But I don’t say anything. Only plead with him to drop it. And he just hugs me and tells me that he trusts me and that nothing I have done or would do could change what he thinks about me. Pulling back, I draw in a deep breath, my chest so tight I’m surprised I can even pull air into my lungs.
I hope he’s right.
“Are you ready?” Dane asks, and I can hear the other question behind his words. Are you sure this is what you want?
I give him a small smile and nod, thoughts of Rostova filling my mind. “I am, and besides, we can’t pull out now. We’ve come too far.”
The others nod, and we move outside toward a man wearing a tailcoat, the ground around him glowing emerald green. “Lady, gentlemen, are you ready?”
We share a look and nod, and he gestures for us to enter the circle and hold hands.
“Then please close your eyes and hold your breath. This might be a little disorientating,” he replies. I open my mouth to ask what we’re doing, but the air around us disappears, so much so it’s like there is no oxygen left in the world. My first instinct is to panic, but then ripples of colorful lights swirl like a vortex around us before disappearing. The oxygen returns, and I’m able to gasp for air.
The roar from the crowd echoes through the giant stadium, hundreds of feet long. We stand to the side, surrounded by the familiar faces of other students, bouncing on the balls of their feet.
“Welcome to the Colosseum. And good luck,” the man replies, and I barely hear what he has to say as a familiar pair of blue eyes stare back at me. The smile on Declan’s face disappears as a low growl rips from my throat.
“You motherfucker.”
“Serena,” Dane warns.
I stride toward him, ready to give him a piece of my mind, when a hand whacks the back of his head. I halt my march as he winces and turns to the older woman beside him who I hadn’t noticed—though now I wonder how I didn’t. Her studded, pink leather jacket squeaks quietly as she drops her arm.
Declan rubs the back of his head and shoots me a sheepish smile before turning back to the elderly woman. “What the hell was that for?”
Her weathered face hardens as she points a finger to me and then pokes him in the chest. “You haven’t spoken to that girl, and she has been worried sick about you.” She pokes him again, hard enough to make him flinch, and I immediately love her.
“I know I didn’t just spend the past couple of weeks talking to you for you to act like an idiot. Paxton should not have been the goffer between you. The poor boy took the brunt of her rightful anger. You need to start apologizing to both of them.” She turns and waggles her finger at me. “And you.”
My smile drops. “Me?”
“You need to apologize to Paxton. He was only trying to do what he felt was right.”
I open my mouth to send back a snide retort as I usually would, but the hurt in Paxton’s eyes floats through my mind, and I deflate. “Yes ma’am.”
I turn to Paxton, and he watches me with wide eyes as I wrap my arms around him and hold him tightly. “I’m sorry, Pax,” I speak quietly into his ear. “I know he’s your brother, and I treated you like shit even though you were just trying to protect us both. I’m sorry.”
After a moment of rigidity, his arms wrap around me, and he brushes his lips against the top of my head. “It’s okay, Serena. I would have felt the same way if I were you.”
I pull back and snort. “No, you wouldn’t have, but that’s sweet of you to say.” His hands trail down my forearms as I let go, and somehow, I feel ten times lighter; the weight that had been pushing me down wiggles before lifting. “I missed you,” I say.
“I did too,” he says quietly, his old shyness back.
“I knew I liked her,” the old woman declares, and Declan groans. I turn around to see her searching my face. An odd shiver makes its way from my left to right shoulder before she nods.
“Grandma, you can’t use your powers on my team. You promised.”
She tsks at him as she fixes her jacket, and I smile as I take in the older woman. She looks way too young to be Declan’s grandmother, and her pink jacket, fitted jeans, and thigh-high boots have my lips twitching. She looks like a biker-chick.
Her eyes flick to me, and they twinkle. “I try not to do that too much anymore, but Declan’s grandfather and I sometimes enjoy a wild ride every now and again.”
Declan smacks his forehead with his palm and slowly drags it down his nose, making both the woman and I laugh. “Well,” I say, “I hope when I’m your age, I look as good as you, and I still get to enjoy the finer things in life.”
