Nina I watched with bated breath as the weathered village leader, whose name I had learned was Kai, walked up to the hut where my friends and I were being held. As the others murmured amongst themselves, I kept my gaze fixed on the old leader. “Sir, please, you have to listen,” I said as soon as
Nina The weathered old leader rushed to the unconscious man’s side, cradling his sweat-drenched face in his calloused hands. For several agonizing heartbeats, the newly-cured man didn’t move or make a sound. Matt, Jessica, Lori and I stood off to the side, biting our lips. We watched silently, h
A thrall. Nausea coiled in the pit of my stomach as that word settled in. I thought of the feral state the panther—Isaac—had been reduced to, and felt bile rise in my throat. A thrall, a servant, a pawn. Would that be Enzo’s fate, if we didn’t find him soon enough? How many others had she reduce
Enzo “Today is the day, my love.” Mila’s voice, soft and sweet, pulled me out of my reverie. I found myself sitting beside those pools of unfathomably deep water again, although this time, I couldn’t quite remember how I had gotten here. Furrowing my brow, I turned to see Mila’s face smiling d
Nina I crouched low in the underbrush, my heart pounding against my ribcage. Peering through the fronds, I could just make out the cave entrance that would lead us to Mila’s palace, and hopefully, to my husband. But it wouldn’t be so simple to get in. This time, there were guards stationed at th
… The narrow path sloped downward at a steep incline, the rocky walls slowly closing in around us. I maneuvered carefully, trying to keep my breathing steady and calm as the hot, oppressive air grew thicker and harder to draw into my lungs. We continued on like this for what felt like an eternit
Nina When Enzo and I finally pulled our lips apart with a wet smack, both of us just stared at each other, too dumbfounded to speak. Then, much to my surprise, Enzo… chuckled. “This uniform is huge on you,” he teased, tugging at the loose black armor and cloth. I blushed. “When in Rome,” I mut
When he was finished, my heart was in my throat. “So you’re going into the arena anyway,” I breathed. Enzo nodded. “While the panther and I create a distraction, you, Luke, and Tyler can join the crowd. Start spreading the word: that Mila is planning to kill everyone after the ceremony. Those wh