Insatiable (Inferno Games #3)

8. The First Trial

8

THE FIRST TRIAL

ROWENA

E very morning this week, I’ve found two cookies carefully placed by my back door. Today, the morning of the first trial, however, I’m met with an entire box of them. I scoop it up, quickly shutting the door behind me, my heart racing with a mix of guilt and excitement. My curiosity gets the better of me, and I resist the urge to peek outside to see who’s been leaving these unexpected gifts.

The first time I discovered the cookies, I accidentally stepped on one with my bare foot, crushing it into crumbs. But as I examined the second cookie more closely, I couldn’t shake the thought—could these be from a mystery benefactor or a potential enemy trying to harm me? After extensive sniffing (which eventually turned into licking) and a hesitant bite, I concluded they were simply what they appeared to be—plain sugar cookies. Despite their lackluster taste, they provided some much-needed relief from my relentless morning sickness. Even as I devour a cookie from the box, my mind keeps wandering, pondering who could be behind this curious gesture. I know for a fact it’s not Juliette, because every time I’ve seen her, she’s complained about how hungry she is. Though I love her more than life itself and know that she loves me, I think she’d sell my soul to Satan himself for just one of these cookies. Quinn could have left them, but she hasn’t mentioned it and hasn’t managed to convince Dade to take her down to the lower levels yet. My mind wanders to Twila, who, in theory, could get us secret stashes of food, but I haven’t seen her or Hades since the very first day. The thought twists in my gut that it’s Felix doing this, but I throw the thought away. He’s done everything he can to avoid me all week, which is fine by me. The few times I have seen him, he’s been with Anthura and I’ve had to deal with the pair of them sniggering over some joke, no doubt to do with me. I honestly thought that Felix had the capacity to change, but as soon as his face healed, which it magically did at some point in the night between Lust and Gluttony, he’s gone back to being the totally beautiful asshole he always was.

I sit on my bed and open the box, feeling guilty. I should be sharing these with my friends. Hell, I should have been sharing them with Juliette and Quinn right from the first morning they started appearing on my doorstep. If it wasn’t for the baby, I would have shared them without a second thought, but the sheer terror of losing my only chance to be a mother has me putting my hand into the box and pulling out a handful of cookies. With them falls a folded piece of paper. I open it. There are five words in uppercase:

EAT ALL BEFORE FIRST TRIAL

It’s written so perfectly that I have no hope of figuring out whose writing it is. I empty the box on the bed. There’s no other note, but I count thirty-five cookies. I’m starving, but eating thirty-five cookies will have me spending the rest of the day with my head down the toilet. I pick one up and chew on it while doing what I should have done a week ago. I text Juliette and Quinn and tell them to get their asses to my room ASAP.

Less than a minute later, there’s a knock at my door. I rush to open the door, finding Juliette and Quinn standing outside. Without uttering a word, I gesture for them to come in, closing the door behind them.

Juliette’s eyes go immediately to the pile of cookies on my bed. She races over and grabs one. “Holy fuck. Where did you get these? No, don’t tell me. Are they poisonous?” She takes a sniff and her eyes close. “Please tell me I can eat these.”

“There are thirty-four. I counted. Twelve each for you. Ten for me. I already ate two.”

Juliette looks as though she’s just died and gone to heaven, which is ironic considering where we are. “They aren’t poisonous. Go ahead.”

With a whoop, she dives on the bed and starts shoveling cookies into her mouth three at a time.

“Rowena, what’s going on?” Quinn asks hesitantly, her hand subconsciously resting on her stomach, most likely due to not having had anything in it for a week.

I take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts before speaking. “Someone has been leaving these cookies for me every morning. Today, there was a note inside the box,” I explain, holding up the small piece of paper with the mysterious message.

Juliette and Quinn exchange a quick glance before turning their attention back to me. “What does it say?” Quinn asks eagerly, finally reaching for a cookie. I hand her the note.

“I was kinda hoping it was from one of you two.”

“If I had cookies, I’d give them to you to your face, not leave them on your doorstep,” Quinn says, her eyes scanning the note. Her brow furrows as she looks up at me, the weight of concern deepening the lines on her forehead. “I don’t like this. We’ve both had awful notes sent to us before. What if they’re from Anthura, just like the others were?”

