Page 8

She nodded. “Wildfold’s also got their eyes on medical supplies, they need more masks.”

My brows furrowed. “They’re wearing masks?” I asked, a chill crawling up my spine.

“Outdoors, almost constantly,” she said, her voice lower now. “Something’s tainted the air. Could be mold, chemical runoff, or worse. They’re not sure.”

She paused, and her gaze locked on mine again, no smirk this time, no flirtation.

“Which is why Wildfold’s lottery pick, Lark, is also aiming for the medical personnel trial.” And there it was. The one resource I needed more than anything else. She didn’t say it aloud, but we both knew what hung in the air between us. She knew what I wanted .

Of course she did. Even if I hadn’t said it with my whole chest in my interview, she would’ve figured it out. She was sharp like that. She seemed like the type to find anything out. My mind reminded me to be careful when divulging anything to her. No matter how charming she may seem.

“That’s unfortunate for me,” I replied, looking over at the Wildfold chosen Challenger. He was thin, but muscular, a sort of frame that screamed ‘athlete’. He had an almost laser-focused look on his face and I tried not to let the fear seep in, but it was here anyway.

“It’s a mental trial,” Briar continued. “From what I gather, he doesn’t have any formal schooling.” There was a silver lining at least. I smiled up at Briar, genuinely, even if it was a little stiff.

“Thank you.”

“So, Hollis,” Briar said, my name rolling off her tongue with that same easy confidence. “I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry about your brother. His illness. That you had to leave him.”

My eyes narrowed instinctively. Of all the things people had said about my brother today, his condition, his circumstances, no one had expressed any sympathy for me , for the fact that I left him just when he needed me most. A nagging voice, that sounded a lot like Zaffir, in the back of my head reminded me not to trust it entirely.

I must have looked surprised because she added, almost like an afterthought, “I’ve got a brother, too.”

I sighed, trying to keep my tone light but failing to hide the edge. “It must have been hard leaving him to come here.” After all, I knew the feeling.

Briar shook her head, and there was something raw in her eyes, something I didn’t expect. “I wish I got to leave him behind,” she said, a dark twist to his words. My eyebrows rose, and eyes widened in question. “The unlucky bastard just had to go and get himself chosen in the lottery.”

My breath hitched, unable to stop the shock from registering on my face. “Your brother’s here, too?” I asked, my voice a little breathless.

She nodded, but there was a strange, bitter edge to the motion.

“Yes, he is. And he’s not unlucky. He just got a free all-expenses paid vacation to the capital of Nexum,” another voice interrupted from behind us, dripping with sarcasm.

I turned quickly, eyes widening at the new figure standing there. He was a near mirror to Briar, with tanned skin, dark hair, eyes that gleamed with an intensity that matched his sister’s. But this man’s hair was shorter, cropped and shaggy just above his ears, and his features were a little sharper.

“Thorne Grey,” the man said smoothly, offering me his hand.

I blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected introduction. His presence was as commanding as his sister’s. I hesitated for a moment, then shook his hand.

“Thorne and Briar?” I asked, sending a cheeky look back over my shoulder.

Briar shrugged, moving to stand next to her brother. “Our Ma was real outdoorsy,” she said as if that was answer enough for the woodsy nature of their names.

“Brexlyn Hollis,” I said, turning back to Thorne. “You’re Briar’s brother, then?”

“Nah, no relation” Thorne said, his lips quirking into a half-smile.

Briar elbowed him in the ribs and Thorne let out a hearty laugh.

“Alright, alright. Unfortunately, I am.” He gave his sister a glance that spoke volumes, a complicated mix of familiarity, irritation, and something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Then, turning back to me, he leaned in slightly, as if sharing some secret. “But don’t let her fool you. She may have gotten the votes, but I’m the far superior twin.”

Briar rolled her eyes, clearly used to this dynamic. “Maybe you should go get something to drink, Thorne.”

But Thorne wasn’t having it. He waved a hand dismissively, his voice teasing. “Oh, and miss out on meeting this gorgeous creature? Look, if the universe wants to play its cruel joke on me, at least let me enjoy it.”

There was a flicker of something in Briar’s expression, something like regret, maybe even a hint of defensiveness. But before she could respond, Thorne gave her a shove, turning back to me with a wry grin.

“So, love, can I call you love?” he said, his tone shifting again, “You’re here to win the medical trials right? ”

I stood a little straighter, feeling the weight of their gazes on me, and crossed my arms. “Maybe I’m here because the universe is playing some cruel joke on me,” I said, borrowing from Thorne’s description. He offered me a smile. “But while I’m here, yeah, I hope I can win those trials. Or at least place high enough to get my brother some help.”

