Page 91 of Hallowed Games

“Are you always this clumsy?” whispered Sion sharply from just in front of me.

“I thought I was behind Maelor.”

This was what happened when no one would let me light a candle, but they were right about the dark. They were the only ones who could see in this pitch-blackness, which would make it harder for anyone to find us.

“I hear the other Penitents,” Sion whispered.

The sounds of his footfalls moved away from me, and I followed, my hand outstretched to feel his back. As we drew closer to the other Penitents, I saw the faint glow of torchlight. Their voices carried through the air, and I exhaled. They were safe.

“Let me go in front,” I whispered. “They’ll panic if they see you charging toward them. As far as they know, you are still a faithful servant of the Pater.”

“Fine.” I felt Sion’s large body shift as he pressed back against one of the narrow catacomb walls.

I pushed past him, my arm and shoulder brushing by him in the tight space. The faint voices of the other Penitents faded into silence as they heard me approaching.

“Percival,” I called out in a loud whisper. “It’s Elowen.”

“You made it!” Percival grinned at me.

In the narrow space, Hugo huddled with Percival and Godric, while the rest of the Penitents pressed into the narrow space behind them. In here, tombs were inset into stone walls. Low arches swept over us, and old wooden coffins lay on the floor.

Lydia peered out from behind them, and her eyes locked on me.

Sazia pushed her way to the front of the group, and firelight illuminated her face. “I told them you would make it. Did you kill…” She stopped short, her gaze flicking up to the vampire coming up behind me.

I held up my hands. “Don’t be afraid. They’re both with us. The Raven Lord and the Magister Solaris have been part of the resistance. They’re the traitors the Pater was talking about, the people who informed Eboria. Listen, I have a lot to catch you up on, but we don’t have much time. The Pater is still alive, and the Luminari are hunting us. We don’t have time for questions or arguing, and right now, we don’t have time for doubt. I’m just going to need you to listen closely and to trust me.”

As if that weren’t asking for the biggest miracle of all…

* * *

Percival and I stood pressed against one side of the crypt door. On the other, Maelor and Sion waited for us.

Percival glanced at me, his scar deepening as he frowned. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for my life to not be pointless. Even if it doesn’t last very long.”

“We’re going to make it out,” I whispered with more confidence than I felt.

The door opened, and the darkness seemed to swallow me. Shadow magic billowed around us, disorienting me completely. It was as if ink had spilled over the dome of the sky, blotting out everything. In the black, shouts rang out—the Luminari screaming, desperate to know why they’d been struck blind. The shadows had a heaviness to them, almost damp, like soil. The wind kissed my skin, cold as winter, stinging my cheeks and bare hands.

Behind me, the Penitents followed, touching each other’s backs to stay together. We shuffled through the black like a grim funeral possession.

Someone grabbed my hand, and a moment of panic flickered through me. I was ready for battle, which meant I wasn’t wearing gloves. But as I jerked my hand back, I heard Sion’s deep voice. “Calm down, it’s just me. You were wandering into a wall.” On his palm, I could feel the callouses where he held his sword.

I wanted to rip my hand away. And yet, for Leo, I would do anything.

“I hope you can burn things quickly, Percival.” Sion’s low voice was almost hard to hear with the Luminari screaming in the distance. “Maelor has created these shadows, and I’m going to help him. But we won’t be able to keep the entire castle in the dark for long.”

“I’ll work as fast as I can.” Percival’s voice sounded clipped. “How close are you taking us to the door? Because it is enormous. To burn that wood down quickly, the heat will need to be…indescribable. A raging inferno. I’ve never done anything like—”

“Make it happen,” said Sion, cutting him off. “We can stand in an archway that has a view of the door and keep our distance. I’ll point you in the right direction. Will that work?”

“I honestly have no idea.”

“The answer is yes,” said Sion. “Yes, it will work—because if it doesn’t, we all die. Understood? Good.”

From behind, I felt the other Penitents bump into me. Everyone must have had a well-honed sense of survival at that point because despite the chaos and fear permeating the atmosphere, they were keeping completely silent. In these thick shadows, shouting was the only thing that might identify our location.

On the walls above us, the Luminari were screaming, some that the Archon had blinded them, others that it was the Serpent’s work. An icy wind bit at my skin, piercing even the thick wool cloak. I hugged myself for warmth.

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