by G. Bailey
“Any chance you can shift into a bird and fly down?” I kneel next to him, piling up the other rope as we need to check them both.
“I don’t shift into a bird, wolf,” he grunts as he yanks up the rope, making a small pile.
“How do you know I prefer my wolf?”
“You have wolf eyes,” he counters with a cheeky grin.
This guy.
We figure out the rope is pretty long and it should get us to the end. If not, we have knives to dig into the ice and climb down the rest of the way. The pickaxe should help with any other ice we get stuck with. Alex chucks the ropes down, and I slide the pickaxe into my belt of knives, leaving my spare dagger behind since my belt is full. I wrap the rope around my waist and hold on as I edge myself over. Alex is quicker at climbing but it takes me a while. I’m at least thankful for the magic glow that gives me a good idea of where I’m going. How did he manage to do that?
About half an hour later, my legs and arms are burning and shaking from the effort. My hands are covered in cuts from digging into the rope. Every step down is painful, but I swallow any cries of protests that threaten to leave my lips.
“Watch out!” Alex shouts.
I swing the rope to the side just in time to miss a flying sword that strikes the ice, smacking into it and the sound rings through my ears as I turn around. Just under us is a clearing, much like the one above, and just our luck, four wolves circle the pillar we are in. The alpha, Coen, isn’t shifted. He just stands with knives in his hand and a smirk on his face. The wolves growl and snap at the rope below us and I know if we go past them, we’re dead.
If we fall, we’re dead.
And if Coen starts throwing knives, we’re defenseless and quite possibly fucked.
Just as I think it, Coen throws a knife and it misses my leg by a hair. His smug laugh rings through the mountain. I turn to see Alex placing his hands on the ice and closing his eyes.
“Fall when I tell you, and I promise to catch you,” he orders as another knife slams into the ice by my hand.
I swallow hard. That was way too close for comfort. A few inches to the left and he would have gotten me. Alex’s hands are glowing red, getting brighter and brighter by the second until the magic spreads through the ice like a virus. It shoots across the pillar, casting a crimson glow onto the alpha and wolves below.
“Let go!”
The second Alex says it, I release the rope and let myself fall. Alex jumps off and he almost floats for a moment as the ice around him shatters. The wolves try to scamper away, but the ice plunges through them, spraying their blood and guts everywhere like a crushed watermelon. As I almost plummet to my own death, somehow I know that Alex will catch me. And he does. His arms are around me in an instant, and he’s pulling the rope out of nowhere and swinging us into a clearing.
We both roll onto the rough ground, somehow with me ending up on top of him. I duck my head into his chest as the ice pillar collapses inwards with a crash and the cave plunges into darkness. Both of our glowing bodies cast a bright sapphire hue around us and his are watching me so closely. I can feel his hands resting on my hips and his hot, rapid breathing fanning my face. His grip on me feels like he’s protecting me like some helpless damsel in distress.
Something I’ve never been, and will never be.
“Thank you,” I say, scrambling off him and standing up.
I reach for my belt of knives on instinct, swearing under my breath when I realise it must have fallen off. Where the heck could it have landed? Alex slides a dagger out of his own holster and hands it to me. Gods, the number of times he’s saved my life or made me owe him something is adding up by the minute, and I don’t like it. I don’t like owing anyone debts in the first place. I take the dagger without another word, knowing I need to defend myself.
“I saw an exit over there,” Alex states, gesturing somewhere in the darkness.
I go to follow when I see something in the ice that fell. I walk closer to the edge and look down to where the bottom of the pillar smashed in a circle. Right in the middle is a small, purple icebox that glows like we do.
That’s it.
I glance up to see Alex’s eyes intent on the prize too, and he looks up, smirking once more before he pounces.
No chance, dickhead!