Thorne’s grin widened, his eyes twinkling with a cocky glint that made my stomach flip. He looked like he was about to say something more, but before he could, the anthem of Nexum blared through the speakers, its booming, triumphant notes echoing through the grand hall. The entire room fell silent in an instant, all eyes drawn to the elevated platform where Archon Evanora Veritas had taken her place.

I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat as I looked up at her. There, standing above us all, was the epitome of power. Archon Veritas, tall and imposing, with a presence that seemed to dwarf everyone in the room. Her gown was an elaborate masterpiece of gold and silver. The flared edges of the skirt created a solid few feet of space around her, a deliberate gesture that kept anyone from getting too close. A barrier designed to remind us of her untouchable position.

The room’s collective attention shifted entirely to her as the anthem reached its peak, and then, with a calm, commanding voice, she spoke.

“By the will of the Praxis, you are welcome,” she exclaimed.

“For the will of Praxis, we arrive,” the room boomed. I’d never heard the response quite so full and eager. But I guess when in Praxis…

“Welcome, Challengers, to the Reclamation Run!” Her voice was smooth, laced with an undeniable edge of authority, but there was also something strangely captivating about it, like she could command a room without lifting a finger. The crowd responded with a loud cheer, a chorus of admiration and anticipation.

As she spoke, her gaze swept over the gathered crowd seeking out the Challengers scattered amongst the privileged, lingering just a moment longer on each one of us. Her eyes passed over Briar and Thorne briefly, but then I noticed her attention flicker in my direction, just for a split second. I didn’t know if it was because she recognized me or if it was simply the way she had a knack for making everyone feel like they were under her watchful eye. Either way, my heart skipped a beat.

I wasn’t the only one to feel it. The entire room seemed to hold its breath as she continued, her posture regal and unwavering.

“Tonight, we mark the beginning of the Run. Those of you who survive the trials will be given the chance to reclaim what’s been lost. Your prize? Resources. Honor. And for some of you…salvation.”

The applause that followed was deafening, but I felt a sudden unease crawl up my spine. Evanora’s gaze never wavered as she stood there, studying us.

The crowd slowly started to settle, but there was an unspoken weight in the room.

Thorne leaned in slightly, his voice low but teasing as he murmured to me, “Well, it’s official now. Let the trials begin.” His words were almost a dare, and the corner of his mouth twitched as if he were enjoying this far more than I was.

Briar gave me another appraising look, her expression unreadable but her eyes sharp. I nodded, forcing myself to breathe deeply and shake off the unsettled feeling in my chest. I didn’t want this. But now that I was here, I wasn’t going to waste the chance. I would fight, claw, and outsmart whoever I had to in order to make it out alive and bring what my brother needed back with me.

The Reclamation Run wasn’t built for the brave, it was built for the brutal. One wrong move, one misplaced trust, and it could all be over. I had to be smart. I had to be careful. I had too much to lose.

Archon Veritas raised her hand, signaling for the crowd to quiet once more. The room fell to a heavy silence, all eyes locked on her. “Tonight, you feast, you celebrate, you dance. But tomorrow, the first trial begins.”

My heart thudded in my chest, and I knew this was just the beginning.

Archon Veritas lifted her crystal glass high, her voice ringing with hollow warmth as she declared, “To unity, preservation, and progress!”

A sweeping cheer followed, polite and practiced, as the Praxis elite mirrored her movement. Golden arms raised in near-perfect unison. The air shimmered with the clink of glass and the rustle of silks and satins.

I glanced around at the rest of the Challengers, those of us dressed in black and gray, standing like shadows in the midst of a celebration in our names but one we didn’t feel invited to. None of us lifted our glasses. Some didn’t even hold one. We stood still, watching them, because toasting this might be a lie too far.

Because what were we toasting, really?

Their unity wasn’t ours. Their progress had cost us everything. And as for preservation... we were barely surviving out in the Collectives, what exactly were they preserving?

So we stayed still.

And I felt it then…that divide. Us versus them. They were here for a show.

We were here to survive.

The crowd exploded into lively and jovial excitement, as the music resumed and they slipped onto the dancefloor to take a turn about the room.

“Wanna dance, love?” Thorne asked, holding his arm out for me to take.

“I don’t dance,” I replied.

“Then follow my lead,” he said, gripping my hand and dragging me toward the dance floor.

“See you around, Hollis,” Briar promised with a genuine smile. Thorne spun me, and my feet moved on their own accord, when I was pulled back to him, he circled my waist and held my front pressed to his. I looked up breathless at him.

