A tear slips down my cheek. “I’m sorry,” I tell him. Beautiful Rev with soft, forgiving eyes. It’s the only time I’ll ever see him look at me like this.
I wonder if I could stay here forever, inside this orb, where Rev loves me.
Where he doesn’t know what I did. Where I am just me and he is just him, looking at me like that.
Raven suspects that I have feelings for Rev. What would she think if she knew we were fated to be together? I’d lose her for good then. Over something that will never come to fruition.
“I’m so sorry,” I tell Rev again.
I step forward so that our chests are only inches apart. He looks down at me with those adoring eyes. “Want to know a secret?” I whisper to him. “If this were real, I wouldn’t do it. Not now.”
I pull in a shaky breath. “If I didn’t know this was part of the trials, I’d sacrifice everything to save you. Even if it meant my own death.”
Then, I shove the dagger into his chest.
Rev
The crowd cheers as Caelynn exits the orb. I look down at my hands.
It’s a strange feeling to know that inside that orb we just killed each other. Something no one else on the planet knows.
I don’t look at her as she sits beside me, only inches between us. It’s hard to breath, to pull life through my body feels unnatural.
We did it. The challenge is over. Only one more trial to go. But I can’t seem to allow relief or joy to enter my shredded soul. Not today. Not now.
I’m so distracted by my own misery I don’t even notice that something is wrong until the crowd goes entirely quiet. Tyadin walks through the orb, a dagger still in his hand.
“Tyadin of the Crumbling Court,” the pixie says, “is disqualified from the Trial of Thorns.”
I stand as he approaches slowly. “Ty,” I whisper. “What happened?”
He gives me a small smile. “I made a choice. I came here to make a point. To prove myself. I think I achieved that.” He smiles sadly. “And I didn’t want to be... I didn’t...” He shakes his head.
“You didn’t want to be like us,” Caelynn whispers beside me, and I go rigid. Maybe we’re not the only people in the world who knows who we killed inside that orb.
Tyadin shrugs. “I’ll be cheering you two on. If either of you win, our world will be in good hands.”
Caelynn throws her arms around Ty’s neck, and he chuckles softly, returning the embrace.
Tears well in my eyes as Cae releases him, and he holds out his hand to me. I take it in a firm shake. “Well, if nothing else, I know I’ve earned new allies during these stupid trials.”
Ty smiles. “I’m glad to hear it.”
I focus on something in the distance. “And a few new enemies,” I say as two forms appear over the horizon beyond the desert. The crowd begins a new roar of excitement, and I take that moment to escape the arena without so much as a glance at Caelynn of the Shadow Court.
My mate and sworn enemy.
Caelynn
I wait next to the window for hours, but Raven never comes.
I bite my lip, watching the sunset and listening to the sounds of the elaborate celebration below. The Shadow Court is the liveliest of all, and I notice several of the other lesser courts joining them. But I do not.
There is not one part of me that wants to take part in a celebration. Not tonight. Not ever.
I allow myself a long bath, after which I cannot hold myself back from sleep any longer. I know Raven is mad at me. She told me something she never had before. Something that I know shouldn’t have surprised me.
I love you.
They are words I haven’t heard since I was a child. Words I couldn’t give back to her. Not now, not like this. Not when every attachment I make puts her further at risk.
Not when my emotions about Reveln are so messed up.
But that’s more reason for Raven to be mad. She doesn’t know that Reveln is my mate, and I don’t intend for her to find out. But she does know I have conflicting feelings for him. She knows there is tension between us that’s not all bad.
All I know is that I wish she were here. I wish I hadn’t told her I shouldn’t have brought her here—even if it’s true. Because now, more than ever, I need her comfort.
The only place she’s safe is in my arms.
And now, she won’t even come to me.
I pray Raven is okay and that she’ll make it to me soon, but all too quickly my brain and body shut down, exhaustion winning out. For the next several hours, I am dead to the world.
Rev
I spend the next few days sleeping, bathing, eating, and otherwise being a complete mute. My parents come to visit me when I don’t join them for meals in the great hall, but I don’t dare mutter more than a few words.
“What the hell happened out there?” my father asks.
“You don’t know?” I accuse.
“What does that mean?” my mother says.
“Nothing. They betrayed me, that’s all, and I took the only allies I could come up with.”
“Well,” my mother says with her head high. “Folk always look to attack their biggest threat. You should take it as a compliment.”
“Even Brielle?” I ask.
My mother’s eyes dart to the floor. “She won’t be your bride. Her loss.”
My eyebrows flick up. “I’m going to bed.”
I don’t care enough to check my father’s expression as I turn away. Maybe he suspects I know what he did and why. Maybe he doesn’t.
I don’t really care.
The final trial is in a few days, and I am still not ready. Maybe I’ll never be ready.
But I will win. That much I’m confident about.
Drake and Brielle aren’t strong enough to beat me head on, and I won’t let her take anything else from me.
But then someone grabs me by the upper arm. My father’s breath tickles my ear. “Tell me what happened?” he says low. I freeze. He doesn’t want my mother to hear.
“I know the truth,” I say simply.
