Wicked Challenge (Darkwater Reformatory Book 2)

by Marty Mayberry

  “Understand what? That you, a creature of life, a freakin’ tree nymph for fae’s sake, are bent on destruction?”

  “You do not understand.”

  “Then explain.”

  “I cannot.” Her branches sagged. “You are not the only one who must fulfill a bond.”

  A shudder ripped through me. “What are you saying? You made a blood bond with someone?”

  “Not all bonds require blood.”

  “So, a different kind of bond.” Whatever. “Who are you supposed to kill?”

  “Life itself.”

  “If that’s true, how can you name it?” Because I couldn’t name Brodin. Horror and dismay flooded my senses, followed by confusion and a touch of sympathy. If nothing else, we shared one thing.

  “That is all I can say,” she said.

  I nodded. “I still won’t let you destroy even one.”

  “And that is where you will fail.”

  She shoved me backward and raced toward the eggs, the hammer swinging up over her head.

  Dropping the pods, I gave chase, but someone bolted past me. Brodin grabbed the hammer from Akimi’s hand seconds before it made an impact. He tossed it away and it clanged against the wall and fell on the floor.

  Jacey crept into the room and huddled near the door. She held the other hammers but dropped them with a thump.

  “We can’t do this,” Akimi cried. “We must destroy them.”

  “That’s not the purpose of the hammers,” Jacey said.

  Akimi sagged, spent. “You cannot know. You cannot!”

  Jacey stared forward, at nothing. “Watch and see.”

  On the dais, the eggs started shaking and rattling. As one, they cracked across the top then burst apart, bits of the shell falling to the floor. Thick green worms poked up through the openings. They wavered in the air before their gazes trained on us.

  Jacey advanced closer, her hand extended, cooing.

  Brodin and I recoiled. Akimi remained where she’d slumped to the floor, staring at them blankly.

  “See?” Jacey said, partly turning to us before focusing again on the worms. “This is why we shouldn’t destroy them.”

  “They’re…” I struggled to see beyond their slimy exteriors.

  “Beauty means nothing unless you examine what’s inside,” Brodin said, stealing my earlier thought.

  “They’re hungry,” Akimi said, with what sounded like defeat in her voice. She’d wanted to kill them before. What had changed now? “We must feed them.”

  I clutched my pods. But…

  Akimi took one from me, though I tried to cling. “Each of us must feed one of the worms.” Her voice came out dreamy, as if she’d stepped onto another plain, leaving her body behind. “There is no stopping this now.” She stared down at the pod in her hand. “I did try. I did try.”

  “What aren’t you saying?” I asked as Jacey and Brodin each took a pod.

  We approached the eggs side-by-side.

  “I tried to stop this,” Akimi continued. “All of you can confirm this is true.”

  “I don’t know what the fae you’re talking about,” Brodin said in a level tone. “Either tell us what you mean or keep the cryptic statements to yourself.”

  Akimi’s lips thinned but she remained silent.

  We each held our pods out to one of the worms, even Akimi. The one I fed bleated after it had finished the pod and my heart softened. The worms shook as if a quake had erupted beneath us, but the room remained still.

  “We’ve poisoned them,” I said in horror.

  “Watch,” Akimi said, mesmerized by the worm flaying and stretching and wailing in front of her.

  The creatures fell from the shells, onto the floor, and we backed away. I ached to run, but my legs had frozen solid.

  The worms glowed and twisted, spinning so fast they became a blur.

  Lightning overhead shot through the cracks in Akimi’s walls, followed by a horrendous boom.

  The worms stopped spinning.

  In their places, beasts the size of large dogs remained. They tipped their heads back and screeched.

  “By the fae,” I said in awe. “They’re tiny dragons.”

  Thirty-One

  Tria

  The creatures lashed their tails and whimpered. Sharp wails erupted from their outstretched throats.

  “They need something else to eat,” Brodin said.

  “What?” I said. “We don’t have any other pods. No seeds. I fed those to the drulings.”

  Jacey ran from the room, returning with a bang a few moments later, dragging the cages.