I run and jump after him, throwing myself on his back while he reaches for the box. He grunts as I knock him to the ground and aim my knife at his shoulder. He grabs my arm, twisting it behind my back until I drop the knife. I let out a hiss, pain stabbing through me, before he can get any leverage, I lift my other hand and punch him hard in his face. He laughs and he shoves me to the side and uses his weight to pin me down. I kick and flail beneath him, but he’s too heavy. He leans down closer, his breath tickling my ear, and I crane my neck to glare at him, witnessing the smirk of short-lived triumph on his face. If he thinks he won this round, he doesn’t know me.
I’m Izora Dawn and I never let a guy get one over on me.
As he twists me around so that I’m facing him, I grab a shard of ice lying nearby, and I slam it into his chest, sliding through his lower ribs if I place it right. The pain distracts him and he gasps, blood surfacing around the tip of the ice. I knee him hard in his stomach and push him off me and crawl my way to the box.
So close, so… close…
The second I touch the box, a bright purple light burns my eyes and I scream, letting go. Shadows dance against my lids, and when I open them again, I’m on the floor in a dark, warm room. But I’m not alone. I shoot onto my feet as Alex stares down at me, his arms crossed and his injury…just gone. In fact, his clothes are different now and familiar. The dark trousers, the crisp white shirt…the gold pin. As I search his face, his features morph as the magic wears off, and in its place is the puppetmaster of Shadowborn Prison.
Governor Gold.
Dark black paint is drawn in a line across his eyes, covering the face tattoos and making his golden eyes seem that much…more. His wavy brown hair falls over his forehead, the locks look soft and my hands itch to run my fingers through them. Or grab them and slam his head into the nearest wall. I’m not sure yet.
“Congratulations on beating me and earning my orb, as well as winning this week’s Blood Trials. I’m Zavier Alexander Gold and you’ve gained two rewards. One is from me, so make it worth it when you ask for them now.”
“You lied,” I growl, the relief of the Blood Trials being over sinking in. “So much for hating lies!”
His lips tilt up in amusement, and I suspect he wants to laugh. “I never lied once.”
I glare at him, still trying to catch my breath. “Where have you taken me?”
“To the winner’s room within the auditorium. Here, you get to pick your prizes.”
I’m still trying to wrap my head around what just happened. Alex, who was actually Gold pretending to be a player, saved my life, then tried to take it, and now he’s saying I won this weekend’s Blood Trials? That would mean… I impressed him. Time for my next move.
“I want a room, a decent room. In fact, one of the best ones here,” I say, brushing the melting snow off my clothes.
Gold inclines his head. “You can have room 2300 which is on the same floor as me. Only the best.”
I’m surprised at the choice of rooms but this only puts my plan further into action.
I’m going to be the best fucking neighbour he has ever had.
We both watch each other for a long moment as I think about what I want next. I never planned for a second reward. I can’t ask him to get me out of here, not when there must be people watching, so I have to be smart.
I need to win his heart and there isn’t a good way of doing that when he’s so cold and distant.
“I want you to teach me light magic spells once I’m released from here.”
Another curt nod from him. “Deal.”
He walks away as the darkness in the room fades and is replaced with cheering inmates.
I won.
&
nbsp; Just like I told him I would.
Axel wraps his strong arms around me and crushes my face to his chest. “Praise the fucking gods you made it!”
I pat him on the back, muffling, “Thanks, Axel, but… can’t breathe…”
“Easy up there,” Memphis tells him, pulling me from Axel’s suffocating embrace. “You fought well, kid. There’s not a person in this room who’d wanna get on your bad side now. Not that we’d let them.”
He points to the enormous screens hanging from the ceiling. They’re each displaying various scenes from my time in the arena; the tiger and polar bear; watching the guys get eaten by the monster eels; climbing the frozen waterfall with Alex aka Gold; fighting with him over the box at the end.
Winning.
Everyone is cheering and watching them like it’s their victory as well as mine.
This entire system is so fucked up.
And I desperately need a shower. I wonder if my new room will have a bath? I took that for granted back home. Now I really miss it.
“You’re still shaking,” Axel comments, eyeing me closely. “Must be the adrenaline. Let’s get you to your new room before you crash.”
