He blasts a heavy blaze of fire right at me and I twist away, leaving only black smoke in my stead. I appear in another place and repeat the process.
“Go!” I shout to the dwarf. “Run past them. You don’t need to fight them; you just need to keep running.” Him especially, who’s largest disadvantage to begin with is speed.
He blinks at me from behind his shield. But then he looks up at the dragon, and the moment I poof away from the dragon a fourth time, he sprints for the lake water, where the trail leads. It’s still far off, but if he’s lucky, he’ll make it without incident.
The Webbed Court girl follows suit with her dragon opponent stuck well and good in her webs.
I follow behind, reaching the black dragon, who isn’t as impressed or confused by my ability as the red dragon. But that doesn’t matter. I have a new plan.
I shoot forward, leaping up, and land on the black dragon’s tail. I call to the red dragon, and then poof away towards the water. The other two champions go wide-eyed, realizing what’s about to happen just a moment before it does. They sprint after me, the last one’s hood catching fire as he sprints away from the now battling dragons.
Mr. Black Dragon was not very pleased when the red dragon scorched him.
My little mini crew—who by the way hate me as much as the others—make it through the water quickly. I waste no time, unsure of what might be in the dark waves—kelpies or krakens, waiting for an unsuspecting champion to munch. I am the first of this small group to exit the water.
My chest is tight, eyes fierce, but I’m relieved I didn’t have to fight something in the water. And even more so that the stretch of path in front of me is open and clear, no obstacles or opponents to be seen.
But my relief is short lived because one step I’m upright and the next—I’m not.
A vine snaps around my ankle, pulling my feet out from under me. My head smacks the ground in a sickening crack.
A sinister laugh rumbles from the forest line as I hang unceremoniously by my ankle. My heart throbs as I realize this wasn’t random.
A dark form comes into focus as I twist, swinging in the stupid vine trap.
“Hello, Rev,” I say casually, crossing my arms.
Four other forms appear before him: the redhead, the white-haired fae, Prick-a something or another, and Rook, each holding a wriggling creature.
“This is only the beginning if you keep going,” Rev says, his eyes dark. Pain. He’s in pain. I swallow.
They release the water goblins—the worst! Sharp toothed with long claws that love to sink into warm human flesh. The creatures sprint to me, claws flying. I twist just before one of their sharp claws swipes across my face. The first digs into my back, searing my whole body in agony. I can’t hold back a pathetic scream as my focus narrows to only the pain.
Rev and his friends laugh and then march away.
I send a short blast of acidic smoke to my goblin attackers and they drop to the floor, hissing. They won’t be deterred for long though, so I pull my body up and pull at the thick vines on my ankle. It won’t come free with only my fingers. I could use my swords, but they aren’t exactly made for sawing rope-like vines.
A goblin leaps onto my back, his teeth sinking into my shoulder and I fly back down, my head just missing smacking the ground a second time. Dammit!
Three of the fae I helped with the dragons pass by me without so much as a glance my way as I struggle to get free again. Perfect. Glad I made such good friends.
Screw this, I think and curl my body as tightly as I can manage in this position, focusing on centering my energy, despite the rips and tears in my muscles. I have the magic to get free of this. It’s just magic I may need later.
But what use is saving magic if my muscles are torn to pieces?
My magic explodes and shatters three of the four creatures into little bits. The last misses the full explosion, but one of its legs is torn open and splattering out black blood. It stares at me with wide fearful eyes.
Moments later, it huffs away into the forest dragging its wounded leg behind it.
Blood drips down my temple, warmth soaks my back. I take in a few long breaths before trying to free myself again, but then a set of boots are in front of me and someone is sawing away at my bindings.
I drop to the floor in a heap, only barely managing to catch myself and roll into a semi-graceful fall.
“Ow.” I grip my shoulder and back, the two of the worst injuries.
The dwarf-like fae drops a vial beside me. “We’re even,” he says and then sprints away.
