Mated To My Mate's Worst Enemy (ARIA) novel Chapter 215

Chapter 215

IVORY

I woke to ice water flooding my lungs.

My body’s survival instinct kicked in immediately-violent coughing, desperate scrambling for air, hands grasping for anything solid to orient myself. I broke the surface gasping, my healer’s training automatically assessing for injury even as panic tried to override rational thought.

No broken bones. No immediate bleeding. Just cold. Devastating, shocking cold that made every muscle

seize.

I was in a river. Fast-moving water carrying me downstream with terrifying speed. And I could hear it ahead -the unmistakable roar of a waterfall.

Training took over. I angled my body toward the bank, swam with efficient strokes that prioritized getting out of the main current over speed. Found purchase on rocks near the shore and hauled myself out just as the waterfall’s spray started reaching me.

I collapsed on the bank for exactly three seconds-allowing my body that brief moment of recovery-then immediately began assessing my situation with clinical precision.

My supplies were intact. The waterproof pack properly sealed, contents dry despite my dunking. My weapons secure in their sheaths. My clothes soaked through but functional. I’d lost nothing critical during the placement.

Good. That meant whoever had designed my particular starting point had prioritized shock value over actual sabotage. Or they’d determined I didn’t need the additional handicap of compromised supplies.

I checked the sun’s position through the canopy-early morning, maybe an hour past dawn. Which meant the Hunt had started recently. And if the traditional format held, there would be an initial challenge to set the tone.

Right on cue, a ghostly figure materialized from the morning mist. Aryada, her spirit form shimmer

ing with that distinctive golden light she’d always favored.

“Competitor Ivory,” she said, her voice carrying warmth that felt almost maternal. “Welcome to the Ghost Hunt. Your first challenge is simple-find your partner within two hours or face disqualification.”

Two hours to find Aria in unfamiliar forest with no map or tracking aids. Challenging but manageable if I moved efficiently.

“Your time began the moment you woke,” Aryada continued. “You now have one hour and fifty-six minutes remaining. And Ivory-” her voice dropped to something more intimate, “-do try to keep your partner alive. It would be such a shame if she didn’t make it past the first challenge.”

The phrasing made something cold settle in my stomach. Not concern for Aria specifically, but recognition that Aryada was signaling something. A warning disguised as encouragement. Which meant Aria was likely facing additional obstacles beyond just finding me.

The spirit form dissolved, leaving me alone with the ticing clock.

1/2

15:25 Fri, Jan 16 DG.

Chapter 215

味完64%

Finished

I stripped off my wet outer layer-the fabric would dry faster if I wasn’t wearing it-and wrung it out with efficient twists before securing it to my pack. My under hyer was damp but would dry quickly as I moved. The cold was uncomfortable but not dangerous for someone with my conditioning and experience.

I oriented myself using the stream as a reference point. If I’d been placed near water, odds were good Aria had been as well. But upstream or downstream? The waterfall was downstream, and placing her beyond it would be unnecessarily cruel even for the Ghost Council’s standards.

Upstream, then. Following the water source toward higher ground where placement would be safer and tracking would be easier.

I moved through the forest with practiced silence, my healer’s knowledge of anatomy translating into efficient movement that minimized energy expenditure while maximizing ground coverage. Every twenty minutes, I paused to scan for signs of passage-broken ranches, disturbed earth, anything that might indicate another person had moved through recently.

Nothing for the first forty minutes. Just untouched forest, morning birdsong, the normal sounds of wilderness waking up.

Then I found tracks. Boot prints in soft mud near a cluster of ferns, the edges still crisp enough to indicate recent passage. Small prints-definitely not one of the male competitors. And given the depth and spacing, someone moving quickly, possibly running.

Aria or one of the other female competitors. I had no way to know for certain, but the tracks led upstream, which aligned with my own route. Following them cost me nothing and potentially saved significant time.

The tracks led me through dense forest, the canopy growing thicker, the undergrowth more challenging to move in. Whoever had made these prints knew how to move through wilderness terrain-they’d chosen the path of least resistance, avoided obvious obstacles, demonstrated basic common sense.

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