Trial of Thorns (Wicked Fae Book 1)

by Stacey Trombley

  My eyes dart to her, blood running cold. Stupid reaction, but I can’t help it. The thought of her touching me... “You did it?”

  Her gaze doesn’t meet mine, her expression unreadable. “No, Ty did it all. I just told him about the flower.”

  My lips thin, eyes hooded. “Lies,” I say. Rage once again flows through my veins. “You expect me to believe the dwarf climbed the mountainside to get those herbs? I saw where they were.” And if she lied about that...

  Tyadin stands. “You should thank her,” he says smoothly, but his tense shoulders tell me something bothered him. Was it me calling him a dwarf? Is he ashamed of his heritage? Did he think he passed as a fae?

  “I’m sorry if I offended you,” I say, looking at the ground. “But I won’t thank her. Not for anything. I don’t want her touching me, even if it’s to save my goddamn life.”

  Tyadin curls his lip in disgust. “What do you think offended me?”

  I narrow my eyes. Trick question? “I’m unsure,” I say honestly. “I assume calling you a dwarf.”

  His hands curl into fists. “I am proud to be a dwarf,” he says, his voice a low rumble.

  I take in a long breath. “As you should be.”

  He rolls his eyes like it was a joke, but it wasn’t. Dwarves are different from fae, and those differences will always make him stand out among us. But that doesn’t make what he is any less than us. If his heritage means something to him, he has every right to be proud. I’m sure I would be if I were dwarfish and knew even a thing about them. As it is, all I know are the stereotypes.

  “I do not know why you were offended,” I offer. “I only noticed your reaction. Were you defensive for...her?”

  “No. You’re a fool for how you treat her, but I don’t blame you for those emotions. I’d hate her in your shoes too. I hated her for a long time, and it wasn’t my brother. It wasn’t even my court.”

  “Yet, you aligned with her.”

  He nods slowly, arms crossed, still standing. “In part out of necessity. Did you know she was invited to an alliance by the others and I wasn’t? Climbing and speed are not even close to the only disadvantages to being a dwarf.”

  I turn my gaze to Caelynn, but she’s studying Tyadin closely. What does she see?

  “I am offended,” Tyadin says slowly, enunciating each word, “because you intended to offend me.”

  I open my mouth to respond but close it again. What?

  “If you’re going to call me a dwarf, that’s fine. It’s true. I am half-dwarfish. But do not use the word as an insult.”

  My eyebrows rise as I consider his words, knowing I’ve done that very thing many times in the past.

  “Don’t think the difference goes beyond my notice. Rarely are my people’s name used in a positive way.”

  I swallow. “I’m sorry.” I can’t say it was an accident, but... “I’ll make an honest effort not to do it again.”

  He nods. “That’s all I could ask.”

  “I did mean it,” I tell him. “That you should be proud of who you are and where you come from.”

  “Even if it’s dwarfish?” he asks, amusement on his tongue. I smile.

  “We poke fun and belittle what we know little of,” Caelynn adds, her voice soft. “Maybe it would help if you told us more about your people?”

  Ty smiles sincerely, his eyes lightening.

  We pack up and begin a quick walk while Tyadin tells us the story of the final battle that drove the dwarves from their homeland over a hundred years ago. They’d had a massive country within the mountains, caves winding deep with uncountable fortunes. Dwarves are renowned for their stone wielding ability. Nearly all the precious jewels in fae possession were mined by dwarves.

  Many believed the dwarfish city inside the mountains would be crude, as the dwarfish culture is generally considered unrefined. But every soul that entered those gates was astounded by the intricacies in the stonework built into the mountains.

  The precious city of legend was destroyed over a hundred years ago by a shadow monster that attacked from below, cutting into the supports and destroying their throne room, and with it, their king. There were two princes taken by two rivaling dwarf courts, and they vied for leverage, each claiming their prince was the true heir and that their mountain should be the new capital. Civil war began.

  That was when the goblins invaded and took what was left of their crumbling society.

