“What was it? What was the loop hole?”
“It’s probably the same reason your father wants you killed now. He doesn’t want you to be his heir, because you’re not actually his son.”
Rev
My mouth falls open.
I blink. Well, that’s not what I had expected.
“That was your loophole,” I say, repeating the truth back to her. “He asked you to kill the youngest son. But I am not one, so the youngest son was actually Reahgan.”
She sits back on the stone. “I know you hate me, and I don’t blame you.”
My stomach sinks. Shit. How did this conversation end up with me hating her less? I don’t know what I think or feel.
I don’t even know who I am right now.
“Who is my father then?”
She shrugs. “Someone high up in the Luminescent Court. I don’t know exactly.”
I’m afraid to ask the next question, but I know I can’t avoid it. “Why do you think... that thing wanted me dead?”
“He said something about your fate, but he never said exactly. That was always part of what I hated. Those questions have haunted me for years. Why? If I knew what the reason was, what it achieved, maybe I’d have felt better. Maybe I’d have less guilt. But then again, knowing this creature, he probably wants to ensure the end of the world. For all I know, he wants you dead because you’re the one who will save our world from the scourge.”
She bites her lips at that comment, and I narrow my eyes.
“I think I’ve had enough truth for one day,” I admit.
Caelynn lets out a barking bitter laugh. “I did warn you.”
“Did you bring any alcohol with you? I could really use something to take the edge off tonight.”
“Sorry,” she says so softly, I almost wonder if she’s talking about something else entirely. “Let’s get some sleep. We still have another full day of this shit ahead of us.”
I shake my head. Dammit, this challenge sucks.
Caelynn
Rev and I don’t speak the entire next day. I don’t know what he thinks about everything I told him last night or the creature below the caves.
I don’t know what else to say to him, so I don’t. My heart’s armor is back up, my face schooled into a mask of indifference. I simply focus on the task at hand. There was no clue today, but I suspect that was purposeful. We know this will be our last night of the challenge, and we still need to hit the northwest corner of the arena so that’s where we go—northwest. Keeping an eye out for portals as we go.
Several hours later and no obvious portals to be found, I begin to wonder if we’ve missed something. We pass beyond the shadow lands and into Glistening Court. This lack of anything even hinting at the trials is disconcerting, but we keep moving without a mention of it.
Because we’re too afraid to talk to each other.
We still haven’t seen Tyadin. We spent the hours after our riddle hiding from Drake and Brielle deep in the caves, so it’s possible he came in and completed his riddle without us knowing.
I hold out hope he’s still alive, but there is no way to know.
I slow to a walk as I notice something strange. The Glistening Court is supposed to be full of lush green vegetation and twisting gorgeous fresh water streams with healing properties flowing throughout the land. But the streams here are dark, the vegetation is sparse. Did we pass through a portal without realizing it?
“We’re going the right way,” Rev says with a flat voice, still walking forward.
“How do you know?”
We crest a small hill, and he stops at the top. I join him and suck in a breath at the view.
“They want us to see the scourge.”
I blink at the view before me. I’ve been to the Glistening Court many times before, as it’s the closest court to my homeland. I know what this place is supposed to look like, and it is not this.
The miles before us are black and rotting.
I swallow and step forward into the broken lands. The plants beside the open pathway are dripping with black slime. Frozen in death and decay.
The smell bombards me, rotting flesh and acidic magic. I cover my nose with my hand. This is the first I’ve seen of the infamous plague. I knew what it was doing to our lands, I knew what it was.
But seeing it is something else entirely.
For miles, all I can see is death and decay.
“This was one of the first places it hit,” Rev explains. “There will be nothing contagious here any longer, but we’ll see the damage well enough.”
Trees are bent and twisted, almost like they thrashed in pain before their death. Their leaves hang low with brown, putrid leaves.
The hair on my arms and neck stands up straight as we walk slowly through the damage. “What does it do to fae it affects?” I know most of the victims have been the elderly and children.
“It eats you alive,” he says. “It starts with a fever, an ache in your limbs. And then wounds begin to form on your body, black spots where the disease eats away at the flesh.”
I shiver.
“And this is happening to children?”
He nods. “It’s taking a strange path. Instead of spreading out, it keeps its reach narrow—only a few miles wide. It moves south, then north, then east, then west, in an almost zigzag pattern, like it’s searching for something. Or just teasing us. Hitting where we don’t expect it, then moving on methodically.”
“Like it’s alive.”
I bend down to examine a fern bush whose leaves have flopped onto the path, unable to keep itself up. If this was the first place it hit, it’s been what? Two years? How are these plants still here?
“It’s a curse,” he says. “Something is controlling it, so in a way—it is.”
“Who?”
“The High Court is said to know, but they haven’t made it public knowledge, and my father—” He pauses, as if remembering the man he calls father is not. He swallows. “My father tells me nothing. The sorcerer responsible is likely inside the Schorchedlands.”
“So, the winner of the trials will have to defeat him to stop it.”
“Possibly. They say the ‘cure’ is there. It’s possible we’ll need to do both—undo the spell and kill the sorcerer so he doesn’t begin a new curse.”
