She had trained and prepared for this day. Her team had schematics and maps. They had studied the terrain, but she didn’t know what to expect. The capital had more advanced technology than she had ever seen before. What if the conditions were different than what they expected? What if Shay had been fooled?
If Samuel were a free man, he would have brought coffee and biscotti. Instead, Madame Bali forced her to eat some green cereal, which she claimed was filled with antioxidants and protein. Ana choked down a few bites.
Ana pulled her rucksack high on her back to distribute the weight. Finally, with one last wave to Madame Bali, she left the building and joined her team in the courtyard. The nervous energy was infectious. Baylan laughed too hard. Xan banged Ja on the back so hard, they nearly toppled. Together, they crossed the courtyard and walked toward the training fields. The grass was crowded. The other team had already arrived. By comparison, they were muscled and disciplined. No one laughed or shoved or looked nervous.
Ana remembered that for the Rockwells, this wasn’t that unusual. They trained and did battle maneuvers every day. When they turned twelve, they were dropped in the forest for their first solo survival challenge. Some of the older Rockwells might have even competed in previous challenges.
Both teams stood uncomfortably close to one another, rivals without a battlefield. Two shuttle pods hovered. The tall grass blew like ripples in a pond as the pods made their silent descent. The doors opened automatically.
Ana boarded the second shuttle with Holden at her side. They took a seat on the back bench and strapped in. The team followed behind.
“I wish I knew where we were headed,” Ana said. “You know for sure.”
“I wish I knew when that arrow was coming for you.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Ana said. She would heal herself. She knew it. And if she didn’t, well, she had a backup plan.
She considered telling Holden. After all, he seemed so worried about her safety. The truth was she was worried about his safety too. If she told Holden that she had the petal, he would know she hadn’t manifested the gift. If she ended up faking the gift, she would be lying to the council. A crime punishable by death. If Holden knew, he would be an accessory.
The only way to keep them both safe was to keep the secret. Besides, there was a really good chance nothing would even happen. They would get in the dome, stick to their plan, and win. Ana would never need the petal.
For a moment, Ana wished their craft was headed for Earth. She missed the way the sky turned to cotton candy on summer evenings. She missed seeing only one moon in the darkened sky. But most of all, she missed her brothers. She missed her boss, Frank, and her roommate too. She missed the diner. And all the little things she had left behind.
Plus, she’d have home field advantage. She’d like to see what the rest of these guys would do if they were dropped in a Walmart on Black Friday. For one ridiculous moment, she imagined herself pushing through aisles of people to reach the checkout. Her hands held high in victory, the winner of an extreme couponing challenge.
Before she could laugh, the shuttle took off. There was no rumble of engine, but she felt the familiar drop in her stomach, as though she were on the apex of a roller coaster about to plunge down the other side.
They landed ten minutes later. The doors opened. Ana sucked in a deep breath and stood. Outside of the craft, she could see a foreign world, the moon called Obsidian. She understood how it got its name. The surface of the moon, visible between sections of thick plum-colored moss, seemed to be made from black granite
“You ready?” Holden asked.
“Ready,” Ana said.
Together, they stepped across the threshold and onto Obsidian.
32
The Challenge
Day 1
The surface of Obsidian was black granite. It reminded Ana of walking on scorched earth. The only plant life visible was plum-colored moss, which clumped here and there, covering portions of the ground. The moon reminded her of a post-apocalyptic wasteland—there were no buildings, no cars, no streets, and no signs of human life. The sky was a hopeless gray. She felt a hollow loneliness begin to form in her chest.
“Come on, Ana,” Holden said, putting a hand on her rucksack and urging her forward.
Ana and the rest of her team rounded the shuttle and began their ascent up a steep hill. As they topped it, she realized they were not alone. Observation boxes hovered above them, packed to the brim with spectators. They shouted and cheered, and as they grew closer, the sound became deafening.
A few of her teammates looked up and waved.
But Ana didn’t. She was looking at something else.
A large, clear dome loomed in the distance. It was many miles wide and tall enough to house a slice of the sky. Dense foliage pressed against the glass-like barrier. Ana gulped. She didn’t know what was worse—being out here or going in there.
Suddenly, she was filled with doubt. What was she doing? What had she been thinking, volunteering for the challenge?
Holden tapped her shoulder. “Ana,” he shouted over the noise. “The council is here.”
She followed his gaze. Sure enough, floating above all the other boxes was one that was larger and more elegant than all of the others. Ana could make out the white hair of Sir Arkwright.
Until the end of the school year.
Holden ran a nervous hand through his sweaty blond hair. “They never come to challenges.”
Ana hoped they were here to support Adam. He was, after all, a fellow council member’s son. She knew, however, that they were probably here to watch her fail. She wouldn’t make it easy for them.
She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and waved to the council.
Holden grabbed her arm and pulled it down. “Don’t antagonize them.”
Ana smirked. Adam would have loved that. Speaking of, where was Adam?
“Where’s the other team?” she asked.
“On another side of the dome. They have a separate entrance.”
