Eleven
Aeryn
The thick forest loomed before me, branches intertwining to block out the sun, shrouding the obstacle course in shadows. My heart pounded as I stared at the first leg of our route: a rope bridge suspended twenty feet above the ground, swaying precariously over jagged rocks.
Zoriyah smirked at my side, her piercing blue eyes glinting with cruel delight. “Scared already? Maybe you”ll fall to your death and save us the trouble of eliminating you.”
“I see you”ve decided not to change my mind about your bid for the throne. I can”t say I”m surprised. Rotten cores can hide, but they”re the ruin of the fruit.”
Red flooded her face. I shouldn”t have taken such delight in the bitch”s reaction. But I did. In fact, I was quite pleased she hadn”t phased me in the slightest.
Xerag huffed impatiently behind us. Vanadey, a quiet fae standing at the back of our foursome, watched the forest with wary eyes. Right now they were a pretty coral. Sometimes they were as black as her hair.
We were the last group set to enter the course, waiting for the signal that it was safe to begin. Well, not safe. That the group in front was far enough along.
“Enough chatter,” Lorne barked from atop his black stallion.
He towered over us, muscles rippling under his shirt as he crossed his arms. His gaze lingered on me for a moment before sweeping over the others. “You may begin.”
Zoriyah flashed a triumphant smile and strode onto the bridge without hesitation, balancing easily on the swinging ropes.
Show off.
I followed after her, gripping the ropes tightly. My heart leapt as the bridge swayed violently under my weight.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to move one hand forward at a time. Zoriyah was already halfway across, glancing over her shoulder to smirk at my struggle. Rage bubbled up inside me and with it came a surge of defiance.
Balance wasn”t the problem. My fear of falling was.
I wasn”t in a pair of torture heels. I was in boots. I could do this. Loosening my death grip, I straightened and walked with deliberate ease.
Zoriyah”s eyes narrowed. She picked up her pace, nearly running across the remainder of the bridge in her haste to reach the other side first. But it was too late. I stepped onto solid ground only seconds after her.
Huh.
Zoriyah bared her teeth, eyes glowing with fury. Before she could utter a retort, Xerag jogged past with Vanadey close behind.
“Do try to keep up, ladies,” Xerag taunted playfully over her shoulder.
If Zoriyah could have shot flames out of her peepers, Xerag and Vanadey would have been nothing more than ashes. In a huff, she sprinted after them, leaving me behind.
No matter. The further away she got, the better off I was.
The river stretched before me, icy water rushing over boulders and fallen tree trunks. I eyed the slippery stones peeking through the surface. One wrong step would send me tumbling under, at the mercy of the current”s pull.
Ahead, Zoriyah picked her way across the rocks, her steps sure and graceful. Of course, the fire fae had the advantage here. She had access to her magic, easily burning away the moss and slippery substances coating the rocks.
I bet it dried them, too.
My limitations could make this the most dangerous part of the course for me. Fae were long-lived, but we could be killed. Drowning was definitely one way to do it.
Maybe I should follow Zoriyah”s path? She”d already disappeared over the embankment and would be none the wiser if I copied her movements.
Mapping it out, I noticed the first few steps would put my boots in the water. Up and down the bank was the same issue. No matter what, my feet were getting wet.
I stepped onto the first stone. The water churned around my ankles, frigid and fast. It would surely take one”s breath away to swim in it.
Feeling balanced, I took another step. Then another. On the fourth I was able to step out of the stream and onto a large, flat rock. Though my soles were wet, I was able to remain steady on my feet.
When I reached the halfway point, a flicker of movement caught my eye down and to the left of my foot. I searched for another sign of whatever it was, but the white of the rapids hid most of what was below.
There was movement again. This time I could tell it was pale and thin. It had to be a fish, possibly a snake. Neither of which would harm me.
I lifted my leg to hop to the next boulder when the thing shot out of the water and grabbed my ankle. I screamed, arms pinwheeling as I lost my footing.
In a flash, I was under the churning water, the depth deeper that I thought. I kicked and fought, trying to get to the surface. The hold on my ankle tightened.
