Chapter 8 - The Magic of a Wager

The forest path narrowed until it became little more than a stone stair descending into shadow. At the bottom waited a wide arch of carved stone, its surface slick with moss, its teeth-like keystones etched with faint runes that glowed a dull blue. Cold air seeped out from the darkness beyond the arch, carrying the damp smell of earth and something older, something untouched for centuries.

The dungeon.

Aiden’s palm was warm against Valerie’s as they walked forward, fingers intertwined. He gave her hand a small squeeze. She squeezed back, not looking at him but at the arch ahead, her breath misting from the chill.

Behind them came the deliberate steps of Zachary and Everly. Unlike Aiden and Valerie, they did not walk hand-in-hand. Zachary strode as though he owned the path, back perfectly straight, his black coat buttoned tight. Everly followed with the glide of her emerald dress, her expression serene, her eyes unreadable. The space between them looked like it belonged there, as though intimacy would have been out of place.

Chloe trailed them with her staff resting across her shoulders, humming tunelessly, though her gaze flicked nervously between the couples. Maximus was last, his heavy boots crunching the gravel, arms folded, his eyes sharp with a quiet watchfulness.

The closer they drew, the stronger the tension grew. By the time they reached the entrance, Aiden thought he could taste it in the air.

Zachary stopped just shy of the arch and turned, the faintest smile curling at his lips. “A thought,” he said pleasantly, though the edge beneath his tone was sharp. “Since we’ll be clearing this dungeon together, why don’t we make it… interesting?”

Aiden frowned. “Interesting?”

Zachary’s eyes flicked toward Valerie’s and Aiden’s clasped hands. Then he looked back at Everly, who gave him the smallest nod, her face still calm. When he turned again, his smile widened. “A friendly competition. Whichever couple defeats the most monsters wins.”

Aiden felt Valerie’s fingers stiffen in his. His first instinct was to laugh it off because really, who would suggest something like that at the door of a dungeon? But Zachary’s tone wasn’t playful.

Before Aiden could answer, Chloe hopped forward, staff swinging down with a thunk against the stone. “Hold on. That’s not fair and you know it.”

Zachary raised an eyebrow. “Unfair?”

“They’re still learning,” Chloe said, crossing her arms. “You and Everly have years of experience. They’ve been here what, four days? That’s not a competition, that’s bullying.”

Everly’s lips curved, but the expression didn’t quite reach her eyes. Zachary chuckled softly, shaking his head. “And yet… didn’t Aiden seem very sure of himself at the square? I recall a rather loud punch accompanying his certainty. Surely a novice dungeon is no more difficult than throwing a fist.”

Aiden felt heat rush to his ears. His chest tightened, words rising to his throat before he could stop them.

Valerie, though, tugged gently at his sleeve. Her eyes warned him: don’t.

He looked at her, searching, begging her for her approval. She didn’t speak, but after a long moment she gave the smallest, most reluctant nod.

Aiden turned back, squaring his shoulders. “Fine,” he said. “We accept your challenge.”

Zachary’s smile gleamed. “Excellent. Then all that remains are the stakes.”

“Stakes?” Aiden asked warily.

Zachary spread his hands as though it were obvious. “Well of course, it wouldn’t be a competition without a prize. Perhaps as simple as bragging rights.”

Everly tilted her head, gaze sliding toward her husband. Something unspoken passed between them. Zachary’s smile deepened.

“Although,” he said, voice dropping to a silky hum, “perhaps a little more would keep things exciting. Let’s say… if you and Valerie win, I’ll publicly apologize. I’ll even retract all the comments I’ve made about your marriage and this fabled Heartlink magic. A very generous offer, wouldn’t you say?”

Aiden blinked. That… actually didn’t sound so bad.

But then Zachary’s smile turned cruel. “And if Everly and I win, you will kneel before me in the guild hall, hands and knees, and apologize for striking me. You’ll also admit, for all to hear, that Everly and I are the superior couple.”

