I pull Raven along, down the stairs to a table where the queen and several court officials sit. Including Rev’s father. I stop, looking over the fae in front of me. They’re all at least a hundred years old and powerful—in more ways than one. This is the current ruling generation, the heads of each ruling court.
We stand before them and wait.
The queen stands, her harsh eyes direct and commanding. “Miss Caelynn, you’ve caused quite the stir.”
“Did you expect anything less?” I ask. To my surprise several chuckles break the tension.
“No, I did not.” She smiles. “But I did not expect you to bring a human child into our courts. Or into the trials for that matter. You do realize how reckless that was, don’t you?”
“If she didn’t before,” Reveln’s father says, his eyes dark, his hair a light shade of brown, “she certainly does now.”
I ignore his comment. “Yes.”
“Then, tell me. Why did you?”
I swallow. “It was a selfish choice, I realize. I did it... because I didn’t want to be alone.”
“And neither did I,” Raven adds in a whisper, pulling me closer, her hand tight over mine.
“You have no one in your own world?” a fae female beside the queen asks.
Raven shakes her head. “My parents are drug addicts. They haven’t been around for a long time.”
“I see,” the queen says. “The matter of the girl is quite simple, miss Caelynn. She will return home and never be allowed in our realm again.”
My eyes widen in surprise. Usually, humans who make their way to the fae realm are never allowed to leave. She’s ruling the opposite.
“She is not nor will she ever be safe here. You can understand that, yes?”
I take in a long breath. “Yes, ma’am.”
Raven has proven herself important to me, everyone will know about her now. Even if I’d won, I would still be hated. There will still be those that seek to hurt me. She’ll be a target if she stays here, even among the humans.
“You on the other hand—” she begins.
“I won’t be banished?” I interrupt. I assumed losing the trials meant I’d immediately return to my former punishment.
“You have already been banished,” Rev’s father spits.
The queen eyes him, and he sits back, crossing his arms in open annoyance, but his jaw clamps shut.
“Your previous punishment has not been revoked, Caelynn. However, as runner up to the trials... you do still hold importance.”
“Runner up?”
“Yes. This task will not be easy, and it is very possible that Reveln will not survive his time beyond the walls of the Schorchedlands.”
My stomach twists.
“As you know, only one can return from that dark place. But more than one can go, but we will choose one at a time so we don’t forfeit our most powerful fae uselessly. It was important we give the honor to the right person. The right court. It was important that everyone had a fair chance. Rev will have his chance.”
“So you’ll send me, if...”
“If Rev dies, yes.”
I bite my lip. I don’t like how she says if he dies, like she expects him to. Reveln has been the target for assassins since he was an adolescent. I tap my finger on my thigh.
“And if you do not survive, Drake will be sent. Then Brielle. You get the idea.”
I nod.
“Until the cure is retrieved, I’d like to allow the temporary suspension of your banishment to remain.”
I blink rapidly. “I can stay?”
“For now.”
Rev’s father slams his hands on the table and stands. “That’s ludicrous,” he hollers. Again, the queen shoots him an angry stare. Just one look is all it takes. He sits and puffs out his chest, composing himself. “She won’t be safe here. Do you know how many people still desire her death?”
“Like you?” I spit.
He narrows his eyes at me but doesn’t respond.
“He is correct, you may not always be safe in the fae realm. But I suspect you will do well inside the shadow lands. What do you think, Caelynn?”
My mouth falls open. “I can go back to the shadow lands?”
“They will take care of you, I am sure.”
This is not at all what I’d expected. Raven squeezes my hand suddenly, and I realize the problem with this offer. “That is... very generous of you. I am honored, truly.” I turn my attention to Raven. “But I don’t think I can leave her alone. Not right now.”
“If you had won? Would you have left her then? Or would you have brought her into the Schorchedlands with you?”
“Of course not! If I’d won, I would have done my duty. We’d talked about that already.” Raven nods somberly at my words. “But I didn’t. I don’t get the rewards; I shouldn’t also get the punishment.”
“Well said. You may go home with your human, if that is your wish. But you may also enter the fae realm as you wish until otherwise declared. I will announce your protection under my name until the time the cure is found. However, even my reach is not powerful enough to keep all enemies from you. You will do well to keep our Lord of the Luminescent Court’s warning in mind. You may have made an ally of the Luminescent heir— “
Rev’s father coughs and curls his lip in disgust.
“But you still have enemies,” the queen continues. “Enemies who may deem the consequences worth the reward of your death.”
I nod.
“You may leave, Caelynn of the Shadow Court.”
I bow my head and then pull Raven back up the stairs and out of the hall.
Rev
Caelynn comes rushing from the banquet hall, the human girl tucked under her arm protectively.
She freezes the moment she sees me, waiting just outside the doors. “Rev.” Her voice is soft.
“That was quite a scene you created yesterday.” I shake my head, unable to meet her eyes. Am I still supposed to hate her? I don’t know.
