Playing the Game

Chapter 49: The Choice

I woke up in the middle of the night with a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach. The air in the room felt stale and bristly, sending a tingle across my flesh.

I turn over to face Reegan, placing a hand on her shoulder to shake her awake. She doesn't respond. I whisper her name, shaking her a little harder. Nothing. I place a finger to her neck, checking for a pulse before I start to panic. It's faint, but it's there.

"Arlo! There's something wrong with Reegan!" I call out, "She won't wake up!"

I sit up in bed, searching the room with wide eyes. It's dark, but I can still make out the crumpled figures scattered around the room. Arlo has fallen against my bedroom door and Evander has taken a similar position by my balcony window. They seem to be in a heavy sleep, much like Reegan. Brutus and Camilla are still in their places, but their breathing has turned into something slow and shallow. I reach over Reegan to place a hand on Melina's neck. She's just like the rest of them. I jump out of bed to check on the others, hoping that I can shake someone awake.

I'm surrounded, but I'm alone.

My mind began to race. Dozens of explanations bombard my thoughts, urging me to blame one culprit before switching to another. But as much as I wanted to blame either Maximus or Decimus for this mess, I knew it was another; the royals wouldn't have left my friends alive. No... this was merely a distraction. Maximus is certainly guilty by association, but this wasn't done by his hand. This was done by someone who cares enough to spare as many lives as possible, but who is still out to hurt me.

Someone like Arrian.

He must have discretely given them something earlier that evening. The affect was similar to the leaves Silvia gave me back in Kent that I later used on Evander. Arrian could have put the leaves in the water jug that the guards replenished with and the Ladies made tea with. I moved towards the guard's water jug to investigate my theory. I ran a finger around the rim of the jug, finding a sticky sap residue and a small shaving of stem. He knew that I hated the overly sweet taste of the tea, and that I had my own pitcher of water.

I quickly pulled out Arlo's sword, holding it in front of me in case Arrian was in the room. I carefully searched the space, looking behind and under furniture, in the bath room, and on the balcony. He was nowhere to be found.

I don't understand his plan. Why isn't he here to kill me? Why didn't he lace my pitcher with a sleep aid, or something worse? He could have killed me without spilling a drop of blood, or even without having to be in the room to witness it. What game was he playing?

My curiosity wins over; I had to go find him. With Arlo's sword in hand, I throw open my bedroom door to scan the hallway. The guards that Decimus sent were all collapsed on the floor, clearly drugged like the rest of my group. I step over their limp bodies and then slowly made my way down the hall.

I spend what feels like hours shuffling through the palace, scared that Arrian is going to pop out at any moment to run me through with his sword. When I reach Decimus' room, I'm not surprised to find all of his guards knocked out cold as well. I open the door to a passed out Decimus and Kilgorian in front of the fire place. Arrian was smart; he took out anyone who would be willing to help me.

I was sweating buckets as my heart pounded against my ribcage, trying to escape such a tragic fate. As unsafe as it was to find Arrian right now, it would be worse to just go back to my room and hope for the best. I had to find him.

At some point during my search it began to rain heavily. I didn't hesitate, running into the rain without protection, soaking myself in a matter of seconds. I take the private pathway towards the Capitol arena.