Their shouted conversation was interrupted by an upbeat melody cutting through the air. “Welcome to the 672nd Challenge!” a bodyless voice boomed through the sky. “Today we see Adam Rockwell and Holden Rockwell face off.”
An image began to form on the dome—Adam and Holden glaring at each other at 10x their normal size.
Where did they get the photo? Ana wondered in astonishment. It reminded her of an ad for a boxing match.
Holden looked like he might be sick.
The image was replaced with headshots of each team member along with names, ages, and talents. As Ana looked up at her own face, she began to feel queasy too.
They moved closer to the dome’s neon lit entrance and huddled together. Ana wedged herself between Holden and Ophelia. She could feel Ophelia shaking beside her.
Ana looped her arm through Ophelia’s. “You’ve got this!” she shouted.
Ophelia gritted her teeth and nodded.
Then a brilliant number five appeared on the side of the dome. Slowly, it began to count down. The crowd roared each number aloud.
“Five…four…three…two…one.”
A hole appeared in the dome’s facade, lit by neon light. A buzzer screamed through the air. Confetti fell, and the crowd roared.
And they were off.
Ana’s feet pounded the granite as she crossed through the opening and onto a thick, lush jungle floor. Above them, a dark netting of vines grew, creating a dense tunneled entrance. The dome sealed behind them, and the noise of the crowd disappeared. Ana’s stomach lurched. They were trapped.
No one left the dome until there was a winner. Those were the rules. Rockwells did not accept ties or forfeits. Only a clean victory would be honored. Only then would the dome drop or the doors open.
Breaking the silence, Xan and Ja Rockwell let out a whoop of excitement. Xan poised to jump upward and touch a piece of hanging vine, but Ophelia slapped his hand away. Xan stared at her in shock.<
br />
“Nobody touch the vines,” she yelled.
Nobody questioned the order. Ophelia never raised her voice. They pulled their hands in tight and continued forward.
“Everyone keep up pace,” Holden instructed a few minutes later.
They didn’t need to be told twice. By now, they could all see what was happening. The woody vines that surrounded them were growing thicker and thicker.
When she had first started running, Ana had two feet of headroom. Now, she had only one. Baylan was already having to hunch over.
“What’s going on?” Ana panted, running next to Ophelia.
“The vines feed off of the oils in our skin. The more we touch them, the more they grow.”
“And if we aren’t fast enough?”
“We’ll be petrified like wood in an old forest.”
Back during training, Holden had explained the challenge could last for minutes or months. The shortest game ever played had lasted only twenty minutes. Ana hoped they weren’t about to break that record.
Ophelia kept pace. Five minutes later, with the whole team running hunched over, they finally exited the tunnel.
Ana was flooded with relief. For a moment, she had thought they were going to be engulfed by the vines. None of the game’s obstacles were supposed to be lethal, but she really didn’t want to put that to the test. She looked back and saw the tunnel closing in on itself. It had been a close call.
Her team paused to catch their breath, and Ana took in her new surroundings. Outside the tunnel, the sun was obscured by thick, deep green foliage. Even though she couldn’t see the sun, its light filtered through the canopy. Ana was grateful for it. She wouldn’t want to be stranded here in the dark. What else lurked in this jungle?
Holden looked over at Ophelia. “Is this area safe?” he asked.
She looked around and nodded, clutching her side and breathing in wheezes.
“Baylan? What about the geological compounds in this area? Any dangers?”
Baylan took a quick survey. “No immediate dangers. I’ll want to take readings and samples when we get to our intended campsite.”
Holden nodded. “Then I suggest we take a five-minute rest before making our way to the campsite.”
Shay, Ana, and Ophelia flopped down next to each other.
“I hope that’s the last running we have to do today,” Shay said.
Ophelia agreed.
Ana listened to the unfamiliar sounds of the dome, strange bird calls and movements deep in the jungle. She thought of the ancient jasper at the animal sanctuary—its slick skin and razor sharp teeth. She bet it was native to a place like this.
She had a feeling the running had just begun. She looked over at Shay, leaned back on the palms of her hands, but said nothing.
Meanwhile, Holden and Baylan were poring over the stolen topographical maps.
“I think we got lucky,” Holden said. “So far, everything is matching up with our maps.”
Shay snorted. “Luck has nothing to do with it.”
Xan raised and lowered his hands as if he were fanning an Egyptian goddess. “Thank you, oh wise Shay. Your hacks are as legendary as your beauty.”
Ja joined in, sliding across the jungle floor on his knees. “Oh yes. The maps are a boon to mankind. We are not worthy.”
She elbowed Xan in the abs, but he wasn’t fazed.
Instead, he joined Ja on the ground. “Ja, we have angered the goddess. What blight will she rain down upon us, her humble servants?”
“Not famine,” Ja said, tapping his rucksack. “We’re carrying the food.”
They fist bumped. Ana and Ophelia were laughing, and even Shay joined in.
Holden pried his eyes from the map to look at them. “Really? I can’t take you guys anywhere. Now, does anyone here want to make camp before dark?”
Xan and Ja stood up and brushed off their pants.
“Where are we headed?” Xan asked.
