Chapter 20
Huntyr
The moment I step through the door, I fall, landing heavily on my hands and knees as if I’ve been dropped from midair. I struggle to suck in a sudden gasp of air as I look around.
I’m in the fortress courtyard.
And yet, it’s wrong somehow.
I stand slowly, glancing around me as I do, searching out any of the other competitors.
The entirety of the courtyard is empty though.
Not only are the other women missing, but there's no sign of any life at all.
No sharpening blades, no sparring, no sounds of throwing knives and arrows slamming into targets.
The night sky above is starless, but the air around me is thick, charged with Fae magic. I turn, the ground crunching unnaturally under my feet as I do. I stumble backwards as I take in the scorched black land, cracked and dead under my feet.
A single pathway remains untouched by the blackness.
A pathway that doesn’t belong in this courtyard.
My brows draw together in a frown as I stare at the alley across from my apartment in Velia.
It’s exactly as I remember. There’s the turn in the stone path, the shadowed doorway that leads to a staircase, the stacked crates just left of where I had once killed a man.
I inhale sharply.
The silence presses in, nearly unbearable.
And then, the shadows shift.
And from them… emerges a panther.
It’s massive, sleek as oil with a shining black coat. Its eyes burn golden with an alertness that’s unnatural for an animal.
Because it’s not an animal, I realize.
It’s an Eshari.
I freeze, not allowing myself to feel fear.
It would be pointless to be afraid of the beast. I may not be as familiar with the Eshari as the Fae are, but I understand that there’s no escaping what’s going to come next.
No way to outmaneuver or out-think it. None of the training and skills that have carried me so far in this trial matter now.
The Eshari will judge me for who I am and what I’ve already done leading up to this moment.
The panther watches. Unblinking. Assessing. There’s only a few feet between us, but it doesn’t pounce or growl. It simply watches me with that strange intensity.
Slowly, it moves closer to me, circling where I stand, close enough that I can feel its warmth and hear the gentle puffs of air as it breathes in the scent of me and then huffs it out.
It circles again, and this time I feel its tail flicking against my leg.
I don’t flinch, don’t move. I don’t even breathe too deeply.
“Strange.”
My body locks as I hear the feminine voice, coming not from the panther's mouth, but from inside my own mind.
“You are unlike the others.”
I clench my jaw.
Realization hits me with brutal clarity. My time in this Fae competition is coming to an end.
Because if anyone will fail to meet the judgment of the Eshari, it’s me.
The Eshari were the guards of the Vaereth, the Gods who protected the Fae, and I’m an assassin who tried to assassinate the Fae prince.
It’s definitely going to kill me.
“So?” I force the word out.
The panther steps forward, tilting its head in appraisal. “You do not flinch before the death you feel is imminent.”
“Death is imminent for us all.” I shrug.
A huff that sounds suspiciously like a laugh. “You do not beg for my mercy.”
I’ve seen dozens of men and women alike beg me for mercy that I didn’t have to give them. Their pleas didn’t make a difference then, and mine won’t now.
“You wouldn’t show me any.”
The words hover between us, and the panther continues studying me. “You are strong. Brave. Pure of heart—though your soul is touched by darkness.”
I frown. I don’t think I’ve ever been described as pure of heart before.
“Strangely, you remind me of my masters.”
She circles me again as I stiffen. What does that mean?
“And yet, you are not entirely like them.”
“Why don’t you get it over with?”
She pauses, looking up at me. “You wish to be judged so desperately?”
“I need no judge to tell me who I am.”
A laugh echoes in my mind. “Brave words for a woman who is no more than a wounded child. A woman who hides behind weapons and violence because of how deeply she fears being hurt again. A woman who loves few, so that she may not suffer too many more losses.”
She’s crawling through my mind, seeing all the dark and twisted parts of me. “You don’t know me.”
“I know you, Huntress.”
My blood runs cold, and like I’ve seen in so many of my victims, the rush of acceptance falls over me. I know what comes next. Just as I know that I cannot stop it.
“I am Kaia. I was once a hunter, a seeker of souls, a companion to the Vaereth.”
She meets my gaze, golden eyes burning into mine.
“I will choose you to be my new companion.”
Her words strike through me. I stumble backwards, struggling to maintain my balance as the world starts to move around us and the ground shakes violently beneath my feet. My stomach twists painfully, and a pulse of something ancient and unbreakable starts moving under my skin.
“What does that mean?” I demand, my voice rough and unsteady, doubling over as my entire body locks in cramps.
Kaia comes to my side as I fall forward, landing heavily on my hands and knees.
“I shall stay.”
My heartbeat slams against my ribs. My blood boils. When Kaia presses her forehead against mine, heat rushes over me. Power courses through me.
It’s neither painful nor comforting.
It’s a connection formed by something far more powerful than any Fae magic I’ve ever felt before.
The world slams back into place in a dizzying rush, and the coiling magic that held me in the labyrinth releases me. I curl my fingers into the dirt of the arena, letting the sounds of the crowd wash over me and bring me back to the here and now.
Only Kaia is also here. Now. With me.
She presses against my side, offering another grounding sensation as I feel like I’m about to shatter apart.
I force myself to breathe through the nausea and fully take in my surroundings.
Two more bodies, two of the Fae, are lifeless on the ground next to me.