When Declan’s hand finally slips to his chin, I notice his cheeks have turned bright pink. His grandmother pokes him again. “Make things right. I like her.” She turns to me and gives me a warm smile before pulling me into a hug, the feeling unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. It’s like being hugged by love itself. I sigh as my emotions continue on their rollercoaster, and she pulls away, giving my cheek a light pinch. “I expect to see you at my house for Christmas, understood?”
I don’t have time to reply, as she pulls Paxton down for a hug, and he smiles happily. “Hey, Grandma. I’m glad to see you. Thanks for taking care of Declan.”
She clicks her tongue. “Well, if that boy had paid attention to me more often, he wouldn’t be in this mess. But,” her eyes flick to me, calculating at first, but they soften as she nods her head again, that strange sensation working its way over me for a second time, “I think it was going to happen, regardless.”
My chest tightens, and I open my mouth to ask her what she meant, but she takes off.
“She’s a bit of a whirlwind and definitely the rebel of the family, but she’s honestly the coolest person alive,” Paxton whispers from behind me.
“Do you have any idea what she was talking about?” I ask, and I glance over my shoulder to see him shaking his head.
“Not a clue, but I have a feeling we’ll find out sooner or later,” he replies as a large horn rings out across the sky, the sound piercing my eardrums. The consistent murmur of the crowd falls silent.
The speakers crackle, then a voice announces, “Ladies and Gentlemen; students, teachers, families, friends, and esteemed guests… Welcome to the first Mid-Semester Trials of the year!”
The crowd roars, and I swallow the lump constricting my throat. Paxton squeezes my shoulder as we glance up to the big screen, panning across the crowd. A few people spot themselves and wave or make funny faces. A couple of young lads throw out obscene gestures and are quickly slapped across the heads by a man sat between them; probably their father. I wonder who they’ve come to watch.
Then the screen switches, and I’m looking at my own terrified face, followed by the rest of my team as the camera slowly moves.
“We have a number of entrants in these first Trials, and I am happy to say they are beyond promising. All with exceptional grades, all the tops of their classes, and all are fighting for the chance to reclaim the Trident of Truth!” the commentator shouts, and the crowd cheers. I watch as flags are waved by the people in the crowd and around us, their loved one’s names written on them with pride. The camera changes again, this time directed to the private viewing box high in the stands where three figures sit in the shadows.
“This year, we have three deities joining us to preside over our fine games in their honor. Zeus!” The crowd roars, their stomping echoing off the stadium walls, and the commentator continues, “Poseidon!”
Paxton stills behind me at the mention of his god, and the crowd grows even wilder in anticipation of the third god. For a moment, I fear it may be Hades, the god of Master Rostova himself, but he would never show his face here in the Light.
“And for the first time in hundreds of years… Nyx!” The commentator roars, but the crowd quietens, or maybe it’s the fact that the blood rushing through my ears is the only thing I hear as I glance up at the box to catch a glimpse of a familiar pair of green eyes staring down at
me.
“Mother,” I whisper.
The hand on my back pauses in its comforting trail, and I know he heard by the sharp inhalation against my ear.
Chapter 17
I tense as Paxton’s hand remains in place. I slowly turn my head, wanting to see his reaction, but at the same time wanting to shield myself from it. He looks from me to the box and back again. “Serena—”
But that’s all I can take, and I shake my head. “Not now, Paxton.”
His lips purse, but he nods. I can see the determination to get answers written across his face, though. This seriously can’t get any worse.
“Families, please exit the grounds to the doors on your left and right, we are about to begin,” the voice crackles through the speaker before signing off, and I watch as people hurry to the red doors, their faces filled with worry. All except one person.
“Good luck. I know you’ll win,” Declan’s grandma kisses him on the cheek and waves to the rest of us, and we watch in silence as she walks away, an air of confidence and pure belief in her eyes.
The crowd murmurs among themselves as they wait for us to begin, and I move off to the side and begin to stretch, many of the other teams following suit.