I hadn’t expected anything from them for my assistance, but it’s nice to know I’d earned it from him, at least. I’ll keep that in mind for later in the trials. That is if either of us make it through this one.
I might have to expose more of my magic than I’d planned on in order to survive the first. He, however, is going to have to pick up the damned pace if he wants to continue on.
As he disappears down the quiet trial, I examine the vial he dropped. I pull out the cork and sniff it. I have no idea what is in it. Could he have given me a poison draft and later pretend it was an accidental switch up? He could have helped me just to ensure my death.
I could make it through this race without it. Maybe. My wound is bleeding pretty badly. I’d have to empty out my magical well, expose my abilities, and I’d be on death’s door by the time I reached the finish line, but I could feasibly do it.
I bite my lip as I consider. I’ve never been very good at judgement calls but this one—this one I’ll just have to take the chance. I have several more items to add to my “to-get” list for the next trial: dagger, potions, allies.
Because clearly that’s playing a large part in this stupid thing. Rev has his three ruling court friends. The other ruling court candidates are presumably against him. Are they working together? Would they want to take on Rev’s enemy as part of their strategy?
I’ll have to look into these possibilities, but until then, I have the beginnings of an alliance right here in my hand. I just have to take the risk.
I gulp down the blue potion with a wince. I keep my eyes closed while chanting, please don’t die. Please don’t die.
The roaring pain in my back subsides. I roll my shoulder, shivering at the strange sensation of the blood clotting quickly and strongly. The muscle is still weak and sore, not healed, but the pain has subsided and the blood loss contained. A temporary fix.
I’ll take it.
Another reminder: figure out my new friend’s name because I can’t keep calling him dwarf.
I swallow and stand. I’ve made it maybe a third of the way through the challenge but wasted at least half the time. Now, I’m going to have to race for it.
Rev
Rook and Brielle run ahead, laughing as they push at each other. She’s in a better mood than I’ve seen her in days, assuming we’ve ended the betrayer once and for all.
I am less certain, but I won’t dim her joy.
Brielle casts a wall of fire that stops Rook in his tracks. She laughs heartily as she sprints farther toward the finish line. Rook sneers at the flames snaking toward the sky, blocking our path. I blast a jolt of light through the wall that creates a door-sized opening. He winks at me and races through. He has a little catching up to do.
I, on the other hand, am not worried about time. I’ll push through, running through the next few miles, but if anyone passes me, I am not concerned.
I’m more worried about whether the betrayer made it out of my trap alive. She shouldn’t have, but you never know. The most evil fae tend to be the slipperiest. And the most beautiful. Go figure.
I won’t feel the relief until her corpse is removed or at least when her name is crossed from the champions’ board.
I climb up a wall of thorns and swing over an acid pit. These obstacles are easy.
No fae pass me from behind for several miles, even though I’m taking my time, which I find comforting. I pass up one o
f the lesser court’s champions and another that’s trapped in a sinking sandpit. That leaves only seven ahead of me—all ruling courts. That works for me. If we could get all the weak courts out of the competition, any political grumbling would end quickly and easily, and I’d be able to focus on my real competition.
I pass the six-mile marker, followed quickly by the seven-mile marker only minutes later. Too easy. I’m now three miles from the finish with twenty-five minutes to go. At full speed it would take me ten, max.
I hear scuffling and yelling up ahead.
Perfect, this must be the climax.
I stop as I realize the trial ends over a cliff. In the massive canyon below, smoke rises. The inhuman screech of some dark creature causes a shiver to run down my back. I spy bat-like wings flickering into view and then out. Great. Shadow-vyrns. Flying lizard-like creatures, fast and vicious and dumb as rocks.
Across the cavern, there is a metal-wire bridge already half torn to pieces. One side is destroyed entirely, leaving two wires—one a few feet above the other, stretching across the void with bits of metal and scorched wood hanging off of it. This is going to be interesting.
“Come on, Rev!”
