Page 56 of A Kiss From Death (Oath of Vengeance #1)

I take two very large steps back, learning my lesson from the last time one of them conjured up mayhem.

They cup their hands in front of them as small orbs of magic glow between their palms. Slowly, they drag their hands outwards, making the ball of magic grow until it explodes out of them and a giant towering playing field appears in front of us, a perfect duplication of the tiny one the Empress used as an example.

The wall towers too many feet above my head to count, and two large bodies of water adorn each side.

A checkered grid appears on each side of the wall with numbers across the top and letters down the left side, marking the spaces.

Two boats are placed at the edge of the water on each side of the wall, one with five seats in it and the other with three.

I share a glace with Ray, both of us realizing one of us will have a better chance at survival depending on what boat we choose. Leave it to the Empress to test us any chance she gets. This truly is a game to test our alliances and relationships .

“Competitors, you may now choose your boats. Game master, please make your selections and communicate them to the Vanquisher dedicated to your side.”

Something in my gut is telling me to choose the smaller boat , even though it will lessen my odds of making it out alive. I can’t stomach the thought of either me or Ray not walking away from today, but I’m also not naive to my reality.

Pointing to the boat with three seats, I tell Ray, “I’ll take this once.” She scrunches her nose, looking confused, but I shoot her a look that says don’t even bother trying to change my mind. Huffing, she struts over to the larger boat and hops inside after the Vanquisher lowers it into the water.

I may be dooming myself, but my intuitions haven’t led me astray so far, so I won’t start ignoring them today. My gut tells me I’ve made the right choice , and content sinks into my bones.

Cartwell makes his choices, and the Vanquisher uses his magic to guide each of our boats to their respective places.

I take two deep, steadying breaths and peak over at Ray on the other side of the water from me.

I give her a small, reassuring smile and wave before facing forward to look at the wall.

“Jade has won the coin toss, so she will make the first selection. Since she is also placed in a boat, she will relay her choice to the Vanquisher, who will pull the catapult lever.” A wicked smile takes over the Empress’ face as she looks to both sides of the wall, staring us down.

“Good luck to you all, and pray to the gods you aren’t submerged .” She trots off but stays inside the Bubble for today’s game, her throne now inside so she can have up close viewing pleasures.

I falter when I spot Hade standing next to her, freshly washed and in new clothes, not a single drop of blood to be seen.

I didn’t expect him to return, and now, my nerves are shot.

I rush to look away, praying he didn’t catch me, but it’s like he can feel my gaze, turning immediately to lock eyes with me, and my heart stops dead .

I turn into a living ball of nerves, not sure what to do with myself or how to act.

He just brutally murdered the man who tried to kill me.

Not only that, he meticulously tortured him for days first, and I’m about to start a game that could very likely get me killed before the sun has even set tonight.

I nervously turn away, breaking the electric eye contact we shared that was quite literally sucking the life out of me, making it difficult to breathe. My hands start to shake a bit, so I wedge them under my butt, praying no one notices.

A phantom breeze blows across my face, pushing back the curls spilling over my face. A gentle caress glides across my cheek, so soft, I barely notice it. A tiny black shadow pushes up against my cheek like a caress, and my anxiety melts away in an instant.

It’s him. I could never forget the way his magic feels against my skin, as essential as needing food each day, a familiar comfort that always seems to show up when I need it most. I smile to myself, softly pushing into the shadow, and it seems to purr back in response.

Everything is going to be okay. I can feel it in my bones.

“Hit!” the Empress squeals from her chair, making my smile falter and my stomach plummet. Lost in my own thoughts, I hadn’t even noticed the game started.

Swiveling, I see a giant orb of red magic in the seat directly behind Ray.

Somehow, Jade has landed her first attempt, and I don’t like the idea of that.

She sees me wearily staring and gives me a soft smile, waving me off like she will be fine.

I pray for her sake she is, because her odds aren’t looking great if Cartwell doesn’t hit a ship soon.

“C three,” Cartwell calls out and pulls the lever. A whoosh sounds above me as I watch a giant orb of magic catapult over the tall wall and make a splash when it hits the other side. My stomach sinks for a second time—the sound of it hitting water doesn’t make me very hopeful.

