First Year by Rachel E. Carter

Author:Rachel E. Carter [Carter, Rachel E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Juvenile Fiction, Love & Romance
ISBN: 9781502433527
Google: Zea_oQEACAAJ
Amazon: 1502433524
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2014-08-10T19:00:00+00:00

I was tied up and bound to the base of a towering oak, a mere fifteen paces from the wooden chest and its now empty contents.

After Priscilla and her entourage left, there’d only been five medallions left, but in a matter of minutes another grouping of first-years had appeared, snatching the last of the tokens.

I tried to cast myself free, figuring a couple of flames were all I needed to weaken the ropes, but there was no magic left. I had drained my powers crossing Darren’s fissure.

So there I was, tied to a tree with a giant piece of parchment above my head that read “hoarder.” Thanks to the label none of the passing first-years had bothered to help, no doubt deciding it was not worth their time to try and help a girl who had enough enemies to tie her to a tree in the first place.

After ten more minutes passed I spotted Ella and my brother. Unable to draw their attention through anything but muffled shouts, I waited for them to notice me. Ella was the first, interrupting Alex to point in my direction.

They both came running to my aid.

As soon as Alex read the sign above my head, he ran a hand through his messy locks, hanging his head.

I pointed to the empty chest.

Alex swore. Ella angrily hurled her dagger at the ground.

“We’ve got to…head back,” I coughed between huge gasps of air. “Our only chance… Piers said he and Cedric… would keep everyone… that didn’t have a coin…until he had his five.” I stopped and pointed to the tunnel everyone had been using to return.

“There’s only been one person to come through here since the chest emptied,” I finished, “which means there’s still some others left. If we get back first, before the others without a token, maybe Piers will go easier on us?”

“Well, it’s better than hiking back up that mountain,” Ella said, somewhat reluctantly.

The three of us started towards the dark passageway. As we walked I explained how I had ended up bound to a tree.

“Priscilla really does hate you,” Ella observed. “That’s the second time she’s gone out of her way to torment you.”

I winced as I tripped over a small rock, grabbing onto my friend’s arm to keep from falling. “She thinks I am after Darren.”

Ella snorted, and my brother laughed loudly.

“My thoughts exactly.”

After an hour of darkness we finally reached the tunnel’s end.

“Now that’s more like it.” Alex raised his hands to the sky, bathing in the warm glow.

Ella pointed to a sloping hill in the distance. “We’ve still got to get up that thing and whatever else is out there.”

She was right.

Ten minutes later a barrage of arrows came flying from our right.

“You just had to say it,” Alex complained.

The three of us ducked and dodged, racing up the grassy slope.

Eventually, we made it past the missiles’ range and continued, cautiously, down the other side of the hill. I could see a large crowd at its base. Instinctively, the three of us picked up speed.

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