The Uprising (Book #3 in The Inception Trilogy)

chapter eighteen

**unedited--gasp--shocker**

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

WOLF SOMEHOW STIFLES HIS pride long enough to congratulate Micah, and to tell his loyal subjects that it was a fair duel. He sends Micah back into a holding cell, no doubt, and assures the audience he will be back out soon after the other two "traitors" have participated in their own challenges.

Gavriel is brought out next, which doesn't surprise Evelyn since she already figured Wolf would save Harry for last. Gavriel is in similar condition to Micah, however, he shockingly looked angrier. He bares his fangs at the guards dragging him into the arena, gnashing his teeth like a wild animal. Evelyn doesn't want to know what happened to him last night, or what happened to Harry to make Gavriel this distraught, knowing how close the two are.

Her chest aches, but she grips the arms of her own chair and keeps watching, feeling like she's sitting on pins and needles.

Gavriel's opponent is another of Wolf's lackeys, but it doesn't make the task any harder. Considering Gavriel is enraged and starved, he takes the opposing experiment down as soon as he sees him, his fingers instantly wrapping around the experiment's throat. The guards reach him too late, and they lose another comrade. Gavriel is hauled out by a rumbling chorus of boos and curse words.

Evelyn is feeling slightly more confident, though she knows better than to get her hopes up. However, if Gavriel can use his rage to elbow both of his guards in the chins, break free, tackle his opponent and choke him to death before he's torn off and tossed back into a cell, then surely Harry can use his anger and extra abilities to do the job just as quickly. If not quicker. She doesn't want to see Harry lose control, but if that's the only thing to ensure he survives, so be it.

While the guards are still struggling to drag Gavriel back into the holding area under the stands, Evelyn feels a tap on her knee. At first, she feels nauseous with the thought of Wolf touching her, but then she realizes it came from the opposite side.

She looks down to see Maxie gaping up at her with wide, terrified eyes.

Terrified, actually, is an understatement.

"What? What is it?" Evelyn is instantly alert, grabbing the girl's hand that's still on her knee and clutching it tightly. She looks around, grabbing the attention of everyone, except for Wolf who's glaring over the balcony at Gavriel.

"Here," she whispers in a croak, barely audible. "I recognize this place now. I... I..." A tear slips down her cheek. "Eve, this is where you kill Harry."

***

Sasha can't believe that she just saw Micah. Here. Micah is here. Does that mean Eve and Harry are too? And Robbie? She doesn't realize she's digging her nails into Locke's arm until he hisses, "Easy there, kid. You need some nail clippers."

"Sorry," she says sheepishly, but looks up at him with hopeful eyes. "Did you see that? That was Micah!"

"I know it was."

"That means Eve is probably here. And Harry."

"I don't know, Sasha... Maybe they are, maybe they aren't."

Erik leans forward on the bench, looking over a person's head at the debacle going on in the arena where another experiment is lashing out like crazy. There's a glint in Erik's eyes that Sasha can't read. Almost like excitement mixed with a twinge of anxiety.

"Erik," she says, figuring she can ask him, "do you think Even and Harry are here?"

"Actually," he replies after a moment or two. "I'm counting on it."