“So, fuck that lottery, am I right?” he said, breaking the tension and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Not sure I would say it quite as brashly, but I can’t say I disagree with the sentiment,” I said back with a soft smile. “I can’t believe you were chosen in the lottery after your sister was elected. I mean what are the odds of that happening?”

Thorne let out a low laugh, his voice smooth with just a hint of smug. “Roughly zero-point-zero-zero-one-zero-two percent. One out of an eligible population of 9,792.” He tilted his head, looking far too pleased with himself. “You’d have better odds of catching a snowflake on your tongue in Wildfold in the middle of summer. Blindfolded.”

I gave him a dumbfounded look.

“I’m really good at math,” he whispered, his voice almost too smooth, like he was revealing a secret only meant for me. I shouldn’t have felt the heat rush through me, but I did. Maybe it was his cocksure attitude, or maybe the way his intellect practically radiated from him, but something about it had me thrown off balance.

“I can see that,” I replied, my voice a little more breathless than I intended as he spun me out and then pulled me back in. My head was spinning, not just from the dance, but from everything else. I couldn’t help but wonder if someone with his level of sharpness would be my biggest competition. To save my brother. That thought was always there, in the back of my mind, lurking.

“Well, now that you’re here,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady and free from the nerves that were coursing through me, “what trials are you hoping to aim for?”

The question hung in the air, and I felt a tightness in my chest. I didn’t want to admit how scared I was of facing him, someone who could probably calculate his way through any obstacle without breaking a sweat. Me? I could memorize equations, sure, but actually applying them? That was a different story entirely.

“Don’t worry, love,” Thorne said with a crooked grin, that mischievous glint in his eyes sparking like lightning. “You won’t have to worry about me and my incredibly impressive brain getting in the way of you and your precious medical trials.”

I huffed a laugh, a small knot of tension loosening in my chest. But before I could reply, his voice shifted.

“Truth is…” He trailed off, glancing sideways, his gaze flicking toward the far corner of the room where a pair of Praxis guards leaned against the wall, half-bored but always watching. “I’m not entirely sure I’m aiming for any trial at all.”

That made me pause. “You’re not going to compete?” I asked, more startled than I meant to sound.

Thorne didn’t answer right away, spinning me around the dance floor, then pulling me tight to his chest. “Let’s just say,” he murmured, so low I had to lean in to hear him, “if Praxis is going to force me to play their game, I might enjoy playing one of my own.”

I frowned. Was he serious? Speaking against Praxis, even in a half-joking way, was the kind of thing people disappeared for. The kind of thing that made people ‘examples.’

“Thorne,” I whispered, glancing toward the guards.

He finally relaxed, his smirk softening at the edges. “Relax,” he said, voice light again. “What’s a little venting between friends. We are friends now, right?”

I didn’t know what to say. He made it sound like a joke, but it wasn’t. Not really.

“Just… be careful,” I managed.

He chuckled, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Worried about me, love?”

I rolled my eyes with a scoff. “I just…you should watch what you say. I wouldn't want my…friends to get hurt.”

That earned a real grin, quick and sharp. But then, his voice softened again. “Don’t waste a moment worrying about me. The stars…” He paused, catching himself, then sm iled sadly. “They’ve got a habit of shining on those who earn it.”

“Can I cut in?” a familiar deep voice whispered from behind me. I felt his presence before I turned.

Ezra was standing there, expectantly, his eyes locked on mine. I smiled instinctively when I saw him. My heart fluttered softly.

“See you in the trials, love,” Thorne said with a sly grin, bowing deeply and pressing a soft kiss to the back of my hand. His lips burned against my skin, sending an unexpected wave of heat racing up my arm. I stood there for a moment, watching him walk away, before I turned back to face Ezra.

My heart skipped. Was Ezra upset? Did he think that just because I danced with someone else, it meant something? We had held hands, sure, but was that enough to make him think we were… something more? Did I want to be? Would he be angry if he knew that my body reacted to those handsome strangers just as strongly as it did to him? The thought gnawed at me.

I shook my head, trying to silence my racing thoughts. But then, just as I began to settle my nerves, Ezra stepped closer to me. His presence was commanding, protective, so intense it almost felt like the air itself thickened. Before I knew it, his strong arms were around me, pulling me into him as we began to sway. For a moment, we moved in complete silence, just the sound of our breathing filling the space between us.

“I didn’t know you could dance,” I murmured, surprised by the ease of his movements.