I blink, as I notice Brielle standing at the edge, waving at me. I sprint to her, eyes wide. By my estimation, the canyon is half a mile wide and several miles deep, with the viscous creatures swarming the place. We’ll have to inch over this wire while fighting these things. There’s no other way across unless you’re a lucky wind rider. I’m assuming Drake’s already long past. Not that he’d help if he was. He’s as desperate for the crown as I am. He’d enjoy ripping it from my cold dead fingers.
“Come on. We’ll cross together, and I’m going to torch the thing once we’re across.”
I give her a sharp nod. Good, we’ll be the last to cross. No one else will be able to make the finish line in time. Even we’re cutting it close now. This half a mile will take at least ten minutes.
A female fae comes into view behind us, and my stomach drops until I notice her dark skin and curly hair. Not the betrayer. Good.
It’s the webbed girl.
“We could probably use the help,” I tell Brielle, nodding towards the female fae racing towards us.
She sneers but concedes and we pause until she reaches us. “We’ll fight them together,” I shout to the girl. I don’t know her name. I don’t care.
She nods, her eyes wide, but she doesn’t speak.
We begin inching across the wire bolted to the cliff side. It shutters and sways as I step out from the rock-side cliff, all my weight on the small wire. The first shadow-vyrn bolts towards us, and Brielle sends a roaring wolf of flame at it. The wyvern dodges it and squeals, diving down and rising with a few friends. Dammit.
“Move faster!” I shout at Brielle. We need to take the inches we can get before the real fighting starts. We’re only fifteen feet out when the three wyverns attack. I explode with light, and they squeal in pain, eyes closed. Shadow creatures hate luminescent light. They’re not fans of fire, but so long as it doesn’t touch them, they’re able to deal.
My light is from the sun. The antithesis to their magic. “Move!” I shout again as we take long steps. I cover all three of us with light, and the wyverns swarm around, looking for a weakness but not getting close enough to strike.
Brielle’s hands shake, her feet unsteady. Dammit, I should have gone first.
“Stop,” I tell her. My light still shines bright around us. “I’m going to pass you, just stay still.” I carefully step around her, holding her by the waist with one hand, the other only holding tightly to the top wire. She whimpers, but spider girl helps to steady her, and when I’m clear, I move forward. The flying lizards are angrily trying to get past my light shield. It’s taking up a lot of my energy but for the moment, it’s working.
By the time we get across, I won’t have any magic left. But that’s a problem for future-me. I move quickly across the wire, Brielle’s hands on my shoulders. Around us, my blinding white light is all that’s visible. Which is good because it means we can’t see down. We can hear the high-pitched screeching of the shadow-vyrns. We can feel the unsteady wire. But it does help to focus. One step at a time. Big steps, as quickly as we can manage.
A set of shining black teeth suddenly chomp through the light barrier and graze my right shoulder. I jerk and nearly send us all flying off the wire. Brielle screams and bends forward, hyperventilating. The nameless fae shoots a blob of black magic at bodiless teeth and the creature roars, reeling back.
“Keep it up!” I shout. They will break through my shield at some point, but the more we can delay it, the better. I keep taking long steady steps. Brielle’s breathing is shaky, and I wonder if she’s trying not to cry. “Keep walking. Just one step at a time,” I say in a soothing tone.
Another sticky-black blob of magic flies past my ear, into a snout I hadn’t even seen until it was already pulling back. “Good job.” I can’t tell how far we’ve gone or how far we have to go because the light blocks the view, even for me.
It doesn’t matter. We’ll keep moving until we hit solid ground. We will keep going until we don’t have to.
I don’t know how much time has passed. Again, I don’t care. I’ll go as fast as I’m able. Another snapping jaw comes at me, and another shot of web magic pushes them back.
This girl is from one of the lesser courts, a branch from Shadow Court if my history is correct—she’s not someone I’d usually ally with, but at this point, beggars can’t be choosers.
She’s doing well, and I don’t care where she comes from. I need her help. Brielle is surely not doing much for us at the moment. I’d be screwed without spider-girl.
