“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood. All is riddle, and the key to a riddle is another riddle.”

  Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Philosopher

  The smell of cooked beef and stewed tomatoes caused Bethany to stir from her sleep. Her mouth watered and her stomach growled, protesting as if she’d been fasting for a week. She groaned and cracked open her eyes.

  She recognized the office – the one down the hall from the kitchen that Emily’s boss had used before the God Contest. She was lying on a reclined weight bench that someone had carried up from the gym to use as a medical bed. She’d been stripped down to her underwear, a thin white sheet covering her lower half. The bright fluorescent lights and low rumble of the vents made her feel like she was in the hospital.

  Groaning, she tried to sit up, only to have Priyanka press a firm palm to her shoulder.

  “Hold still,” the grandmother ordered impatiently, her hands glowing healing blue. “You’ve got another couple hours of healing left. Here, drink this.”

  Priyanka handed her a plastic cup filled with Elias’ Bolognese sauce. Bethany didn’t hesitate. She lifted the cup awkwardly to her lips and drank until all that was left were the stubborn remnants at the bottom that she couldn’t coax out. Still hungry, she handed Priyanka the empty cup with a look that begged for more.

  “I’m almost done here – my magic is almost drained. Rocky will take over in a few minutes, and he’ll bring more. If you stay still and behave yourself, Rocky might bring spaghetti this time.”

  Bethany lay back, her stomach still growling. “How… how long was I out?”

  “About eight hours. It’s past supper. Everyone’s been busy while you’ve just been lying here,” Priyanka said with disapproval. “Elias has been on a rampage in the kitchen. Anjali and the kids are with them, being menaces as usual. Emily’s been locked in her room for hours, and Rocky’s up there with her when he’s not down here healing you.”

  “Thank you,” Bethany said weakly, earning a small smile from Priyanka. “How’s Jaya?”

  “She grew more while you were gone,” Priyanka answered, her voice hard and distant, as if speaking of a stranger. “She’s four years old now, as near as I can figure it. Babbling about how much fun she had at a daycare that she never went to. Wondering when a father that doesn’t exist will come home.”

  “I’m so sorry, Priyanka.”

  “It’s the way it is,” Priyanka said dismissively, though Bethany could see the unacknowledged pain behind her eyes.

  She’s distancing herself from Jaya. It must be so hard, seeing her only grandchild get warped before her eyes. Does Anjali feel the same way?

  Priyanka pressed her wrinkled hands to Bethany’s stomach, and Bethany felt the healing warmth flood through her. Priyanka went into a thoughtful silence – a silence Bethany didn’t want to break.

  Bethany gazed around the room, taking in the shelves of bandages, medicines, braces, and other medical supplies they’d looted from the North End Savers pharmacy department. Outside the door, she’d stacked garbage bags full of useless papers, binders, and books to make room in her makeshift clinic. She was waiting for one of the others to take the collection to the garbage bin out back.

  The worn wooden desk had been cleared of all of Emily’s boss’ personal effects. Priyanka had even removed the name plate on the door in an effort to eliminate any reminder that this office had once belonged to a person who, in all likelihood, wasn’t coming back. In its place, Priyanka had started a file for each of them, where she kept meticulous notes on the medical treatment they’d received. So far, her file was the only one with paper in it.

  It looked very much like a doctor’s office, and Bethany could tell Priyanka – who’d spent her career as a nurse – was making it her own.

  “What if you have more than one patient?” Bethany asked.

  Priyanka grunted her disapproval at the interruption but answered anyway. “The cubical farm down the hall. I’ve been clearing out the desks. Once I have some cots and blankets, I can turn each one into a medical room. Though I’d prefer never to have to use it. So don’t go doing anything foolish.”

  “You know Bethany’s not going to follow that advice,” came Emily’s call from the door. “Can’t go anywhere in this game without coming back injured.”

  “This isn’t the place for social visits, Emily,” scolded Priyanka, pulling the sheet up to Bethany’s neck to cover her. “What do you want?”

  “Rocky’s here to relieve you,” Emily responded, letting Priyanka’s harshness slide off her back. “Elias made an apple pie, if you’re hungry.”

  “I’ve just spent the past two hours healing Bethany. Of course I’m hungry,” Priyanka scoffed. She reached over to a hook on the wall and handed Bethany her shirt and pants. “Here. If the gentle giant is taking over, you’ll want to cover yourself. Doesn’t matter how well intentioned the man – if he sees you half naked, he just gawk and won’t get any work done.”

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  “Well, he certainly doesn’t get anything done when I’ve got my shirt off,” Emily laughed, though Priyanka didn’t find it funny. The grandmother rose from her stool and slid past Emily into the hall, headed for the kitchen.

  “You two arguing?” Bethany asked, slowly sitting up so she could dress.

  “She’s pissy because we’ve agreed to let the kids hunt monsters with us,” Emily explained. “She’s mad at everyone, not just me. She should be joining us, but the woman’s as stubborn as a goat.”

  Bethany slid on her jeans, surprised that she didn’t feel embarrassed dressing in front of Emily. In high school, she’d always changed in the washroom stall, away from the other girls.

  Maybe I’m getting more confident. Or maybe it just doesn’t matter anymore. You can only die so many times before the minor embarrassments of life fall by the wayside.

  Bethany had just thrown her shirt over her head when Rocky entered the room, caught a glimpse of her changing, and immediately averted his eyes to the ceiling.

  “Ah… sorry, Bethany. I thought you were ready,” he stammered, looking remarkably uncomfortable. Emily gave him a swat on the arm.

