Page 16

C yrus’ reply slowly filters through my mind as I line up with the other girls and make our way to a portal that will bring us to the War Camps.

I misunderstood them completely. None of them ever wanted to really escape. They just wanted to move to the War Camps. A desolate place that’s apparently brutal, savage and absolutely chaotic.

It’s also near the Hollow. A place were monsters and beasts are born.

Robin moves closer to me as we step into the portal. A rush of warmth and then cold slides across my skin as we move through it.

Hot, dead heat hits me as a desert of beige sand greets me.

Glancing to the side, I spot hundreds of steel framed tents with heavy black and beige fabric.

They’re all setup in different sections around the area, with hundreds farther down from this spot.

I move farther away from the portal and find dark reddish rocks sitting everywhere and anywhere.

Some are huge, reaching the size of the tents while others only reach up to half of my thigh.

There’s nothing else here. No water. No breeze. Nothing.

Why on earth would anyone want to live here? Permanently .

Sloane—the female I met in Commander Talos’ office—gathers us to the side and waits for everyone to step through the portal before speaking.

“The camps are setup similar to the academy. Those who have companions will stay with their Shadows.” She turns around and points farther down from us to a large tent four times the size of the others.

“That’s the main tent. Behind it you’ll find most of the Shadows that just arrived. There will be small flags on the tents that align with the color of your Shadow’s sector. Those who wanted to speak with me, come with me.”

A handful of girls follow her while the rest of us head toward the large tent.

Moving around it, I pause when it opens up to a huge network of tents and paths.

Quickly spotting the colored flags, I realize what she means. Blue for the Sentinels. Purple for the Seekers. White for the Shields, and finally, at the very back is black for the Elite.

But to get to any of them we have to move through a wide path that’s been taken over by dozens of angry looking male Shadows. All spread out, in and around the path and tents.

As soon as they spot us, the atmosphere kicks up a notch, and they make it clear that none of them are too happy with us being here.

“What in the other realm are they?” Robin asks and I glance over to see eight huge beasts.

Four on each side of the path we’ve to move through.

Each look to have the head and half a body similar to an eagle and the other half similar to a lion.

Their coloring is a mix between black and gold, and each are double the size of the largest lion I’ve ever seen.

A small brunette beside Sage shrinks back and lowers her voice.

“I’ve read about those beasts. They’re called griffins and are as vicious as terrigons.

The tips of their razor-sharp claws and teeth are poisonous and will leave you writhing in pain for days before you succumb to death.

” She gives us all a grave look. “I don’t think there is a cure either. ”

“Hell no!” Sage says. “There’s no way I’m going anywhere near them. If those beasts don’t eat me, the angry Shadows will.”

“Yeah. And not the way we like,” the small blonde beside her says, making me laugh.

“If we don’t use this path, we have to go all the way around,” Robin says, and I glance over to the side to find the path we’d have to take if we don’t head straight ahead.

It spans out and then curves around. Large reddish rocks block most of the path, ensuring we would have to go up and around them before coming back in.

It would easily take an hour just to get around it.

Whereas the path in front of us is only a few minutes’ walk.

An older group of male Shadows with black markings stare us all down while giving us vicious smirks that grow when they see the girls take a step back.

A dark-haired Shadow with piercing blue eyes steps out onto the path. “Ah, come on. Don’t be scared. We promise not to bite… much ,” he shouts over and the males around him chuckle.

“Fuck them,” Robin says as she steps forward. But the griffin moves as if sensing her and stares her down. She pauses and then takes a step back.

The males’ voices grow louder, grating on my ears.

“They can’t even walk a straight line. How the fuck are they supposed to fight?!”

“Weak females!”

Their words make the pit of anger simmering in my stomach come to a boil.

Sage shakes her head. “I don’t care that it takes a little longer. I’m going to take the long way around.”

While the girls start to move, I focus on the nearest griffin and watch as its eyes almost soften. A second later, a strange comforting energy slides though me similar to when I’m around the Vims.

Trusting my gut instinct, I step forward and ignore the male assholes around me as I make my way onto the path.