I nod, following them out of the room, which is difficult with everyone congratulating me.
“About time those fuckin’ mutts died,” someone shouts, receiving a loud cheer.
“Wonder who the next pack’ll be…”
I wonder, too. There were still only five wolves in the arena with me, which means Tyler never participated. I highly doubt I’ve seen the last of him. I push those thoughts from my mind, focusing on my prize. Not only did I get a new room, but I’m going to be on the same floor as the governor. If that doesn’t scream ‘getting close’, I don’t know what will. It’s definitely setting the wheels into motion.
Outside the room, Luke is waiting for me. A sour-face woman stands beside him, dressed in a coral nurse uniform, and she doesn’t look pleased to see that I won.
“Once you are changed, you’ll come to the infirmary,” she orders, pivoting on her heel and marching up the stairs.
“What for?” I ask Luke, because clearly, the nurse isn’t going to answer me.
“Just a quick medical check,” he answers.
Axel wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Well, I’ll go with her then since that cow isn’t waiting.”
“You’re not her warden,” Luke growls, swatting his hand away and ushering me up the steps.
I glance back at them, mouthing, “See you later”, to which they both reply with a salute and head back into the room. Meanwhile, Luke escorts me to the locker room, and I change into my clothes. He then takes me up to the infirmary in the east wing of the prison. I remember this place now just from the antiseptic smell. He took me through here on the way to the morgue.
The nurse who I saw just moments ago leads me to a spare bed and pulls the curtain around. Snapping on a pair of latex gloves, she begins her check-up while Luke waits by the curtain.
The examination is surprisingly quick and not too invasive. Apparently, they just want to check I don’t have any broken bones—you know, like they actually give a fuck. I’m administered some pain killers and told by the nurse that I can go. Or at least, I’m almost sent on my way. The curtain is yanked open and a male in a lab coat steps forward.
“Izora Dawn?”
I throw my legs over the bed, slipping my feet into my trainers. “I thought I was good to go? Where’s my warden?”
Luke isn’t waiting for me like I thought he was.
The man’s pale blue eyes flicker to the nurse and then to me. “I’m Doctor Frank. If you come with me, we can get you tested in the lab and take it from there.”
“L-lab? No, thanks. That sounds sketchy. Luke!”
He appears almost immediately, a little flushed in the face and out of breath. “Not this one, Doc. Governor’s orders.”
Doctor Frank and the nurse both look at each other before the doctor nods and they leave.
I push off the hospital bed and go to Luke. “What did he mean by lab? Tested for what?”
“It’s nothin’ you need to worry about.”
By his countenance alone, I know this topic isn’t up for discussion. So many questions fill my mind, but I decide to wait until a better time to voice them. I don’t want to tick Luke off even more.
“Fine. Do I get to see my new room now?” I try to hide the escalating excitement in my voice, but it creeps through. “I’m dying for a shower. I stink like death.”
Luke spins me around, his grip on my shoulders surprisingly tender. “I’ll take you to your new place.”
“If you take me to another cage,” I warn, following him out of the infirmary and into a long grey corridor, “I’ll be bitterly disappointed, Luke. I never fought for my life for that.”
“No,” he agrees, “you didn’t. Follow me.”
I do so all the way to the other end of the prison. Tucked in the far-left corner is the highest tower I saw on the night I arrived. We start to climb the spiral stairs, and Luke looks over his shoulder at me.
“This is where most of the staff sleep. Gold is on the top floor. Your suite is there, too.”
I nearly choke on my own spit. “S-suite? Well, colour me surprised. Never thought I’d get something that nice… even though I did technically ask for the best. Will you still be my warden?”
Finally, his features soften and he smiles, just a little. “Of course.”
We climb the rest of the stairs in comfortable silence, passing many doors on the way. Right at the very top, a circular window bleeds sunlight onto the floor. Luke takes a turn at the window, and we enter a dimly lit hallway. The floor is dark wood instead of tiles and the walls are papered tastefully—both a stark contrast to the rest of the prison. There’s an air of intimacy up here and the soothing ambiance reminds me a little of home. I swallow the lump gathering into my throat. Now really isn’t the time to get nostalgic.
