown up until now, and both times it was when she was alone," Cer says.

Ze doesn't reply, but he doesn't agree with the plan either. He's just intently watching us as we start plotting.

"You can wait on the stage," Cer continues. "Ze and I will be on either side of the auditorium. The moment he shows up, we'll corner him from both directions."

"Then what?" I ask.

"We need the demon alive to check whether the souls he swallowed are still alive within it. After we ascertain that, we perform an extraction and subsequently we exterminate the demon."

"It sounds so easy when you say it." I smile.

Ze grunts from behind.

"And me? What am I supposed to do?" Thea suddenly asks, getting to her feet and dusting her pretty dress. Her long red hair's waving back and forth as she moves, swaying in a hypnotic rhythm. For someone who was struggling to breathe just a few hours ago, she certainly looks the picture of health. I wonder how she managed to get well so quickly—not that I'd begrudge her that. But I'm curious about these odd teammates of mine, and if I'm honest, a little skeptical too. Especially with our new arrival. Ze makes it very hard not to be even more suspicious considering his even odder behavior.

"You can stay in the back, at the museum we saw earlier," Cer tells her.

Thea's eyes positively sparkle with joy.

"That is perfect," she gushes, probably already thinking which pieces she's going to steal. I sneak a look at Cer, noting the light curl of his lips. He did it on purpose! He remembered she liked the museum, and instead of making her feel useless on the mission, he gave her something else to think about so she wouldn't place herself in danger. Smart.

He notices my gaze and raises a brow. I smile.

Yet as I look away, it's to find Ze glaring at me. Of course, that seems to be his favorite pastime.

Once our roles have been decided, we head to the auditorium. As I take my place on the stage, Ze comes toward me, withdrawing a small pouch from his clothes. He doesn't say a word as he pours some black dust onto the floor in a circle around me.

"What's this?" I frown.

"A barrier. It will protect you. But don't step outside of it until the demon is caught."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks."

After he finishes, he places his pouch back in his clothes and turns to leave.

"I'm not as weak as you think I am," I call out after him. I don't know what makes me say that, but I hate that he sees me as alowlyhuman. "I can do this."

"See that you do," he replies, his back still toward me as he walks down the stage.

Thea is already in the back while Cer takes his position on the left flank of the auditorium.

Soon, everyone is out of sight, and I'm left alone in the middle of the stage, my movements restricted by the circle Ze has drawn around me.

Silence descends in the auditorium and time passes. After about half an hour of waiting, my legs are starting to cramp up, so I stretch a little, jogging on the spot.

My stomach emits a low growl of hunger, and I pat my pants for the protein bar I sneaked earlier. Considering it's been too many hours since I last ate,andthe fact that I don't know how long I'll be stuck here, I had to make sure I won't starve.

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