  Their divided people were never able to kill the shadow monster, so it still lives in those mountain ranges, driving out any dwarves who remain underground overnight. The fae, instead of helping the dwarves, scavenged through the remains of their city and took the most precious items for themselves while denying the dwarves any right to their own handiwork. Some were given jobs, helping to build the fae’s own architecture—which they then took credit for.

  The rest were scattered. Some lived as nomads near the mountains of their now-abandoned homelands. Many assimilated into the fae courts—the most welcoming being the Crumbling Court.

  Time is lost as I listen to Ty’s story. I’d heard pieces of this story but never from a dwarf’s point of view. The sadness in his voice as he speaks of his lost heritage, of the missing people, of how they were treated in the aftermath of their tragedy, sends a pang of pain through my gut.

  I am so caught up in his emotion that I almost don’t notice the rumbling sound of pounding footsteps approaching us from behind. I only have a moment to realize what’s happening when a solid wall of rock blocks our path, and I spin to find three very angry fae rushing us.

  Caelynn

  I turn to face our enemies bearing down on us.

  Both of my swords are unsheathed in an instant as a calm settles over my body, magic bubbling beneath the surface. Hungry.

  A blast of fire roars toward us, and I dive out of the way, rolling to my feet off the path as leaves fly.

  “Run,” I tell Rev and Tyadin. Rev is injured, he can fight if he must, but I can hold them back for a short time.

  My magic is mostly restored, and a squirming in my stomach tells me my darkness is eager to escape. Eager to destroy.

  Kari flies past me and through a hole in her stone wall, following Rev and Tyadin as they flee.

  The other three have their sights set on me. They aren’t taking any chances this time. I’m the wildcard. They don’t know what I’m capable of, and they’re planning to take me out quickly.

  My lips curl into a smile.

  They forget that I am of the Shadow Court—secrets are my biggest advantage.

  Shadows curl around my fists, the swirls extending to the blades of my twin swords.

  Above us, the sky grows dark, the sun covered by a dim film. Drake is the only one to notice it. The only one whose expression shifts, fear settling over his features.

  The only one who knows what it means.

  My swords fly, blocking Rook’s first slice in my direction. Rook and Drake engage first, I twist and turn, avoiding their swords. Brielle sends a wall of flame up behind, blocking any retreat.

  I am not the strongest of swordsmen, but I am fast and I see what most others don’t—or perhaps feel is a better term for it. The darkness that spreads around me is more than for show, more than a distraction. It whispers in my ear, shifts as their muscles shift, and tips me off to their movements before they make them. My own little spies.

  A vine wraps around my ankle, and I nearly fall from the sudden blockage. I grunt as Rook’s blade anticipates my hesitation—he sent the vine after all—and flings his sword at my head. I twist, and it hits my upper arm instead, slicing a nice gash into my flesh.

  I cast a gathering of shadows at the ground, and the vines retreat. I waste no more time blasting Drake and Rook with walls of black acid flame.

  They roar in pain, clawing at their eyes, and I leap toward Brielle.

  Brielle snarls at me as she swings her sword at my face—a blade too big for her. She couldn’t win this fight. She’s good at
long range attacks and defense, not close range. Good, I’ll destroy her in moments.

  She leaps at me and I twist away, slashing through her thigh as I go. She howls in pain and rage, her eyes a bloodthirsty red. Her sword ignites in flame, and I swallow. Drake and Rook are already back in the fray. It’s everything I can do just to stop from being gouged with all three swinging their blades at me. Move, spin, duck. Each swing getting closer and closer to their mark. A blade nicks my shoulder, and I curl my lip.

  I can’t keep doing this without backup. I’ll lose, and quickly.

  Time for one final trick to get away from my pursuers.

  With the quick flick of my hand, the dark film high in the sky is loosened. The darkness falls, enveloping everything around us. I time my last strike, leaping to the side, as we’re plunged into darkness. I shove my blade into my chosen target—the only one of the three to leave his stance open.

