Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 149510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 748(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
“Finn Hayes makes sure I don’t know a damn thing about him.”
Professor Winslow’s eyes narrow, but he nods. “All right, girls. Be safe.”
We take off at a run, and we don’t look back. We’re late for Double C, and there’s not a single thing that’s safe about that.
Finn
Bodies sway at the entrance of the Gyger Tunnel underneath the football field. A pulsing vibe thickens the air, and Lexi Winslow stands at the front of the group with her sidekick Connor and a couple other nondescript students wearing long navy-blue robes like they’re members of some kind of cult or the clergy collecting money from people.
There’s a door behind them and a vent cover above it. Unlike the last meetup, there’s no free betting going on—just a steady filing of bodies into the small space, handing over a set dollar amount when they’re told. The robes make a permanent marker scribble on their hand to keep track of who’s paid.
I glance down at my phone and watch as the time changes from 10:14 to 10:15. Lexi’s booming voice over the crowd is immediate, and the din quiets.
“Welcome back, boys and girls, for another exciting event.”
Ace looks between Lexi and the back of the crowd frantically, so I raise my eyebrows at him in question. “Julia’s late.”
“Why didn’t she just come with us?” I ask. My question is answered before he even speaks, with just a look at his puppy dog face.
“Sorry. I’m sorry. But they’re friends now, so Scottie is with her.”
I hate myself for it, but I start looking to the back of the crowd too. Blake keeps staring at the supposed woman of his dreams as she continues to talk in front of us.
“Tonight’s event has a flat fee of fifty dollars per person, and the winner will take the pot—minus some house fees, of course. But it’s not for the weak, so consider your balls carefully before agreeing to participate.”
Ace must spot Julia and Scottie, because one second, he’s beside me and Blake, and the next, he’s shoving people out of the way behind us in a straight line until he makes it to them. I glance at them as he pulls them through the crush back toward us, but when they get close, I force myself to concentrate on…well, I guess in some fucked-up way, my niece, Lexi Winslow.
“Legend and lore speak of a labyrinth of tunnels that scale the entire campus of the university in a complicated maze of darkness. But we’re here to tell you, they’re not just fable. They’re fact. Only the brave will make it to the other side.” She turns to her left, ushering Connor forward, and he takes over.
“Behind us, through this vent, is the start of a maze of tunnels in scale and size you can’t imagine. They sweep the entirety of campus, but their paths are far from direct. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, starts here, and ends at the tunnels’ end under the Abrams Building on the far side of campus.”
“You will get lost,” Lexi states unequivocally. “In fact, some of you may be lost for days, with no one to help you find your way out. When I say this is a risk, I don’t mean it lightly. You can work as an individual or as a group, but the winnings are the same. If you choose to work together, you win or lose together.”
Ace shoves in next to me, pulling Julia and Scottie in front of us. Julia falls into place naturally in front of him, leaving Scottie with nowhere to stand but directly in front of me. She faces forward pointedly, and I grind my jaw in response. I know it’s my fault, but I fucking hate that she hates me.
“If you panic, don’t come crying to us. You either have the guts to do it, or you don’t.”
Ace, Blake, and I look at one another and nod, and, surprisingly, so do the girls. Ace notices at the same time I do. “You don’t actually think you’re doing this, do you, Lia?”
“Of course I am.”
He shakes his head. “No way.”
“Are you doing it?”
“Well, yeah.” She narrows her eyes, and he puts his hands up defensively. “This isn’t sexist, this is protective.”
“Which is fucking sexist!”
“We’ll still split the money with you,” I add as a note of good faith, which, unfortunately, really pokes the Scottie bear in front of me.
“Like that makes it better?” she counters, but her gaze never meets mine.
Blake bravely wades in, though I’m not sure why. He could have held on to the safety of being a bystander pretty easily. “Of course it makes it better. You get the money, and you don’t have to do anything.”
“We’re doing it,” Julia says resolutely. “Scottie and I will be our own team.”