“I thought Hades said Noémi sent the notes and that she’s not here anymore,” I reply, trying to dispel the growing unease.

Quinn folds the paper thoughtfully and I can see her mind racing. “Hades mentioned that she was responsible for everything that happened in Lust, but remember? She wasn’t in Purgatory. I found notes like the ones we received in Anthura’s drawer. I know it was her sending them.”

I take the note from her hand, my fingers brushing over the unfamiliar handwriting. “This note is different. The handwriting is different. Besides, I’ve been eating the cookies all week, and nothing has happened.” I attempt to reassure her, but a knot of doubt twists in my stomach.

“I love you both,” mumbles Juliette, crumbs flying from her lips as she speaks, “but if someone had been leaving me cookies, I’d have devoured the whole lot without telling anyone. Sorry, babes.”

I shake my head, laughter mingling with my anxiety. “I have been eating them myself,” I admit, pressing a hand to my belly, mimicking Quinn’s earlier gesture. “But I was only getting two a day. This box is a new development. It’s obviously something to do with the first trial today.”

Quinn pulls out her Hell Cell and looks at it. “I’m guessing we’ll get a message soon. It’s almost ten.” She picks up one of the cookies on the bed. “If it’s not Anthura trying to poison you, who do you think sent these to you?”

I shrug my shoulders. “As I said, I thought they were from you two. Who here has the ability to get cookies? It’s not been anything else, just these cookies. I think we can assume the first trial is going to have something to do with food, so we should do what the note says.”

Quinn looks uneasy. “I don’t trust anything that’s given to me by someone I don’t know.”

She’s barely touched the cookie in her hands. Felix poisoned her in Purgatory with cookies. The thought forms like a knot in my stomach. This can’t be Felix, I remind myself for the thousandth time this week. It’s just a coincidence. Besides, I’ve established these aren’t poisoned.

“I’ve been eating them all week and I’m fine,” I reiterate. “I honestly think there’s someone out there that wants to help me.”

Just as predicted, all three of our Hell Cells begin to beep. I pull mine out and read the message.

GEORGE: PLEASE MEET DOWN IN THE EARTHERY IN FIFTEEN MINUTES SHARP FOR THE FIRST TRIAL.

“It’s up to you,” I say, looking up at Quinn. “You don’t have to eat them, but if you don’t make your mind up, there won’t be any left to eat.” We both turn our heads to Juliette, whose mouth and hands are full of cookies. “There better be enough left for us,” I chide.

Between us, we finish off the box, miraculously managing to pry some away from Juliette. By the time we leave our room, I’m pleasantly full—something I haven’t felt in a week. Even more amazingly, I haven’t had the urge to throw all the cookies up. Nerves fill me as we gather outside of the Earthery. Not because it’s the first trial in a new circle, although that’s nerve-wracking enough, but because this will be the first time, I’ll have to be close to Felix in over a week. As soon as the thought of him pops into my mind, I see him standing at the back. At least he’s not with Anthura. She’s at the front, standing next to George and Cerby. On the other side of George stands Twila, looking beautiful as always.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” starts George. “So glad you could make it to the first trial. I’m sure all of you are familiar with the Earthery and what it can do. I don’t want to give too much away because I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but let’s just say you are going to love this.” He pats his round belly and gives us all a big smile, which none of us return. We’ve all been burned before, knowing what these demons think constitutes a good time.

It's only when we step into the Earthery that the source of my anxiety hits me like a tidal wave. The last time we were all in this room, chaos erupted—an explosion that left destruction in its wake and landed me and Felix in the hospital. I glance sideways at him, my breath hitching in my throat. Our eyes meet for a fleeting moment, and a shiver runs down my spine. I quickly drop my gaze, desperate to shield my thoughts and emotions from him. As soon as we’re all in the Earthery, the darkness begins to recede, and we find ourselves in a huge banquet hall. In the middle of the hall is a long table with seats down each side and one seat at each end. I count quickly. There are seventeen seats down one side, which makes thirty-six altogether. Someone places their palm in my hand, and I realize it's Quinn standing next to me. Her other hand is holding Dade’s, and he’s looking as stoic as ever.