  My blade scrapes against and—with a pop—through male flesh. The cry of agony is the only sound audible in the utter silence of my blanket of shadows.

  My eyes glow golden. I know he sees them because Rook stares back at me like I am death itself. His eyes grow wide before they dim, death taking hold so quickly it surprises even me. The other two fall to their knees in defense. I can see them, but they can’t see me.

  Too bad it won’t last, and I need to get away before that happens. If I’m honestly, I’m impressed I lasted this long against three of them.

  My victim drops to the ground limp, and I sprint toward the blaze, surrounding myself with a quick shield as I blast through the still standing wall of flame and into the forest beyond. My arms and legs burn through the singe of heat. My shield protected me from the worst of it, but I couldn’t stop a minor sear.

  It’ll be uncomfortable to sleep tonight, but that’s the extent of the damage.

  I turn around a corner, searching for Rev and Tyadin—where did they go? Atop a hill to the east, I spy a stone arch through the trees. I pause, staring at the obvious, and random, entryway. Was it just me or was there a glistening of magic within?

  A portal perhaps? It would be significantly more obvious than the last, but maybe we were supposed to puzzle it out and notice it. If we pass by the arch, will we wander forever southwest and never find our task in time?

  I let the possibility fall by the wayside because first things first, I have to find my allies. Then we’ll worry about the tasks.

  We need to get moving fast. We’ll be hard pressed to survive another fight, even with the others down one. Rev is still recovering, and Tyadin isn’t nearly strong enough to take them all.

  Right now, our choices are flee or die.

  Rev

  Tyadin and I sprint through the pathway, not even pausing as Caelynn stops to engage. I don’t know what her plan is, and I don’t care.

  If she wants to put herself at risk again to help us—have at it. I hope she dies in the process. It would make my life so much easier. I’d live with the disappointment of missing the chance to shove the blade through her heart myself. I know what it feels like, thanks to the orb of terrors, and it’s not something I feel the need to live with forever if I don’t have to.

  Call me by my name before you kill me.

  Tyadin pulls me behind a boulder, the stone rising to surround us as we hide, listening to the battle waging behind us.

  “What the hell is she doing?” he whispers. “She can’t beat them on her own, can she?”

  I swallow. “She did it once.”

  He shakes his head. “She had the element of surprise that time, and she had time to build her magic into one atomic shadow bomb. I doubt she’ll get a blast like that one again.”

  “Is it bad that I don’t care one way or another?”

  “Suppose I don’t blame you. It’s better for our survival if she’s still around, though. She’s the strongest of the three of us at the moment.”

  “That’s not a comforting fact.” I swallow. “How does she do it? Hide her magic like that?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Tyadin says, brushing hair from his eyes.

  I raise my eyebrows, waiting.

  “Pain.”

  I narrow my eyes. “Is she ill?” Chronic pain of some kind? Except that would suck her strength, wouldn’t it?

  “Pain isn’t only physical,” he says ominously, and the truth I hadn’t dared even consider sends a jolt of discomfort through my chest. The image of a young Caelynn being held down flashes through my mind.

  “But she’s so...” Several words cross my mind. Listless, apathetic, hard-hearted. “Cold,” I finally decide on.

  He nods. “The more time I spend with her, the more I suspect she’s simply a very good actress. She’s hated, and she doesn’t fight it. She owns it. Perhaps because she hates herself just as much.”

  I wince. Dammit. I cannot possibly feel compassion or empathy for my brother’s murderer. She killed him, and she doesn’t care. I wrap that truth around my heart and seal it there. That’s my truth. That’s what’s going to keep me going. Keep me sane.

  Once her heart has stopped beating, maybe then I’ll consider looking deeper. A cry of agony echoes through the forest around us, and I freeze. The voice was distinctly male.

  “Who was that?” Tyadin whispers.

  “Rook,” I say, knowing it’s the truth as soon as I say it. My brother’s murderer has become my friend’s murderer, and I am culpable. It’s not like he didn’t try to kill me first, but the pain still hits hard and sharp as if it were my heart she carved out.