Valerie’s sharp intake of breath was louder than the wind through the stones. She grabbed Aiden’s arm, pulling him closer. “Aiden,” she whispered urgently, “it’s not worth it.” Her grip trembled. “Even if we’ve learned a lot, we’re not ready to compete with people who’ve been wielding magic since childhood. Please, don’t.”

Her words struck him hard, because she was right. He knew she was right. His pride, though, burned hotter than logic. The smug look on Zachary’s face made his fists clench.

Aiden looked into Valerie’s eyes. Fear glimmered there, but also trust. Trust in him to choose wisely.

He broke that trust.

“I accept,” he said, his voice louder than he meant.

Valerie flinched. “Aiden…”

He forced a grin. “We can handle it.”

Zachary inclined his head in mock respect. “Brave.”

The silence that followed was thick, broken only when Maximus finally stepped forward. His boots echoed against the stone as he came to stand between the two couples.

“That’s enough,” he said. His deep voice rumbled with authority, cutting through the tension like an axe. “If there is to be a competition, then there will be rules.”

Zachary’s smile flickered. “Of course.”

Maximus lifted a finger, counting them off. “First. Each monster only counts as one point, regardless of difficulty.”

Chloe nodded briskly, jotting in a small notebook she’d somehow produced from her cloak.

“Second,” Maximus continued, his eyes narrowing. “Teams are forbidden from harming each other. Intentionally or otherwise.” His gaze landed squarely on Zachary.

“Third. The competition ends when the dungeon is cleared.”

Zachary gave a slight bow. “All very reasonable.”

“And fourth,” Maximus said, ignoring him, “Chloe and I will tally points. She will track for you. I will track for Aiden and Valerie. That way, there can be no arguments later.”

For once, Zachary didn’t reply with smugness. He only gave another shallow bow, his eyes flicking toward Everly in silent agreement.

Aiden swallowed, the weight of his decision finally pressing down. Valerie’s hand slipped from his arm, her expression guarded. He wanted to tell her it would be fine, that he had everything under control. But the words stuck in his throat.

“All right,” Maximus said, stepping aside. “If both sides agree, then let us begin.”

The runes along the arch flared brighter, casting long shadows across their faces. Cold wind rushed from the darkness within, carrying with it the promise of danger, of tests they might not be ready for.

Zachary gestured grandly toward the entrance. “After you.”

Aiden glanced at Valerie. She hesitated only a second before nodding once.

Aiden reaches for her hand, but Valerie only gives him her fingers, her grip loose, her eyes fixed straight ahead. The dungeon swallowed them both, tension clinging heavier than the mist.

The dungeon’s air pressed down the moment they crossed the threshold. The stone walls sweated with condensation, carrying the metallic tang of minerals and the faint, bitter smell of mold. Torches hanging in iron rings flickered with greenish fire, casting warped shadows that seemed to crawl along the walls.

Aiden inhaled sharply, his nerves singing, then broke into a jog down the first corridor.

“Hey, slow down,” Valerie called, her boots scuffing against the uneven stone. She kept her hand close to the wall, eyes flicking nervously to the dark side passages. “We don’t even know what’s down here yet.”

Aiden didn’t slow. His chest buzzed with adrenaline, and his pride pulsed hotter than the torchlight. “Come on, Val. If we drag our feet, Zachary and Everly will have half the dungeon cleared before we even find our first monster. We’ve got to show them we’re not pushovers.”

Valerie quickened her pace, but her frown deepened. It won’t matter if we’re dead. We need to be careful.”

“Careful doesn’t win challenges,” Aiden muttered under his breath, though not quietly enough.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she said nothing more.

Maximus’s heavy steps followed close behind, steady and measured. His silence was a warning of its own.

The corridor widened into a small cavern, the ceiling arched high enough that the torchlight barely touched it. The air carried a faint musk, earthy and sour. Aiden’s pulse spiked. His eyes darted across the shadows until he saw it, a lone goblin, stumpy and wirey, hunched over a pile of bones at the cavern’s center.

