Page 29 of Insanium
Eryx looked over at Juno. “Do we need to make sure she can’t and won’t share this conversation, or is she still loyal to your brother?”
Wow, he really had done his research. “She’d already be gone if my brothers thought she was an issue.”
“I won’t say anything,” Juno quickly supplied.
Eryx gave her a long, evaluating look, his gaze sharp enough to slice through the tense air. “Good. We’re all clear then.”
He and Rafe pulled their masks back over their faces, transforming once more into the enigmatic figures ofJudicium. Before slipping out the door, Eryx turned to me and said, “We’ll see you soon.”
They vanished as quickly as they had appeared, leaving behind a palpable silence that left Aisha, Juno, and me staring at the sight of Kristy still hanging from the hook, her body occasionally twitching in an imitation of life.
Aisha let out a low whistle, breaking the silence. “Well, that was something.”
“Yeah,” I replied, my eyes still fixed on Kristy. “Something they clearly took time to plan.”
“Is she …?” Juno began to ask, motioning to Kristy.
“Her breathing is shallow, but she’s not dead yet.”
Aisha glanced at the door through which Eryx and Rafe had exited. “So, what now? We just follow the plan?”
“That’s the best course of action,” I confirmed, already moving toward the door, feeling a mix of adrenaline and apprehension. I didn’t trust them anywhere remotely enough to take all their pretty words at face value. Whatever they did or didn’t do withinJudiciumfrom here on out would clue me in on just how serious they were about this pact.
I pushed the door open, and they followed as I rounded the corner of the shed, the path forward unmistakably clear.
We moved in a tight formation, Aisha on my left, Juno on my right, each of us scanning our surroundings. The woods now felt quieter than a tomb, which only amplified the tension threading through my muscles. Every rustle, every distant snap of a twig, put me on high alert. I wasn’t keen on being jumped by someone hiding in the bushes. As we approached a gentle bend in the path, I spotted Liam, along with the remaining competitors—those who’d managed to survive the chaos thus far. No sign of Eryx or Rafe yet, which both intrigued and irritated me. I wondered how many steps ahead they were.
Seeing Hael among the group was a relief that loosened a knot I hadn’t realized was tightening in my chest. He broke from them immediately and came toward me. We met halfway, his eyes scanning me for injuries in the same way mine roamed over him. The silent exchange was our way of confirming that we were still in the game, still okay. It was a moment of wordless communication, full of things we didn’t need to voice. I wanted to tell him all about how I felt about being separated—even if it was for my safety—but I would never give anyone the pleasure of seeing us as a smidge less than a united front.
“Everything all right?” he finally asked, his voice low.
“As right as it can be here,” I replied with a tight smile. “Looks like we’re all in one piece for now.”
He nodded, his gaze flicking back to the group and then Aisha and Juno. “Just you three, then?”
“Yup. Four minus one.”
A ghost of a smile touched his pretty face. “We can unpack that later. We need to keep moving.”
“Lead the way,” I said, stepping back into line with him as we rejoined the others.
As we navigated the woods, the reality of our dwindling numbers wasn’t lost on me. Darrel was likely dead, along with a couple of others whose names I’d barely caught. It was a brutalreminder of the stakes here inJudicium, not enough to shatter my focus but enough to sharpen it.
Maya was a silent shadow among us, tears marking her cheeks for Jerome, no doubt. If pain had a sound, it would’ve been her subdued breathing. I left her to her grief, understanding the need for space in moments like these. If it had been Hael taken from me, rage would have fueled every step I took next.
To keep my own edge, I engaged the others in low, strategic exchanges, not quite conversation but not silence either. As we continued, the woods began to clear, hinting at an open stretch ahead.
“We’re nearing water,” Liam announced softly.
Sure enough, the sight that greeted us was something out of a staged play: a dock leading out to paddle boats gently bobbing in a large lake, a distant Ferris wheel spinning lazily in the far distance, adorned with flickering lights.
It was almost picturesque, if you ignored that some of us had just been picked off one by one.
“What do you think that is?” Maya asked, her voice a tinge nasal.
“Looks like the next stage of our Judgment,” I observed, slowly moving down to the dock. Hael, Aisha, Liam, Maya, and I squeezed into one of the boats together. It was cramped but not impossible to make work.
The moment we settled, the boat lurched forward, sloshing cold, murky water over the sides, guided by unseen tracks beneath us.
