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I check them all over, making sure they’re all okay. But apart from some small cuts and bruises, they all seem fine.

A loud gong echoes around us, announcing the end of the first stage. But it will all be for nothing if they didn’t get that head.

I pull back from Knox. “Did you get the?—”

“We got it.” Cyrus holds up the head of the female terrigon. “Let’s go.”

“You can’t,” the winged male says, and they all stop to glare at him.

He stares at them calmly. “All Shadows that pass the first stage must go straight into the second if they want to compete in the war games.”

They all glance at me with a varying expression of worry and fear.

“No females are required in this round,” he says, making them relax. “My men will take her back to her tent.”

“Like fuck they will,” Malakai grits out.

The winged male raises a brow, still as calm as ever. “Would you prefer she meet a terrigon on the way?”

“We’ll take her back.” Seth and the other male I met last night with Arabella appears behind us. “We didn’t make it through the first stage,” Seth tells the guys before glaring at the winged male. “And we look after our own.”

“Go. I’ll be fine,” I tell the guys.

“If anything happens to her…” Theon warns.

Seth swallows hard. “I’ll protect her with my life.”

“I don’t need—” I start, but Malakai gives me a cutting glare.

I roll my eyes at their dramatics. “Go. Or you won’t have to worry about the terrigons kicking your ass.”

My threat gets a smile out of them. Psychos .

They each place a kiss on my head or cheek before leaving.

I thank the winged male again, and he gives me a warm smile before narrowing his eyes on the two men behind me. Bending low, he flies up into the dark sky and disappears among it.

I head over to Seth and the other male Shadow, and we head back in silence. Both keep watch on the way to the portal, but no more terrigons jump out to attack us.

We make it through the portal and outside the tent when my name gets called.

Turning around, I find a tall man with tight, jet-black hair walking toward me.

Seth and the other male spot him and freeze before saluting to him.

“Dismissed,” he glares at them both and they quickly disappear inside the tent.

“Sena, is it?” He gives me a smile. One I don’t trust.

“Yes, and you are?” I ask, and his smile twitches.

“General Reed.”

“How can I help you, General?” I ask.

“There was an incident last night that I need to discuss with you. Follow me.” He turns without waiting for a reply, expecting me to follow.

I groan and wince at the slicing burn in my back. I really should get that seen to. Hopefully this won’t take long.

I follow him through the tents and look up too late to realize I’m walking through a portal. But I relax when I end up in another tent, though one far larger and more extravagant than any I’ve seen so far.

General Reed moves behind the large brown desk at the back of the tent and waits for me to step up to it.

“Can you tell me what happened? I’d like to hear your side of the story,” he says and then waits for an answer. But I haven’t a clue what he’s talking about.

I frown at him. “I don’t know what you’re referring to?”

“Arabella told me she was attacked. She said you and two male Shadows helped. If you tell me the name of the two Shadows, I’ll make sure this little incident doesn’t go near you,” he says with a smile.

Arabella… that bitch. Instead of just ratting me out, she’s trying to drag down those males that won’t give her the time of day. And I can tell from the look in General Reed’s eyes that they’re dead once I name them.

“Again, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Maybe this Arabella simply slipped and fell,” I tell him giving him a deadpan look.

He narrows his eyes on me, losing his little fake pleasant expression.

“She had two broken wrists and a broken nose. I don’t care about the little spat between females, just give me the names of the Shadows involved, and I’ll let this slide,” he promises.

I stare at him, letting him see how much I fucking despise him. “For the third time, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

His entire expression changes, his eyes narrowing to slits. “Take her to isolation. Maybe a couple of days without food and water will jog your memory.”

I didn’t even hear the other two male Shadows come in. But I definitely feel them when they yank and shove me through a portal and close it behind me.

Glancing around I try not to panic at the small dark space, the only light coming from above. But it looks so far away that it barely touches me.

I glance around the space, trying to take note of anything I can use. But it’s like someone dug a hole in the sand deep enough that no would be able to escape and changed the walls to a hard slippery form to ensure it.

Unless I grow wings and fly, there’s no way I’m getting out of this.

Wiping the beads of sweat from my forehead, I pause when I realize how warm I am. I sit down and try not to think of this overheated tight space but hiss when I lean back and a burn of flames slices up my back reminding me of my wound.

Shit . Two days without food and water would be doable if not for that.

It’s probably infected. Which makes sense now why I’m starting to feel like I’m burning from the inside out.

Taking off a couple of layers, I use them to sit on and glance up at the sliver of light as I focus on Malakai.

Slipping into the bond, I jolt when a huge beast tries to swipe at my face.

Malakai’s face. He doesn’t sense me, too busy attacking every beast he comes across. He turns, and I spot the others all fighting dozens of beasts too. They look exhausted but keep fighting.

There’s no way I can tell them about this. Technically I’m safe. At least from the terrigons. Whereas they’re fighting for their lives. And a chance at something they’ve worked years for.

I pull back from the connection and block them all out, hoping they’ll be out of there soon.

Moving so my side is at the wall instead of my back, I close my eyes, hoping sleep will come soon. And hopefully last at least a couple of days.