Page 65 of Outcast Fae

But what did it matter if we all ended up dead?

“Tally,” he said softly. “There’s still the finish line.”

I glanced up, only now remembering this was a race, and we were the only team on the other side of the last obstacle. Was the meal inside the dome still available? It had been the one thing driving me forward since the race started, but now it seemed worthless. They wouldn’t let us see anything, and perhaps it was another trick.

“Tally,” Vaughn said, giving me a little shake. “The children.”

The children. He knew how to stir me. I nodded, wiping my face clean and tilting my head up.

The glowing finish line rippled like a red ribbon in the distance, the only thing visible now that it was fully dark. A beacon. It called to me.

I started trudging across the sand toward it.

Vaughn caught up in two steps, matching his pace to mine. We crossed through the magical barrier together.

It vanished into nothingness. Then, an explosion rocked the night.

I ducked as fire exploded in the sky. We were being attacked! Several more explosions lit up the sky in shimmering gold and blood-red colors. Yet, Vaughn didn’t seem frightened. He tilted his face up to the lights that trailed down in glowing arcs.

“They’re fireworks, Tally. Humans use them to celebrate.”

I stared up, watching as two morefireworksbloomed in the night sky. We weren’t under attack. The staff was celebrating our win. Somehow that seemed worse.

The air tingled and the tell-tale smoke appeared, letting us know someone was arriving. This time, only one person solidified before us: Silver Bear.

“Congratulations, you’ve won,” he said, dryly. “You’ll receive instructions on how to obtain your reward tomorrow. For now, get some rest.” He lifted his hand as if in parting.

I darted forward. “Wait!”

He stopped, clasping his hands in front of him and keeping his lined face stoic. “Yes?”

“What about Chan?”

Silver Bear cleared his throat. “Who?”

“Chan,” I said, my anger growing. “The boy you killed. The one who’sdeadin that pit.” I spit the last words, barely able to contain myself.

Silver Bear gave me a confused look.

When I glanced back, however, there was no pit. There were no obstacles. The beach stretched back endlessly with no sign that we’d ever competed in a race or lost someone. Even Sinasre was gone.

“What? Where did it go? Where are our friends?”

When I whirled around, Silver Bear had disappeared.

“More goddamn games,” Vaughn growled. “We should head back, see about the others.”

We walked along the beach in silence. As we passed the place where Chan’s body had lain, I wondered if they’d left him to rot under the sand or if they’d had the decency to remove his body and return it to his family. And where was Meadow Song? She hadn’t even had the courage to show her face to us this time.

“Are you all right?” Vaughn said, quietly padding along the beach beside me.

“No,” I answered. “Are you?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t know Chan, but he seemed like an okay guy.”

“That doesn’t matter to these people,” I said, anger making my stomach sour.

Vaughn nodded, his green gaze cast toward the nighttime waves. “I can’t help but think about the people inside the dome. What are they doing to them in there?”