“Miss!” the Empress shouts excitedly.

I drop my face into my hands, collecting myself before sitting back up again. Everything is going to be okay…I hope. Squaring my shoulders, I see a giant x marked on the wall where Cartwell’s move landed.

I hear the whoosh of the catapult on the other side and brace for impact just in case. It barrels over the wall aiming for the back left corner where Ray is perched. The orb hits the water to her left one square back, splashing her in the process.

Thank the Empress.

“Another miss!” the Empress belts.

“F Seven,” Cartwell states as he pulls the lever and lets another orb fly. It wizzes by in a flash, making contact on the other side.

“That’s a hit!” the Empress squeals as a giant circle appears on the wall in front of me, marking the start of a ship. I pray it’s the smaller boat for Ray’s sake.

Whoosh! Sploosh!

The orb narrowly misses Ray again, landing to her right and one space back this time. They are closing in on her, and my heart starts to pound with anticipation. I place my trust back in Cartwell, knowing he is our best bet at survival.

“E Seven,” Cartwell calls out, launching another orb.

Splash!

“Oh bummer, another miss!” Sarcasm oozes from her voice.

Shit on a brick, this is not going well.

The playing field is big, so tell me why both the game masters have latched on to boats faster than it takes Winston to start listing facts about oranges.

I won’t let them take Ray from me. She deserves to breathe more than the two devils sitting on the opposite side of this wall. She deserves the world.

Woosh!

My eyes track the orb through the air above me, aiming at the back corner again, right at Ray. I hold my breath, praying they miss for a third time as my heart sinks. It barrels through the air, dropping until it plops into Ray’s lap, making her let out a small yelp.

“I’m okay,” she shouts over to me, looking more embarrassed than hurt. I don’t spot any blood, so I assume the orb absorbed most of the impact, leaving her unharmed. Two orbs now sit in her boat, one behind her and one in her lap, leaving three seats open.

“Another hit!” the Empress screams, jumping into the air like this is entertaining to her.

Holding eye contact, I give Ray a soft smile, trying to ease the anxiety I know is rising in both of us. It seems to work, because she relaxes her shoulders and puts on a brave face.

“G Seven,” Cartwell yells, pulling the lever and sending the magical orb flying into this abyss. I close my eyes and cross my fingers, praying this is a hit. My heart can’t take another miss.

“Would you look at that, another miss!”

If I have to hear the she devil say the word ‘miss’ one more time, I might not be able to control my rage.

I turn, glaring at the Empress, rage overtaking my control for once. Big mistake, though, because I lock onto an endless black hole and a pot of melted silver staring me down. I gulp, trying to look away, but it’s like his eyes are a magnet, holding me in place and devouring me whole.

His shaggy wet hair flops over his forehead as I spot tiny beads of water dripping from the ends. His simple cotton tunic clings to his arms and chiseled torso, accentuating every hard line. He’s mouthwateringly handsome, and it pisses me off.

A dimple appears on his left cheek as a smirk takes over his face, clearly noticing the way I’m ogling over the man when I should be focused on not dying.

Chastising myself, I pinch my arm to snap me from my trance and discreetly wipe the corners of my mouth to make sure I wasn’t accidently drooling.

Spinning forward again, I spot another x appearing on the wall in front of me as a deep chuckle rings out in the distance.

I need to mark him with an x for trouble.

Already knowing what’s coming, I brace as another orb floats over the wall, plopping into the seat directly in front of Ray with a soft thunk.

Cursing under my breath, I drag my eyes up to peek at Ray, who oddly seems very calm.

She better not be throwing the towel in already, or I’ll have Hade use his death magic to haunt her for eternity.

“Marvelous, another hit!” The Empress squeals.

Groaning to myself, I think about sending death threats with my eyes to Cartwell, but when I peek back at him, I notice a thin sheen of sweat coating him from nerves. The poor man has the life of a sweet, innocent woman in his hands, and he’s crumbling under the pressure.

Cartwell yells out, “F Eight,” and another orb blasts off into space, heading towards what I pray is a hit.

“Pity. Miss!” the Empress says in a soft tone, sounding bored.

It’s going to be tragic when my fist accidently connects with her fragile face. Apparently, rage is taking over the fear and anxiety thundering inside me.