Cosmo Prison - Book 1: The Edge of Earth

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

*Dean Zhang*

“We have to hurry. The traitor alerted Christy that we aren’t her normal guests, that we’re here to help steal the key. She’s coming for us right now,” Rachel says. Without waiting for any response, she raises her hand, summoning her shadows. They pour over me as if I’ve jumped into the ocean, and I fade.

We appear outside the fortress.

“I need to go back and hold Christy off. You all will have to find a way to beat Sid,” Rachel warns. “He controls the earth. If he covers you with dirt, he’ll be able to control your movements.”

“Nice to know,” Sophie mutters under her breath.

“I stole these for you,” Rachel says, extending her hand. She’s holding five long, shining knives, each at least six inches in length. “They’re made out of diamonds, the only substance hard enough to break superhuman skin.”

Setting the knives down in front of us, she steps away from us and starts to fade.

“Good luck, and goodbye.” She disappears into thin air, and we’re alone.

“I guess we each get a knife now,” Courtney says, watching the weapons warily, as if they might explode.

When we’ve all picked one up, Gene says, “Well, we better start moving.”

He’s barely even finished his sentence when a loud crashing noise stops us in our tracks. I spin around, ready to face our attacker, to find a huge crack in the ground snaking towards us, dividing the land into two parts.

“What’re you looking at?” Jack hollers at our gawking faces. “Run!”

We snap back to reality and sprint for the dark forest in the distance, but before we can make it three paces, the ground shakes so hard that we’re thrown off our feet.

“What’s -- going -- on?” I manage to yell between vibrations, trying not to bite my tongue off.

“Earthquake or something!” Courtney shouts back.

Suddenly, the earth comes to a jarring stop. I’m the first to jump to my feet, looking around to find the cause of the earthquake.

I don’t have to look far. A tall, dark-skinned, dark-haired boy with a malicious glint in his eye is staring right back at me. Sid.

“Just in time for dinner,” he purrs, his voice sending chills down my spine.

“No way,” I snap back. “You’re not getting dinner today.”

I charge at him with my knife held high. He dodges my first swipe with ease, smirking at my inexperienced fighting skills.

“Idiot. You can’t beat someone like me with a little toothpick like that,” he taunts.

“Shut up!” I roar, bringing down my knife as hard and fast as I can. Sid tries to dodge again, his limbs moving in a blur, but he’s not fast enough this time. My knife scores a deep cut on his arm.

He looks down at the blood trickling down his arm as if he can’t quite believe what just happened.

“You cut me,” he says, sounding dazed.

Before I can strike again, however, Sid stomps his foot on the ground -- once, twice, three times.

“What--” I start to speak.

But I’m cut off when the ground opens up below me.

*Courtney Tern*