Page 26 of The Shadow Sanctum

The blindfold comes off with a rough tug, the knotted fabric catching on my hair. I blink against the harsh daylight and catch a blurry outline of Angel fifteen feet in front of me. Three-quarters blind, I would know it was him by the length in his shoulders and the looseness of his arms, even tied behind his back—a man who has never had to consider what to do with his hands.

My vision clears before his does. He blinks hard against the snow glare and turns his face into his shoulder halfway. Then pauses suddenly enough that I know he knows. He stands tall and faces me dead on. The squint vanishes.

The hardly contained anticipation that locks his jaw should not be such a physical blow, and yet, there’s a pang in my throat as if his eyes alone could punch. We’re both thinking the same thing.

Two men in a forest, put to an initiation test. Only one of us can come back alive.

A hand locks onto my bound wrist and forces my arms up behind my back. I hiss at the strain in my shoulders, but it only lasts as long as it takes to cut the ties. As soon as I’m free, I flex the joints like I’m preparing to use my fists, though this is not going to get violent. I’m not going to lower myself to the ways of these fucking Neanderthals—especially when the only family I have left is my opponent…

No. Of course not.

"Welcome to your initiation test." Luna's voice carries in the still mountain air, authoritative and clear as she steps between us. Wrapped in a black cloak, the fur-lined hood framing her face, she has never looked more like a cult leader.

She has never felt more like a cult leader.

“Today, we’re going to be testing your survival skills,” Luna continues. I look everywhere except the patch of snow she occupies and find a small clearing circled by dense pines and hemlocks, more so than at the compound. “You both come from lush, individualistic backgrounds, but soon you’ll find that the Shadow Sanctum does not value comfort nor selfishness. We value strength, resourcefulness, and cooperation.”

The snow is trampled where the ATVs parked, but the rest of the clearing is pristine white. A long breath of the crisp, painfully cold air holds not a trace of smoke from nearby chimneys.

“Right now, you're ten miles from the Shadow Sanctum’s compound. Your goal is to make your way back.”

Ten miles.

The hemlocks alone suggest we’re at least… seventeen, maybe? Probably more like twenty-five, though with the time missing…

More than ten. Certainly.

I sense movement from behind, but when I turn, a hand fists my hair and forces my head straight. Something metal comes over my head—a device that’s hastily fastened around my neck, four evenly spaced cylinders digging into my skin. Across from me, a different Keeper secures the same onto Angel.

A collar.

Electric?

No. The cylinders are unnecessarily bulky.

"The terrain is challenging. Wildlife is present. You may encounter bears, wolves, or mountain lions. You’ll need to find your own shelter and collect or create your own supplies from your surroundings, the same way you’ll be expected to in the Shadow Sanctum.”

A whisper of a gasp chills my teeth as the answer comes.

Explosive.

“We don’t ask for help from outsiders. But we do ask help from each other… Which is why you’ll be initiating together. You both have much to offer, so you both have the option of returning if you prove yourself worthy.”

As my hand lifts to one of the collar’s cylinders, my eyes finally settle on Luna. I don’t know what I’m expecting to see. Reassurance?

Instead, she stands with a lifeless expression, hands cupped in front of her like a subservient robot. There’s a glint in her eyes as she finds me, inviting me in on her lie. It’s a subtle message, if not redundant.

Kill him.

“Because I know you’ll both appreciate the challenge, the devices around your neck hold explosive devices that will detonate if you travel more than a mile off course. It’s important to your survival that you are certain of your direction…”

She stares directly at me while she says this. There’s no wobble in her voice, but she doesn’t hide the flicker of anxiousness in her eyes fast enough.

I know you can pass this test, she said. She designed it.

I let my eyes roam the forest yet again, as if the first obstacle is truly direction. I won’t make it a yard if Angel kills me first.

Luna waits what must be a full minute before she speaks again, her voice as cold as I've ever heard it.