Vengeance (The Prince's Games Book 1) by Rebecca Grey (electric book reader TXT) 📕

It clips the back of her swinging arm, marking her with a stripe of red blood. She hisses, but her boots land together on the end with two other teammates.

The rest of her team eyes us from where they crouch in the pits dug into the ground. Their attention remains split on us and hoisting another girl up over the edge. She stays low on the small platform between that and the next hole to avoid the flying arrows, I assume.

Marcello steps forward first. "Well, it seems our options are either over or under. Pick your poison."

The other team whispers to each other as we approach. Our presence is just as deadly as having another monster appear. "Watch the other team for signs of foul play," I say quietly to Hedda, though her eyes are already narrowed.

Under will leave us in the same position of helping each other just like half their team had. It doesn't look near as fast as going over, even with the risk of getting shot with an arrow. I'm ready for this to be finished, and by whatever means I want it done quickly.

"I'm jumping," I announce quickly.

"You'll risk the arrows?" Sloane coos in her perfect voice.

"No." I drag Hedda up to the couple, leaving her beside them. If she flees or does something stupid, she's their problem now.

Roughly, avoiding the snakes that jump out at me, I shoulder around my team. One serpent tries to reach for me as I pass, but Sloane's slender hand catches it midair. She hisses back at it and the creature visibly flinches away, crawling back into the wall as she lets it go.

At the first hole, I stop. I look into the moving masses on either side, examining them for any sort of equipment set up within them that's shooting the arrows out. It's all got to be rigged up somehow...

I pout as my Human vision fails me, too stubborn to ask any of the ones behind me to look, and pull my boot off. Pulling my arm over my head, I launch the boot over the three holes where I would intend for my body to be if I jumped.

"Incoming!" I shout to the other team who's attempting to skitter into the third and final hole.

The girls dart away from my shoe. The speed of their movements suggest they fear I've tossed some sort of grenade their way instead of my new boot filled with sweat. I chuckle as they scamper away.

In the arch of my throw, I'd seen what I'd needed. The rest of my team did too. I point a finger. "The arrows shoot from there, there, and there. Avoid them."

"What a new and brilliant idea!" Juilliard's sarcasm is heavy.

"Who would like to go first and test my theory?" I spin.

"Why not you?" Finnegan says slowly.

My lips press into a line before I speak. "I'm the scientist with the theory, not the test subject."

Juilliard scoffs. Both Sloane and Finnegan laugh between themselves. Both Marcello and Hedda step forward. "I'll go." They say in unison, glancing back at each other in surprise.

I scowl at Marcello. "Not you. You're hurt so that will impact my very first test. Hedda you go."

The Orc doesn't wait for anyone to argue. She bounds by me. I can feel her heavy steps beat against the ground, the vibrations traveling up my legs.

Before her, the other team tries to pause as she comes sprinting their direction. They watch her, trying to assess what sort of threat she is to them. I count their heads again, all six players stay standing. I wonder how they beat their Criosphinx?

Hedda jumps. With the slightest puff of air, an arrow shoots. Hedda pulls her legs up to her chest midair, allowing the arrow to miss her legs. She lands loudly. Straightening her shoulders, she stands tall, but there is a nervous quake to her legs.

She's passed the first one no problem. What about the next two? Both of her fists rise up into the air in triumph. Maybe this small victory will help her earn back her confidence after her helplessness had shaken her before.

I've felt helpless a time or two myself. All I've learned is that you're never truly helpless. You can always do something, even if that something might be hard to do.

"Jump again!" I holler.

"Me next," Marcello interjects.

"Yeah, yeah, and I'll round up the back."

"Shouldn't you go somewhere in the middle so we can help you if you need it?" Juilliard the ever-present voice of reason adds.

"Why would I need help?" I turn to look at him. Call me weak. Call me Human. Call me anything you like and it won't change my mind.

"Let her do what she wants." Marcello pats his friend's arm. With one hand he strokes along his ribs with a grimace. At least each breath isn't causing him to whimper.

During our conversation, Hedda jumps from one dirt platform to the next, easily missing the arrows. Marcello walks up next, Juilliard behind him, then Sloane, then Finnegan who arches a brow at me before he too makes it over in a blur of movement.

All of them gather at the end, leaving plenty of space between them and the other team, the three of them, on the final hole. It's definitely faster to go over than under as they have.

As the Dryad girl had done, I walk back to the start of the narrow hall. I'll sprint to give myself good momentum. Without my boot, which Hedda now holds protectively, I take off at an uneven run. It's enough though and I push off with the foot that's still covered with a shoe for good traction.

I do as they'd all done, Hedda being the only one I could watch since she alone wasn't a streak in my