Page 87 of The Devil's Trials
I nod silently, getting to my feet. “Good luck with your test,” I tell him, and then I’m moving across the room in a daze, my heart thumping erratically in my throat.
The door buzzes when I get close, swinging open automatically. I step into a cold, empty hallway, my running shoes echoing off the concrete floor with each step. After a short eternity, I reach a set of metal double doors. There’s a digital countdown above them, indicating that I have thirty seconds until they open.
I can do this, I tell myself.Ihaveto do this.
Watching the timer tick down, I inhale through my nose, hold it, and exhale through my mouth a few times.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6…
My stomach drops as the timer runs down.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1
An alarm rings and the doors slide open, revealing an empty room with white walls and floors and harsh overhead lighting.
I swallow hard, steel myself, and step inside.
The door closes immediately behind me, leaving me alone in the silent room. The lights hum with energy, and I take a tentative step forward. A panel in the floor opens in front of me, a small platform rising from it witha single obsidian dagger on top. I snatch it up and whirl around to scan the room. It’s still empty.
I move around slowly, looking over my shoulder every few seconds as my pulse pounds. Coming to a halt in the middle of the room, I shiver at the eerie silence and the frigid temperature.
A low, guttural growl rumbles behind me, and I don’t have a second to prepare before a solid boot slams into my back, launching me forward and sending the dagger clattering across the smooth floor.
I barely manage to catch myself in time to avoid face planting, my knees taking the brunt of the impact, and wince at the pain shooting up my thighs.
I push myself up and run for the dagger, the hair on the back of my neck standing straight. I feel the demon stalking toward me, and the moment I have the weapon gripped tightly in my hand, I whirl around to face—
No.
No, no, no.
My lungs constrict, and I stumble back, stomach clenching painfully.
“Camille.” Xander’s deep voice slams into me, stealing my oxygen.
I squeeze my eyes shut.
This isn’t real.
“You knew it would come to this.”
My eyes fly open to find Xander circling me like a predator would its prey, his eyes solid black and his lips curled into a wicked smirk.
Fuck, this simulation is terrifyingly real.
He comes at me, and I barely jump away in time to avoid him grabbing me. His responding snarl flips something on in me, and I close my hand into a fist, letting it fly toward his face. When it connects with his jaw, sending him stumbling back a few steps, I suck in a breath and pursue him again with Noah’s voice ringing in my head.
Do not hesitate. You do that, and you’re dead.
Of course, I wasn’t expecting to face a disturbingly realistic simulation of Xander for my first test, but maybe I should have. And something tells me I have Noah to thank for that detail.
Xander dodges my next attack, moving around me with incredible speed, and I spin on my heels to keep up. Except I’m not quick enough and don’t have time to duck before his boot slams into my stomach. Imake a strangled sound and clutch my middle, panting and trying to push through the dull ringing in my ears. It’s a good thing I didn’t have a chance to grab breakfast this morning, because I’d probably be coughing it up right now.
“You can do better than this,” the simulation of Xander taunts, sauntering forward as I back away, still trying to catch my breath.
“Shut up,” I mutter, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand.
“I’m disappointed,” he pushes, his eyes glimmering with smugness.
