Dominic elbows him in the gut.
“Thank you.” I turn toward Doyle, my heart wedging itself in my throat.
But Dominic’s brother has already left the room, slipping away as if he was never here to begin with.
Less than two seconds later, the mechanical voice from before declares, “Time’s up!”
Oh god.
Time’s up.
We freed Reece, but what about the other two? Did they survive? Did they find a way to escape?
My blood chills to sludge as, with a wheezing mechanical sound, every interior wall begins to lift, disappearing into the ceiling. Instead of a series of hallways and rooms, we now stand in one huge arena, easily the size of a football field or two combined.
“They seriously created this for a damn game?” Dominic whispers, parroting my own thoughts.
But I can’t focus on his words.
No, my attention is consumed by the two figures standing on the opposite side of the room from us, on a slightly raised stage.
“Fuck,” Beckett whispers, following my gaze.
Zane grabs my hand, and the four of us break into a run, passing a plethora of POP members who are meandering their way forward from wherever they were in the maze.
Lenny and Robbie stand hand in hand directly beside The Divine One—I can’t think of her as Aria right now. They’ve both been stripped of the robes and masks and are as naked as they were when the game started. Lenny is sobbing, fat tears rolling down her cheeks, while Robbie keeps his face impassive. Both are covered from head to toe in blood.
I wonder if it’s theirs.
“We seem to have cheaters in our midst.” The Divine One’s voice echoes through the cavernous room, so even the POP members farthest away from the stage can hear.
A chorus of “boos” ripples through the crowd.
“Oh god.” I begin to run even faster, the cut in my leg aching fiercely. But the pain feels like an old friend with a hand on my arm, reminding me I’m here and still alive. I relish the sting.
“Fucking hell,” Dom mutters darkly.
“The lambs tried to escape,” The Divine One continues in that eerie, mechanical voice that scrapes at my skin like rusted nails. “They killed over a dozen of our family.”
Over a dozen?
Good for them.
“They need to be punished,” The Divine One continues, still in that apathetic voice. But I know Aria, and I suspect she’s grinning maliciously beneath that gold mask, reveling in the power.
This… This is how Aria planned from the start to win the game. No matter what the “lambs” did, she would declare they broke the rules. Cheated. I knew she never intended to let them go—I fucking knew it—but seeing it firsthand makes every muscle in my body lock together.
I need to do something.
Maybe I can use my powers as a so-called “goddess” to get her to stop. Or I could rally the people behind me.
“You will be punished,” The Divine One—no, dammit,Aria—continues, but this time, I swear her masked face is staring directly at me.
An avalanche slams into me and sweeps me away.
No.
No!