Declan stands in front of me, and I look away from his hard chest. The stupid memory of his naked torso dripping with water, only a towel wrapped around his waist, fills my mind, and I wish that was one of the hazier moments of that night.
“Serena, my grandma is right. I—”
But I shake my head, staring into his eyes. “If we survive, then maybe, just maybe, we will talk. But for now, we have more important things to focus on,” I reply, and I can feel Lore and Keaira’s powers ripple around me.
“Mistress, I’m not much of a fighter so I’m going to merge. But if you need me, I will come,” Lore says softly as she sinks into my skin, the pain barely a twinge. “And besides, I may be more helpful here. I don’t want to get in the way.”
Keaira huffs as she leaps from my shoulder, her little paws landing softly on the sandy ground. “Which form of mine would you like?” she asks, proudly puffing her furry chest out.
“Stay small and hold on to my jacket. You’ll be too much of a target in your true form, and I can’t carry a staff with me.”
Keaira lets out a defeated sigh and climbs back up my body to nestle against my neck. “Fine. But at least let me bite someone. I haven’t had any fun lately.”
I laugh and nod, scratching her soft head. “Sure thing. If you need to test out your teeth or claws, Declan is there and wouldn’t say no to it.”
Declan narrows his eyes on my furry companion before shifting away from her. Her paws dance excitedly against my shoulder. “Not on your life, Keaira,” he says.
“On yours it is, then,” she replies.
The speakers crackle again. “Contestants, please move to the back of the Colosseum. We are about to create the playing field.”
We shuffle back toward the wall and away from the red line dividing the sandy area from the stone platform we stand upon. Dane wraps his arms around me and pulls me against him as the ground begins to rumble and large objects emerge from beneath the sand.
My jaw drops in awe as I watch pits drop, towers build, mountains form, and caves devour the earth. At the same time, a wave of nausea washes over me at the sheer breadth of the course. “How the hell are we meant to finish this?”
Dane leans down, his eyes trained on the world being created in front of us. “We’ve been training for this. And besides, as soon as we entered, I scanned through the ground and saw all of this,” he whispers. I stare at him, mouth agape, but he continues, “We’ll still need to beat it, but I at least know where the physical traps are and what to avoid. The magical ones, however, we’ll still need to watch for.” He frowns at that, but I’m still stuck on the whole, I saw it all underground thing.
“You are seriously the best. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” I shake my head.
Dane chuckles. “You would be lost without me, Serena.”
Even though he meant it as a joke, he’s not in the slightest bit wrong. I would be lost without him, without all of them. Dane’s smile softens as he senses my warmth for him, and he kisses my lips, resting his forehead against mine. “We’re going to be fine,” he whispers.
The crackling of the speakers draws us apart, and I can’t help but notice the dark look Declan shoots our way.
It’s not like he has any say in what I do. Asshole. I glare back at him before glancing at the sure-to-be-my-death course, the hammering in my ears the only comfort I’m still alive. For now.
“Contestants, please line up. You have half an hour to make it to the end in order to pass. You all know the rules, but to reiterate, anything goes. Also, no one outside of the contestants and their weapons, magical objects, and abilities can be used during these trials. Anyone who receives outside help will forfeit the trials and will be given a failing mark. If you do not reach the end in thirty minutes, you fail. If you reach the end but do not have the trident, you will pass with a half-mark. Your team must also reach and remove a marker from each of the checkpoints littered throughout the course. If you complete the course but do not have all of the markers, you will be failed. Is that understood?”
The blood rushing through my ears intensifies as we are called to the starting line, our team jostled by the older students around us.
God, I hope we’ve got this.
Dane smiles at me reassuringly, and the crowd hushes as the commentator begins the countdown.
Five…
Four…
Do I really want to do this?
Three…
Two…
There’ll be no turning back.
One…
“Go!”
The crowd roars, and we’re off, racing toward the first obstacle. Sand whips around us as one team violently collides with another. I swear and duck a flying ax, deflected by its original target. I groan as my heavy black shoes sink into the sand with each stride; chunky Docs weren’t the smartest idea.
