by Dyan Chick
A sickening snap echoed through the woods and the creature howled in agony, falling to its side. It pulled its injured wing away from me and I ran far enough away to avoid getting swiped by its claws.
The creature growled as it set its eyes on me.
“You want me to break the other wing?” I taunted, anger replacing fear.
I glanced over at Malin, who was holding onto the back of one of the other Sodalis. There were only two here which meant either the injured one had fled, or it was waiting to surprise us.
I didn’t like those odds. I had to take this monster out.
The monster tucked its newly injured wing behind itself and bared its teeth at me. Eyes narrowed, the beast charged.
I shifted to the side, intending to dodge its attack and slipped, landing face down in the dirt. When I set my hands down to push myself up, I felt something hard under my grip. Quickly, I dug a rock twice the size of my hand out of the dirt.
The creature was on me as soon as I stood, jaws snapping. With a deep breath, I hurled the rock as hard as I could along the side of the monster’s face. I lifted the rock and slammed it again onto the side of its head, a sickening crack sounding on impact.
The creature yelped like an injured dog and then started coughing. Yellow and red ooze poured from its mouth and I scrambled away, knowing I didn’t want to risk any poison from this foul-smelling creature.
Dropping the rock, I took heaving breaths as I watched the Sodalis convulse for a minute before finally falling to the ground. Oozing blood and snot continued to pour from its gaping mouth as it drew in its final rattling breath.
Satisfied that it was dead, I got to my feet and headed for Malin. She’d managed to injure the other monster. It was limping toward her with two shredded wings. Malin was crawling away from it, dragging her bloody legs behind her.
Nostrils flaring, burning anger surged within me and I screamed as I charged the beast. The creature turned toward me, roaring as it limped my way.
On instinct, I lifted my hands and called forth a shield. Only I didn’t summon it to protect me. I imagined it hitting the beast. Going right through it.
A blinding white light shot from my fingertips and a second later, I heard a thump as the monster hit the ground.
The light cleared and I stared wide eyed at a Sodalis split in two. Its guts on full display, steam rising from them into the cold air. The monster didn’t even have time to cry out in pain. It was dead the moment the magic hit it.
Chest heaving, I swallowed hard as I stared at the mess I’d left. I had a feeling this was another one of those things nobody should know about. Being able to cut a monster in half was probably something that would cause some alarm. If it were normal, I was guessing that Cormac or Ethan or Dane would have used it to get us away from the monsters we’d met.
“Cassia?” Malin called.
I shook my head and turned away from the beast, trying to clear the image of the pile of blood, guts, and fur. “Malin, where are you?”
I found Malin a few trees away, propped up against the trunk. Both of her legs were scratched up and bloody. I could see the bone in one of them. I knelt down next to her. “Tell me what to do.”
“If I don’t get an antidote, I’m not going to make it,” she said.
“Where can I find it?” I asked.
“You won’t,” she said. “You need to leave me here. Go find the stone.”
“I’m not leaving you and you know that,” I said.
“Please, don’t let them win,” she said.
I stroked her hair. “Don’t worry about me. Tell me how you’re feeling.”
“I don’t feel much of anything anymore,” she said.
“Sing to me,” I said, knowing I needed to keep her awake. “Please.”
She started singing a lullaby that I didn’t recognize. She had a beautiful voice.
“Keep singing,” I said as I stood. I looked around, trying to gauge the time and my location. With the gray clouds blocking the sun, it was impossible. All I could see were trees.
I closed my eyes. Cormac was on the palace grounds somewhere and I knew he’d be able to feel me. I wasn’t sure if summoning him would cost me the crown but getting him to find us was Malin’s only hope at survival.
Chapter Seventeen
I tried to lift Malin but I couldn’t carry her without dragging her through the woods. If help didn’t arrive soon, I might be out of options. Hoping I could at least ease her pain and rid her of the toxin from the Sodalis venom, I lifted my hands above her legs, sending every bit of healing magic I could. I had cured the queen, but I’d used other Fae magic to aid in that. And with that, I was sending away a poison. Malin’s wounds were so much deeper than that.
Cold air blew through my clothes, chilling me to the bone. My teeth chattered as I worked in the swirling snow. It wasn’t cold enough for it to stick to the ground yet, but everything was wet. The gray clouds deepened as night settled into the woods. I dropped my hands and wiped the sweat from my brow. Magic nearly depleted, I had developed a cold sweat. I wondered if building a fire would draw more creatures to us. As it was, the scent of Malin’s blood would bring every nocturnal predator.
I set my palm on her chest and breathed a sigh of relief when I felt the steady breath. At least she was still alive. For now.
Closing my eyes again, I found the spark of my magic. It was fading, weak, and difficult to grasp. After a few attempts, I finally got hold of a thread and called to Cormac. I needed help. Where was he?
Cormac. Ethan. Dane. Tristan. Mother. Anyone. Please, we need help.
I sent the cry outward from within, using all my strength to push it toward all of those who had a connection with me. Surly, someone would feel it.
Grasping the last of my magic, I tried once more.