  “Watch,” she said, lowering the cages onto the floor. As she opened each, the bird burst free. They fluttered around the room before diving toward the dragons. When they hit, they sunk into the creature’s skins on their backs.

  “Whoa,” Brodin said, backing away.

  “How did you know?” I asked Jacey.

  “How do any of us know what we’re doing?”

  This seemed almost too easy. We were being led, but to what?

  A boom rang out, and the beasts grew to the size of cars.

  “The hammers,” Jacey said, crossing the room to where she’d left them.

  “We’re not hitting them,” I shouted. By the fae, I wasn’t sure what we were going to do with them, but we were not going to kill them.

  Kai appeared beside me. He bounded over and, grabbing the handle of a hammer, dragged it to me. He dropped it at my feet then nudged my hand. Stooping down, I hugged him. He licked my face, his tongue scratchy-ticklish.

  “I take it you want me to do something with this hammer,” I said.

  He bumped my hand again, and I picked the hammer up. Straightening, I looked around.

  “Ah,” I said, and Jacey and Brodin turned toward me.

  Akimi stared at the dragons, her hammer still abandoned where Brodin had thrown it.

  “We need to use these to break down Akimi’s walls,” I said.

  Akimi did not protest. She did nothing.

  I hefted the hammer and rushed to one of the windows Akimi had bricked up. It felt good to plow the thick end into the stone and watch it crumble. Chunks fell away, tumbling toward the ground.

  The others joined in, and we laughed as we ripped the place apart.

  Brodin ran downstairs and brought up the harnesses he’d made, plus a weapon for each of us. “We’re flying out of here. I imagine Lars is going to be happy—or not—to see us.” After harnessing each dragon, he hefted a sword and slashed it through the air like a ninja.

  We clambered up onto a dragon, even Akimi, though she remained silent, lost in herself.

  Jacey remained on the floor. “I’m not going,” she said. The sword Brodin had handed her slipped from her grip and clattered. Her gaze sought mine. “You know I can’t leave him.”

  Maybe she wouldn’t have to. I leaped off my dragon and snatched up my hammer. I raced down the stairs, around and around, until I reached the first floor, where Rohnan remained frozen in place.

  I lifted the hammer high and brought it down with a bang. Though I left a mark along the surface, I didn’t break through.

  The others crept down to the landing above mine and watched.

  “This is not our task to complete,” Akimi said with an unexpected fear in her voice. “The games trapped him and here he should remain.”

  “No,” I said. “Everyone. Grab your hammers. Akimi? You, too, damn it.”

  Though Akimi scowled, she followed the others upstairs. They returned, coming down the last flight of steps to join me on the level.

  “I’m going to try something, and I’ll need all your help.” At their nods, I closed my eyes and tugged in sketar magic, filling myself like a cup until magic overflowed the lip. “Lift your hammers. When I tell you to, bring them down onto the glass together.”

  “What if it doesn’t work?” Jacey asked with fear-laced hope in her voice.

  “At least we’ll have tried.” I gathered
the power together and sent it out with a command. Awaken. “Now!”

  Four hammers struck at the same time, and fissures formed in the glass. They spread like cracks on an early-spring, iced-over pond. We reeled back, retreating to the stairs.

  As we watched, the glass shattered, lifting up like an explosion had gone off underground, before resettling. A breeze swept down from above, fresh and clear, and full of promise. It swirled through the room and down the stairs, taking the dust along with it.

  Jacey tiptoed forward and peered down.

  Rohnan opened his eyes and lifted his hand toward her.

  Thirty-Two

  Tria

  A bang shook the tower, followed by Titan’s roar.

  “The spell’s not holding him back any longer,” I yelled as the building shook and wavered. “We’ve got to get out of here!”

  Jacey and Rohnan hadn’t stopped kissing since he’d climbed out of the hole, but now they parted, their faces wearing matching grins.

  Despite my worry about what might come next, I couldn’t help stopping for just one solitary second to savor their joy.

  We rushed up the stairs and as we ran, Rohnan explained what had happened.

