CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Adeafening cheer echoes through the massive arena as we step out onto the warm sand. Though I already know that it’s not for us. The other five teams have no doubt walked into the arena at the same time as well, but in different locations around the oval structure. Looking from side to side, I stare at the space around us in confusion.
“Where the hell did all these walls come from?” Alistair asks, echoing my exact thoughts.
During the team selection, the entire floor of the arena was one massive open space. But now, we find ourselves standing in a small room. There are two openings, one straight ahead and one to the left, that lead out of the room and into what looks like short corridors. Tilting my head back, I stare up at the open sky above. It’s an incredibly disorienting feeling.
The stone walls around us section off the floor of the arena, making it feel as if we are indoors. But there is no ceiling. And above the walls that box us in down here, there are of course the actual walls of the arena. Which also have no ceiling, so the bright blue sky is visible high above us.
The tiered walls of the massive arena, curving slightly in an oval shape, rise up high outside the walls we have down hereon the floor. So everyone in the audience can see down into the labyrinth of rooms and corridors that we are standing in, but we can only see inside the room we’re currently located in. Which is empty, except for us.
“So, left or straight ahead?” Lyra asks, drawing my attention back to our present problem.
She looks to Draven. As does Galen. But I decide to answer anyway.
“Since all the teams start at the edges, the one on the left will likely lead us towards another team pretty quickly.” I turn and motion at the opening straight ahead. “And that one will likely take us faster to the door at the center. Since everyone will be heading towards the center, we will run into a team sooner or later anyway if we choose that direction, while at the same time, it will also take us closer to the finish line.”
Draven glances at me, a smile full of approval lurking on his lips. “Agreed.”
“Alright.” Lyra shrugs. “Straight ahead it is then.”
Next to her, Alistair frowns and motions at Draven. “Can’t you just fly up over these walls and check where the other teams are?”
Draven gives him a flat look. “What an excellent way to get us all killed.”
His frown deepens. “What?”
“If I fly up there, then yes, I will see where all the other teams are. But do you know what else will happen? All the other teams will know exactly whereweare. And then all five of them will be coming straight for us.”
“Oh. I didn’t think about that.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I can track them with my magic,” I say before Alistair can retort. “Or most of them at least.”
“Good.” Draven nods. “Do it.”
“We should get a move on,” Isera says, her eyes on something up in the audience. Then she tears her gaze from whatever it was and cuts us all a look. “Now.”
We nod and hurry towards the corridor straight ahead. While we walk, I summon my magic and throw it across the arena floor. I aim for feelings of apprehension, since that should be something that most of the other players are experiencing right now. To my surprise, I only find one.
With a frown, I release that emotion and instead throw out my magic in search of glittering silver sparks of excitement. I blink in surprise when my magic connects with twenty-three sparks.
They’reexcitedabout this? Shouldn’t they be worried?
Then I remember that most of these people are celebrities. They play variations of these games every few months. The crowd adores them, and they’re probably eager to show off their skills and settle rivalries with other teams. We are the only ones whose lives actually depend on this.
“You have them?” Draven asks as we sneak down the corridor.
“Yes,” I reply. “Enough of them at least.”
Aside from us, there are thirty other contestants, and I only have a connection to twenty-three of them. But the connections are coming from five separate locations, so I’m fairly certain that I have at least one person from all teams.
We reach the end of the corridor and arrive inside another room. This one is bigger, and shaped like a rectangle, but it’s still empty. Three openings stare back at us. The one we just walked in through, one to the left, and one to the right. Nothing that leads towards the center.
Everyone turns to me.
With my magic still connected, I decrease our opponents’ excitement slightly while I estimate distances. The closest teamon the right seems to be heading farther in while the closest team on the left is heading in our direction.