“There!” he shouted, excitement flaring.

Valerie’s hand caught his sleeve. “Wait. Don’t rush…”

“I’ve got this.” He yanked free before she could stop him. He strode into the open space, chest puffed, heart hammering. “Finally, something simple.”

The goblin’s head snapped up, yellow eyes glinting, jagged teeth bared in a snarl. It rose, clutching a crude knife of chipped stone.

Aiden spread his fingers, forcing his breathing steady. Fire, he told himself. Think of fire. Think of Val.

Aiden thought of the fire in their old kitchen, the smell of smoke, the sound of Valerie’s laughter in the chaos.

Flame answered. A small orb of fire swelled into existence in his palm, flickering hungrily, orange and red laced with blue.

Yes. Just like in training.

The goblin hissed and started forward. Aiden braced to throw.

But before his arm could release, the air screamed.

FWOOSH!

A violent gust ripped past him, scattering his hair and nearly knocking him off balance. The small fireball Aiden had formed sputtered, then was swallowed whole by the gale. Flame and wind twisted together into a vortex that was not his own, roaring into a blazing cyclone that tore across the cavern. The goblin barely had time to shriek before it was engulfed, its cry cut short as the storm left only ash and brittle bone in its wake.

The tornado collapsed, but its embers did not. They spun outward in a spray of glowing sparks.

“Oh crap!” Aiden shielded his face with his arm. Heat seared across his skin, biting deep enough to sting. The smell of burnt fabric filled his nose.

“Ah!” Valerie cried.

He whipped around. She was hunched behind Maximus, who had stepped forward at the last second, his broad frame shielding most of her from the storm. Still, red blotches marked her forearm where stray sparks had licked her skin. Maximus himself bore scorch marks across his cloak.

Aiden’s stomach dropped. “Val!”

She shook her head quickly, already lifting her hands. A glow shimmered around her palms, cool and blue, and streams of water flowed from the damp air itself. They coiled gently around the burns on Aiden’s arm, Maximus’s shoulder, and her own skin. The pain dulled, then ebbed, leaving only faint marks where the embers had landed.

Relief flooded Aiden, chased quickly by shame.

“Well, well,” a familiar voice drawled.

Aiden froze. Slowly, he turned.

At the cavern’s edge, Zachary leaned casually against the wall, Everly at his side. Chloe stood a step behind them, her expression stiff.

“That’s one point,” Chloe muttered, clearly reluctant.

Zachary’s lips curved into a smirk, smugness dripping from every syllable. “Oops. Did I not notice you were standing there? My apologies.” His eyes gleamed. “I suppose Everly and I got… carried away.”

Aiden’s fists clenched. “You—”

Maximus’s heavy step cut him off. The guild master strode forward until he stood eye to eye with Zachary. His voice was heavy. “I will be giving you a warning since the harm was due to the after effect of your spell, but that counts as harming another team. Once more, and I will disqualify you without hesitation.”

Zachary lifted both hands, feigning innocence. “It was unintentional, I assure you. Our bond is simply… too strong sometimes.” His smirk widened. “I’ll be more careful.”

Everly said nothing. She only watched, her painted smile firmly in place, though her eyes flickered with something harder to read.

Maximus’s gaze lingered on Zachary for several long, tense seconds. Then he stepped back, his presence like a wall between the two groups.

Zachary exhaled slowly, as though the matter had been settled to his satisfaction. He gestured with a flick of his hand, and he and Everly turned down a side passage. Chloe hesitated, shot Aiden and Valerie a pained look, then followed after them.

Their footsteps faded into the darkness.

Aiden stood frozen, still staring at the scorched ground where the goblin had been. His heart hammered, anger and humiliation twisting together in his chest.

Then Zachary’s words from earlier resurfaced.”Our objective is clear. We shall clear the dungeon.”

And suddenly, Aiden understood.