  He and Kylie had made it this far but while Kylie hadn’t wanted to destroy the eggs, Rohnan had felt he had to. He’d been trapped in the floor ever since.

  “Where is Kylie?” Jacey asked. “We haven’t seen her.”

  Rohnan shrugged. “If we’re lucky, she’ll be waiting for us at the Reformatory.”

  Or trapped in the next test.

  “But we’ve heard you need a complete quad or triad to finish the Challenge.”

  “If that was true,” Rohnan said. “Kylie and I wouldn’t have gotten this far.”

  “Looks like we’re a team of five, now,” Brodin said.

  “But we only have four dragons,” I said.

  Jacey clung to Rohnan’s arm. “He’ll ride with me.”

  We rushed up the stairs.

  “At least they waited for us,” Brodin said, climbing up onto a dragon. He hefted his sword again and wrapped the ties of the harness around his other hand.

  “They would not leave,” Akimi said slowly. “They are part of the test.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “We still have to get past Lars.”

  Brodin slashed his sword, cutting through the air. “Leave him to me.”

  “Do you know how to use that?” Then I remembered his battle with his father, how he’d held his own. “Be careful?”

  “As much as you will be.”

  “Hmm.” I said, unable to host a true scowl because he was right. Given the chance, I’d dive in and do anything for my friends. Before I climbed onto my dragon, I tugged Brodin down for a kiss. “Just…watch out. For us.”

  He tapped the hilt of the sword to his chest. “Always.”

  Rohnan leaped up onto a dragon and held his hand down for Jacey. She took it and he tugged her up to nestle in front and with his arm wrapped around her.

  My face ached from grinning, and when my eyes met Brodin’s, he nodded. Kinda made me wish we had to ride together, too. But we’d get through this and be together again soon.

  Calling sketar power, I infused it into my sword.

  We urged our dragons up to the windows. They tipped their heads back and roared.

  In the sky above, Lars issued his own challenge.

  Soaring out of the tower made my gut clench. How had my sister been able to ride her boyfriend when he’d shifted into his dragon? The ground rushed up to me before the beast I rode started flapping its wings. We lunged back upward and joined the others.

  “This is awesome,” Brodin said, his eyes gleaming.

  “Watch out!” Akimi pointed her sword to the sky.

  Lars dove down toward us. He blasted through us, sending us scattering. My dragon bellowed as Lars’ claws raked across its side. Whimpering, it spiraled toward the ground, taking me with it, but before we hit, it righted itself and flapped harder, taking us back up, toward the others.

  Brodin lunged toward Lars and the shifter shot past, but Brodin missed.

  I lifted my sword and directed my dragon toward Lars with my knees. One of us needed to end this. Me, Akimi, Jacey, Rohnan, or Brodin.

  Brodin and Lars battled again, Lars’ teeth gnashing, Brodin’s sword singing through the air. A stab, and Brodin’s sword slipped through the plated scales on Lars’s side. The shifter bellowed and reeled away with blood dripping, before whirling around and coming at us again.

  Akimi threw her sword with a precision I’d never seen before in my life. She tossed the blade and it impaled Lars in the skull. He shuddered to a stop and shrieked. On the ground, Titan’s call answered Lars’.

  Keeling down, face forward, Lars plunged toward the ground.

  He’d survived when he shouldn’t have already. Would we see him again in another test?

  “Well,” Akimi said, rubbing her hands together before she grabbed onto the harness. “That has taken care of him.”

  Since we didn’t know what else to do, we gave our dragons free rein, and they flew toward the sunset. We traveled all night, soaring over forests and valleys and deep mountain ranges.

  I couldn’t help worrying about the next test…

  At dawn, something gleamed ahead. Eventually, I made out a series of towers and a large building made of deep red stone.

  “What’s that?” I asked, pointing.

  “The next test?” Brodin said, squinting.

  Akimi’s dragon had flown beside me all night and now, her gaze met mine. “It is the Reformatory.”

  “How do you know?” I asked, but she just stared forward.