“You saved me,” the human squeaks in my direction.
I nod.
“Thank you.”
“That debt has been repaid,” I say, eyes on Caelynn whose cheeks turn red. “I’m still not sure what to make of it. That wasn’t the victory I’d imagined.”
“I suppose not,” Caelynn says smoothly, “but you’re still beloved. And once you retrieve the cure, no one will doubt you.”
I pull in a long breath. Yes, the cure. The whole thing I competed for—the chance to torture myself to save the world. Right.
I can do it, I remind myself.
“When do you go?”
I blink. “Soon. They want to make sure I am fully prepared and my health restored. I heard you’re allowed to stay.” I smile, not mentioning the fact that it was my idea. And that my father doesn’t know I made the suggestion. He already nearly disowned me the first moment he laid eyes on me after the trial’s conclusion.
He wasn’t happy I’d aligned with Caelynn but he seemed even more enraged once I won. My mother tells me he hates how I won.
I suspect he hates that I won at all.
Now, he can’t disown me without making his personal information public. He’s just going to have to hope I die in the Schorchedlands. I know he’s not the only one.
I also don’t plan to tell Caelynn about my dream last night—that creature from the caves whispering threats. Telling me I will perish inside the walls of the Schorchedlands. Laughing at me. At us, for thinking we can beat him.
I swallow and shake the thoughts from my mind. It was just paranoia, nothing more.
“Yes, they allowed me to stay. But...” Her eyes turn to the black-haired girl under her arm.
“You’re going back to the human world... with her?” I ask, my stomach squeezing uncomfortably. I don’t know why that bothers me. It’s not like she could stay in the Flicker Court or travel to the Luminescent Court. She wouldn’t be safe in either.
“Yes.”
“But
she’ll be back,” the girl adds.
Caelynn’s eyebrows pull down.
Raven smiles. “I know you want to be here.”
Caelynn shakes her head absently. “We’ll talk about it later.”
“Well,” I say, awkwardly. “I suppose, I’ll see you. Maybe.” Hopefully.
“Thank you for everything, Rev. I know...” she shakes her head. “I know this was complicated and painful, but our... alliance means a lot to me.”
I take in a breath. “Friendship,” I amend.
Another blush crosses her cheeks, and I find that I quite like it.
“Friends?” she asks sheepishly.
I nod. “Just don’t tell my father.”
“One more secret to add to the bunch.” She laughs. “If you need anything, ever. Schorchedlands or not. I’ll come.”
Her smile is small and sad but real. I watch my brother’s murderer walk away and soak in the irony of how much I hate to see her leave.
The ache in my gut tells me this isn’t over.
This is only beginning.
THIS IS INDEED ONLY the beginning for Caelynn and Rev!
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Author Note
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this book, I’d love it if you left a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Reviews make a huge difference for authors. It helps us find new readers and keep writing books.
Trial of Thorns was a whirlwind that totally took me by surprise. It started out as an attempt at “writing to market”, but I’m too suborn to write something just because I think it’ll sell. I have to fall in love. And it just so happened—I did.
This world is big and intense, and the story even more so! I have so many plans on how to expand on it. The WICKED FAE series will be a minimum of 3 books, but probably more like 5-6 Plus I totally intend to write a prequel story about how Caelynn outwitted the Night Bringer. I’m not usually a “Prequel” gal, because it feels weird jumping back in time—I’d rather move forward than learn more about what we already know. But I realized while writing Trial of Thorns, that Caelynn’s backstory is INCREDIBLE and I’m super excited to expand on it. Some stories just need to be told, and I think this is one of them. This prequel story will be available to my newsletter and reader group FIRST.
So, if you’d like to keep up to date on this series, and my other writing please join my newsletter, which you can find on my website
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She has the power to destroy him, but not if he acts first...
When a violent pirate crew raids her ball, Whitley finds an unlikely savior. Bluff, a pirate with the ability to shift his appearance at will, sweeps her away from her high society life and sneaks her onto his ship to avoid capture. But savior or not, she knows she can't trust him.
Bluff has his own reasons to ensure Whitley doesn't make it into the wrong hands—to save his own damn skin. Especially, when he learns that sirens have joined the hunt for Whitley and the power lying dormant in her blood.
Whitley is the only one who can control him and he doesn’t intend to let anyone have that much power over him.
He’s determined to avoid feelings at all costs, especially with this girl. Except he can't deny his attraction to her. Why does this high-society princess have to be so beautiful and fierce and loyal and brave? His walls are slipping every moment he spends with her and that might be the most dangerous thing of all.
Falling in love with the key to his destruction is a terrifying thought. And yet—he may be hopeless to resist.
Bluff
The crew calls out to us as we unlock the thick wooden door to the captain's quarters. There’s hooting and hollering and, of course, belly laughing galore. They're all certain it'll be the best night of my life. I'm certain it will be the most awkward.
