“My secretary fielded three hundred calls yesterday from papers, magazines, and blogs asking if we would set up interviews with the faerie contestants. Thank all that’s holy that we have them on contract right?”
“Right,” I agreed, laying the paper atop the others. John wasn’t the only one filled with excitement with all that was going on. I’d seen quite a number of the higher studio execs walking around with unusually wide smiles on their faces—as if they were thinking about the even bigger bulges in their wallets. The FFR was an overnight sensation, and the show hadn’t even started yet.
What it meant for me was that I was getting a lot of overtime, and John finally remembered my name.
Though I constantly tried to remind myself of what dangerous, duplicitous creatures faeries were, part of me couldn’t help but be as excited as everyone else. Being on the lot meant I saw the action in real time and it was hard not to get sucked in. Like everyone else, I’d cheered when one of the underdogs got through and booed when the media’s favorite was caught cheating. After two weeks of auditions, we were finally filming the last one before the actual race began.
Today, the top contenders would be competing against each other to score one of the coveted twelve spots in the race. Six humans and six faeries would be selected. Not only was a ton of money on the line (first place had a $2 million purse), but the Faerie King had announced that the winners would each be able to request a magical boon from him—a request or wish that he wouldn’t be able to deny. It was like scoring one wish from the genie in Aladdin’s lamp—that boon was more precious than gold. I tried not to think of how I could help Cass with that boon. The king would only have to snap his fingers, and I’d have my sister back. I stifled a sigh. It didn’t matter. I wasn’t allowed to compete.
For the final audition competition, the FFR execs had decided they needed something epic. So, they’d set up a two-mile-long loop course through the trails of the Topanga State Park.
Almost everyone in the studio had come out to watch—from the head of the studio himself to the kids that worked in the mailroom. The studio was milking the hype for all it was worth, so this last audition was being shown live to every country around the world. Whatever happened in the next twenty minutes would change the fate of these contestant’s lives forever. Even those that lost would be set for life thanks to lucrative sponsorships.
No one wanted to lose though. I could see that money or magic wasn’t the object of this for a lot of them. Every single contestant out there was looking to win a place. To prove to the world—mortal and faerie—that they were worthy.
The competitors’ eyes gleamed as they lined up to start. They had no idea what awaited them in the hot, dusty two miles to come. I’d seen some of the obstacles and traps that had been set up, and I didn’t envy them. This new course wasn’t messing around.
I held my breath as the loud buzzer signaled the start of the audition. For purposes of the audition, every competitor was on their own. In the real race, there would be teams of two, but today, it was every human and faerie for him or herself.
As I watched, two competitors got tangled at the first hurdle, a trap net that had been laid over a hole in the ground. The huge giant became snagged in the net, and flailed out a huge hand, knocking the tiny Russian girl about ten feet. The girl had tears in her eyes as she tried to push to her feet, but I could see she’d been injured somehow by the fall.
“Looks like beauty and the beast is out,” murmured John in my ear gleefully as the girl let out a long list of words in Russian which, if I had to guess, were extremely rude expletives. The giant answered her by giving her the finger.
“Oops,” chuckled John in a most unprofessional manner. “The censors won’t be happy about that.”
Not that he cared. That would be talked about for weeks to come, and he knew it. “No publicity is bad publicity,” he added.
“And no cliché is a bad cliché, right, sir?” I replied, trying not to grin.
“Right, Jacq,” he answered, proving he wasn’t really listening to me.
I’d not actually seen the full course, so I decided to get away from the crowd. I could stay behind and watch the action on the huge screen that had been put up in the parking lot for the staff to watch, but on the screen, you couldn’t smell the smoke from the pyrotechnics or feel the heat as the fire geysers went off.
There were several little trails running parallel to the course, shortcuts snaking across the dry terrain to other parts of the route. Apart from the unfortunate pair near the start, the other competitors would be well into the race by now, meaning I’d be left in peace to see what the designers had come up with and then watch the contestants as they came around.
Though I ached to run the course myself, it was almost as good to walk alongside it and see the obstacles up close. I jogged down the little trail to the other side, inhaling the hot scent of sagebrush and chaparral trees. I came out into the sunshine at the end of the trail, halting at the six-foot chain-link fence that separated me from the course.
A mad thought entered my mind. All I’d have to do was hop that fence, and I’d be on the course. I could tackle a few obstacles…maybe even make it to the finish. For a brief second, I considered it. All attention was on the competitors farther down the course—maybe no one would see me. It would be so easy…But if I did get caught, I’d probably get fired, and my dreams of someday being a stuntwoman would be over. I sighed and contented myself with jogging along the trail, using my imagination.
Unfortunately, before I was halfway round, my imagination began to play tricks on me. I heard the heavy breathing of someone who sounded like they were in pain. The part of the track I was at was heavily wooded, and so it was impossible to see exactly what it was making the sound.
I listened again and heard a cry of pain. Was it a sound effect or was someone really hurt? I stepped forward, deciding it was one of the many effects designed to disorient the contestants when I heard a voice. A female voice, coming from inside the track.
“Please, help me,” the girl cried out.