  “Huh,” Brodin said from my other side. “This is…”

  Akimi’s lips formed a thin line, pressing together as if to keep from speaking. Blinking fast, she directed her gaze downward, where she stroked the neck of her dragon. A solitary tear fell from her face and landed on the creature’s back, where it was absorbed into the scaly flesh. She looked up at me, and the sorrow in her gaze tore through me like a blade.

  Something was going on here. I just needed to figure it out.

  “Please forgive me,” she said.

  Thirty-Three

  Tria

  We flew on, toward the Reformatory.

  What would we find there? Made of dark red stone, the building gleamed like an uncut jewel in the morning sunlight. Flags flew on the tops of the towers, and lush vegetation grew in abundance around the cluster of tall buildings.

  As we approached, Akimi pointed to the tallest tower. “A rookery.”

  “Should we land there?” Jacey asked from the shelter of Rohnan’s arms. He kissed her cheek and whatever he murmured brought a smile to her face. Their emotions were so transparent, it almost hurt to watch them.

  Finally, we’d get our chance to break free.

  Once I’d found my father, I’d make a plan with Brodin if he wanted to come with me. From what I’d heard, we’d be allowed to leave after one year.

  We landed in the rookery, which vaguely resembled the room where we’d hatched the eggs at the top of the tower, and climbed off our dragons. Clustered together, we patted each other on the backs, because, shit, we’d made it!

  My heart felt light for the first time in forever. I couldn’t keep the grin off my face.

  Jacey and Rohnan clung to each other. Finally, they were together, where they belonged.

  Brodin took my hand and tugged me close. We kissed and then leaned into each other, smiling at our friends.

  “What next?” I asked.

  “The Headmaster will be here soon,” Akimi said, watching the door on the opposite side of the room.

  “How do you know that?” I asked.

  Her gaze met mine. “I am so terribly sorry.”

  “What’s going on?” I shouted.

  “Should we wait here or go down to meet the Headmaster?” Brodin asked. His fingers tightened on my arm. Did he want me to remain s
ilent? I didn’t understand and I had a feeling I needed to soon, or else.

  Jacey and Rohnan were lost in each other and didn’t question anything.

  The door banged open and my gut sunk when Bixby strode in. Her long black dress flounced around her legs, and her high-heeled boots clicked on the stone floor as she made her way toward us.

  Her fiend of a brother slunk in behind her. He stopped and leaned against the wall beside the door and as always, his arms crossed on his chest.

  “Welcome,” Bixby said with a coarse laugh. Pure hatred gleamed in her dark eyes.

  “What are you doing here?” Jacey said, limping in Rohnan’s arms.

  “Don’t you know?” Bixby said with a sneer. “I run both facilities. There, I’m the warden. Here, I’m the Headmaster.”

  “That’s not possible,” Brodin said, leaving me to stride forward.

  With a flick of her finger, Bixby sent a bolt of magic at Brodin. It encased him and held him locked in place. I ran to him, but another flick froze me in motion, as well.

  Jacey and Rohnan were hit with the same magic and remained together, their arms around each other and their eyes reflecting the panic growing inside me.

  My gaze met Akimi’s. She stood behind Bixby. Internally, I screamed, run!

  Bixby strolled around us. “I do appreciate your efforts.” Her gaze fell on the dragons and with another flick of her finger, straps erupted from the floor and fastened around their ankles, locking them in place. Satisfaction filled her face. “Just in time. I was running out of dragon bones to grind into powder.”

  Fleur’s boyfriend, a dragon shifter, was the last of his kind. He told me once his ancestors had nearly gone extinct because…

  The fae ground dragon bones to gain endless power.

  “No,” I cried inside, trying to break free.

  Akimi backed toward the door, whimpering. A flick of Bixby’s finger and Akimi changed…

  “Kylie.” Jacey shoved out a moan. “You…you made it…through the Challenge and…”

  “She brought me my very first dragon,” Bixby said. Her tongue flicked out to trace her lips. “I found it such a delight, I decided I needed more, but the catacombs are tricky. They refused to let me approach the tower.”