All the griffins get up, but I give them each a look that demands they yield. Something inside me telling me they will.

And they do.

Moving along the sides of the paths, the griffins move to stand on each side as if on guard, watching as I make my way through. Every Shadow’s gaze falls on me, the shock and confusion on their faces as plain as day.

I ignore them all, silently thanking the griffins and continue past asshole center to the small village of tents.

Realizing the girls followed me instead of taking the long route, I wave them off as each find their tents and then head through a smaller path down the back to where a dozen tents with black flags lay.

I’m about to open a connection with Knox to figure out where they are when a Greek god with an angry scowl steps in front of me. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for four tall assholes. Have you seen them?”

He smirks, losing a bit of his ire. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to be a little more specific. That description pretty much covers everyone here.”

I smile. “These specific four are Elite and just arrived?—”

A shadow flies overhead, and I glance up, my eyes widening when I spot a winged male flying high above us. “What…”

“From the other academy,” he glares up at the male. “Stay away from them. They’re nothing but liars and manipulators. Not one of them are to be trusted.”

“They share the camp with you all?” I ask still mesmerized by his black feathered wings as they soar through the sky.

“Unfortunately, but their camp is on the other side,” he says.

I wonder what it would be like to fly. To feel the wind across my face that high. To just be free.

“It must be nice to fly though,” I say.

“Don’t think about going anywhere near them. As far as you’re concerned, they are the enemy. You belong to us, not them.”

I raise a brow at his idiotic assumption. “I belong to me.”

He smiles. “And your companions.”

“Mates,” I say without thinking.

“Mates?” He tilts his head, his smirk dropping. “So, it’s true?” he asks, and I nod while wondering why he looks a little frightened now.

Clearing his throat, he takes a step back from me. “Your mates should be in the last tent on the left. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention our conversation.” He turns and disappears before I get the chance to ask him why.

Shaking my head, I walk in the direction he pointed and straight into the tent.

The inside is clean and tidy with a dozen beds. Six on each side and a trunk at the bottom of each. There’s a door at the very back that I assume leads to the bathroom.

Everyone inside pauses what they’re doing to stare at me and what looks like the only female in this tent. At least at the moment. There are a few empty beds still available.

“Over here,” Cyrus says, and I find him at the back where the four of them have started unpacking their things.

“What took you so long?” Knox asks.

“And why have you got us all blocked? It dangerous here,” Malakai says, glaring at something behind me.

“You all annoy me,” I tell him like it should be obvious.

Cyrus shows me my bed that is just across from them. “That’s mine,” he says pointing to one beside me.

I sit down when another male steps into the tent. “All females are to move out.”

I frown and glance over at Cyrus, wondering if he knows what this is about.

“Move it,” the male shouts.

The male frowns when the tent goes silent. He glances over at Cyrus and flinches back before mumbling something and leaving the tent as fast as he can.

“Keep yourself open and check in,” Cyrus says.

Grabbing a bottle of water, I head out after the male, wondering what the hell I’m in for now.

G iven nothing more than a bag with a couple of items, me and six other females—including Robin—are brought through a portal and out into the middle of nowhere before being told we have to survive the next two days out here alone.

“Great. What are we supposed to do now?” Robin groans just as the portal closes.

I glance around at the open land of desert. “I think our first goal should be to find shelter. We’re vulnerable out in the open like this, and anything could be out here watching us.”

The girls whip around as if just realizing that too.

“I agree. Let’s head over there,” Robin says pointing to a large group of rocks.

We start making our way toward them, but a few feet forward, the ground starts to shake and tremble beneath us.

“What the—” Sand explodes around us as something huge shoots up and out of the dunes of sand.

I widen my eyes on the gigantic beige worm as it shrieks, revealing its pinpoint jagged teeth. It shrieks again, and I realize I’m standing there like an idiot instead of running.

“Run, damn it!” I tell the others, and they finally snap out of their shock to get running.

Glancing over my shoulder, dread knots my stomach as the huge worm follows, shooting forward on the sand and heading straight for us.

I keep running while quickly glancing around to make sure the girls are doing the same.