Gray was awake when the stone slab slid into the ceiling.

  He’d slept on and off. Waking, his mind would remind him he was laying in a crypt filled with dead people. He would remember tales of ghost stories and the like. But then, he would steel himself and force himself back to sleep. Stretched out on the cold stone wasn’t comfortable, but at least he wasn’t running, carrying cubes, or standing in a frigid river.

  And there were no demons coming for him. Nor was he holding a Chaotica ball—just the feel of that ball made him sick to his stomach.

  The hunger came and went. The thirst stayed.

  And then, he woke and knew that the terrible night was over. He only had another couple days of the hardship—less than two. They’d done it. They’d made it into the semi-finals, though it had taken a toll.

  He stood up and stretched and walked into the hallway. “Hello?”

  Crewel stood at the end of the hall.

  “I should throw you out. You questioned my authority.”

  Gray laughed. “You don’t have any authority over me. If I thought you did, I would’ve left on my own.”

  “I could eject you and your squad,” Crewel said.

  “And lose the crowd? Squad 23 is even more popular now, I would imagine. We spilled blood. The crowd loves blood.”

  “They do indeed,” Crewel said.

  By that time, the rest of his squad were out of their tombs, except for Tomi.

  Rynn gave him an astonished look. Was he really standing up to the Magistrate.

  “Don’t cross me, Grayson Fade,” the ancient thin man said in his rich, powerful voice. “I do have power over you. Don’t make me use it. Everyone out. Now.”

  Gray ignored him and crossed to Tomi’s tomb. Inside, he found her curled up on the floor, sleeping. He hated to wake her…she seemed so content.

  Ames with him suddenly—it was like she appeared out of nowhere.

  “She made it,” Ames said softly.

  “She did.” Gray touched her shaggy head and was surprised at how soft it was. “I hate to wake her. I know sleep is everything to her.”

  “Not everything,” Ames said quietly. “We are becoming her everything…and you…and the captain. You all are my everything. You all are the joy I thought I’d never have. You all are such a gift. I thought it was all darkness and pain and death. I thought my life was this crypt, and I suppose it was.”

  She smiled. “Last night was easy for me. Comfortable. I’ve been in much worse places than among the dead. I’m hungry, yes, and thirsty, and tired, but I’m not afraid, Gray. I’m comfortable in myself for the first time, and it’s because of you.”

  He felt the responsibility, but he didn’t mind it. He embraced it. “Because I’m the sunlight.” He was already full of mana, and yet, he felt the power in him. It was the Status Instinct, pride and humility—he was getting mana from knowing the truth. He was the sunlight for his team.

  Ames nodded. “Because you’re the sunlight.” She smiled, and it was as dazzling as it was comfortable. “It can’t rain all the time.”

  Midj stood in the doorway. “We should, uh, go. The Magistrate is getting antsy.

  Rynn appeared behind the little goblin woman. “Mr. No, is she okay?”

  Gray felt shy suddenly. “I didn’t have the heart to wake her. She’s sleeping so nicely. Me and Ames were just talking.”

  Rynn nodded. “We heard. You are the sunlight, Gray.”

  “Never thought I’d be,” he said softly. “I never expected any of this.”

  Crewel’s voice thundered through the tombs. “Squad 23. You must leave the crypt. Now!”

  Ames brushed a gentle hand over Tomi’s hair. “Tomika Ka. It’s time to wake up. It’s time to be ever hopeful.”

  Tomi’s eyes flickered open, and she sucked in a breath. “Where…where am I?”

  Ames laughed even as a tear slid down her face. “You are with us, silly. Where else did you think you’d be?”

  Tomi then threw her arms around the Quelling elf and pressed her face against Ames’s chest.

  She didn’t say anything else as they got her up and led up her up the crumbling steps. No one mentioned the captain. They didn’t need to. They were all thinking about her and her story from the night before.

  They emerged out in a torrential rainstorm. Lightning crackled through the gray sky as sheets of freezing rain were dumped onto them.

