Page 36 of Kingdom of Tomorrow (Book of Arden #1)

“Thank you.” Though I wanted to hug her, I wouldn’t rush her progress. “I love you, Mykal.”

“Love you too.” She rolled to her side, saying nothing else.

I cleaned up and hustled to the rift room, where I watched Cyrus enter the darkness and vanish. He’d once told me to utilize every weapon in my arsenal. Well, his invitation to question him was a bright, shiny new weapon loaded with special ammunition.

I didn’t care that he hoped to use me to learn more about Unicorn. As long as I guarded my tongue, taking in more info than I gave up, I’d come out ahead.

A light shove from behind snapped me into the present. My turn. I strode into the rift. Pain racked me, an instant, all-consuming filleting from the inside out. I merely cringed. Perhaps I’d gotten used to the sensation. Or my determination had hardened me to difficulty.

Either way, I remained steady on my feet upon entering the Theirland landing dock.

The spacious chamber contained fewer people than usual, and the lack of bodies highlighted the prisonlike quality of the gray walls and scuffed floor.

The transparent ceiling still dazzled, displaying those pinpricks of light in a bed of black velvet.

Cyrus stepped into my personal space. “You good, Pink?”

His use of the nickname after such a long absence disconcerted me, and I narrowed my eyes. Nice play. An obvious attempt to keep me off kilter. “I am,” I said, forcing a smile. “Thank you for asking.”

Let the games begin.

I expected him to move on, but he remained close. “You can return to Fort Bala if this is too much for you. It’s not too late.”

“I said I’m good. Also, I’d like to speak with you after patrol. In private. I accept your offer. I have questions.”

He blinked, as though astonished, then nodded. “I’ll arrange it. Your only goal today is to remain unharmed. Understand?” His gaze dropped to my lips before he strode to another trainee, then another, checking on everyone to mask his supposed interest in me.

I stood rooted in place, furious. The way he’d just looked at me .

.. as if I were the center of his entire world.

His most telling lie of all. But oh, he was good at this.

So good I almost believed I’d mistaken his intentions, despite what I’d read.

Almost. I had a strategy, and I was sticking with it.

Resolved, I followed my team into a massive room where knights and barons manned booth-lined walls.

In single file, we visited the various compartment, each of us obtaining an official uniform, shoes, armor, two netters, and extra clips of ammo.

From there, we entered a third chamber. A locker room with benches, where we suited up and prepared for patrol.

As soldiers exited beyond us, opening the far doors, an automated voice spilled from overhead speakers. “You are entering a loading zone.” The last protected area before we reached the outside world.

My nerve endings crackled with a burst of wild energy. Yes, I had a personal mission to undertake, but this was real life. In a matter of minutes, I would venture into the night for the first time in my life. I’d be fighting to survive, practice though it would be. Was I ready?

“I’ve been dreading this day since joining the academy,” Juniper admitted from the bench across from mine as we secured our combat boots. “We need bullets. And whips. And axes. Why only give us netters?”

I glanced up, meeting her fear-filled gaze. Empathy welled. If not for my personal mission, I’d probably be in a similar condition. I couldn’t even assure her we’d recover from this. “Probably for our protection, so we don’t kill each other. But it’s okay. We’re well trained.”

“Some of us are better trained than others, eh,” Lark chortled, striding past us to join Roman near the exit. For once, he didn’t welcome her with open arms. He was too busy flirting with a pretty knight.

Lark hung close, ignored by the pair and growing irritated.

“Clearly he prefers the conquest more than the prize,” Juniper told me softly. She stood and offered me a helping hand.

I accepted the aid, straightening as Titus joined us. He slung an arm around each of us, saying, “We’re together, we’ve worked hard, and we’ll be with the HP. We’ve got this.”

Basically what I’d said, yet tension gradually faded from her. “You’re right.” She batted her lashes at him, obviously smitten. “We’ve definitely got this.”

We crossed to the doors as a unit, stopping behind Lark and Miller. Roman’s new romantic target gave a flirty wave and sauntered off.

Lark got in his face, demanding to know what was going on. He shrugged at her, all What’d I do? then called out, “Line up in the order I call your names. Arden, Titus, Juniper, Cash.”

The four extra-credit kids. Those of us who trained with Cyrus after hours.

Juniper and I hustled into place as Roman shouted other names. He took the spot at the tail end. Wait. I was number one going into Theirland? That couldn’t be correct.

“Here’s how this is going to go.” Dressed as we were but loaded down with all kinds of weapons, Cyrus exited a side door and strode to the front of the line.

We jumped to attention, and I admit, my heart did the usual blip at the sight of him.

“We will walk a preselected path and let you get used to the sights, sounds, and sensations. The area is contained, only twenty feeders on the loose. They will attack. Use your netters and fight with everything you’ve got.

Your goal isn’t to survive but to thrive.

I’m here to intervene if things go bad.”

“Yes, sir,” we called. Deep breath in. Out. Twenty feeders. One for each of us, with a couple extras thrown into the mix.

His gaze slid to me and lingered before he turned on his heel. “Lenses in place.”

Suddenly I didn’t have to wonder why I’d scored such an “honored” spot. He’d put me directly behind him. A way to protect his target. Another move in our game.

Waggling my jaw, I secured and activated my eyewear. Encrusted with pritis, they projected rays of light around me, ensuring I’d have a five-foot radius of visibility, no matter which way I looked.

“Remember,” Cyrus called. “These feeders are not holograms. They are very real. Any injuries you receive will be very real as well.” He rolled his shoulders and shook his head while jumping up and down, as if psyching himself up.

“If you want to be top soldier, prove you can protect yourself without harming your teammates.”

I’d thought I had dismissed the notion of winning the title, but interest sparked anew. The winner might gain access to previously restricted areas and meetings with royalty.

“Let’s do this.” The HP beat his fist into a lever on the wall, and the double doors slid open, revealing a void of darkness.

My world turned upside down, as expected, RVM at play. When everything righted, thanks to my lens, I unsheathed my netter.

“You better come out of this intact, Pink,” Cyrus muttered low enough for my ears alone, tapping buttons on a wall panel.

“Nothing will stop me.” A warning wrapped in agreement.

Pritis stones lit up before us, highlighting a long, winding path. He marched forward. I forgot everything else. With my heart in my throat, I set my finger on the trigger of my netter and followed him.