𝔸 ℂ𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔽𝕝𝕒𝕞𝕖 (ACOTAR FANFIC)

Fifty-Four

What I thought to be about three days later, I was again taken from my cell. IN the days that lead up to it I had fought in the pits once more. I was exhausted. Mentally and physically. I'd only had a break the night before, and Id caught snippets of conversation from people I'd passed in the halls saying that Feyre and I's first trial was going to take place soon. Our only trial together. Then we were on our own. I had a feeling Feyre and I wouldn't see each other much after the task. I hadn't seen her since we'd given Amarantha our names and I feared we wouldn't see each other again.

    The guards pulled me from my cell, taking me to a new room that I had yet to see. I still wore the bloodied clothes I'd been given three days ago. The blood had dried, barely visible on the black clothes. My appetite had practically vanished in the days I'd been fighting. I had put on a brave face when I fought, tried to conceal the fact I hadn't slept in days with the violence.

    But I'm sure as I walked down the halls toward whatever I was to face by Amarantha's request I looked like I was crazy.

    The guards took me to a massive arena, larger than where I'd been fighting. It was a large torch-lit cavern. The crowds were louder here as everyone crawled out of their rooms to watch the mortals die.

    The crowd parted as I walked by, my sister was standing at the edge of the arena and I wondered why they always brought her places before me. Feyre was peering over the edge and someone approached her from behind, reaching out their hands as if they were going it push her. I called out, shaking the guard's hold on me as my sister went dumpling into the pit.

    I ran, jumping in after her. My sister was face-deep in mud when I pulled her up, "You okay?" I asked her. She nodded, wiping some of the mud that had dirtied her clothes.

    I looked up, seeing we were in a trench about twenty feet deep, surrounded by some type of disgusting slippery mud that smelled absolutely atrocious. I looked up, immediately spotting the red-headed queen who looked so very amused at us. That was when I knew something was up.

I looked around again, beginning to become frantic there were turns and twists in the trenches and I realized we were in a maze. Why would she put us in a maze? Was it a test to see how fast we could get out?

    The queen's voice sounded from behind me, "You say you're resourceful, Danika." she laughed, but I didn't turn around as I tried to analyze why she'd put me in here, "Let's see how well you work under pressure." I turned then, facing the queen, "You're skilled in a fight," She leaned her chin on her hand on the throne, "I'd like to see you fight this." She held up a hand gesturing to whatever was here with us. I spun, my eyes searching for whatever threat she planned for us to defeat.

    I looked up at the crowd, trying to find where their eyes were trained beside the two of us. My eyes caught on flashes of gold being passed as they bet on our lives. Lovely.

    "Release it," Amarantha called. I stiffened, as my brain went on full alert. There was a slithering noise in the mud. Getting closer.

I grabbed my sister's hand as the other unsheathed my dagger—at that moment I really wished I had something a little bit bigger.

The crowd quieted to a soft murmur. I could feel the vibrations on the ground as whatever was released came for us. I closed my eyes, allowing my other senses to take over. The slithering sound was getting louder. The mud had blocked any sense of smell I had. The vibrations on the floor were getting more intense with every passing second. This thing was fast.

I snapped my eyes open, pulling my sister with me as I ran the other way from where the vibrations were originating. Usually, I'd say not to run from a predator or opponent, but I just had a feeling about it. And I trusted my instincts.