Page 108 of These Fractured Bonds

Augrys patted his head, and Yareli saw a whisper of August in the gesture. Her heart clenched. She had made her choice, but it was becoming increasingly clear to her that it would be difficult to let go.

“I’ll have dinner dropped off after I get Erick in bed,” he told her.

“Thanks,” she replied.

She looked away from him, staring at the darkness outside her window. It reminded her of the void in her dream. Although she had woken up, it was as if she hadn’t broken free. She was still drifting in that darkness, running from her terrors. She then understood her apprehension about her memories of her family. They weren’t all rainbows and sunshine.

“Lo que será, será,” she said.

A star twinkled in the distance, and she stayed frozen in place until her dinner arrived. When she returned home, there would be no more running. No family was perfect; it was time to visit them.

Chapter 42

Thecrowdswelled,theirenergy like a cresting wave ready to crash down on the contestants. Grateful she finally blended in with the others, Yareli clenched her jaw, feeling the opposite of jovial. She had slept little. Memories had poured into her mind, flooding into recollection with a relentless fervor that drummed against her temple, keeping her awake.

Before the challenge, Leo had stopped by her room and had left her with encouragement.

“You’ll win,” he had said, his lips curling up in his signature grin.

Yareli had returned his confidence then, but surrounded by strangers again, the worms of doubt that had been festering in her stomach for days were enjoying a feast. She gnawed her lip and tried to focus on Storm General Tonio.

“In the last challenge, you received a gem as proof of completion. Hold those out,” he ordered. His voice was calm, but his body language suggested an underlying ruthlessness that called for blood. She didn’t like how he surveyed them as though they were fresh lumps of meat served on a platter for him to devour, but she held the blue gem out regardless.

“These gems are your entrance ticket. Find three others with the same color.”

The sea of participants parted into smaller groups. It was clear she was at a disadvantage; everyone knew at least one other Fae. A group of three stood to her right, but they turned away from her, choosing another Fae with a blue gem. She bit her lip; the taste of iron reached her tongue. Their rejection was a sharp reminder of her otherness.

“Ines!”

At her name, she turned, seeing Vanessa holding up a blue gem. She had forgotten they had received the same colored gem in the previous challenge. She was saved.

“Hey,” Yareli said.

“I figured we’d bring the team back together.” Vanessa gestured behind her where Dre and Erbert stood. Dre waved at Yareli, sporting a friendly smile; Erbert gave her a gruff nod of acknowledgment.

Before Yareli could reply, Tonio’s voice boomed across the field.

“Take a look at your group. You will succeed as one, or you will fail as one. Your mission is simple. Deliver your four gems to the volcano within three hours,” he said, pointing at a map conjured up behind him. In the middle, there was a volcano, surroundedby two concentric circles made up of two different biomes—prairie and forest.

“However, only three groups out of the ten groups that stand before us may pass. Defend your gems. Lose your gem, and you lose your chance at winning. All hope isn’t lost, however. You may attempt to steal back your gem or take it from another group, but it must match your team’s color.” He grinned, his sharp canine flashing. “All restrictions are lifted. May loyalty prevail.”

There was a long pause before Dragon General Andres added, “We ask that you refrain from mortal wounds. Outside the festival, you are comrades. Remember that.”

Allyah wore an impeccable gold uniform, her expression disinterested. Yareli glared at her, daring her to acknowledge her ire, and as if sensing that thought, Allyah found her in the crowd. She raised her eyebrow and smirked, accepting Yareli’s anger as if it were no more than an annoying gnat she could crush with her fingers.

You’ll see, I’m too stubborn to lose.

Yarelistoodwithhergroup in front of the fifth gate, a large wooden entrance to the arena. All teams were dropped in the prairie biome, where ambushes were easy. They needed to beeline toward the forest, and after finding cover, they would discuss their options. Besides the threat from other groups, Yareli had wondered what was stopping them from going straight to the volcano. When she asked, they looked at her, surprised, but then, as if remembering she wasn’t part of the Fire Court, Vanessa explained.

“This challenge isn’t a surprise. It’s one of three possible games. It’s deceptively easy. The three generals and their lieutenants guard the volcano.”

“It’s suicide to run straight there,” Erbert said, “but thereareways to win.”

“How many groups actually succeed?” Yareli asked, aghast.

“One, maybe two,” Vanessa admitted.

Well, that was fucked. Of course, it couldn’t be easy; it wouldn’t be a challenge otherwise. She shrugged her distress away; regardless of the difficulty, she had only one goal: Win.