Dane leads us forward in an arrow formation, his eyes trained on a suspiciously vacant spot ahead. “Hermes!” he calls, and Rory jumps into action, using his wind to carry us into the air and over the sandy spot at the base of the tower and toward the top where the first bright-red checkpoint floats.
I shriek as a dagger shoots past my ear, then Dane’s, then Declan’s, continuing in a perpetual circle with the tornado around us until we land with a thud on top of the stone structure. As Rory’s winds die down, various deadly projectiles clatter to the floor around us. I glance down and swallow, my feet carrying me back, away from the edge. That’s a hell of a long way to fall.
Below us, screams fill the air as the first teams reach the tower. This time, I crouch to look over the edge again, my stomach still somersaulting at the height, but only see a couple of girls standing just away from the seemingly fine stretch of sand with their hands over their mouths. I turn to Dane who grimaces. “They’re fine. It wasn’t a long fall.”
Declan reaches into the red orb and waits for it to flash green before removing his hand, a small, golden coin in his grip. “We’ve got the first one. Only four more to go.”
We nod, and shouts coming from just below the edge of the tower echo up to us. We run toward the rickety bridge leading from the tower to the next stage of the course, and my stomach falls at the sea of serpents rippling far beneath it.
“If someone falls, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to stop you,” Rory whispers, his eyes wide as he wipes sweat from his face.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. You flew us up five stories and repelled the air attacks at the same time. You did your job, man, now let us do ours,” Paxton whispers.
The bridge wobbles as we trek across it, but the team following closely behind us urges us forward. Wind swirls around us, and I close my eyes, my hands gripping the flimsy rope like it’s my lifeline. Rory, Declan, a
nd Dane continue ahead of me, making their way across the wooden planks at speed. But the farther away they get, the more the world tilts around me and my legs turn to jelly. “Oh boy…”
“Serena… you okay?” Paxton whispers from behind me, and I shake my head.
“Nope. Nuh-uh,” I shake my head and let out a loud curse as the bridge jostles precariously while we’re stuck in the middle. I’m going to die in a pit of snakes. I’m going to die in a pit of snakes. “I’m going to die in a pit of snakes,” I moan.
“Come on, Serena. You can do this,” Pax’s hand brushes my back for a second before I assume he whips it back to the safety of the rope. “Just pretend we’re outside our house, and this is just for fun.”
I scoff as I peer over my shoulder, the bridge swaying even more now that more people are on it. “Fun? A pit of giant snakes and a fraying bridge is what you would call fun?”
His lips twitch, but his eyes harden as the bridge trembles beneath me, and I let out a soft whimper. When I look forward again, I can see Dane and the others waving us over frantically from the other side.
“What are you waiting for, slowpoke?!” Declan yells.
“Come and say that to my face!” I scream back.
Pax sighs loudly. “Serena, do you trust me?” he asks, and I nod without looking back. “Then close your eyes and hold on.”
“What do you think I’ve been doing this entire time?!” I screech, but it is swallowed by Paxton’s laugh. He pulls my hands from the rope and wraps them around his neck, and I hold on for dear life.
His body tenses for a moment before we lurch upwards, a piercing scream ripping from my throat. I wrap my legs around Paxton’s waist and hold on tight, squeezing my eyes closed. “I swear to the gods, Paxton, if I die, you’re coming with me!”
Then the sound of crunching rocks fills my ears, followed by the deep chuckles I’ve come to know very well. Lifting my face from the crook of Pax’s neck, I glance up and meet the eyes of my team.
But the hissing behind me comes to a crescendo, and I twist around as a giant snake leaps from the pit of its babies, opens its mouth, and swallows one of the students falling through the air. I let out a strangled cry and turn back to the others while pointing at the pit. “You can’t seriously tell me this course isn’t deadly now!”
Cursed Magic: A Paranormal Academy Romance (Daughter of Nyx Series Book 1) Page 17