My Date From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy, #2)

Game On (Part 5)

A disembodied announcer's voice began to speak. "Our first player is Sophie."

I continued struggling until a large hologram of me, asleep and drooling back on Jack's beach, appeared in mid-air. I froze in stunned surprise. It was a PR disaster in terms of me presenting myself as a kick-ass goddess but I did seem to be getting some well-deserved rest.

The announcer continued. "Goddess of Spring, lately reduced to human form, favorite activities include whining about her status, believing her father loves her, and looking for her mother who doesn't seem to give a damn."

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat.

"Tricks and illusions," Kai murmured in my ear.

Theo's hologram had joined mine. It was of him at about age ten. I knew that because I remembered the T-shirt he'd loved wearing that year. I'd forgotten how young he'd looked at that age, though. In my shock, I'd missed the beginning of his intro.

"... now, without powers, Prometheus enjoys once more putting human lives in jeopardy in his certainly doomed-to-fail revenge quest."

Theo muttered something in Greek.

Festos got the shortest intro of all. "Lame. Doubtful this knight will jump any pieces." His accompanying hologram made his bad foot seem enormously disproportioned to the rest of him.

I'd never seen Festos so angry. It was terrifying. I could practically see fire boiling under the surface of his skin. It was only when Theo clasped the back of Festos' neck and spoke to him insistently and soothingly, that he calmed down.

My foot tapped nervously as I waited for Jack to get through this crap so I could find out what had happened to Hannah. I gnawed on my index finger.

"Today's final warrior is Kyrillos." Of course Kai's hologram captured him fighting some serpenty thing I'd never seen before. Black light exploded from his fingers, his arms were tensed, showing his muscles at maximum flex, while his eyes blazed with power, focus, and adrenaline. You could tell he was getting quite the rush.

"Son of Hades," the announcer said. "Prince of the Underworld, skilled fighter. Voted sexiest bachelor seven times by Theoi magazine."

"Trash rag," Festos scoffed.

I yanked myself out of Kai's grasp and turned back to look at him. He stared back at me, completely unreadable.

I willed him to do something to reassure me. Yes, Jack loved his tricks, and yes, he was messing with our heads. I mean, could he have been more obvious with our crap intros versus Kai's amazing one? I wasn't stupid. It was psychological divide and conquer so we wouldn't work effectively as a team.

Yeah, yeah. Still ... Why wasn't Kai taking a firmer stand here?

My insecurity grew a little hotter. And where was Hannah? Seriously freaking out about that.

"Players," Jack faced us somberly, our holograms still hanging in the air, "today you fight for valor, honor, and prizes. So let's tell them what they'll win."

The music broke out into a cheesy, light refrain as the announcer came back on and Bethany's face popped up in hologram form. Damn, she even looked good see-through.

"Should our team make it through the game successfully," he said, "good-looking and all-around charming genius Jack Wing will terminate the campaign around Bethany Russo-Hill."

Jack took his cue. "Here at Endgame, only the best succeed. It is a test not only of fighting prowess, but teamwork, agility, and competence in the face of adversity."

This was all part of the show's schtick.

"You must be prepared for whatever you might find ... on the board!"

I braced myself for the opening twist he liked to throw in. Like immediately pulling one person off the team or blindfolding everyone. Although this hellscape seemed to be one heck of a twist in itself.

Instead, the gold door at the top swung open. Somehow, it seemed to rush down toward us, all the better to show us what lay beyond.

It was Hannah.

Jack really was all about the punches to the gut. I eyed him, gauging if I could take him out with a few well-placed vines and get my friend back.

He raised an eyebrow at me, daring me to try it.

I knew with a sinking feeling that it wouldn't go well.

I swung my gaze back to Hannah. Now mud-free, she wore a pawn tunic as well. Jack had her gagged and tied upright on a platform. A large golden blade appeared, hanging in mid-air a few feet away, poised as if to cut off her head.

She turned wide, panicked eyes to me.

More than one of us gave a horrified gasp.

I tried to rush forward but was rooted to the spot. And not by Kai. I just couldn't move. No problem. Ribbony light shot out of my palms. I'd slash through Hannah's ropes with them and grab her, Jack be damned.

The door immediately slammed shut and sped back to its original position way, way up top.

"There are three challenges," I heard Jack say, rage clouding my vision. "For every challenge you fail to meet, the blade will advance. Two failures and she will die."

"We'll save her," Theo said, grim determination in his voice.

Jack gave a small shrug of indifference, as if to say "you can try." "First, you'll have to capture the rook."

"Or your version, thereof," Theo challenged.

Jack inclined his head, eyes gleaming. "Just so."

Bring it. It was one thing for me to face injury or death but this was Hannah. My most bestest and very human friend.

Therefore, failure was not an option.

Saving humanity would mean nothing in a world without Hannah.

"Let the journey to checkmate commence!" Jack cried and disappeared.

Game on.