  Midj threw her head back and opened her mouth. “Dang it, but if I can’t get a drink any other way, I’ll drink the rain and eat the snow. You do know snow is on the way, don’t you? Gonna be a cold one today.”

  She looked so thin now, almost gaunt. It was unnerving. Tomi was silent as well, though, she seemed better than the day before.

  There were four squads standing there—the fae, the orcs, Blythe’s team, and lastly, Squad 23. All the others were still in their tombs.

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  Tillwick Duskdrop gave Gray a big smile. What it meant, Gray had no idea, but he didn’t like. He got the usual glares from Blythe, her team, and the orcs. Freek hooked a thumb across his throat. His smile was unnerving. Gray figured Freek would try and kill him during the Chaotica match that day. It was just another banner day at First Field with murder and mayhem hanging in the air.

  Pinch kept her back to him, and Gray had to laugh. He missed catching her staring at him. It seemed their kiss really had closed the door.

  Crewel marched the four squads to the training field where fires burned in the various sparring pavilions. On tables were the metal pitchers and trays if ironbites as well as some bacon and hard biscuits. The squad numbers hung from signs, marking where the recruits needed to go. But their sponsors also stood there as well.

  Midj took off running and got to the table first. She started stuffing bacon into her mouth, along with biscuits, and then she let out a muffled yell. “Dere’s ar-ru! Ar-ru! Urry uys!”

  He enthusiasm for food warmed his heart. “Is she speaking goblin?”

  Tomi snorted. “She’s speaking mouth-full-ish. It’s a dialect of goblin.”

  The unexpected joke shocked Gray a bit. “Tomika Ka, did you make a joke?”

  “Did I?” Tomi sighed. “Oops. Forgot I was supposed to be having my soul shredded. It’s what this week has been, right?”

  Ames nudged the cat girl with her elbow. “I’ve found it very difficult but it’s easier…it’s better….”

  Tomi shook her head. “There’ my Quelling girl. Talking in incomprehensible riddles. What’s easier?”

  “It’s better to suffer for something than to suffer for nothing at all.”

  That silenced them all.

  Rynn gave Gray a long look. Then she went over and held him tight, resting her head on his chest.

  He took a moment to feel close to his bonded. He’d felt her, last night, with him. Their souls were connected now, and they would never be apart. It was heaven because of who she was. How different would it be if he were bonded with someone he couldn’t trust? It would be devastating.

  Then his exhausted mind thought about what Midj had said. “Ar-ru? No, she meant charbrew!”

  Gray led Rynn over to the pavilion where Midj was stuffing her face. And yes, there was Captain Sevanya, sipping from a metal mug. The bacon smelled good. The charbrew smelled even better.

  Rynn teased him. “So my touch wasn’t enough? You need your charbrew?”

  “My heart—my core—is big enough that I can love you and I can love my morning cup equally. Never fear.”

  She grabbed him and pulled him down for a kiss. It was hot, wet, perfect. He felt the lust swirl up inside of him, which of course, gave him mana. They hadn’t been able to be together for nearly a week, and he felt that loss deeply.

  She pulled back. “I’m not afraid. Not anymore. Ames was right. Focusing on survival, on enduring, on finishing each moment as best I can…it’s better than suffering for nothing.”

  Gray felt so much love for this woman. “What would Aunt Florence say?”

  “She’d say you have to find someone or something to serve. Settie was right about being enslaved to the mind. It’s better to give the mind a task and then keep at it until that task is complete.”

  “And what is your task?” Gray asked.

  Rynn gazed into his eyes. “Winning this thing. Doing right by you.”

  “What about getting recruited to the Jelosa Family in Envy City?”

  “Oh, Grayson Fade, my heart and my core are big enough that I can do right by my family and I can do right by you. However, my bonded, my love, my heart forever more will belong to the charbrew on that table.”

  Gray laughed. “That’s my line.”

  “Race you?”

  “No. Let’s take a break from running for a second. And let’s eat.”

  Turning back, still holding Rynn’s hand, Pinch glanced away with a pained look on her face.