The plea was answered by a male voice. “You got yourself into it; you’re on your own getting yourself out.”
“I can’t,” a woman’s pained voice hissed between sobs.
“The studio staff will come to pick you up,” the male’s voice was deep and smooth as silk. The speaker was fae. I could feel it.
I listened a moment longer, but all I could hear was the woman’s quiet sobs.
Frantic, I looked around me for help, but I was completely alone.
Getting over the fence was easy. Stopping my own heart from racing, knowing I was breaking the rules, not so much, but what else could I do? I couldn’t leave her there. There were a number of paramedics and ambulances at the end of the track, but nothing in the middle.
“This would have been solved if I’d just been given a radio,” I grumbled to myself as I dug my fingers into the links of the fence, launching myself skyward.
I dropped onto the dirt of the track in a lithe motion. From inside the track, the outside world no longer existed. The Los Angeles foothills disappeared as I plunged into a dense jungle. Just three steps in and I could have been in the depths of the Brazilian rainforest. The set designers had worked a miracle, adding towering trees and lush foliage. Sound effects of birds and wildlife filtered through the trees and the heat I’d felt on the other side of the fence was now blistering. I couldn’t believe the state had allowed this! The politicians in Sacramento must be as caught up in FFR fever as the rest of the world.
The sound of the contestant’s sobs led me to a small clearing with a body of water to one side. The girl—a staggering beauty with long golden hair—had gotten snagged in a trap. She was one of the human contestants. I didn't need to look for the telltale pointed ears of the fae to know she didn't have them. She didn't have the aura—the weird feeling about her that the faeries did. Apart from her Hollywood beauty, she was normal and scared. I loo
ked at the trap her leg was caught in. Unlike the rope trap that had felled the giant, this one was metal with jagged teeth that had bitten into the flesh just above the ankle. Holy hell. Anger flared in me. I knew the studio wanted the danger to feel real, but this was crazy! All for a TV show?
If that wasn’t bad enough, a huge crocodile was moving towards her with sinuous grace, its beady eyes focused on its next meal. At least that was fake, unlike the bear trap.
The girl started as I ran out from the bushes, dropping to my knees at her side.
“It’s okay,” I said. “The crocodile’s animatronic. It won’t hurt you.” I pulled at the trap carefully as she winced in pain.
“I…I…” She looked at me through glassy eyes and took a deep breath. “I don’t think it’s animatronic.”
I swiveled towards the crocodile, scrutinizing it. It had to be a fake. There was no way they’d put a live crocodile in here. They’d be sued for millions if anyone was too badly hurt…wouldn’t they? I looked at the girl’s leg. They hadn’t seemed too concerned about putting this trap in here….
The crocodile snapped its sharp teeth together and whipped its tail. It took another step closer. It looked…really real. I knew animatronics were good these days…but…
“Oh my god,” I whispered. A wave of cold washed over me, sending a sheen of sweat prickling over my skin. “It’s real.”
“That’s what I just said!” the girl cried, trying to scooch away. She hissed as her movement pulled at the trap.
“Stay still,” I commanded, wrenching at the jaws of the trap. If I didn’t get her free of the trap soon, we’d both be crocodile lunch.
Using every ounce of strength I had, I managed to pull the jagged metal teeth from the girl’s flesh long enough for her to pull her foot out.
“Come on, quickly!” I hauled the girl up on her good leg.
“I can’t!” she cried, sagging against me.
I looked down to her injured leg and grimaced. It was a bloody mess. I’d have to haul her over my shoulder and carry her away from the crocodile.
“Hold on,” I said as I pulled her weight over me, staggering for a moment before I caught myself. I’d squatted heavier weight than her before, but that hardly compared to trying to haul a teetering, crying person!
I made it past the crocodile and back to the fence.
“Help!” I cried, but there was nothing in sight but vegetation.
“I’m going to have to carry you over the fence,” I stammered, wondering how exactly I was going to accomplish such a task. Getting over alone had been easy. Managing it with another person on my shoulder was a whole different ball game.
“It’s too late for that. Look.” Her voice wavered.
I turned. To my right, back toward the beginning of the course, a wall of flame was heading toward us, funneling up the path.
“Shit!” I said, my mind racing. There was nowhere to go but back where we came from.
Seeing the orange flames behind us, the crocodile turned and dashed into the pond, submerging itself.
The flames roared towards us, leaving us no way back. The heat was searing now, and if I didn’t get a move on, the pair of us would be toast.
I staggered forward into a run, but when I rounded the corner around a stand of trees, I pulled up short. A cliff—complete with waterfall—loomed before us. Climbing it while carrying this girl was going to be almost impossible, but what choice did I have?
I stumbled up to the cliff face, but the sandy wall was crumbling, with no firm hand or footholds that I could see.
“There’s no way through!” I said, panicking, turning back to see the flames licking dangerously close. The heat threatened to overwhelm me, addling my senses.
“The waterfall,” the blonde panted.
I splashed into the water that pooled at the base of the waterfall, but it was too shallow to use as a refuge from the flames. The waterfall drenched us both as I walked through it, dousing us with cool water that stunned me, pulling my thoughts back to our predicament. I pushed behind the water and reached out with one hand before me, but I felt only stone.
