for a second.” Pathfinding, I thought. A circle appeared directly in front of me, with dots in different places. Player locators, I bet. A compass appeared above the circle, and an arrow spun.
I punched the air and grinned.
“Was that a smile? I did not think it possible.” Ryo’s eyes warmed, like my reaction had given him a glimpse of hope, and he hungered for more.
Speaking of which, we needed to get more food. “I smile, on occasion.”
“Fascinating. Are you ready for my questions, or will you punch me again?”
“Yes.”
“To which? Punching or questions.”
The side of my mouth tugged up. “Both are always options.”
I searched the tunnel again, this time not for supplies, but for things to trade. My father had a few hibisi petals on a top shelf. I tucked them into my top pockets. I needed to trade for as many health potions as possible.
Only Sir Tomlinson wasn’t my father. So why’d he feel so real? My real family seemed so far away, but I could remember every kind word, each time Sir Tomlinson held my wrist and trained me to throw a punch or a knife. And Grigfen was my brother, though we weren’t related. He was my responsibility.
I knew one thing—I didn’t want to die like Ryo had. Even if I had extra lives too, I didn’t want to risk it. Was I the only one who got this message from his mother? I stared at Ryo. How much of this should I tell him?
“Is that seer water around your neck?” I asked.
He swallowed and tucked his necklace below my father’s shirt. “It is. And I’m not drinking it.”
“Why? It’d be so much easier if you’d drink now, while we’re safe.”
“I made a promise to my father. That promise might be the only reason I’m alive.”
“The only reason you’re alive is because you’re in a video game and you had extra lives.”
He squinted at me, that hope I’d handed him gone completely from his expression. “What?”
“Just drink your seer water. Everything will make sense once you get your game vision.”
He turned away. “I’m sure you believe so. But I didn’t drink despite being tortured, so I will not drink despite your nonsense. I keep my promises. It’s all I have of my father now.”
That stubborn idiot. “Fine.” If he wouldn’t listen to me, then I would let him fumble without answers. Let him be confused. I didn’t need his help.
We needed to add to our team if we were going to win. I needed to find my brother. My almost brother. Grigfen314 had to be okay. He was one of the only other players I knew before the game. Decent guy. Great sense of humor.
Someone needed to tell him not to die.
Yellow letters scrolled across my vision. Recruit Sir Grigfen to Your Party.
The compass behind my eyes spun, and this time the arrow pointed up and north.
Awesome. “Come along, Your Highness.” I pulled the strap of my bag over my head and then picked up my sword. “It’s time to play.”
6
MCKENNA, QUEEN OF THE SAVAK
ONE WEEK EARLIER
“My queen,” a cleric said, “are you all right?”
I clasped the bridge of my nose between my fingers. A migraine sparked behind my eyes, brief but sharp, as the vision left me.
The pain left in an instant, and only a distant numbness remained.
Clerics of the Seer Spring lined either side of me, their red cloaks backed to the sparkling mosaic walls, their worried faces in profile as I preferred. Servants fanned me with massive white feathers as I placed the seer water on a tray next to a zomok steak. My first glass of seer water, though they didn’t know it.
But they weren’t real people, so they didn’t know much of anything.
Welcome, adventurers, to the land of traitor kings and vicious queens!
The voice from the video still echoed in my mind, but I didn’t break character as I processed. I sat taller in my throne, mindful of the cameras. Any camera angle could be used in the promotional materials.
So let’s give them something to watch.
I lunged for the cleric who had remarked on my moment of weakness, grabbed the chain around his neck, and yanked down until his fear-widened eyes were level with mine. One thing I knew about this character, the queen of the Savak could not appear weak in front of the clerics. “Are you questioning my mental fitness, cleric?”
He shook his head rapidly, but I spied other clerics sharing a look. The Savak queen could not show mercy.