Page 88 of The Games Gods Play
“It’s nothing personal, Lyra,” Samuel says, but his eyes won’t meet mine. “Hades would be the worst King of the Gods in the history of histories. We all have families back home we have to protect, and we can’t let you play, let alone win.”
They’re still up some of the steps. Can we get out of here before they get to us?
I grab Zai’s hand and tug him toward the rail at the edge of the landing. I say just loud enough for Zai to hear over the roar of the water, “We have to jump.”
“Jump?” His eyes go wide. “We can’t. No sandals.” He shakes his head. “Besides, they can’t hurt us here anyway.”
“We’re outnumbered and outgunned. Dex and Samuel wouldn’t even need help. They can drag us off the temple grounds and then kill us.”
“That’s violence.”
“Do you really want to put that theory to the test?” I look over the edge. “If we hold on to each other, your sandals should work after not too far, right?”
“I guess—”
“Any other ideas?”
“You want to live, Aridam? Switch sides now,” Dex says, stalking forward.
“See.” They’re almost to us. We have seconds at most. “Zai, come on!”
His face takes on a hard cast. “Let’s go.”
We both climb up on the rail and balance there. “What is it with drops off mountainsides today?” I mutter under my breath.
Zai holds my hand tight. “Go!”
Faith and a whole lot of trust go into the leap. I almost feel as though we hang in midair for a second before we plummet, my stomach surging up into my throat at the drop.
“Fuck me, they jumped!” Dex exclaims as we fall away.
It becomes clear very quickly that I miscalculated two things when I hatched this brilliant escape plan. The first was Zai’s arm strength. I should have hopped on his back, because the second he engages the sandals and his fall stops, I jerk out of his grasp so hard my shoulder screams with the wrench it gets. I reach for him futilely but only grab air, watching horror fill his face as I keep falling.
Zai dives after me.
And that’s when miscalculation number two rears its ugly head.
Because Hades’ waterfall isn’t nearly as far below us as I thought and sticks out of the mountain farther than I realized.
I hit the surface and am instantly sucked under by the force of a raging river of black water.
45
Down To The Bowels
As the river sweeps me toward the gaping hole leading into the mountain, I am violently tossed around by rushing rapids so turbulent, it’s all I can do to not go under or get slammed against boulders along the banks.
Twice I catch sight of Zai somewhere above me, following in the air, frantic, face splotchy and yelling. Not that I can hear anything. I go underwater and tumble until I’m not sure which way is up. The water is so black, light doesn’t penetrate.
It holds me under. My lungs burn until I can’t take it anymore, but just at that moment I’m flung back to the surface, where I gasp and choke and flail. And somehow, through my hair and the water in my eyes, I catch sight of Zai flying right at me.
With one desperate heave, I kick my legs and throw myself up toward him, one hand outstretched. He’s reaching for me so hard, and I think maybe…
But then the water drags me back under and his face disappears.
The next time I come up spluttering, it’s pitch-black, and I know where I am—in the tunnel that leads down to the Underworld, a tunnel that leads to the River Styx.
Please, gods, let the water have a way through that’s not going to kill me. I’m picturing underground caverns that the water fills up to the top, leaving no air. I’m picturing white water rapids that will pulverize me against jagged boulders. I’m picturing a tunnel so narrow I can’t fit through.