  “Pervert,” Emily said with false anger. “You don’t just barge into a girl’s room like that.”

  “You did,” Bethany mentioned, as she quicky yanked down the shirt and pulled her brown ponytail out. “At least Rocky waited until I had pants on.”

  “That doesn’t count,” Emily dismissed.

  Bethany glanced at Rocky’s hand, which grasped the leather-bound book from Omoikane’s maze. He carried a plate of spaghetti in the other hand.

  “Is it in there?” she asked hopefully, staring at the book.

  Rocky set aside his momentary embarrassment. Placing the spaghetti on the desk, he sat on the bench next to Bethany and cracked open the over to the first page. It was blank.

  “You’re smiling, so you must have figured it out,” Bethany prompted.

  “Emily did,” Rocky answered.

  “By accident,” Emily clarified.

  “We spent a full hour staring at the damn thing. I tried the security’s team’s black light – no luck there. Channeled my magic into it and got nothing. I was about to conclude that Omoikane gave you a blank book as some sort of joke when Emily started reciting the first riddle as she paced around our bedroom.”

  “One is of fire, of the heart, hidden power in crowded strife,” recited Emily. As she did, words in cursive writing began to appear on the page, one letter at a time.

  “A simple lock, but effective,” Rocky explained. “A player needs to know the first riddle to gain access to the second one. It’s not much a competition if someone can just pick up a scrap of paper and skip half the Gods’ trials.”

  Bethany read aloud the words as they appeared.

  Rough hearts burn

  Upon green and white

  Passion embraced by all

  Eleven at your side

  A dozen against

  Fate advanced in a brawl

  Ride, players, ride

  It’s friends against foes

  As one team stands, the others shall fall

  So draft your team

  The Nation awaits

  For you to answer the call

  Bethany glanced up at the page. Rocky couldn’t help but smile.

  “You figured it out already?” Bethany asked, almost disappointed. Both her and Rocky loved solving riddles, and he’d had an eight-hour head start.

  “Well, to be fair, anyone in Saskatchewan could solve the first level of this riddle,” Rocky said. “But there’s more to it than that. It’s not just about where to go. It’s what we’re up against and who we need to bring.”

  Bethany looked at him curiously, and dove back into the riddle. She parsed out each line on its own, then began to mentally match seemingly disparate lines together to see if the combinations would make sense. Muttering to herself, she grabbed a pad of paper from Priyanka’s desk and began making notes.

  Rocky chucked at her concentration. “Emily and I have another murder board going in our room. When you are ready, meet us there and we’ll compare notes. I can finish your healing as we work.”

  “After you’ve eaten and… ah… showered,” Emily added. “Though not in that order.”

  Bethany stopped writing and gave a subtle sniff of her armpits. She crinkled her nose in embarrassment.

  “Point taken. I…,” Bethany said, until she was hit with a sudden realization.

  I asked out Elias smelling like this. Wearing a shirt full of holes and drenched in blood. Oh god, what was I thinking…

  Emily laughed as she saw the look of growing mortification on Bethany’s face.

  “We’ll meet you upstairs, teddy bear,” Emily said, grasping Rocky’s gentle hand and pulling him to his feet. “Bethany and I need some girl time.”

  “Girls – the ultimate riddle,” Rocky sighed, earning a slap on the butt from Emily as he headed for the door.

  “One you’ll never fully solve,” Emily laughed as her boyfriend strode out of the office-turned-clinic and headed for the kitchen.

  Bethany buried her face in her hands, the riddle momentarily forgotten.

  “I asked him out, Emily,” Bethany said into her hands. “Why’d I do that?”

  “Because he’s a hottie,” Emily answered with an exaggerated, lustful sigh. “Love me a farmer tan.”

  Bethany shook her head in disbelief. “I don’t have time for dating. There are monsters and gods trying to kill us. I’m just trying to survive.”

  “Well, don’t tell Elias that. The guy came out of the Arena beaming from ear to ear.”

  Bethany’s heart pounded anxiously, and Emily pulled her into a gentle hug.

  “You want my advice?” Emily asked, and Bethany nodded. “Don’t overthink it. I spent years overthinking Rocky, and all it did was get in the way of our happiness. Just take slowly, one day at a time, and see where it goes.”

  “But what if I screw it up?” Bethany asked shyly.

  “So what if you do?” Emily challenged with a chuckle. “Elias isn’t the last guy on Earth, Bethany. At least, not yet. You’ve had crushes fizzled out before, right?”

  Bethany stared intensely at the floor.

  “Ooh, you poor woman. Nothing?” Emily said with sudden realization, and Bethany gave a slight nod. “Alright, new plan Bethany. Forget taking it slow. You need to get Elias’ pants off.”

  “What!” shouted Bethany, aghast and jarred from her self-pity. “But… but I can’t just…”

  “Seriously, girl. We’re in the midst of a death contest and we could all die tomorrow. Have some fun. Get laid.”

  “But Elias…”

  “Won’t complain,” Emily promised. “Trust me on this.”

  “I don’t know…” Bethany mumbled, her thought spinning.

  I want what Rocky and Emily have… don’t I? But my father was mom’s one-and-only, and she spent her life being abused by him. I still don’t know that much about Elias. Would he be like Rocky… or like my father? Am I better off just staying alone?

  “Just trust your heart, Bethany,” Emily advised her, rising to join Rocky in the kitchen. “But whatever you decide to do, take a shower first. And don’t forget to eat.”

  Emily headed out, and Bethany was left thinking about a riddle far more complex than any given to her by the gods.