My panic mounted as I realized we were trapped. The water falling around us would keep us from burning, but the smoke and heat from the flames were already beginning to scorch my lungs.
We were going to die in this fire, not from the searing heat, but from smoke inhalation. I shied away from the flames, shimmying to the other side of the waterfall, and bumped into something hard sticking out of the rock. My heart fluttered with hope as my hand grasped it. It was a metal rung, fastened to the stone wall at the back of the waterfall.
“Hang on, Blondie,” I coughed. “I’m going to need both hands.”
Her legs dangled over my front as her head and torso hung behind my back. She put one arm around my waist and the other over my shoulder in an awkward hug.
Now that I had both hands free, I was able to climb the hidden ladder, pulling us both up through the waterfall to the summit. We were dripping wet, and our clothes were black with soot, but we were alive.
I lowered the girl to the ground and peered at the course ahead, stretching my aching back.
From where we were, the vantage was clear, and I could see the rest of the course. This was the highest part, which enabled me to plan a route. In the distance, I could even see the tiny dots of people that had congregated in the parking lot, waiting for the contestants to finish.
Now that we had risen above the fire, I had two choices. Either sit here and wait for help or keep going.
The blonde girl’s leg was bleeding freely, and her face was pale. If someone didn’t find us soon, she could lose too much blood. If that happened, her death would be on me.
“Come on, Blondie,” I said, heaving her back over my shoulders. “We have a race to run…”
5
My shoulders ached with the weight of the girl, and my legs felt like lead weights as I pulled her from one obstacle to another. The course would have been difficult on my own, but doing it with an injured person on my back rendered it almost impossible. Each task was designed to break you, to hurt and to push you to your absolute limits, and every time I thought it was okay to stop for a rest, the wall of flame returned, pushing me ever onward.
I mentally thanked all those nights I’d given up to training. Had I not pushed my body then, this course would have been the end of me. Pain and fatigue were my constant companions as I ran, skirting against my absolute limit. At some point along the course, I realized that my words of encouragement to the blonde girl were wasted breath; she’d slipped into unconsciousness. It was just as well, really. I needed to conserve every ounce of energy.
Sweat dripped into my eyes and off my nose as each task became progressively harder. All those weeks I’d spent in John’s office as he talked to set designers and technicians and I’d not once thought to look at the plans for the course. I’d wanted to keep it a surprise so I could watch it with fresh eyes. What an idiot. Had I known what was coming, I could have least prepared myself for it.
As it was, I was no more aware of what lay ahead than the other contestants. At the three-quarter point, after dodging a dragon, which thankfully this time did turn out to be animatronic, I literally bumped into one of the other contestants. Despite carrying a person on my back and starting off way behind the others, I’d done something that I hadn’t expected to do and actually caught up.
“Where are they?” I screamed at the faerie girl, who looked as surprised to see me as I was to see her. She was stopped at a wall with five doors, deliberating which one to go through. Each door was exactly the same except that each was a different color.
“Where are who?” The young faerie girl asked, looking irked that I’d interrupted her thought process. She must have known she was near the back and therefore unlikely to make it to the actual FFR, but that didn’t stop her from throwing shade my way. This was the first time I'd been close to one of the fae since the unfortunate incident�
�as I'd taken to calling it—in the coffeeshop with the fae prince. I shivered as the air around me seemed somehow displaced. The faerie herself was as close to human looking as fae get, at least a lot closer than some of the weird creatures I'd seen over the past month, but even without seeing her pointy ears, it was easy to tell she was one of them. Her skin had a slight sheen that wasn't altogether natural, and it wasn't just from the sweat of the race. Her eyes, just like the eyes of the male fae had captured my helpless gaze, weren't just dark, they were completely black, and of course, there was the weird feeling of having the air sucked out of me along with the faint crackle of magic.
“The cameras!” I looked all around me. If there were contestants here, surely someone would be filming them?
“Help!” I looked up and cried into the air as the girl went back to contemplating the doors. “This girl is injured. She needs medical help.” I didn’t even know who I was shouting at anymore, but I did know that if she wasn’t seen by a doctor soon, she was in grave danger of suffering permanent damage to her leg, or worse.
“Shut it,” the faerie girl snapped at me. “I’m trying to think.” She murmured to herself. “It’s the yellow door. We saw blue, green, red, and purple flowers along the route, but not yellow. That must be the clue.”
“It’s the red door,” I huffed. I’d seen them from the cliff top above the waterfall and knew that the other doors led to cages. “Can you help me, please? She’s unconscious.”
“Later, loser,” the faerie answered, shoving through the yellow door. Just before it closed, she turned and stuck out her tongue at me.
I furrowed my brow. I’d show her. Taking a deep breath, I kicked my foot out and bashed open the red door. On the other side, the faerie girl glared at me through bars as I hobbled past her.
“Later, loser,” I mimicked her words as I passed, though I didn’t feel better for it. Petty revenge was not my thing.
The Sorcery Trial Page 3
