Page 46 of Captured in Love
If I do, Kiran will never let me forget it.
My scratched feet touch the flat surface of the crater bottom, and I snap out of my self-pity. This is exactly why I’m here. To make sure I complete this task. And I can’t let myself forget that the truce with the golden team up there is only temporary. As soon as we’re out of this hellhole, the game is on again, and with them also heading to Greece, I’ll need a head start.
But first, the token.
With careful steps, I approach the box and flip the lid. The last golden disk sits in its slot on the pretty velvet lining, glinting up at me. Which sea dragon clan did the witches rob to get these tokens? Anger boils inside me at the thought, but I stomp down on it. I need to keep a cool head, or this will be the end of the competition for me.
I peer at the sides of the box, trying to see what kind of sensor it’s resting on. If I could somehow trick it, maybe the spell won’t be triggered at all.
“What are you doing?” Levi shouts from above. “Just take it and run!”
“Give me a second,” I call back.
The box was stable when Levi arrived to it, so the suction spell must only get activated when the weight of the boxchanges. The moment he reached the edge of the crater, the magic quieted down again.
Huh.
I pick up a small stone, weighing it in my palm.Too light. I drop it and look for another. I wish I’d asked Nora to hold the token, even if just for a second, so I could guess its weight better. Maybe my theory is completely off, and the trigger for the spell has nothing to do with the weight change at all. I palm another rock. It’s irregular in shape but would fit inside the box, and I’m running out of time to find a better one.
I drag in a sulfur-scented inhale and crouch in front of the box.
“Please work,” I mutter to myself.
I gingerly grasp the golden disk with my right hand. Bringing the rock over the box, I hold my breath. Then I snatch up the disk and drop the rock at the same time. I roll away from the box, then spring to my feet and launch myself toward the wall of the crater. With nowhere else to put the token, I bite down on it to free my hands, trying not to think of all the nasty stuff it might be coated in.
The witches wouldn’t try to poison the contestants, would they?
Oh, who am I kidding?Of course they would. They’d probably laugh about it, too, locked up in their ugly old castle.
I find the first foothold and drag myself up, repeating the movement again and again. When I’m about halfway to the top, I let myself glance over my shoulder, eyeing the box and the pool of orange lava.
“The spell hasn’t activated!” Nora yells from above me. “Hurry!”
I can’t help the huge grin that stretches my face as I climb the rest of the way. I lose a handhold near the top but manage to catch myself without smacking naked into the jagged rock face. Then I’m at the edge, and I pull myself over.
Finally, I take the golden token from between my teeth and spit on the ground, not that I think that would help me if the medallions were really poisoned. I wish I had some water to wash down the weird metallic taste, too.
“You made it!” Nora exclaims, moving forward as though she’s about to hug me. She stops short, blushes, and gives me an awkward pat on the shoulder.
Since the two guys currently glowering at medidjust save my life, I decide not to antagonize them further by kissing her. We might get another chance later. It would be a shame to end this competition without kissing Nora Moss again.
Levi steps closer and gives me a grudging smile. “That was some serious Indiana Jones shit, man.”
Raphaël, who is unknotting the rope from his waist, lifts his head. “Who’s Indiana Jones?”
Levi and Nora both turn to him, their mouths open. They exchange an incredulous look.
“Seriously, Raphaël, weneedto have a movie night.” Nora recovers first.
Levi snorts. “Yeah, your age is showing.”
Raphaël narrows his eyes at him, but when Nora and Levi start up a conversation about their route back to the surface, I catch a little smile quirking Raphaël’s lips.
The guy is just messing with them.
I cover my laugh with a cough, then undo the rope on my end and hand it to him. “Thanks for helping me.”
He gives me a long, searching look, then nods. “Will you help us get out?”