  The fae girl had seen them kiss—not just that, she’d then stared at them.

  “Just like old times,” Gray said under his breath.

  They joined Midj, Tomi, and Ames at the table while Captain Settie sipped her charbrew, with a proud smile on her face.

  Gray didn’t understand how she could be so relaxed.

  Maybe it was because she had shared a secret that had been weighing her down for a thousand years. He had the idea that they were the first person she’d ever told, ever. It had changed everything for Tomi. It had given them courage when they needed it most.

  And now, they were a squad, a team, enjoying the first warm food for a week. Even the lemon poppyseed muffles were fresh out of the heaven. It was a delight. All of it was such a delight.

  Wonder of wonders, Gray watched as Froggy and one of the huge bear men walk up to Blythe’s squad. Both the sponsor of Froggy’s Thunder and the sponsor of Blythe’s team were deep in discussion. It was clear what was happening—Blythe’s team was getting new blood.

  Gray remembered how Froggy had wanted alliances. Well, it seemed she had found one. Doralimb’s eyes were still bright red from her weeping over her brothers, and yet, she wasn’t dropping out. Her soul was shredded, but she wasn’t the only one.

  *

  While they ate breakfast around the fire, out of the rain, Settie presented him with a surprise. “I think maybe you will want your stick, Grayson Fade.”

  “What? The stick?” Midj shook her head. “I think he’s better off with a sword.”

  Settie nodded. “And yet, he loves his stick.”

  Tomi snorted. “I’ll bet he’s not the only who loves Gray’s stick.”

  Rynn sipped her charbrew. “You aren’t wrong. It seems everyone loves Grayson Fade’s stick. As his bonded, I can attest to that.”

  Gray was too confused to tray and stop the talk about his stick.. “I think I agree with Midj on this one. I know I’ve practiced more with that stick than anything else, but do you think this is a good idea?”

  The captain pressed the stick into his hand. “I think it’s the best best idea. Youtold me what you can do with it. It will be unexpected. And for the match against the orcs, I think…I think unexpected is good.”

  He took it, and he had to admit, it did feel good to be holding it again.

  *

  At noon, the fae played the fire flyers with their two new recruits. Every light on the stadium was lit because of the clouds and rain and gloom.

  While Froggy and the bear man did play well for Blythe’s squad, they didn’t stand a chance.

  The fae out scored them in the first quarter and then let the demons do most of the work keeping them busy while they kept on scoring. There were no wrath ponies for this game, but smaller versions of the envy dogs. They could be just as lethal, but they were harder to control, and just as likely to leap at the audience in the stadium than to chase after recruits. Sill, those tentacles and fangs were a deadly combination.

  One thing Gray found odd was how fast their flesh melted into steam. He had questions about how

  Pinch and Duskdrop finished the game by running the ball into the Fire Flyers’s end zone, five points ahead. It kept on raining, and while it was barefly above freeazing, the snow never came.

  That would come later, when Gray and his squad played at six p.m.

  Until then, they stayed in the stadium, grateful that they weren’t in the tombs.

  He thought of the recruits still down there, in the darkness, next to the dead—the hunger, the thirst, driving them to quit. One ring of the bronze bell down there would do it.

  But he knew they wouldn’t. First Field was for the desperate, and Crewel used that desperation to torture them. Yes, none of those squads could win the entire Testing, but they still had the Reckoning. Winning the Reckoning—especially if they came from behind to do it—would make for a great story.

  And all the Watchfire Families were just waiting for a good story. Like Squad 23—five recruits winning Culling Day was unheard of. If they won Soulshred Week? It would make them legendary.

  Gray knew that the time off between games wasn’t a gift. It was Crewel testing them. They had all afternoon to think, in the cold, while the crowd continued to buy snacks and chatter.

  They had other Chaotica Games, from other Watchfire Families, but these were just for fun. The demons were a couple dozen wrath rats, nothing too deadly.

  And the hours slipped by.

  Tomi leaned against him and slept, hood over her head, as the rain continued to fall.

  Right before their game against the fae, the rain turned to snow.