Ezra gave a quiet huff of amusement, barely a sound, but enough to make my chest tighten.

“I never have,” he said. “I guess you’re just a good partner.”

I tilted my head slightly, studying him in the low light. His jaw was tense, like he was holding something back, like letting this moment happen went against every instinct he had. He didn’t look at me right away, just kept his eyes somewhere over my shoulder.

“Why are you being like this?” I asked quietly.

That got his attention. His gaze flicked to mine, searching.

“Like what?”

“Like this,” I said, gesturing between us with a slight shift of my hand. “Open. Affectionate. Dancing with me. Holding my hand.”

He hesitated. The weight of his silence pressed against me harder than his arms ever could.

“Forgive me for pointing it out, but this is a far cry from the guy who was silently staring down the barrel of the camera yesterday.” I hated saying it, but it was nagging at me.

“I don’t typically let people in,” he said finally, voice rougher now. “Anymore.”

“So why me?” I asked, barely more than a whisper.

“You make it feel worth the risk.”

My breath caught, my fingers tightening slightly at the back of his neck. Ezra’s eyes flicked to my mouth, just for a second. Barely. But I felt it like a spark lighting a fuse.

He didn’t pull away. If anything, he drew just a little closer, not enough to cross a line in front of the onlookers, but enough to make me ache for it.

“I don’t know what to trust,” I whispered, the words slipping out before I could decide if I meant to say them aloud.

“You can trust me,” he replied.

“Yesterday,” I began, “you said your only goal was to make Canyon pay for electing you.”

“Yesterday, that was my only goal,” he said. His thumb moved along the curve of my spine, slow enough to feel deliberate. “Then you came along and ruined it. ”

I gave a short, breathless laugh, but it died in my throat when our eyes met again. There was nothing guarded in his face now, just heat, and something that felt dangerously close to longing.

“I don’t want to ruin you,” I said.

His gaze dropped to my lips, lingering this time. “Too late.”

I didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. My whole body felt suspended in that space between decision and surrender.

“You look like you want to kiss me,” I whispered because I couldn’t focus on anything else.

He didn’t deny it. “Tell me not to,” he said. But his voice was already unsteady.

I didn’t. I couldn’t.

Our eyes locked, and the world around us faded. It was as if there was no one else in the room but the two of us. The only thing that existed was the heat rising between us, the electric pull that threatened to consume us both. His hand slid lower, drifting gently along the small of my back, pulling me even closer. I felt the heat of his touch sear through my dress, the longing inside me intensifying with each passing second.

By the time the song ended, I was burning with need. Heat pooled between my thighs, an ache I couldn’t ignore. But Ezra didn’t pull away. He just held me there, as the music shifted into another song. And then another. The minutes passed, but neither of us seemed to care. We simply moved together, lost in the rhythm of each other’s presence, and the growing hunger in my core.

When the final notes of the third song rang out, Ezra took my hand, his grip firm and steady. He led me from the dancefloor, through the crowd, and toward the quiet edge of the ballroom. The eyes of the onlookers faded into the background, and my pulse quickened as we left the safety of the crowd. He didn’t say a word as we moved deeper into the hall, away from prying eyes. He turned a corner, then another. Traveling through a maze that no camera could follow.

As we stepped into a shadowed hallway, the music became nothing more than a distant hum. The air here was cooler, quieter, more intimate. I could feel every nerve in my body tense with anticipation. Ezra stalked toward me, his eyes dark with desire, chest heaving with each sharp breath. My heart pounded as I stepped back, my shoulders brushing against the cold stone wall behind me. The low sounds of the ballroom faded further, leaving only the sound of our ragged breaths.

He didn’t hesitate. His hand shot out, resting on the wall above my head, effectively caging me in. I swallowed, staring up at him. I was desperate for him to touch me, to kiss me, to break the tension that was threatening to snap.

His eyes flicked from my lips to my eyes, the heat building between us so thick it was almost suffocating. I didn’t know what would happen next, but at that moment, I didn’t care. All that mattered was him, and the way he was making my entire body ache for him.

“Please,” I breathed into the darkness, my voice barely a whisper.

In an instant, his lips were on mine, fierce and demanding. His hands cradled my face, fingers digging into my skin as I clutched at his neck, pulling him closer, desperate for more. His kiss was relentless, deep, and as he teased the seam of my lips with his tongue, I couldn’t help but open to him, letting him take control. A moan escaped me, the pleasure building between us, a perfect balance of giving and taking.

I felt weightless, as if the world had disappeared around us, but at the same time, his body pressed against mine, grounding me with its heat and strength. It was as if everything else had ceased to exist, and the only thing that mattered was the electric connection between us.