  “Well that’s... good news, I suppose,” Tyadin says, a hint of sympathy in his tone. He turns away from me, peeking through the gap in the stone wall he created. “She’s coming—shit!” he spits and then quickly slips from an opening on the side of his created cave.

  “What?” I don’t dare say it loud enough for him to hear now that he’s already on the path sprinting toward some unknown conflict.

  “Look out!” Tyadin cries to a figure in the distance.

  I watch over a hundred yards from the scene as Caelynn skids to a stop, her eyes darting toward Ty and then to the bolder beside her just before Kari’s blade flies at her. Caelynn barley blocks the attack with a fling of her sword and cry of surprise.

  Tyadin just saved Caelynn’s life. I can’t help but feel a pang of disappointment, even though the logical part of my brain tells me it’s a good thing. She’s still an ally. She’s still defending me.

  With movements fast as lightning, Caelynn swings her shadow-singed blade at Kari’s neck, and she only barely avoids it. Caelynn’s second blade clips Kari as she twists away, slicing deeply through her inner thigh.

  I wince and sprint to them, knowing the battle is over.

  Kari falls with a cry of pain, gripping her thigh as blood pours over her fingers. I brace myself for Caelynn’s final blow—ending the life of another enemy—but I blink back my surprise as she slides her blade back into its sheath.

  “Just do it,” Kari spits, her face white.

  “They’re coming,” Caelynn says through her teeth, annoyance clear at our anticipation. She doesn’t want to kill her? “We have to go.”

  “Where to?” I ask.

  Caelynn takes in a long breath. “This way.” She leaps from the path, into the forest where leaves crunch beneath our feet.

  “Where are we going? This is east.” As in, wrong way!

  “I think there’s a portal over here,” she says, her strides long and even. Is she even tired after battling four powerful fae, defeating two of them? Who the hell is this girl? I’m beginning to understand how she managed to kill my brother. He probably never expected the young pretty thing to have this much power. Did she hide her bright eyes even then?

  Note to self—never underestimate her. Never underestimate anyone from the Shadow Court, who uses secrets and deceit as their greatest advantage.

  We follow Caelynn through the forest until I see her destination—a stone archway at the top
of a hill. It’s off the path but otherwise is obvious—if you know to look for portals.

  Maybe she’s right. Maybe this is right the way, but I’m not entirely certain until we climb the hill and pass through the archway into distinctly different terrain. The shadows are vast, thick with danger.

  “Wow,” Tyadin breathes in front of me.

  I swallow as the twisted trees with leaves black as night tower over me the moment I’m through. It’s another world entirely.

  Caelynn stares at the canopy above, the sky beyond a dark blue, even though it’s still midday. She sucks in a long deep breath, eyes closed, expression serene.

  I step forward and can’t help but glance back at her, watching her reaction carefully. Her expression as soft as I’ve ever seen it.

  The look of someone who has finally come home.

  I turn away, acid filling my veins. I hate her, I remind myself. And I hate myself for needing the reminder.

  I breathe in deeply, the thick and humid smell of the shadow realm. This forest has a distinct scent—damp wood and fresh foliage. Of wild power and danger.

  It’s the smell of her.

  A smell I am simultaneously disgusted by and in awe of.

  Caelynn

  I am home.

  Darkness surrounds me. Fills me.

  Shadows shift and wind howls past my ears, tossing my hair around in a whirl of power, welcoming me to the world of night and enigmas, where nothing is as it seems. Where power lurks, hiding in the most unexpected places and can be found within every nook, if one is only brave enough to dare.

  I open my eyes, studying the forest ahead, trying to get my bearings. I walk forward slowly. It feels as though we’ve lost our pursuers—we are now a world away—but I know better. Drake and Brielle could come flying through the portal behind us at any moment, and we wouldn’t even hear them coming.

  Tyadin must have the same thought. “Let’s keep moving.”

  We jog half a mile, and the feeling of familiarity continues to grow, the curve of the path feels right somehow. The trees curl over us in a comforting manner. At least to me.