He releases me with a subtle shove. “Good. You know you’re not my heir. I’ll find a way to disinherit you. I won’t stop.”
I curl my lip in a silent snarl but don’t turn.
“Guess I’m just going to have to win the trials then. Won’t I?” Then, I march up the steps toward my rooms.
Caelynn
Rev and I still haven’t spoken since the task five days ago. Today, just before the beginning of our final trial, is the first time we’ve been in a room together.
Our eyes meet, and I’m flooded with a mixture of electricity and pain. We haven’t discussed our strategy for the final trial, but I assume we’re on the same page. We’ll continue to be allies until Brielle and Drake are eliminated.
We know they’ll work together, so we’ll be forced to as well if we want any chance to win.
I haven’t slept much since that first night. Raven is still nowhere to be found.
I’ve searched the grounds up and down, even braving the scrutinizing public, who pry mercilessly, asking all kinds of awkward personal questions. I saw a black bird in the tree below my widow one night. Again, flying over the Black Lake in the distance. But it never gets close enough. We haven’t spoken in six full days.
Is she avoiding me? Is she really that mad at me? Because of Rev? Because of what I said to her? I stare at the weapon’s rack, even though I’ve already chosen my weapons—I’m too distracted by thoughts of Raven. I shouldn’t have brought her here—I’ve always known that. But not for the reasons she thinks. Because I’m an idiot and spoke out of fear. Out of confusion and desperation.
Honestly, I’ve never made very good decisions when it comes to her, even knowing that she has feelings for me—I think I’ve known that for a long time, I’ve just avoided thinking about it. The truth is, I have feelings for her too. In a different kind of way...I think. She wants to be a couple. I want to just have her by my side for the rest of my lif
e.
But I needed her in order to survive this. So, I brought her along to a world she may not survive, all to save my heart from disintegrating into nothing.
It’s not what she deserves, though. She deserves a protector. Someone dedicated to her wellbeing, even when the choices are hard. Even when it means leaving her behind.
My stomach clenches at that thought.
“I’m sorry, Raven,” I whisper out the window, knowing she’s not near enough to hear. How do I focus on the next trial not knowing what’s happened to her?
I’m a bundle of nerves, and I wonder if I can find a way to win today.
In a matter of hours, one of the four remaining fae will be the chosen savior of all of faery. In a matter of hours, I could be free of my punishment, but all I can think about is a black-haired human teenager whose heart is broken because of me.
FOR THE LAST TIME, I stand before the thorn gates, towering over us in all its brutal glory. We face the arena of cheering fae, not a boo in earshot. Not yet, at least.
The masses have come to respect me, if nothing else. They somehow learned all about how I saved Rev’s life, and it has redeemed me to some. Others see it as more manipulation.
I don’t really care what they think.
I stand on the end of our small line of fae warriors beside Rev. Drake and Brielle stand on his other side.
Together, enemy and ally, we step out through the thorn gates into the arena.
My newfound respect isn’t enough to stop several pieces of garbage and rotten food from flying toward us. Nothing reaches within fifteen feet of our small line, but I know who it’s intended for.
“Today is the day you get what you deserve,” Brielle says through a tight-lipped smile.
“Looking forward to it,” I tell her.
On the very bottom row of the stands, in the middle, is a section for the rejected champions. Those that survived the trials. There are two that I don’t even remember, they lost during the first trial. Beside them sits Caspian, Kari, and Tyadin. That’s it. We started with fifteen fae. Four are still in the trials, and out of the rest there are only five survivors.
And the trials are not yet finished.
“Good luck,” a voice calls. “I’m rooting for you, Cae.”
I jerk toward the row of former champions to find purple eyes pinned to me, a smile on her face.
“Me?”
“I’d be dead without you.” Kari shrugs. “You didn’t have to save me, but you did. And I’d love to see the look on his face when you’re crowned savior.” She nods towards Drake. “It was all one big political move for him. You? I’m sure you have your reasons, but there is real good in you. You’re the one who should win this.”
I swallow.
“Agreed,” Tyadin says. “Although, you know I’d take Rev too.” He shrugs.
I smile. An actual, honest smile curving my lips. No one is more surprised than me.
“Approach, champions!” a voice booms. I don’t bother to see who the announcer is today. All four of us walk forward to the center of the arena until our toes touch a red line.
“Drake of the Whirling Court,” the announcer shouts over the cheers.
“Brielle of the Flicker Court.” Brielle waves and smiles as the crowd roars, much louder than Drake’s. Home field advantage apparently.
“Reveln of the Luminescent Court.” More shouts, blending into a cacophony of sound.
“Caelynn of the Shadow Court.” I blink as the crowd roars even louder than Brielle’s. There are definitely boos mixed in there, which probably adds to the overall noise level, but I am still shocked at the support.
“See?” Kari mouths from the sidelines. “I’m not the only one.”
Did she have something to do with this? Spreading stories about me saving her life? Or is it the rebellion gaining more traction? All of the lesser courts using me as their symbolic hero? Proof they’re still powerful enough to rival the ruling courts.
I don’t know. I don’t care.
