God of Malice (Legacy of Gods #1) by Rina Kent

On and on, they went in circles and then…

I stare at the path ahead. The most logical explanation is that they jumped on the rock in front of me and chose the bushes.

I stride to that direction as I smirk, letting them believe I’ve fallen for their trick.

It’s time to skin the rabbit alive.





16





GLYNDON





Ever since the stupid initiation started, I’ve been feeling like Alice in Wonderland.

The amount of fuckery I witnessed in my attempts to keep a low profile is astounding.

I’ve wondered this before, but now, I’m sure.

The members of the Heathens are batshit crazy.

I saw the one in the neon yellow mask single-handedly beat like ten people to a pulp, with no weapon, then he laughed derangedly if anyone attempted to hit him.

Then, someone dressed all in black, including his mask, tilted his head at me and waved slowly, manically, and I swear I’ve never run faster in my life.

I thought that was the highest level of crazy, but I was proven wrong. As I hid behind a rock, I witnessed the white-masked one strap three people with a chain as they begged and wailed.

And then the most disturbed of the lot finished five with a baseball bat and I made the mistake of thinking running at that moment was better than staying in place to keep him from finding me.

When he threw the bat in my direction with the lethality of a sniper, I have no damn clue how I thought fast enough to use one of the unconscious students as a shield, then continue my run.

I definitely work best under pressure, dammit. Because I didn’t even focus on the burning of my muscles as I sprinted and jumped and used the amount of energy that could last me for months.

Despite my art student status, I’m actually a good runner and I love to jog, so I can at least trust myself to keep going whenever it gets to be too much.

Just how the hell did the dainty Devlin make it in this jungle? Though it probably wasn't a full-on hunting session back during the initiation he participated in.

And the worst part in all of this? No, it’s not the screams, the wails, or the muffled sounds—although those still make me flinch every time. It’s not the sound of impersonalized speakers announcing the elimination of numbers.

It’s, in fact, feeling like a prey to that red fucking mask who keeps trailing my every move like a professional hunter. I made beelines, circles, and even went in chaotic lines, but he stayed hot on my trail every time.

My last resort was choosing a deserted rocky road that’s filled with tall trees. I could feel him close behind, so I found my current hiding place.

The tree.

I climbed it, pretending it was the treehouse back home that Landon taught me how to climb up for sport.

This pine tree is gigantic, though. It’s so tall that when I stare down, a slight acrophobia grabs hold of me.

But I rationalize that back to the fact that I’m not truly afraid of heights and this is just my anxiety taking center stage.

Inhaling deep, I wait a moment before releasing a long exhale. Red Mask follows the rocky path, probably thinking I continued on my way to the finish line.

I’m so glad I decided to stop and hide here for now. Hearing all the eliminations, I doubt there are many of the participants left. So I’d rather take it slower than rush into it and end up losing.

And seriously, I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere with this wanker tirelessly on my tail. Shouldn’t he be hunting the others instead of focusing on one?

The most important part is that he’s gone now. I watch his back disappear behind the trees and narrow my eyes. I’m ninety percent sure it’s Killian, especially due to the mask’s color, but he couldn’t have known I’d be here or specifically pick me as a target, right?

I shudder at the thought of what he’ll do if he finds out I’ve come to his club’s initiation.

He told me to be good and I definitely didn’t listen. If my past interactions with him are of any indication, this will end badly.

A sudden chill goes through me and I rub a hand against the side of my shorts while the other holds the branch for dear life.

Forget it. I’m simply not going to think about Killian right now.

I wait for a few minutes, until my feet and hands start to ache, then when I’m sure he’s most definitely gone, I slowly climb down. It’s easy to climb trees. All you have to do is make sure you have a strong foothold and that you’re holding a solid branch.

Once I’m halfway there, I peek down to measure the distance and shriek when I find a neon red mask staring up at me with a chilling calm.

Shit.

Shit.

The arsehole must’ve been waiting for me to come out from my hiding spot. I didn’t trick him into thinking I went in the opposite direction. He knew where I was the entire time and he’s the one who tricked me into showing myself.

I make a snap decision and climb up. It doesn’t matter if I stay at the top of this tree for a whole night as long as I stay away from the crazy bastard.

I’m not a meter up when something hits the branch I’m holding on to. The bat.

He threw it at the branch, causing it to snap in two. My foot slips and I grab the void in my attempts to catch another branch. The fall happens in slow motion and I feel every hit of air against my skin and the horrifying speed I’m sinking with.