From the Ashes

Chapter 21

I let the morning air seep over me, as thoughts swirl in my mind. I'm not really sure what all of that meant last night, but I savor every word he spoke to me.

And he kissed me.

My stomach tingles, remembering how his lips gently brushed my cheek. I trust him. More than I trust the Alliance. I can only be thankful that the Trials are the single time we're unsupervised by the IA.

Someone touches my arm and I sit up with a start.

"Get up," Liam says. "Come on, it's time to go."

We pack up our stuff as quickly as we can and scatter the ashes of the fire. Orion and Veronika wait at the entrance of the hideout and help prepare us to leave.

Avan takes a MED in his left hand and approaches me. It's deactivated, but it's unnerving to see him with one in a non-threatening situation. "You don't think she's setting us up, do you?"

"I'm not sure," I reply. "Keep an eye on the two of them. I don't trust them."

He acknowledges the order then joins the team near Veronika and Orion. I follow close behind him, and approach the Martians.

"How close are we to the crystal?" I ask.

Her teeth are smooth and flat, yet look menacing as she smiles. "We've only got a little ways to go."

"Take the lead," I order.

We all fall in line, and I take my place next to Dragon as we begin the walk through the jungle.

"You don't think this is a trap, do you?" I ask, thinking back to Avan's question.

"It's highly possible," he replies. "But I doubt they'd actually risk fighting us."

"What if their team leaders are like Azad?" I ask. "They didn't want an easy win. They wanted to fight us."

"Remember what I told you last night?"

Every word of it. "About them having someone on their team connected with someone on ours?"

"Yeah. If their team leader is who I think it is, we'll be fine. They'll have to fake the fight for the people who aren't involved."

"Like me and you?"

The trees grow menacingly dark around us, letting only a few tiny splotches of light to find the dirt. Dragon nods halfheartedly. "In a way."

"What if we have to fight them?" I ask.

"What do you mean? Of course we'll have to fight them."

I don't want to kill anyone else. "What if that someone on the other team gets killed?"

Dragon sighs. "Jaina, I hate to ask this, but...do you want that someone to live? I mean, they're an enemy to the IA."

That stops me in my mental tracks. "I–"

"There's the crystal!" Liam shouts.

Its shiny surface is as blue and captivating as Dragon's eyes: soft, clear, and aquamarine.

"This has got to be a trap," Luci mutters.

"Why?" Kavi asks.

"You really think they'd just leave the crystal in the middle of the jungle unprotected?"

"Read the riddle!" Kavi says to Liam. Liam kneels down and reads.

"After light and dark collide,
And after blue turns red,