I take what little fuel I can gather from the surprising support, and I pull my power in. Win, so I can find Raven and take her home. I’ll make sure no one ever touches her.
“Today, your champion will be chosen by way of hand-to-hand combat.”
The crowd roars.
“The rules will be as follows.”
The edges of the arena floor begins to drop, leaving us on a rectangular island in the middle. I blink and focus on the shifting ground.
“Any weapon, any tactic, and any magic may be used against any opponent. Once a champion is deceased or falls from the platform, they are out of the competition. They will fight until only one contestant remains.”
Stay on the platform. Stay alive. Got it.
“Champions, please choose a corner.”
I wait, watching the others choose. Drake and Brielle march across the platform dramatically, choosing corners closest to each other. They turn to face Rev and me, still in the middle. Rev gives me one short nod before marching toward the corner opposite Drake. I take the last remaining place.
“Ready,” the announcer hollers. “And FIGHT!”
Caelynn
Brielle steps forward, eyes sharp, smile wicked.
I adjust my grip on my twin swords, fingers pressing into the worn leather, and then slip into a defensive stance. The crowd hushes, only swift whispers float around now while they wait for one of us to make the first move.
The arena is large, but the platform is only about thirty by fifty feet. Outside, there is a sharp drop into shadowed depths below. The drop should be only about twenty feet, not enough to injure us, but it’s still unnerving to be able to fall into the darkness with one wrong move.
Rev is my closest opponent. Brielle and Drake on the other narrow end. Two against two.
Drake crosses his arms casually and flicks his eyebrows at Brielle. She walks forward with long, smooth steps. Confidence exudes from her.
“I’ve been searching up and down for a way to get my revenge,” she tells me, “since the day you had the nerve to show up here.”
My eyes narrow. “How’s that going for you?”
“Quite well actually. Thank you for asking.” Her eyes shine, her smile sickeningly sweet. “But it did take me a while. I wanted you dead—still do, if I’m totally honest.” Her head tilts innocently, her auburn hair waving. “But now I have a more appropriate revenge within my grasp. Literally.” She giggles.
I blink, my eyes shifting to her hand that’s within the bag strapped across her shoulder.
“You killed someone I loved—or would have loved.” Her eyes turn to Rev. “Someone he loved.”
I don’t bother to turn. I don’t care what Rev’s reaction is. I care about what’s inside her damn bag.
“So, it seems more appropriate that I kill someone you love.”
She pulls her hand from the bag, and it takes a moment for my mind to register what she has within her closed fist.
A raven.
Rev
My eyes narrow at the bird in Brielle’s hand. A bird.
I recall Caelynn’s comment to take care of the bird if she died. I recall her strange conversation with no one at all on that island. Although wasn’t that an owl? This is a raven. Either way, even despite Caelynn’s words, I didn’t realize how much it means to her until I see her reaction.
Caelynn is dead still. I’ve seen her panic. I’ve seen her break down. But I’ve never seen an expression like the one she wears now.
Caelynn, who’s so good at masking every emotion, is terrified.
“A bird?” I say, crossing my arms, trying to deflect any attention from Caelynn. “You really think a bird is going to cause her enough pain to satisfy you?”
Brielle turns her attention to me. “I admit, I was surprised too. But I knew something was off when it continued to follow us. When it so clearly warned you of our planned ambush. And then, when I was able to glamour the creature, I knew.”
M
y eyes narrow.
“This bird is certainly not just a bird.”
I laugh. “That’s not even the same bird. You’re going to humiliate yourself when you kill a bird in the middle of the final trial and get no reaction whatsoever. Don’t be cruel to the creature for no reason.”
Her smile widens. “Perhaps you’re right.” She turns to Caelynn, who I’m honestly not sure is breathing. “But I’d rather find out for myself.”
The bird squeaks and struggles in Brielle’s grip as she reaches up with her other hand, gripping the small creature’s head.
“Wait!” Caelynn screams. “I’ll forfeit now. I’ll let you kill me, I swear it.”
Brielle’s smile grows, her eyes shining red. “You see, Rev?” She pulls the bird closer to her chest, caressing its head gently. “She doesn’t even love you. She loves this human. Pathetic, isn’t it? And so, very, very perfect.”
“I swear,” Caelynn whispers again.
“I don’t want you to die, Caelynn,” Brielle says. Tears stream down Caelynn’s cheeks, and my stomach clenches. “I want you to live with it, the way I had to live with it.”
In one swift movement, Brielle snaps the bird’s neck.
CAELYNN SCREAMS AND jerks forward, but it’s too late. We all know it’s too late.
Caelynn’s scream is so palpable the crowd hushes, focusing on her agony. Feeling it with her. The voice coming from her throat fills the arena, echoing and unnatural. It’s not her voice, I realize. It’s his. It’s the creature whose power she holds.
Before the black bird’s limp body even reaches the ground, a blast of power rages from Caelynn’s body and slams into Brielle with utter silence.
The ground beneath us rumbles with the explosion, knocking Drake off his feet, but Brielle’s body is frozen still, her arms flung open, her mouth wide in a silent scream.
The world stops in that moment.
Trial of Thorns (Wicked Fae Book 1) Page 24