The Eshari must have killed them.
That leaves seven of us. Three Mortals, four Fae.
Five of the twelve of us dead within the first trial.
I struggle to look up, to breathe through my body’s reaction to whatever magic kept me in the labyrinth. When I do finally gain the strength to pull my head up, Roland is watching me, a concerned expression evident on his features.
“This…” his voice trails off as he turns to look at the panther pressed against me. “This has never happened.”
It takes me a second to make sense of it, to look around and realize that the other women are standing alone, the shock on their faces mirroring that of Roland’s. There are no other Eshari in the arena.
Kaia isn’t supposed to be here.
“No one will tell me where I am supposed to be. I will go where I please.”
I whip my head at her so sharply a cramp forms at the base of my neck.
Great. The ancient magical creature can read my thoughts. That’s not creepy at all.
She flicks her tail, smacking it against my back.
“They are unhappy,” Kaia tells me. “You will stand.”
Bossy.
I drag myself to my feet.
Murmurs echo around me, the warriors in the stands all talking at each other in a rush.
The other contestants stare at me, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, their expressions equal parts confusion and rage.
Silently I look up, searching for Derian, only to see he and Caldren already on their feet.
They pause for the briefest of moments before rushing down.
“How has this happened?” Taric demands, stepping into the arena with Rhen and Parker close on his heels.
Roland sputters, glancing between Kaia and Taric. “An Eshari has never remained.”
So much for my plan to hide my skills and simply fly under the radar. Kaia’s presence just put a massive target on my back. I glance at her in my peripheral.
“Felt like being dramatic today, did you?” I push the thought in her direction.
She rolls her golden eyes.
“This is ridiculous!” Mara cries from across the arena, clutching an area of her thigh that’s visibly bleeding from a bite mark. She might have been judged to be worthy, but obviously she’d had to earn that judgement. “An Eshari is an unfair advantage!”
“This cannot be allowed!” Thalara agrees next to her.
“It shouldn’t be allowed,” Seraphina tells them, stepping forward with malice firing in her eyes. Her hands light up in flames. “Let’s just kill the Mortal and be done with her.”
Kaia puts herself between us, growling, a low and deadly sound that seems to echo around us. “You will not be harmed by this viper.”
“I can handle her.”
“You can,” Kaia agrees, even as her eyes remain locked on Seraphina, her lips curled back over sharp teeth. “But the Fae must all know that I will protect you. That I have chosen you the way I once chose my masters.”
Derian steps onto the hardened ground of the arena, his presence effortless yet absolute. He doesn’t rush. Doesn’t even look concerned.
“Why did you choose me?” I wonder, looking away from him while I can still force myself to do so.
Her tail flicks against my ankle. “It has been a long time since I have seen a creature who is capable of the bond, whose soul is strong enough to meld with that of my kind.”
I frown. “I’m just a Mortal, though. How was I capable of it when the Fae weren’t?”
“I do not know. I only know that when a bond is possible, it must be honored. That was the will of the Vaereth, and so it is the will of the Eshari.”
“Something must be done, your highness,” Parker says cautiously, snapping my attention back to the chaos unfurling around us.
Every Fae in the stands is on their feet, watching their prince casually stroll towards us. Half of them are seething in anger, the other half is simply staring at me like I’m a prize they want to claim for themselves. My fingers twitch towards the blades on my hips.
Derian’s lips quirk as he takes in the scene before him.
Kaia stands with her hind legs between my feet and her menacing glare directed at Seraphina, who stares at me with both of her hands on fire.
Meanwhile, my muscles are poised and ready to launch these blades at the slightest indication that I need to.
Derian drags his gaze to Seraphina. “If you’d like to continue challenging an Eshari, you’re welcome to do so.”
His eyes flick to Kaia, who snarls as if she welcomes the possibility of a fight.
“Though, I do believe it looks ready to eat you.”
Kaia flicks her tail again, her voice curling in my mind. “I would never allow such filth to fester in my intestines.”
I snort, unable to stop myself, and earn a look of pure hatred from Seraphina. If I haven’t made enough of an enemy in her already, I can almost guarantee she’s going to cause problems for me after this.
Derian turns back to the crowd. “The trial is complete. The Eshari are servants of the Vaereth and above our rule. If it wishes to stay with the Mortal, it may.”
“She,” I interrupt pointedly, suddenly feeling overwhelmingly protective of her. “Her name is Kaia, and my name is Huntyr. Not Mortal.”
I feel Kaia’s approval float over me.
Derian stares at me, not even bothering to acknowledge the ancient predator standing between us, the panther who glares at him as if she is now considering letting him fester in her intestines.
Nothing else in the world seems to matter as we stare at each other in this silent standoff.
I practically dare him to fight against me.
“Very well,” he acknowledges with a tilt of his head. “Kaia may stay with Huntyr.”
“I will stay because I have chosen to, regardless of what the Fae prince thinks on the matter.”
I grin down at her. “I think I’m going to like you.”
She begins moving out of the arena, waiting for me to follow after her. “Your approval is also unnecessary. I will stay because I have chosen you, and that is the way of the bond.”
I stare after her a moment before I follow her swishing tail, suddenly not sure how I feel about being bonded with a grumpy cat for the rest of my foreseeable future.