Instinct took over, pure unbridled mindless passion, and I hitched a leg over his hip. One of his hands slid down to hold it in place and he drove his hips forward. I felt the hard evidence of his arousal pressing against my center and I groaned at the pleasure and simultaneous anger that we had so many layers of clothing separating our needy bodies from each other.

“I need to touch you,” he whispered against my lips and the cry I released was nothing short of desperate.

“Then do it,” I exclaimed as our lips locked together.

His fingers danced along my thigh, pushing the flared skirt up and up until it bunched around my waist exposing my panty covered core to him. His fingertips brushed along the sensitive skin on my inner thigh and my head fell back against the wall, my mouth falling open on a pleasure-filled sigh. I didn’t know where to put my hands, I wanted them everywhere all at once. I wanted to explore him, to keep him, to pleasure him. I gripped his hair, holding his lips to my skin. His mouth took advantage of my exposed neck, and he began peppering hot, needy kisses to the skin there as his fingers continued to travel higher and higher on my thighs.

I had only a brief moment where I wondered if what I was doing was reckless. Naive, or indulgent. I should be focused on surviving this, on making it out alive and getting back to my brother. It was selfish of me to feel this much. To lose myself, however momentarily, in the feel of this relative stranger. But just as the doubt came, the resolve washed it away. Tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed. I may not walk out of here alive, and if I do, I may not walk out as myself. So, I would take what little pleasures life offered me, and I would indulge. I deserved to be a little reckless since my life was on the line.

The first brush of his finger along my panties sent a jolt of pleasure through me, the second drew out a thick moan. The third had my stomach clenching and my mouth seeking his.

When our lips crashed against each other again, I whispered into his kiss, “Touch me, Ezra. Please.”

His eyes flared, pupils blown with white hot desire consuming him. He was just as lost to this sensation as I was.

He slid the edge of my panties aside and in a delicious, quick thrust, two fingers entered my soaking wet pussy. I almost screamed out, but his lips silenced mine, drinking my scream in his kiss. His teeth captured my bottom lip and bit down, offering a twinge of wonderful pain to perfectly pair with the overwhelming pleasure he was drawing from me with his talented fingers.

His thumb pressed against my clit, and as he fucked me with his hand, I felt mindless, weightless, breathless.

I’d never experienced something so blinding, never felt passion this consuming before. We weren’t even done, and already I needed so much more.

“You’re so fucking wet, Bex,” he praised which only made my core clench around his fingers tighter as I rocked my hips, chasing the pleasure he was offering. “That’s it, baby. Fuck my hand.”

So I did. I held onto his shoulders and bounced my body against him, feeling his fingers hook within me and hit me where no person has ever reached before.

“Ezra,” I cried out as I felt my pussy clench and my release begin to crest.

“Come for me,” he demanded, his dark eyes watching my face. I leaned my head back against the wall, my mouth wide open as a string of needy eager moans slipped from my mouth .

I felt the pressure build and build as he slammed his fingers into me, his thumb working my clit expertly in time with his thrusts. It was all too much, until the release shattered, wracking my body. I clung to him as I rode out wave after wave of pleasurable relief. His fingers stilled within me, no longer seeking to draw pleasure, but rather to soak up every second of the release he earned from me.

When my breathing returned to normal, I let my eyes find him again as he slowly removed his fingers from my throbbing core. With his gaze locked on mine, he lifted them and placed them on his tongue, closing his mouth around them. I watched with rapt attention as he drank my release from his skin with a dark, vibrating groan.

“Delicious,” he vowed, and I was suddenly ready for another orgasm.

Before I could reach for him again, the soft sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor. Ezra immediately stepped back, his hands quick to smooth down my dress, and a knot of panic tightened in my throat.

Zaffir rounded the corner, and to my relief, he wasn’t holding his camera. Thank god, because if he had been, the evidence of what had just transpired would have been glaringly obvious. His gaze flicked between us, noting our expressions, the slight disarray, and I couldn't quite read him. He was good at masking his thoughts, whatever they were. I suddenly found myself hoping he wasn’t upset. Which was absurd. Why should I care what he thought?

“Nova says it’s time to head to our lodgings,” he said, voice calm and almost too casual. “We can take the back way.” As he passed, I could have sworn I caught a glint of amusement in his eyes, perhaps a wink, though it could’ve just been my imagination.

Ezra offered me a small, reassuring smile before extending his hand. Without a word, I took it, our fingers intertwining as we followed Zaffir down the hall.