Reaching out with my spare hand, I grab Juliette’s hand.

“Take a seat, take a seat!” George says, extending his hand excitedly towards the table. We do as he says, though not with quite the same enthusiasm he’s showing. I think I can already guess what this trial is going to be. We choose to sit in the middle, not wanting to sit anywhere near George, who takes the seat on one end, and Hades, who takes the other. It might have been nice sitting close to Twila, who’s sitting next to him, but Anthura and Moloch have taken up places right next to them. My heart pounds as Felix takes the seat opposite mine.

It’s not until everyone is seated that George addresses us all. “For your first trial in the circle of Gluttony, you are required to partake in a grand feast,” he announces with a wicked grin. His eyes glint with amusement as he continues, “However, there’s a catch.” My stomach clenches in apprehension, and I feel Felix’s foot graze against mine under the table.

“Don’t eat!” Before George has uttered the last syllable, the massive table begins to fill with food.

I say a silent thank you to my secret benefactor, doubling it as more food appears in front of us. The feast laid out before us is almost mocking in its extravagance: roasted meats dripping with juices, freshly baked bread steaming in the cool air, and bowls of stews and curries and goodness knows what else. The scents waft around me, making my stomach clench painfully with hunger.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Juliette hisses under her breath. I squeeze her hand tighter, if only to stop her from jumping on the table and loading as much of the food into her mouth as humanly possible.

I can’t tear my eyes away from the display in front of us. The aroma of the food is intoxicating, making my head spin with desire. I can feel the hunger gnawing at my insides, begging to be satisfied. But George's warning echoes in my mind.

As I glance around the table, I can see the varying degrees of struggle on the other competitors’ faces. Tate looks pale, beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she stares longingly at the spread. Juliette's eyes dart from one dish to another, a fierce battle raging within her. I tighten my hold on her hand. I only wish I could hold her other hand too, but when I look down, I see that someone has beaten me to it. On Juliette’s other side sits Tomas. I’m surprised. I thought she hated him, but as I look closer, I spot that she’s doing everything in her power to rip her hand from Tomas, who is gripping onto her like a dog with a bone. Her long fingernails are pressing down into his flesh so hard that blood is weeping from his fingers. She’s not doing that to my hand, and I’m not gripping half as tightly, so I can assume they didn’t kiss and make up after Quinn and I left them at Infernos last week. I should have asked her about that, but with the baby and constant hunger, it had slipped my mind.

At least he’s preventing her from doing what she clearly wants to do. I turn my eyes to the end of the table. George is filling his plate cheerfully. I hold my breath as he takes a huge mouthful of something that looks like stew, but nothing happens besides my stomach rumbling harder and Juliette growling under her breath. On the other end, Hades and Anthura are cheerfully eating away too, but between them, looking sad, Twila has left her plate empty. She looks like a girl who’d rather be anywhere than here, and I know the feeling well. She gives me a sad smile and a slight nod, which fuels my resolve further. Twila is allowed to eat. There will be no consequences for her in her position as Hades' girlfriend. She’s not eating out of solidarity with us, her friends. I’ve never been more grateful to have a belly full of cookies, but when an anchovy pizza with pickles and strawberry ice cream materializes in front of me, I can’t take it anymore. I’ve heard of weird pregnancy cravings, but before now, I didn’t have the first clue as to how strong they were. My stomach grumbles as I try to resist the urge to reach out and take a slice.

I look over the pizza as Felix catches my attention. His expression is unreadable as he gazes at the feast. There’s a steely determination in his eyes, a resolve that sends a shiver down my spine. He’s eaten before this. Everyone else is drooling at the food, and he’s maddeningly unnerved by the whole thing. His eyes shoot up, and I don’t have time to look away as his lock onto mine. The anchovy ice cream pizza is forgotten in an instant as it hits me. He was the one that left the cookies. He’s helping me. My stomach tightens, emotions swirling in a chaotic mess—anger, confusion, disbelief. How can this be the same man who’s made my life hell? And yet, behind all the torment, there’s this... act of kindness. I can’t make sense of it. I already don’t know how to feel about him—half of me hates him, the other half... I don’t even know. And now he does this. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

My thoughts are shattered a moment later as a scream rends through the air. I swivel to my right to find one of the contestants that had a moment ago been eyeing a piece of pie, is now hanging in a cage ten feet above his seat.

