Page 77 of Court of Lies and Deceit

“The door is right here!” Isera calls. “Go, go, go!”

She reaches the edge of the wall up ahead and then spins to the left.

We sprint through the opening and into a large circular room right as figures become visible in two of the other corridors leading into the room.

“Ryat,” Isera snaps, and tosses the black key at Draven.

He spins around, skidding to a halt, and manages to catch it in one hand before it can hit the sand.

Isera yanks both arms upwards.

Ice shoots up from the ground and blocks both of the other openings.

“Get the door open,” she calls right before blasts of fire slam into her ice walls.

I gasp in desperate breaths as we dash the final distance to the middle of the room. A wide trapdoor, painted white with a large black X in the middle of it, has been set into the ground. There are two keyholes on it. One white and one black.

The ice walls blocking the openings begin to melt at an alarming rate as fire crashes into them from the other side.

Draven yanks out the white key we began with while shoving the black one into Galen’s waiting hands. After a quick nod, they ram the keys into both locks at the same time.

The ice walls shatter.

Shards of ice explode into the room, clattering against the stone walls inside while melted ice sloshes down on the ground in puddles.

Unseelie fae in white and red fighting leathers pour into the room.

“Turn!” Draven snaps.

Isera jumps from the wall.

The crowd gasps as she plummets towards the ground.

Draven and Galen turn the keys at the same time.

Two loud clicks ring out.

“Lift!” Draven calls.

Ice appears underneath Isera’s boots, stopping her fall. She spins around, shooting blocks of ice at the two teams rushing across the sand towards us.

The crowd screams.

We dig our fingers into the gaps along the front of the trap door.

And then we heave.

Wood groans as the trap door begins rising from the ground.

Fire roars through the air, slamming into Isera’s ice. Boots pound against the sand. My muscles strain as we shove the massive trap door upwards. With a push, we throw it back.

“Get in,” Draven orders.

Alistair lets out a yelp as Lyra practically shoves him through it before leaping after him herself. While Galen jumps down as well, Draven turns and shoves a blast of wind at the White Faction. They have almost reached Isera, who is jumpingthrough the air across the room from one block of ice to the next. The winds slam into them, sending them crashing back right before one of them can grab Isera’s ankle as she leaps past them.

She lands on the sand instead, tucking and rolling before leaping to her feet. Draven sends another blast of wind at the two teams, slamming them back against the ground.

Twisting around, Isera raises her chin and looks up at something in the crowd above instead.

---