“Here we are.”
Luke stops outside a door with the numbers 2-3-0-0 inscribed into the rich wood. At the other end of the hall, just slightly to the left, is a room that says GOV, and my heart skips a beat. I never expected to be that close to him.
I hold my breath as I watch Luke slide his pass against the lock and open the door. He motions for me to enter first. I step over the threshold, releasing my breath, but it hitches when I see my new cell. Or more accurately, suite. There’s nothing at all cell-like about this room other than the barred floor-to-ceiling windows and motion sensors on the door. The open concept is basic but spacious, with a huge queen bed pressed against a tall wooden headboard that stretches to the ceiling. The bed is actually on a platform, and down the two steps into the living area is a trio of leather sofas, a flat-screen tv mounted to the wall above an unlit fireplace and a huge, shaggy, white rug under the sculpted coffee table. The kitchen is near the door, a little nook with basic appliances and a breakfast table with two stools. I think I spot an ensuite door on the same level as my bedroom.
My boots slide against the shiny floorboards as I take a look around. The setting sunlight pouring through the window gleams against all of the beautiful furnishings within the room. I can’t believe this is my place now. No more cage. No more springy mattress digging into my back. No more clothes dumped in a pile. I step up onto the platform and brush my fingers against the chestnut drawers and wardrobe, feeling all the soft little grooves of the intricate patterns.
Luke steps farther into the room with me, examining the interior with pinched eyes. “Is this why you did it? For all of… this?”
I turn around, frowning. “Isn’t that why most of the players enter, to get nice things?”
“Yeah. I just never thought you were the materialistic type.”
“And I’m not. Not really.” I spread my fingers through the furry rug draped over the foot of the bed. “It’s just part of my bigger plan.”
“To get Gold to stop the Trials?” He shakes his head
slowly, almost pitifully. “It ain’t ever gonna happen.”
I turn my steely eyes on him. “You have such tremendous faith in me.”
“More than you know,” he mutters, though I just manage to catch the words. “Things don’t change now that you’re up here. You might be safer in this room, but that doesn’t mean you’re free to do whatever you want. There are still potential inmates out to get you and I’m still your warden.”
I flop down onto the bed, huffing at him. “Way to harsh my buzz.”
“Just sayin’ how it is. I don’t pussyfoot around.”
That he doesn’t.
The way he says ‘pussy’ does serious things to me, though…things I really shouldn’t be feeling.
I roll onto my stomach and look up at him through my lashes. “Are you at least happy I’m still alive, Warden? Come on, say it. Tell me you missed me.”
Luke’s eyebrows knit together and his lips close, then they part again. “You’re a pain in the ass, jaybird, but you’re my pain in the ass. My ward. And every time you walk through those damn doors, I think it’s the last time I’ll ever see you. What’ll I do then, eh?”
A giddy feeling twirls around in my stomach. I laugh it off.
“Easy. You’d get another prisoner to take care of,” I point out, pushing up onto my elbows. “One who isn’t a pain in the ass.”
I smile at him, and to my relief, he slowly returns it. There’s still a level of reluctance that I see burning in his gaze. If he wishes to refute the matter further, he doesn’t.
“I was thinking…”
“Oh, gods,” he groans, and I shoot a pretend glare.
“Since I won the Blood Trials and all, and I got this fancy big room, maybe we should celebrate.”
That catches his attention. “Celebrate how?” he asks curiously.
“I…” I trail off, feeling incredibly stupid. I’m not even sure how we could celebrate since we aren’t allowed booze, I’m not allowed to go anywhere unescorted, and I barely have any friends to celebrate with. “Never mind. I think I’m just gonna go for a shower. Do you think I could skip the mess hall tonight?”
He nods. “I’ll bring your dinner up.”