“What’s the end game? We’re assuming the High Court knows what this is all about, but it would certainly be helpful to know.”
“Maybe they’ll tell the winner.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Maybe.” But if my intuition is telling me anything in this moment, it’s that the High Court knows less than we think they do.
Rev
After travelling through several miles of the scourge wake, we notice blue billowing smoke in the distance. Finally, the clue we’ve been hoping for.
This smoke signal seems to be leading all of the champions into one place, so a battle may very well be inevitable.
“How’s your magic?” I ask her.
“Fully restored.”
“Your injury?”
“Healed.”
I nod. That’s good.
Drake and Brielle versus Caelynn and me will be a pretty even match, but I’m confident we could win it. It’s strange to think Caelynn might be have the most magic of all the competitors when just weeks ago I thought she had none.
She had us all so thoroughly fooled.
“You think we’ll be facing Drake and Brielle again today?”
“Possibly. It’s also possible they’ll avoid us until the final trial.” If they can ambush us out here or set a trap, they’ll definitely choose that option, but otherwise, they’re likely to choose facing us evenly during the hand-to-hand combat trial.
“We should be ready for anything today,” Caelynn agrees. “I feel no need to pursue them, though.”
“Agreed.”
There is another option I could consider, though even just the thought sends an ache through my stomach. Guilt and pain a day
ago I’d have slapped myself for.
Brielle turned on me because of her perception that I had some kind of relationship with Caelynn. If I were to kill Caelynn now while I have the chance and her guard is down, Brielle would likely turn against Drake and side with me again.
Then, it would be Drake against Brielle and me. I’d win these trials easily.
But guilt stirs in my stomach. Last night, things changed. I don’t know what to think of Caelynn after her admission. She killed my brother to save my life. Could I return that favor with death?
It would be a fitting end.
If you think you hate me more than I hate myself, you’re wrong.
We stop at the edge of a bright and glistening lake. In the middle is a small island with a blazing blue flame. Our clue.
“Do we swim?” Caelynn asks.
“Maybe. But I’d rather not if we don’t have to.” Who knows what’s inside this lake. Bodies of water I can’t see the bottom of give me the creeps. And though this water is a lovely blue, it’s misty enough to veil way more than I’m comfortable with. We decide to spend some time walking along the lake bank, to get a lay of the land in hopes we’ll find a way to cross without getting wet.
We walk casually, not talking, until we finally come across two small row boats.
Caelynn shrugs, and together, we pull one of the boats into the water and begin our long row out to the island. “They’ll see us coming from far off, if they’re already there.”
I nod. “We’re at full strength now. So long as we’re wary, I don’t see much to be concerned with.”
I reach into my pocket as we sail slowly toward the smoke signal and finger the leather handle of the obsidian blade.
“Thinking of killing me?” Caelynn’s voice is soft and low. Not fearful. Not accusing.
I freeze, stomach hurdling to my feet. “What?”
Her face is surprisingly blank as she continues to row. Her armor is impressively strong. “I wouldn’t be mad, you know?”
I blink and then clench my jaw. I believe her. She wouldn’t be surprised if I drove the dagger that killed my brother into her back. It would be a fitting end. “And that only makes it harder.”
Call me by my name before you kill me.
She bites her lip but avoids eye contact, and I watch with more interest than I should. Then she shrugs. “I suppose that’s your problem to work out. I made my choice years ago.”
Caelynn
I don’t allow myself to dwell on the conversation with Rev.
I’m okay with dying. It isn’t what I want, but I’d accept it. And I wouldn’t blame him, not for one second, if he finally followed through on his promise. Before this trial, he didn’t know me. He didn’t know why I’d hurt him the way I had. Now, he does, and somehow, that makes death easier. For me, at least.
The truth is out, and he can choose with his eyes wide open.
A black owl flies overhead, screeching. Shit. That’s a warning if I ever heard one. “They’re waiting for us,” I tell Rev.
He eyes the bird squawking above us, and I know that truth is out too. He doesn’t know what she is, but Raven has exposed that she’s on my side. I suspect the same will be true for my other enemies, which means Raven is in danger now too.
My heart picks up its pace.
I turn to face Rev, my eyes wide, fear obvious on my face. “I will accept death without fear or anger. I’ve been ready to accept that for a long time. But knowing what you do about me now, I hope I can ask one thing of you.”
His eyebrows pull down.
“Take care of the bird, okay? Keep her away from them. Take her away from the fae realm and set her free. If you feel like you owe me anything, that would make us even, no matter the cause of my death.”
His lips parts, but he doesn’t speak. Finally, he nods.
Raven wisely flies off, across the rippling water to the shore, and I let out a relieved breath. She’s safe, for now. So long as she doesn’t do anything else stupid.
Both Rev and I pull out our weapons, and I build my magic, ready for a fight.
The island is calm, but I know better. It’s only about a hundred feet in width, fifty or so in depth. The only coverage is a few clusters of trees and lush, wild bushes. A soft breeze blows gently over our skin.