A claw slams through my shield, and my balance wavers. My light splinters, and I shudder as I watch the darkness crackle over the shield. Webbed girl cries out as she shoots everything she has at the monster pulling at the light, peeling it away. Several blasts hit its claws, and it roars in pain, but it doesn’t stop.
My teeth chatter as cold washes over me, my vision blinking black. “I have to let it go,” I shout. “Get ready! One. Two. Three.”
I drop the shield suddenly, and the shadow-vyrn stumbles forward, claws flying. Brielle shoots fire from her hands, raging over the attacking wyvern and tossing it to the side, but there are more waiting. Claws and teeth bombard us until I can’t tell which creature is which. I fall to the wire, hands shaking as a roaring fire covers us. A piercing scream digs into my ears, and I turn to see my new nameless ally topple over, black teeth ripping into the flesh of her bicep. The creature drops her, and she falls into the mouth of another, her screams of agony rippling through the cavern.
“Dammit!” I shout, but it’s way too late to save her.
“She’s nothing. We’re almost there,” Brielle says, her voice steadier than I’d have expected. “And she’s distracting them.”
“She saved us. You know that, right?” She’s right though, we have a moment to breathe while they rip her body to shreds. There will be nothing left to bury.
“It’s doesn’t matter now! I have enough energy for only a few minutes. We’ll have to run.”
I look up, we are more than three quarters of the way across. “I can do another minute once yours fails, but we’ll still have to move fast.”
I stand and press on, Brielle’s fingers clawing into my back as I march. Her fire shields us as the creatures resume their attack. I pull out my sword this time, knowing they’ll bust through the fire easier than my light, and I’m ready when teeth attack. I shove my blade into the first’s jaw, black blood splattering.
I step. And step. And slash as claws fly. Step. Step. Step. Slash.
Brielle’s fire dims to a flicker and I measure our distance. One hundred feet or so. I take a larger step and blast every ounce of magic I have left in my body. It takes down two creatures and gives me the space I need to take another ten feet. I do it again, another ten feet. My well is drying. Each bla
st is smaller. Dimmer. We’re fifty feet from the edge.
We can do it. We have to do it.
A massive black shadow blocks out the light of the sun, and we pause to look up to find a wyvern twice the size of the rest. “Run!” I shout. We abandon our shields and our balance as we sprint the last fifty feet. Brielle screams, losing her balance and pitching to the right. I reach for her.
Our hands clasp, but it throws me off balance and we’re both falling towards the pit below. A vine whips out in front of me and I grab it as I fall. One hand holds Brielle’s arm and the other the vine, and we swing into the cliff side, my right shoulder taking the brunt of the blow as we crash into the amber stone.
Brielle’s body is limp, and I can’t climb up while holding her dead weight. And that’s besides the fact that my shoulder is roaring in pain, muscles ripping, possibly out of socket. I use every ounce of magic I have left in me to shield us once more, but it’s only delaying the inevitable. Except, I have friends left in this thing, and the vine I still cling to retreats, pulling us toward the summit.
I hold tight to both, forcing my magic until hands grip me under my arms and my vision flickers to black.
Caelynn
There’s only fifteen minutes left in the challenge, and before me is an impossible obstacle.
The wide-open canyon is filled with shadow-vyrns. This... is going to be interesting. Across the opening, a blinding light glows, pulling up higher and higher until it reaches the top and then flickers out. It’s hard to even tell what’s happening but every shadow-vyrn swarms the light.
The moment it puffs out the creatures dive below into the dark smoke veiling the bottom of the open cavern.
Three fae are shifting slowly across the one metal wire connecting the two sides, balancing precariously. The wyverns turn their sights onto these fae, only a quarter of the way across.
I curse when I notice those on the other end of the cavern aren’t leaving. The fire bearer is over there. Her heat would be more than enough to burn this metal wire and send those fae still crawling across falling into the pit of shadow-vyrns.
Trial of Thorns (Wicked Fae Book 1) Page 6