Cormac, Ethan, Dane, Tristan, anyone?
The spark flickered out and I slumped down, exhausted. I knew I was done until I had some rest and something to eat. Magic had to have time to recover and I’d spent it all.
I could still walk. I could head toward the palace and hope for the best, but I knew I couldn’t leave Malin. Now, I had to wait and see if it was the beasts or my friends who found us first.
As the sky darkened more, I pulled my knees into my chest. If we survived the night, it was possible Malin would be healed enough to walk with some assistance if I had done enough to help her. If we could survive tonight, we had a chance.
I dozed in and out of sleep, snapping awake with a start to any rustling sound or distant creature running through the woods. Forcing myself to stay awake wasn’t easy. I drifted to sleep again, only to wake with my teeth chattering.
Rubbing my hands together, I tried to warm myself. Then, I checked on Malin. She was still breathing, but she was as cold as ice.
I looked into the sky, hoping for some sign of sunrise or a guiding star. The dark night sky was still covered in clouds, preventing all the stars from shining through. I didn’t know if we’d been here for minutes or hours.
Something rustled behind us. Something big.
I stood and turned toward the sound, my heart thundering and blood rushing into my ears. I had no weapon and no magic. Cursing myself for not picking up a rock or a pointed stick, I faced the sound. I’d been through too much tonight to back down because something in the woods thought we smelled like dinner. I’d kick it if I had to.
“Cassia?”
I held my breath, swearing I’d just heard Tristan calling my name. That couldn’t be. He was in the Winter Court. He wasn’t here.
“Cassia, is that you?”
“Tristan?” I almost didn’t care if this was a dream. Maybe I was taking my last breaths and imagining this. At this point, seeing his face, real or imagined, would be worth it.
“Cassia, I’m here,” he said.
A second later, Tristan emerged in front of me. He stopped when he saw me. I could barely make out the details of his face in the darkness, but I could sense
him. I would know the way he made me feel anywhere.
He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around me. I leaned into him, breathing him in as he pulled me close.
I sobbed into his chest, letting all of my fear and worry from the last day out. “Thank you.”
He stroked my hair. “You’re safe now.”
It took me a minute to stop the tears, but I finally caught my breath. “Malin, she was hurt and I couldn’t get her back.”
Tristan kept an arm wrapped around my waist while he adjusted so he could see where I’d propped Malin against a tree. “She’s why you stayed?”
“Yes,” I said. “I couldn’t leave her.”
“Alright,” he said. “I’ll get you both home.”
He let go of me, then knelt down next to Malin. He scooped her up gently in his arms, cradling her like a child. “Hold my hand.”
I grabbed his hand so Malin was between us. A second later, everything went black as we slid away.
Guards surrounded us in a flurry of activity, swords drawn, as soon as we appeared at the palace doors.
“Stand back,” Tristan said.
“Injured candidate,” I called. “Lower your weapons.”
The guards hesitated and then one of them spoke, “Lower your weapons.”
The guards backed up and sheathed their swords while the guard who spoke came forward. “What happened?”
“We were attacked by Sodalis. Four of them,” I said. “Malin is hurt, and she needs a healer.”
“What’s all this commotion?” Jaya’s voice came from behind.
I turned to see her rushing down the stairs, followed by Amala and the other members of the council.
“The contest is over,” Amala said. “Lilian already returned with the stone. You’re not getting out of this one so easy this time.”
“I’m not trying to get out of anything,” I said. “We were attacked. I don’t care who found the stone. Just help her.”
“What do you mean you don’t care? You have no respect for our traditions,” Amala said.
“Stop talking, Amala,” Jaya said as she descended the rest of the steps to reach me. “Tell me what happened.”
“We were attacked,” I said.
“She said there were four Sodalis,” the guard added.
“Then what are you doing here? Why aren’t you out there finding them? If there are Under creatures here, there’s a tear on palace grounds!” Jaya shouted.
The guard cleared his throat and looked nervously from me to Jaya.
“She’s right, you know,” Tristan said. “Shouldn’t you be calling the Autumn Prince and his friends?”
The guard narrowed his eyes. “You’re not supposed to be here, Winter Fae.”
“That’s Winter King,” Tristan snapped.
“I’ll get the queen to sort this out if you’d rather wait,” Jaya said.
“We’re going now,” the guard said.
I turned to Jaya. “Thank you.”
She smiled at me then looked at Tristan. “Can you carry her in for me? She needs to see the healer right away.”
Tristan nodded and followed Jaya up the stairs. I took up the rear behind them.
Amala stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “Don’t think you’re fooling me.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said.
She lowered her gaze, then looked back up to my face as if she was inspecting the state of me. I knew I was a mess. My clothes were torn and bloody. My arms and legs were cut from branches and fighting. My hair probably looked like a wild mess of fluff.
“You won’t be queen. You have to win these trials. There is no other way. Your mother can’t help you this time,” she said.
“I heard you the first time you threatened me tonight,” I said. “And I’ll tell you again, I’m not planning to lose.”
