Flashback ( PDFDrive )

Or . . . maybe that was why she was more tempted than she’d been
before. Maybe what was going on with Tam was also a good reminder
of how quickly the game could change and something super important
could be taken away. And maybe it was better to make sure there
could never be any regrets—never be something she’d look back at
and think, If only I hadn’t been so afraid.
The thought nestled into her brain, buzzing around for a couple
more days. Until one morning over breakfast, she found herself saying,
“If I wanted to register for the match, how do I do it? Is there a
process, or . . . ?”
She had to stop there.
Edaline looked like she wanted to grab her and hug her, while
Grady looked like he wanted to haul her upstairs and lock her in her
room, and she was definitely regretting bringing it up.
But Edaline also told her, “All you have to do is say the word, and
we’ll take you over straightaway.”
• • •
Sophie had walked every street in Atlantis during the desperate days
she’d spent trying to rescue her human parents. But somehow she’d
never noticed the shimmering crystal tower that straddled one of the
widest, most bustling canals.
Half of the structure stood on one side of the dark water and half on
the other, angling toward each other and merging to form a massive
twisted spire. It wasn’t the tallest building on the street, or the
fanciest. But it was definitely the most intimidating—probably
because of the round silver medallion set into the center of the arch,