I step into the comfortingly clear water, boots sinking into the sand.
My heart thumps as we march slowly to shore and toward the fire blazing in the middle of the island. For the first time, I’m wondering if this is the real clue, or if it’s a distraction wrought by Brielle.
“Trees,” Rev whispers as we march over the beach.
I scan what I can see of the tree branches. Still nothing obvious, but he’s right—it’s the only place they could be hiding. I eye a boulder hidden beneath the sand a dozen feet from the blazing fire.
Without Kari, they can’t create a rock coverage to hide again, and they couldn’t get themselves under this one without her, so the trees make the most sense.
Unless...
I swallow, hoping I’m wrong. Not only because it would tip the scale against us, but because I don’t know if my heart can take more betrayal. It’s stupid because that’s what this game is all about. I guess I just didn’t realize how desperate I was for friends.
“Rev,” I whisper. He stops, grip tight on his blade.
I sniff the air, the gentle breeze smells of smoke, moss, and fresh water. There’s the slightest tinge of metal in the air.
Dammit.
“Tyadin is here,” I whisper, hoping our ambush won’t hear but worth the risk if they do.
Rev’s muscles go tight, his chest suddenly heaving. “Should we retreat?”
“Then what?” I say. “We need to complete the task, and they could wait here all day. We have to risk it.”
He nods, eyes focusing into a determined stare.
A plan forms in my mind quickly, and my lips curve into a smile. It’ll be fun at the very least. I march forward. “I can’t believe how terrible of a ruler Drake would make,” I say louder than before. “He couldn’t even kill his enemy right in front of him with five allies.”
Rev’s eyes grow wide. “He’ll blame you for betraying him,” he says.
“Even once I turned, it was two against four. And he still lost.” I laugh. “Will the people of his own court even want him as ruler when this is finished? He’s pathetic.”
“And Brielle?” Rev says, his voice growing confidence.
I keep my eyes on the boulder. Ready to be a class-A troll. If I’ve learned anything from the internet, it’s this. “Too weak. She’s only made it this far because of who she’s screwed.”
I almost laugh as the temperature around us rises several degrees. The bait is already working. She’ll lose it in only moments.
“You’re a way better kisser,” Rev says with a wink.
I don’t account for the rush those words send through me, but luckily our enemy’s reaction is way worse.
Flames roar toward us from behind the boulder still more than twenty feet away. Two male screams reverberate over the roar of the flames, as sand and rock fly. Drake and Tyadin scramble to get away from their hiding place, where they’d burn alive with Brielle’s temper tantrum. They each leap from their cover and Rev and I leap behind the closest tree. The flames recede quickly, and we each lob daggers at Brielle.
She ducks behind the boulder, missing our blades, but the magically-created barrier crumbles at her feet leaving her in the open with nowhere to hide. “Stupid dwarf!” she hollers, leaping away. “Can’t you do anything?”
But Tyadin stands, shoulders back, a massive blade in his hand, the skin over his forearm is red and blistering from Brielle’s fiery outburst. “Would you like to see what I can do?” he asks with a smile, just before swinging the blade in her direction.
She squeals and rolls, just missing decapitation.
Yes! Tyadin is on our side after all.
“Dammit, dwarf!” Drake yel
ls. “Can’t stay loyal for even a day?”
“You think I joined you for any reason other than survival? Stupid fae.”
My heart leaps. If we could eliminate Brielle and Drake now, we could go into the final trials with only the three of us.
A roar of flame flies at Tyadin’s head at the same time as Drake’s sword. Tyadin dodges both attacks, diving away with a holler.
Tyadin is on the ground as we reach him. I just barely block Drake’s killing swing, inches from Tyadin’s nose. He’s not fast enough for Drake.
Rev takes on Brielle, who’s snarling, her blade covered in blue flame. She’s faster than I’d have expected. Her rage fuels her power, making her a fair match for Rev.
Drake however, can’t take me. He disarms me quickly, but I don’t let that deter me in the slightest. He thinks he has the upper hand, him with a sharp sword and me with nothing. But I smile as I dodge his sword, once, twice, a third time. He screams in rage. “Die you stupid bitch!” But that comment only makes me laugh.
I keep dodging him and maneuver him away from the others. The moment he’s clear, I send a blast of raging power at him. His eyes are wide in terror as his body is thrown from the island, his stupid hair flowing beautifully until he splashes into the sparking water. At least he’d be proud of how he looked as he lost.
I turn toward Brielle and Rev. He blocks her flaming blade but doesn’t take the opportunity to swing. “Stop holding back,” I yell at him.
“Kill her if you have to!” Tyadin shouts.
I leap toward their fight. If he won’t kill her, I will.
Magic rips from my body, and I notice Rev doing the same. Our black and white power ripples, swirling together and flying toward Brielle. She cries out as the combined magic rips into her, smashing her into the sandy beach. She stirs in only moments but we don’t move.
Panting, Rev and I stop and watch as she clamors for the water, toward her ally. Not one of us moves as she swims out into the open water.
Trial of Thorns (Wicked Fae Book 1) Page 22
