Watch The Scorch Trials Novels & Stories

The crowd separated, leaving Cassandra standing alone, humiliated. Eddie placed a hand on Natalie's lower back. "Let's go." They rode down to the parking lot in silence. Her silence, his anger. With every step came words unspoken. When they reached his car, Eddie borke the silence. "Next time, do not do this. Do not walk into the fire to test to see if you can handle the heat." She looked out at the window, barely more than a whisper. "I didn't want to test myself. I just needed to remember who I was before others decided who I should be."

Projected for the entire arena to see. Wide-eyed. Staring upward. Red hair trapped in what can only generously be described as a braid, courtesy of Rhoda's rushed efforts this morning. I sincerely hope the screens aren't displaying my hands. Because they are absolutely shaking. The reality of everything crashes into me all at once. This is it. No more preparation. No more lessons. No more delays. The Luna Trials are about to begin.

I hissed, pulling away. “Of course you are. The Trial of Flame is a heavy burden.” She smiled, and this time, it was the smile of a spider who had just found a loose thread in the web. “The Third Trial - the Trial of Blood - is tonight. It is the most dangerous. Perhaps... you’ll allow me to help you prepare? A little lunar stabilization to keep your heart from stopping again?” She didn't wait for an answer. She leaned in, her breath cold against my ear.

Screaming. A woman… She was beautiful. Elegant. Long black hair. Brown eyes filled with tears. Bold red lipstick. She was reaching out to me. Who was she? Why… why did she look like me? Then— something strange happened. The cold vanished. My body… felt hot. Too hot. And then… A voice in my head. “Help! Someone help me, please…” More flashes. A grand ballroom. Fire. Screams. A mirror shattering. A voice screaming my name—

Edward’s stupid face was on the screen, and he was grinning from ear to ear, “ladies and gentlemen, while we wait for our contestants to arrive, I just wanted to recap what’s happened so far.” He acted like this was some game show instead of trials to be crowned to rule over the wolves. I was ready to behead the son of a bitch. The screen flashed with scenes from the first two trials, zooming in on Aria struggling and Matthew’s victory. I clenched my fists and wanted to punch a hole in the wall. After the recap finished showing, the screen showed Aria and Matthew walking into the room. This one was set up dungeon style and I was curious and apprehensive to know what they had to do next.

Even Damien cracked a smile, shaking his head in disbelief. That evening, the penthouse was in chaos. Nico fussed over Elena’s gown, Jessica adjusted Grayson’s tie, Rosa threatened to bring brass knuckles, and Sophie and Rose begged to come along. “No,” Elena said firmly. “School night.” “Please!” Sophie whined. “You can watch a movie with Rosa and Damien instead.” Rose brightened. “Can we watch scary movies?” Damien frowned. “I don’t do cartoons.” “They meant horror,” Rosa corrected, grinning.

The binoculars beside it he had used for another, more ordinary purpose. As the estate manager, one of his jobs had been to keep a sharp lookout for poachers. The night had no fears for Sasha, and through him, she too had learned to appreciate its special beauties. It had been Sasha who had taken her to watch the badger cubs at play, earning her mother’s anger. Veronica quickly stopped that train of thought. Since she couldn’t sleep, she might as well try to do some work. That at least would be a far more profitable way of spending her time than thinking about that arrogant ass.

Seeing that many of them out here, the Hunters felt tense. The scorpions were not swarming towards them but they were all headed to in the same direction. The Hunters were mystified by this. “What is happening?” Matthew asked. Yuki noticed some dust clouds were created in the distance where the scorpions were headed. She took out her binoculars and looked through it. She saw a few people, four people to be exact, were fighting with the swarm of scorpions. She slowly put down her binoculars as she couldn’t believe what she saw.

With a surge of elemental power, she faced her fears head-on, banishing the monstrous vision and emerging stronger. Soren faced a trial of loyalty, where he was tested on his unwavering dedication to his cause. Lucius delved into a trial of forgiveness, facing the ghosts of his past and finding the strength to let go. And Aphelion, guarded and mysterious, faced a trial of acceptance, delving into the depths of his own darkness and coming to terms with his past.

I still don't get why they are participating. I watched as the timer ticked down and the trial started. Let's see who makes it past this.