Here Be Dragons (Completed)

Irascible

***I swear, I was not planning on making this many updates for one night but these boys keep surprising me and I want to do them all justice so it's just turned into a ridiculous amount of updates. Hopefully, you guys aren't hating me for it and are still hanging in there with me. I give you: Game Night Part 4!***

I ran for what felt like years, my mind racing as my body started to wane from exhaustion, and I pushed myself harder, knowing I needed to keep alert for the other three boys I still had to face. I was terrified of running into any of them since I was sure all three would undoubtedly kill me without blinking an eye but I was even more worried about my current state of being. I was exhausted and my body ached from the numerous bumps and bruises I'd accumulated, my cheekbone already swelling from the hit I'd taken from Gabriel, and I feared I wouldn't be able to put up much a fight when the time came. I'd come too far to die now, but both Owen and Kota were smarter than me and North was stronger. I didn't stand a chance!

My monster growled in frustration at my dour thoughts and I allowed her confidence to boost my own, hoping she could keep us alive when we faced down the last of our adversaries. Pushing my legs faster, I sprinted through the planted corridors until I turned a final corner and found a wall of shrubbery rising before me. I'd finally come to the T in the road and I almost collapsed before the hedge in relief. 

'Climb.' He'd said. 

I glanced up, groaning as I took in the tall barrier, at least fifteen feet high, and I cursed Luke for his instruction. It was, of course, prudent for me to adhere to his directions since he was trying to help me before he'd lost his mind, but my arms felt like noodles and my legs were shaking with fatigue. I was a good climber, having had lots experience in the woods, but it was a long climb. At least, it felt that way in this moment. 

Ugh, suck it up! I had to stop wasting time and with the new vantage point, I'd be able to locate and get to the exit faster. I assumed that was what Luke had meant and it was my turn to curse at myself for not thinking of it sooner. The hedge was too thick to crawl through but the perfect sturdiness to climb up. I was an idiot!

Growling, I thrust my hands into the foliage, gritting my teeth against the painful thorns that bit into my palms, and started my ascent. It was difficult to find hand or footholds since the bush was too thick to really see through so I had to go by feel but I persevered, finally making it halfway up. Hope bloomed in my chest as I hit my second wind and I grinned in triumph at the thought that I was finally getting somewhere! If I could reach the top, I didn't have to face off with the others, I just had to beat them to the end. Yeah, that sounded good.

My hope was short lived.

A hand grasped my calf and I shrieked from the startling and unexpected touch, almost losing my hold and falling, but I tightened my fists around the branches to keep myself on the wall. Dropping my head, I expected to find crazy Luke ready to jerk me down to the ground to do ungodly things to me but I wasn't that fortunate. Owen stood below me with his millimeter smile firmly in place as his strong fingers dug into the muscle of my leg and my blood ran cold at the evil promises lurking behind his black rimmed glasses.

"Hello, Pet." He crooned before tightening his painful grip and yanking me downwards. 

"No!" I cried, kicking out at him as best I could, but my movement only weakened my grasp on the hedge, and I felt gravity aid Owen's endeavor as my fingers slipped and I fell. 

Moving out from beneath me, Owen watched as I crashed onto the cobblestone, my ankle protesting the fall, and I bit my tongue to keep from whimpering in pain as I quickly scrambled away from him like a crab. I'd take North over Owen at this point since North would most likely just snap my neck and call it good. Owen wouldn't kill me right away, he'd want to break me first. He advanced on me, his longer legs easily eating up the distance until he reached down and grasped my twisted ankle, making me shriek in pain at the firm hold.