Page 33 of Flame and Fury

“What the fuck is this place?” Drake hisses, as everyone but Jade and Preston stare with horrified gazes at the stream.

Preston is still having a meltdown, which I honestly can’t blame him for. Jade is still puking up her guts, to the point where there’s blood mixed in with her vomit.

I swipe at my sweaty forehead, a little lightheaded. I thought we were somewhere in Zeus and Hera’s territory because it was still daylight when we arrived, but the sun hasn’t moved since we got here. We’re stuck in a permanent high noon.

What do they want from us here? I know Nathaniel said they were going to punish us, but what’s the point of this? Will they leave us here until we die of dehydration? I think a normal human can last a few days without water; longer without food. But we all have the blood of the gods in our veins to some extent. Not that anyone besides Atlas and Greer know about my heritage. The rest think I’m human. In reality, I can last without food and water longer than everyone here. That doesn’t mean it will be pleasant, but I won’t die of thirst before we find a way out of here. Probably.

Greer and Atlas usher Nico over to a chair and guide him to sit down. There’s nothing else we can do for him right now. We don’t have any other water sources and it’s not like there’s a first aid kit tucked under the table of poisoned food. Even if there was, I wouldn’t trust it.

Jade on the other hand is worrying me. She still hasn’t stopped vomiting and there can’t be anything left in her stomach. The sound is horrible.

If I keep sitting around waiting for something to happen, I’ll lose my mind. I pull my boots back on with an irritated huff. As if I wasn’t hot enough, stuffing my feet back into these furry things will only make things worse. But I’m not about to go hiking through the woods barefoot.

“I’ll be back,” I tell Greer before making my way to the edge of the clearing. Atlas is at my side in an instant.

“Where are you going?” His hazel eyes are greener today, like he’s matching them to the grass. He’s still wearing his shirt, but he ripped his sleeves off at some point and made himself a tank top.

“I can’t just sit back and wait for the gods to decide they’re done punishing us. I’m going to find a way out of here.”

I expect Atlas to try to talk me out of it. Instead, he surprises me with a nod. “I’ll come with you.”

CHAPTER19

ATLAS

It should be cooler under the cover of the trees. It’s not. It’s as though the trees are holding in the humidity and heat. The air is heavy, and a layer of moisture sits on my skin as we tromp through the underbrush. Which is ironic since I’ve stopped sweating. There’s not an ounce of extra water left in my body. Thorns and brambles snag at my skin, slashing marks into my bare arms and calves.

“Do you hear anything? Traffic, any signs of civilization?” I ask.

Wren stops and cocks her head to the side. Her eyes slide close, like that will help her hear better. I hold my breath, waiting for any small sound to tell us where we’ve been marooned. There’s nothing. Just the insects and birds.

“Fuck. I think we’re in one of the Olympus Territories,” I groan through gritted teeth. The Olympus House is part of the Olympus Territories, meaning it can be anywhere and nowhere at the same time. At the last party for the games, the back of the ballroom didn’t have a wall. Instead, it was open to a giant waterfall. In the middle of Chicago. My best guess is that we’re in some part of the Olympus Territories that exists outside of the regular world.

“Can we get out of here on our own?” Wren looks up at me. Her cheeks are pink from the heat. Thank fuck her sports bra is black because even now I see her nipples and it’s distracting. Meanwhile, my makeshift tank top is soaked with sweat, and I want nothing more than to jump into the acidic stream.

“I don’t know,” I admit reluctantly, dragging my hand down my face. I don’t have any brilliant suggestions. “Let’s keep walking. If we don’t run into anything in the next hour, we’ll go back and check on everyone.”

It takes less than an hour to find something. Only, it’s not what we’re expecting. Somehow, even though we walked in a straight line, we end up exactly where we started. Wren and I hear voices before we reach the clearing. The babble of an idyllic-sounding stream has me closing my eyes. Before we step foot out of the thicket, I know where we are. We’re back with the other champions.

“We did not just walk in a circle.” I snarl as we break free from the brush and stomp back out into the clearing.

Drake pops out of his chair when he sees us. “Did you find something?”

Wren waves her hand at me, like she’s too tired to explain. She flops onto the couch, in the same spot she was in earlier. Her head falls back onto the cushions, and she blows out a noisy breath.

“That successful, huh?” Greer deadpans. She’s piled her auburn hair high up on top of her head. Her skin is slightly burned from being exposed to the sun for hours on end.

“I don’t know how to get out of here. We just walked in a loop; except we stayed in a straight line.”

Greer’s jaw clicks, and her eyes glaze over with a look of hatred. I know it’s not directed at me. That rage belongs to the clerics and gods who put us here. Wren opens her eyes, and stares at Greer. Greer must sense the appraisal because she angles her head toward Wren and raises one brow.

“Why are you staring at me?”

“Your earrings are little apples.” Wren’s brow furrows like she’s trying to work out the answer to a riddle.

“I didn’t pick them out.” She gestures at her half-shredded winter outfit. “Obviously.”

“Let’s get these champions a tantalizing feast,” Wren murmurs.

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