I looked to see what had me in its clutches and saw a ghastly, skeletal face smiling at me.
A wraith.
My heart shot into my throat and for a moment, I didn”t think I”d surface.
I struggled against the wraith”s hold, panic flooding my veins with adrenaline. Lungs burning, I writhed and kicked with all my might. Its grip was an iron shackle, impossible to break free from.
A blast of light nearly blinded me as it shot by. Then another, followed by a bone-chilling watery scream from the devilish creature. Its hands fell away as a shower of ice and magic rained down.
I kicked to the surface, my movements slow and awkward. I was certain my ankle was no longer attached to my leg. My body had gone numb, but shook dramatically anyway.
My head breached the rapids and I sucked in precious air, gasping and wheezing. Raina stood on the far bank, hands outstretched and crackling with magic. Her violet eyes were narrowed in concentration, fixed on the water.
“Swim,” Raina ordered, her voice ringing with power and authority.
I did the best I could, the current moving me as I inched my way to safety. Raina ran with me, keeping parallel to my position as she scanned the water.
“There”s an uprooted tree lying down in the water. You”ll reach it in about four seconds.”
Turning my head, I nearly missed it. Luckily I got an arm hooked on a branch before I was carried further away. Raina scowled, looking around.
“Don”t move, Aeryn. This will hurt but do not move.”
Kneeling, Raina put her hands into the stream. The temperature dropped even more, ice picks stabbed at me. My teeth chattered.
But then the water level started going down. A wall of ice was taking shape just upstream until it completely blocked the flow.
Raina sighed in relief, the magic fading from her hands. She hurried down the slope to where I sat on a shallow part of the riverbed.
Concern etched into her delicate features. “Are you all right?”
I tried to speak but I couldn”t. She made a grunting noise.
A shout rang through the trees, followed by the sounds of crashing footsteps. I looked up, watching with relief as Sofiya came into view, along with a few others.
Sofiya rushed forward, throwing her arms around me in a fierce hug. “Aeryn! Thank the gods you”re safe.” Her amber eyes were bright with tears as she pulled away to check me for injuries.
“I cannot believe they put you with Zoriyah. Did she do this?” she demanded.
“She can”t speak,” Raina answered for me. “But it wasn”t Zoriyah. Something pulled her in. A wraith, I think. Help me get her up to the bank before I lose my hold on the river.”
Sofiya turned to the wall of ice right when a loud crack zigzagged up the middle. “Hurry!” she yelled.
It was beyond frustrating that I was so vulnerable. But my friends lifted me with surprising ease and got me to safety before the force of the rapids shattered the frost nymph”s ice.
Raina dropped to all fours, checking me over. “Her ankle is dislocated. Sofiya, you”re going to have to go get help.”
“I think help’s already here,” Sofiya breathed.
Soldiers were emerging from the trees, up and down both sides of the river. Their commanders, Lorne and Liam, regarded us with stolid expressions.
Liam”s gaze lingered on Raina. “What did you do to her?” he accused.
Sofiya pointed a finger at him, looking more enraged than I”d ever seen her. “You leave her alone. Raina saved Aeryn”s life. The wraith is to blame.”
In a single leap, Lorne was standing five inches from Sofiya. She threw her hands up protectively and his brow lowered. He immediately backed away.
“What wraith?” he demanded.
“The one I killed,” Raina replied. “I froze him and then busted him into pieces. I”m sure you”ll find parts downstream.”
“G-g-good j-job,” I stuttered, my teeth chattering uncontrollably.
“Don”t try to talk,” Sofiya cooed. “We”ll get you out of here. Won”t we?” she looked pointedly at Lorne.
The corner of the behemoth”s mouth twitched. “Whatever you say, my lady.”
Good gods, was Lorne flirting? I tried to get a good look at them both but was distracted by Liam”s quiet grumblings at Raina.
“It”s nothing to do with you,” was her reply, throwing his words from last night back at him.
I really needed my brain and body to cooperate. I was missing everything! Well, everything aside from the tension. Soon the river might start boiling from all the heat the foursome was giving off.