I make to stand, more in shock than anything else, but a sharp pain in my shin stops me. I glance up and see Felix staring at me. Almost imperceptibly, he shakes his head. He knows something. He knows something the rest of us don’t. While it’s not entirely unlike Felix to cheat in these trials, it’s a surprise he’s cluing me in on his cheating. I look down the table to where Anthura is helping herself to cheesecake. If Felix knows that standing up will be a problem, then there’s only one person he could have gotten that information from.

I don’t know whether to feel angry that he’s cheating, angry that he’s cozying up to Anthura… again, or relieved that I have a modicum of the upper hand in this trial. No eating and no standing up. Got it. I relay the information quietly to Quinn and Juliette. Quinn immediately whispers it to Dade beside her, but Juliette just pouts, saying nothing to Tomas, who still has her in his grip.

I steal another glance at Felix. He’s staring at the plate in front of him, his expression a mask of indifference, but I wish I could see what’s going on behind those unreadable eyes. The fact that he’s helping me is undeniable now. The kick wasn’t random; it was a warning. But the question gnaws at me—why is he helping me? Felix, of all people? I’ve never trusted the motives of men, especially not his, yet here I am, wanting to believe that his actions are genuine. It makes me feel weak, pathetic even, this need to cling to the idea that maybe, just maybe, he’s doing something good. Urgh. I hate that I'm second-guessing myself, questioning his intentions while my defenses keep crumbling every time our paths cross. The more I think about it, the more disgusted I feel with myself, for wanting to believe in Felix of all people. Do people really change? I didn’t used to think so. I look down at the food and concentrate on something that is in my power. I need to get through this trial. I need to feed this life growing inside me and that means gathering all the strength and willpower I posses.

The “feast” lasts for hours, and the food on the table doesn’t remain static. As some courses disappear, other fresh courses appear in front of us. All the while, George continues eating as though he’s the one who hasn’t eaten for a week and not the rest of us. This circle is truly wretched, but I’m in Hell. I didn’t expect a walk in the park. Thanks to the cookies filling my belly, I’m able to resist the weirder and weirder food that keeps appearing in front of me. I’m the only one getting meals like tuna fish and chocolate milk and chicken with horseradish, but I’m the only one that’s pregnant.

One by one, the contestants ascend into the air as they can’t resist the temptation any longer or they make the mistake of standing up. Each one hangs pitifully in cages above where they were seated. Finally, after what feels like a month but in reality is probably five or six hours, George stands.

“By my count, there are twenty of you left. The trial is over.” He looks up to where ten people hang above the table. “You ten are out of the Games. Your punishment will be to stay in Gluttony forever. Well done to those who resisted food made by my finest chefs. Your reward is to eat the feast… for real.”

I glance over at Felix, who picks up a chicken drumstick. He doesn’t look directly at me, but for the briefest of seconds, I think I see his eyes flicker to mine. The food is safe to eat. I finally let go of Juliette’s clammy hand. Within half a second, she’s grabbing at the pile of hotdogs in front of her and shoving one in an unladylike manner into her mouth. I reach out and take a slice of the pizza that has been haunting me for hours and take a bite. The salty taste of the tuna mixes surprisingly well with the strawberry ice cream.

After the best meal I’ve ever had, we all make our way out of the Earthery. I hang back until I see Felix. Making sure Anthura isn’t with him, I pull him aside.

“You knew what was going to happen in this trial, didn’t you? You are the one who left cookies for me.”

He gives me a look that I can’t read and I hate it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Just then, Anthura does appear and Felix is by her side in a second like a pathetic lap dog. I know he’s lying. Maybe I was wrong about the cookies, but it was him kicking my shin that stopped me from getting out of my seat and therefore being disqualified from the games. Now I just have to figure out if he’s helping me for my sake or if this is all part of a game thought up between him and Anthura and I’m merely the pawn.