Trials of Death. Darren Shan

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      Following the deepest single breath of my life, I opened my eyes and blinked. The cavern seemed a lot brighter than it had less than half an hour ago, when I’d been led down to it by Vanez Blane. I felt like I was sitting on a beach on a warm summer’s day.

      Cheers and hollers reached my ears. Staring around like a fish on dry land, I noticed delighted vampires streaming towards me, splashing through pools of water, whooping with excitement. I was too tired to identify their faces, but I recognized the orange crop of hair on the vampire leading the way — Mr Crepsley.

      As the water subsided, I struggled to my feet and stood outside the door of the Aquatic Maze, smiling foolishly, rubbing the bump on my head where I’d connected with the wall. “You did it, Darren!” Mr Crepsley roared, reaching my side and throwing his arms around me in a rare display of affection.

      Another vampire embraced me and yelled, “I thought you’d had it! So much time had passed, I was sure you’d failed!”

      Blinking water from my eyes, I made out the features of Kurda and Gavner. And, close behind, Vanez and Arra. “Mr Crepsley? Kurda? Vanez? What are you doing on a beach in the middle of the day?” I asked. “You’ll sizzle in the sunlight if you don’t watch out.”

      “He’s delirious!” someone laughed.

      “Who would not be?” Mr Crepsley replied, hugging me proudly.

      “Think I’ll sit down a while,” I muttered. “Call me when it’s time to build sand castles.” And, collapsing on my bottom, I stared up at the roof, convinced it was the wide open sky, and hummed merrily to myself while the vampires fussed around me.

      CHAPTER FIVE

      I WAS shivering like a bedraggled rat when I woke late the next day. I’d been asleep for fifteen hours or more! Vanez was there to bid me good morning. He handed me a small mug full of a dark liquid and told me to drink.

      “What is it?” I asked.

      “Brandy,” he said. I hadn’t tried brandy before. After the first mouthful, which made me gag, I decided I quite liked it. “Steady on,” Vanez laughed as I poured it freely down my throat. “You’ll get drunk!”

      Laying aside the mug, I hiccuped and grinned. Then I remembered the Trial. “I did it!” I shouted, jumping up. “I found the way out!”

      “You certainly did,” Vanez agreed. “It was a close-run thing. You were in there just over twenty minutes. Did you have to swim towards the finish?”

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