My musings were interrupted by a surge of power, like the crackle of electricity in the air before a storm. A pillar of shadows formed before us, twisting and churning until a familiar figure emerged.
Nox strode forward, his gaze scanning the group before settling on me on the ground, shivering at my friends” feet. He took a quick step toward me, then stopped, scanning our surroundings.
My heart pounded as a rush of heat flooded my cheeks. It stung thanks to how frozen I was.
“What happened?” Nox interrogated, his voice a low growl. His fists were clenched at his sides, shadows flickering around him in a display of barely contained power.
Lorne cleared his throat, drawing Nox”s attention. “It appears there”s been a breach. A wraith–”
“Another?” Nox hissed.
He spun, pinning me in place with his piercing gaze. If I hadn”t been shaking I”d have squirmed.
“There”s been more than one?” Raina asked.
No one answered. Nox stared at me for a long moment. Acutely. Scathingly. But something else, too. Worriedly.
Cursing under his breath, he came to me, effortlessly scooping me off the ground. My ears were now ringing. I couldn”t feel my limbs.
I knew words were being said, Nox shouting orders. Black smoke clouded my vision. No, not smoke. Shadows.
Then harsh light forced my eyes shut. Nox lowered his forehead to mine. His chest vibrated as he said something in another language.
Then he howled, “Sage!”
The name echoed through the exam room. A door slammed against the wall and his sister came running through in a panic.
“Oh shit, Nox. What happened?”
“Fix. Her.” Each word was punctuated with a menacing step towards the healer. “Now.”
“What. Happened?” she punctuated just as menacingly.
I shivered as a chill ran down my spine, remnants of the wraith”s frozen touch still lingering within my bones. His hold tightened.
“Wraith. It pulled her into the water.”
“Put her on the table so I can take a look.”
Gently, he did as instructed. With another growl, Nox pulled shadows into him.
“Where are you going?” Sage demanded.
“We”ve had two breaches. It”s not a coincidence they happened while the trials are getting started. I”m going hunting.”
Briefly, he paused to spear me with those stormy eyes. “Fix her before I return.”
Nox disappeared and Sage rolled her eyes. “And he thinks everyone else is dramatic.”
Her hands hovered up and down, from my head to my toes. Her nose wrinkled.
“Well, your ankle”s a right mess and your temperature is so low your heart is having trouble pumping. Any chance you came into contact with a shit ton of ice?”
“F-frost ma-gic.”
“That explains it. You pissed off a powerful fae.”
“No. Sh-she saved m-me.”
“Ah. Well, let”s get you fixed before my brother has me chained and flogged, shall we?”
Sage”s cool hands slid over my skin as she worked, knitting me back together with threads of power. The sharp ache in my chest eased, replaced by a bone-deep weariness. My eyelids drooped, too heavy to remain open.
A blanket was draped over me, soft as a cloud. I tried to stay awake, to be alert enough to keep up with whatever was going on.
“Rest now,” Sage whispered. “You will heal, but you must allow your body to recover.”
I wanted to protest, to stand on my own two feet out of sheer stubbornness. But even that small act seemed beyond my capabilities. Darkness crept into the edges of my vision, blurring the lines of the room.
When I next opened my eyes, pale moonlight filtered through the windows. I was tucked into my own bed, the familiar scents of jasmine and nutmeg wrapping around me like a comforting embrace.
Sofiya and Raina had been here.
A dark figure took shape at the foot of the bed. I recognized the quiet grace in the intruder”s movements, the subtle scent of leather and spice.
Nox.
I didn”t have the energy to face him. I kept my breathing slow and even, feigning sleep.
He crossed the room and lingered at my bedside, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. A single finger traced the line of my cheek, a fleeting caress.
My pulse whooshed.
“Rest well, little hellion. And keep this on you at all times,” he said with a voice soft as velvet.
He laid something next to my head. My eyes popped open.
Before I could sit up, he was gone, nothing but shadows left in his wake. I looked down.
A dagger lay on my pillow tucked into a leather sheath. I picked it up, joyful to have my family”s blade back.
I blinked. It wasn”t my dagger.
It was his.