“You lose the next trial and you’re finished,” she said. “Even if you try to blame your loss on mythical beasts in the palace woods.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Are you accusing me of lying?”
“It’s a human trick, you’re nearly human,” she said. “I’ve met other changelings who could lie after they returned from the human realm. You’re nothing special.”
“I’m not lying,” I said. “But I don’t really care what you think.”
“You should,” she said. “I am advisor to the queen, and I will be advisor to the next queen. When she asks what I think she should do about you, I’ll tell her she’d be better off if you were eliminated.”
My jaw tightened as I clenched my teeth. This wasn’t exactly new. My mother had warned me that the new queen would see me as a threat, but until now, I’d never had anyone directly threaten my life if I lost.
“Don’t think you’re special, just because of that prophecy. I know you’re nothing,” she said, then turned and walked up the stairs.
My brow furrowed as I watched her walk. I had no idea what she was talking about. The only prophecy I knew of was the vision the seer had of me when Cormac took me to meet his old girlfriend. Was that what she was talking about?
Shaking my head, I pushed it aside for now. I was too tired to think about anything other than Malin’s safety and my own bed.
“Excuse me?” I asked the guard standing at the door. “Can you tell me where Jaya went?”
He pointed down the hall to the left and I took off without another word.
A high-pitched scream came from the direction I was walking toward and I picked up pace, running toward the sound. Breathless, I arrived at a room at the end of a long hallway. Through the cracked open door, I could see Tristan’s back.
I pushed the door open. Tristan and Jaya were at the foot of a bed where Malin was laying. The queen’s healer was standing next to her, his hands above her legs.
A choked cry stuck in my throat when I saw that she was awake. And screaming. Tears streamed down her cheeks and the healer worked his magic on her legs. She gasped then clenched her teeth, grunting in pain as her body twitched.
I bit down on the inside of my cheek, holding back my own tears as I watched her writhe in pain. Malin’s face was ashen, all color gone, but her eyes were open and she was breathing. That had to be a good sign.
Finally, the healer took a step back and Malin laid her head back, sucking in deep breaths.
I stood there next to Tristan, watching her silently for what felt like minutes. Finally, Malin’s eyes found mine and she forced a smile on her face. “You couldn’t leave me to die, could you?”
With a breath of relief, I walked over to her. “You’re not getting out of this that easily.”
“Oh yes I am,” she said. “I’m done.”
“No, you’re not,” I said.
“There’s no way I’ll be ready to go back out there and compete, you know that,” she said.
“I know,” I said. “But when I win, I’m going to need someone like you on my council so you can’t go anywhere.”
She laughed. “Deal.”
“Lady Malin needs her rest,” the healer said.
“Is she going to be alright?” I asked.
“It’ll be a few days before she’s walking again,” the healer said. “But thanks to you, I think she’ll recover fully.”
“Thank you for helping her,” I said.
The healer nodded.
I leaned down and kissed Malin’s forehead. “Get better. I need you.”
“Of course, My Lady,” Malin said.
“Don’t worry, Cassia, I’ll stay with her tonight,” Jaya said. “Go get some rest.”
Tristan laced his fingers in mine as we walked out of the room. “Should I ask the healer to look at you as well?”
“I think I’m fine,” I said.
He pulled me aside. “I’d feel better if I can look at you myself.”
“Does that mean you’re not in a hurry to get back to the Winter Court?” I asked.
“Tonight, I’m all yours.”
Chapter Eighteen
The second the door closed, Tristan tugged off my torn tunic. He lifted me and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pressed his lips against mine.
With our tongues intertwined, hands all over each other, Tristan carried me to my bed and carefully set me down. He pulled away, taking a break only long enough to tug off my leggings.
In a fluid movement, he had his own clothes off, then he returned to his position on top of me, his mouth finding mine.
Someone knocked on the door. I turned to look at it, half expecting it to burst open.
“Ignore it,” Tristan said, gently turning my chin so I was facing him. “You have the night off.”
The knocking sounded again. My brow furrowed as I turned from Tristan to the door, then back to him. “What do you think they want?”
He lifted me off him and grabbed a blanket, tossing it over me on his naked walk to the door. I wrapped the blanket around me and hopped off the bed, taking a few steps closer to the door.
He opened the door, standing there in all his glory. “You better have a good reason for knocking.”
Lilian’s face went crimson.
I rushed to the door, moving in front of Tristan. It was bad enough that I’d taken Cormac from her, now I was showing off Tristan. And Tristan naked had plenty to show.
“What happened?” I asked.
She cleared her throat and tore her eyes off of Tristan to look at me. “I have to talk to you, it’s important.”
“I’ve heard this one before,” I said. “Who are you really?”
“I’m missing something, aren’t I?” Tristan asked.
I looked over at him. “I’ll explain it to you later.”
“I’m not the impostor,” Lilian said. “And I still hate you.”
“You sure sound like Lilian,” I said. “I need more proof than that.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I once told you that if I wanted you dead, you’d be dead.” She lowered her voice. “And I told you why I’m really here.”