Page 32 of Desecrated Reign

“No. There’s only one way off the island, your task is to figure out what that is, and you’ve only four days to do it.”

Saoirse shoulders drop with a sigh. “What happens if we don’t figure it out before then?”

Lorcan’s gaze drops to the floor. “You fail.”

“Well, that’s fucking optimistic.” Saoirse throws her hands up as she spins towards the door.

“Listen, doll…” Lorcan grabs her attention, and she peers over her shoulder. “There’s only so much I can tell you without breaking the rules. If you don’t succeed, your team will be collected, but you won’t pass your second trial.”

“Great! Just fucking great.”

“Don’t worry, you’re not going to fail, doll. As of yet, there’s only ever been one team who didn’t figure it out. I’ve no doubts about you taking charge and doing what needs to be done.” Tilting his head slightly, he mulls over his next words. Finally, he adds, “The most important thing to remember is the value this trial represents. If you can earn that, you’ll be one step closer to figuring it all out.”

Strength, respect, loyalty, and the crown that holds them together.

Saoirse’s eyes find mine as Lorcan’s words register. “Step one, earn Brodie and Shannon’s respect.”

“Not only that, doll. Give them yours, too.”

Following Saoirse’s lead, we head out to the deck. I take a seat next to Brodie while Saoirse remains standing as she goes over everything Lorcan told us.

“So, four days to figure this shit out?” Brodie questions. “Whatever the fuck this shit is?”

“Pretty much.” Saoirse drops into the seat next to me. “There’s not much we can do until we figure out what clues are in that crate. All I know is we need to work together to formulate a plan, communication is key. We won’t get anywhere if we don’t respect each other’s opinions and ideas.”

“I agree,” Shannon chimes in, baby-blue eyes locked on Saoirse as she spirals her auburn locks around her finger. “There’s a reason this is a group trial. We need to make sure we all cross the finish line together, as a team.”

“Sounds good to me.” Brodie leans back. “The sooner we get this over with the sooner we can get back to technology.”

Surprisingly, neither of them are questioning Saoirse’s authority, and so far they’re accepting that she’s in charge. I just hope it stays that way.

Not long after, we pull into an old docking port on the west side of a huge island. Within minutes, Lorcan eases us to a stop and we step off the boat, finally greeting solid ground.

I do a quick scan of the area, and find nothing but a stony, sandy shoreline lined by huge trees. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Then, at the end of the concrete dock, I spy the large crate Lorcan mentioned. “Well, at least we don’t have far to walk.”

Shannon’s blue eyes follow mine, widening when she realises this is where we’ll be sleeping for the foreseeable future. “Please tell me there’s a hotel nearby?”

Cryptic as ever, Lorcan responds, “Everything you need will be in the crate.”

“Hate to break it to you, Shan,” Brodie laughs, “but that box is a little small for a hotel room.”

“You think?” She rolls her eyes. Within seconds, both of them are rushing towards the box, and when they get to it, they don’t hesitate, pulling out an array of items, hoping to find god knows what.

Flicking my attention back to Lorcan and Saoirse, I stand back as he reassures her with a hug before tipping his chin at me over her shoulder, silently asking me to keep his daughter safe. “Stick together, and remember just because you’re from different sectors, doesn’t mean you’re not a team. I promise if you can find a balance of power, things will run smoothly.”

“Don’t worry, Boss Man. We’ll be fine.”

Placing a small kiss on the top of her head, Lorcan steps back. “I’ll see you both in a few days.”

Once he’s gone, I take Saoirse’s hand in mine and together we make our way towards the others. “You ready, mo bhanríon?”

“Born ready, King.”

* * *

“Two tents, four sleeping bags, four heavy backpacks, a few other camping essentials, and barely enough food and water to get us through two days, never mind four,” Shannon rifles through the crate, tossing us each a packet of crisps and a bottle of water. “A twenty pack of 500ml of the cheapest bottle water on the market. God, they really splashed out.”

“There’s also this.” I wave the tattered, age-worn paper. “I mean it’s fucking useless considering it’s not complete.”

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