“From the lay of the land and the soil type, we’re pretty sure we’re in the south. If we walk to the east, we should come across a raised plateau and a watering hole.”
“It’s less than a two-hour walk,” Holden said. “We should have plenty of time to set up and protect our camp before nightfall.”
The walk took longer than two hours. The undergrowth slowed their steady pace. Every type of plant life imaginable was present. Ophelia walked in front with Holden and Xan, looking out for threats.
The goal was to leave no trace, so they were trying not to just laser down everything in their path. Ophelia could have covered it back up, of course, but they didn’t want to wear her out before they set up camp. Her skills would be needed there too.
After cutting down an enormous set of palm fronds, Holden started to step forward. Ophelia gasped and threw out a hand to stop him.
“What?” he asked.
“Firetongue,” she warned, pointing at the ground.
His eyes widened, and he took another step back. “Let’s go the long way around.”
She nodded.
Finally, they reached the foot of a rocky plateau. Water poured over the side forming a large watering hole. A herd of graybeasts leaned over the brown water, drinking deeply. Every so often, a fish would jump from the water and soar a few feet through the air.
Ana was grateful when they stopped to rest. Sweat was dripping down her back, sticking to her shirt. If she closed her eyes, she could almost pretend she was at home in Georgia, mowing the lawn in the middle of July.
When she opened her eyes, Holden was sitting next to her. He smiled. “You doing okay there, Halt?”
“Me? Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Here,” he said, handing her a canteen.
“We can’t drink that,” she said, pointing at the brown water.
“Of course we can. The canteen will filter the water.” He offered Ana a hand up, and together they made their way to the edge of the pool. They filled their canteens and started the last half hour of their hike…uphill.
The view from the top of the plateau was shrouded by trees. Bad for their view. Great for camouflage. Their camp, as planned, would be positioned right next to the edge of the dome.
They tossed their gear down, and Baylan began taking samples and readings.
“Local water table is satisfactory,” he said. “We’re well out of the flood zone. Magnetic readings are okay too. No geological risks. To my and my equipment’s best ability, no poisonous compounds present.”
“Great. Let’s make camp,” Holden said. “Shay, you know what you have to do.”
Shay rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “Got it, boss.” She brought out a series of tools and began a full analysis on the dome. If all went according to plan, she’d find a way to do the impossible—hack the dome’s protections and extend them to include their team’s flag.
Meanwhile, Ana and the rest of the team unpacked components of the hab, their modular home until the challenge ended. The materials were ultra-lightweight but sturdy. Holden and the other Rockwells took the lead.
Ana carried a metal beam over. “Guys, I’ve got no idea what to do with this. Back home, our habs are made out of flimsy nylon.”
“Don’t worry about it, Halt,” Ja said, taking the beam from her. “We’ve been constructing these since we were seven years old. It’ll be up in five. Take it easy.”
Sure enough, the hab was constructed in minutes. It was roughly 400 square feet with enough room for seven cots and a makeshift kitchen.
Now it was Ophelia’s turn. She placed her hand at the base of nearby leafy vine, one she knew was safe. Soon, tendrils of vine crept from the ground until they reached the hab. They crawled up every side until the entire structure was camouflaged in leafy greens. Ophelia’s cheeks were rosy from exertion.
“Wow,” Ana said. “That’s amazing.”
Holden added, “This will be great insulation.”
“We may need it tonight,” Baylan said. “I’m seeing indication
s in the geological structures of potential frost conditions. I’ll get a fire started.”
“Ja can help,” Holden said. “He and Xan know how to hook it up to the hab. Ana and I will tackle the flag.”
Holden and Ana placed the flag between the dome and the hab, hoping to shield it from prying eyes. Rules said it had to be in the ground with no cover.
Night came, and the bugs came out in masses. The team sought refuge in the hab and sealed the doors tight.
Shay told them she would take first watch. She needed the time to finish her work. Ja offered to sit up with her. Shifts of two were agreed upon as the standard.
It was hard to fall asleep with the sounds of Holden’s gentle snores and bugs the size of semis hitting the sides of the hab, but eventually Ana fell into a light sleep.
Day 2
The first light of day was just breaking through the cracks of the hab when Baylan gently shook Ana awake.
“Ana,” he whispered.
She blinked at him, confused at first not to be in her bed at the academy. She remembered the challenge and what she was doing here. Most of their bunkmates were still sleeping, but Baylan and Ana had work to do. Their first task was to set up a decoy in a neighboring quadrant. By midday, the temperature and humidity would be unbearable. It was important to start out early.
Ana tried to move carefully, so as not to wake her bunkmates. To her surprise, Shay was still awake. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she had created a sort of command center in the corner of the hab. Holographic screens surrounded her, and code blinked through the air.
“You okay?” Ana asked, stepping behind her.
Shay jumped. “Yeah, fine. Just pissed. This code is harder to crack than I thought it would be. Whoever did this is a genius.”
“It’s okay if you can’t do it,” Ana said. “We’ll understand. We knew it was a long shot.”
“Oh, I’m going to do it. They may be a genius, but I’m still better.”
Seven Crowns (Bellaton Book 1) Page 23