Chapter 44
Non
As the final trial didn't take place until sundown, we at least had most of the day to recuperate and prepare.
Despite spending most of the morning in bed together, Dylan seemed to look worse than he did when I woke.
He'd insisted I go through every detail of the second part of the night; from the pull I felt to the snake-eyed men who tried to snatch me. Once he'd heard it for the tenth time, he said he suspected the attack had been orchestrated by my father, which came as no surprise.
I'd suggested we get some fresh air before the final trial began, so we agreed to go on a walk in the woods that surrounded Llwyn Onn. Dylan made sure we stayed far enough away from the castle that Granny's sentries wouldn't spot us.
With it being the beginning of winter, we'd both opted for our thicker fur-lined habits as we strolled through a frosty field.
“This Witchfire you were going to explain to me?”
Dylan nodded as he plucked the petals off a hydrangea he'd picked. “It makes more sense to explain how our power reserves work first before we get to the Witchfire part.”
He went on to describe a Witch or Wielder's power as like a glass of water.
Each time you used some, whether it was a small or large amount, it was like someone taking a sip from the glass.
The total reserve of power was to be used over a lifetime; once it ran out, it couldn't be filled again.
Sometimes, when someone was born with power that was unusually strong, they benefited from a longer life, even for a Witch.
So, every Witch and Wielder needed to be wary when using large amounts of power, as it could result in their demise.
He explained that Witchfire was a substance created when a Witch or Wielder passed away before their reserve of power was used up.
If transferred from their body correctly, it produced a mineral that was so dark blue, it almost looked black.
Witchfire was pure power and the most sought-after substance in this world.
This is what the twelve Witches had created when they sacrificed themselves; they'd made enough Witchfire that they were able to power a communication pathway to D?n and Llyr.
It was also the substance that was mixed in with blood to power summoning circles.
Each Coven had a small reserve of Witchfire that was only to be used when absolutely necessary.
“Why don't you Wielders call it Wielderfire then?”
Dylan scoffed. “Doesn't have the same badass ring to it, really.”
By the time the sun set, my mind was a mess of buzzing words and thoughts.
Just when I felt like I was getting my feet underneath me, something else came along and knocked me out. Literally.
The last thing I needed going into the final trial was soup for a brain.
We'd been asked to meet Pen Arwr Aeron in a corner of the clearing behind Llwyn Onn. Once again, I had little to no information about what I could expect in this one. Blood was all Dylan had said when I'd pressed him about it.
When Aeron finally made an appearance, it was to give us basic instructions on how the ritual would run after the final trial had concluded, which seemed straightforward.
Survivors would all use a summoning circle to whisk them away to an undisclosed and very sacred location where one by one we'd all lie on top of an altar and get chosen by a god.
The group had given an unenthusiastic goodbye to Aeron as he made his way to the final trial ahead of all of us.
Dylan had been quiet since our walk earlier on and even looked a little sombre now. When his eyes met mine, he moved to stand next to me.
“I'm guessing you don't have much of an idea of what to expect this evening?
“Nope,” I said dryly.
“The trial of blood is the most predictable one of the three. It essentially always follows the same format. We are dropped into an undisclosed location that is hard to navigate. In this landscape is someone we hold dear to our hearts, like a family member or a close friend. The single rule for this trial states the winner is the first to return to the Cyngor Blaen with someone they love. They are gagged and bound and dropped in a totally random drop point within the trial. We must find our loved one and get them back safely.”
“That sounds considerably easier than Afancs and soul-eating Mari Lwyds.”
“Where do you think the blood part comes in?”
I winced. “No idea, but I guess I'm going to find out.”
“What would you do if you came across someone else's loved one? Would you leave them be in hopes your competitor finds them and gets them across the finish line before you? Or would you eliminate the person's loved one so your competitor can never get them over the line of the summoning circle?”
My stomach turned at the thought of all that blood, but what unsettled me even more was the unknown. Who would they choose as my loved one? As the Carnyx bellowed across the clearing, I realised I was about to find out.