I usher Whitley into the dark room, the wood groaning as we enter. Moonlight streams in through the window, but it's hardly enough to see by. I quickly light a few candles. The captain’s quarters are the nicest place you'll find on a pirate ship but I realize it's probably pretty awful to a girl like her.
"Bluff," she whispers.
I close my eyes and shiver at the sound of my name on her lips, but I push back the feeling. "We're just gonna sleep. Don't worry about me."
I don't look to see if she acknowledges the statement. I don't want to know if she's relieved that I won't try to seduce her or whatever sick idea she has. And I certainly don't want to know if she's disappointed.
In fact, just the thought is like a kick in the gut.
God, I need to get rid of this girl.
She walks slowly across the room, wood creaking beneath her feet. With a sigh she sits on a bench by the window, moonlight shining on her face.
I tear my eyes from her and take the opportunity to get ready for bed. If I'm sleeping in the captain's bed, I'm not sleeping in my rotting tunic—the same tunic I wore in prison. I pull the shirt over my head and toss it to the corner, then rummage through a chest of clothing laying on the ground. These are Rosemera's, and I know she wouldn't mind me taking some. In fact, she's offered on more than one occasion. For a Moroccan girl, she certainly likes her English clothing.
I find a soft pair of trousers that will do for the night. I slip my old ones off. New ones on as fast as possible. Whitley doesn't even glance my way.
When I'm finished, I approach her.
I can't help it, I'm curious.
Standing over her shoulder, I look out the window and try to decide what she's looking for.
"You love the ocean," I say. It's not a question. I can see it in her eyes, the same way I saw it when she first boarded the ship. It's a fact that scares me more than she will ever understand.
"I've never thought about it like that. It's just... beautiful out there."
I look down at her moonlit face and nod. "It is, isn't it?"
She looks up into my eyes, and I realize how close we're standing. My chest is inches from her shoulder.
My breathing slows. My heart pounds louder but not faster.
I'm calm, here, next to her.
Her watching the water, me watching her.
But I know it can't last.
I take a small step away, just enough to break the spell.
She blinks and smiles, glancing to the window and then looking at me like she can't decide which is more important.
"Can you change into anyone?" she asks, but then blushes like she can't believe she said it.
My eyebrows rise, and I wonder if there's someone in particular she wants to see.
"My shifting is pretty much limitless. I can change as much or as little about myself as I want, it just takes some concertation. So yes, I can become anyone."
"But how?"
I shrug. I don't mind questions, but that one is a bit loaded.
"Do the crew know?"
"What?"
"About your... ability?"
I cross my arms and smirk. "Yes, of course. It's gotten them out of more than one bind. Saved a few of their lives, even."
She nods.
"Do you always ask so many questions?"
She smiles. "Only when supernatural boys save me from savage pirates."
"Touché." It’s quiet for a long moment, and I assume she’s done with her questions. "We should try for some sleep. Dawn will come sooner than you think."
She peers down at the bed, furrowing her brow.
"Something wrong?"
She sighs. "This dress isn't exactly for sleeping."
Heat rushes to my face, and immediately I regret it. Not like she's gonna sleep naked.
"You need something to sleep in?"
Her eyes narrow a little an
d then she shakes her head. "It’s not really the dress, but the stay beneath.”
“Stay?”
“A corset of sorts.”
“I see.” I smirk and hope it's too dark for her to see my blush. "You want me to help you out of your dress?"
Her mouth and eyes open in surprise. "I... I mean."
I laugh. At least I can be amused by her discomfort instead of worried about the feeling in my chest. "Turn," I say. She pulls down the outer layer of her gown, exposing a small white chemise and corset.
She turns back, looking out the window again, and I tend to the string knotted at the top of her dress.
"It's tied very tightly.”
The knot comes lose immediately. I start at the bottom of her back, losing the string all the way up. "I'm a pirate. I'm good with knots."
"Right," she says in a near whisper. Brushing the hair from the back of her neck, I let my fingers run over her shoulder, pushing the fabric down.
"I think I have it from here," she says more firmly now.
I smile, my heart pounding. But I won't let her know that.
I hate pulling my hand away, but I do.
Most of all I hate that I don't want to leave her. I can't want her.
This feeling is more dangerous than Captain Stede. Wanting her will lead to... well, I don't want to even think about that. If I were to see her as anything more than a pretty princess on her way back to her fiancé...
I take in a deep breath and think about the future. She'll be safe in New York with her rich future husband, and I'll be free of the curse. A prophecy that says I’ll fall in love with her and she’ll become my destruction.
I just need to survive two more days. Two more achingly long days pretending to be with a girl I cannot have feelings for.
I crawl into bed and roll away, my back facing Whitley. Moments later, she enters silently but I can feel her heat.
"Thank you," she whispers.
I'm not sure what she's thanking me for—saving her, taking her to New York to be with her beloved Jeb, or not seducing her when I have ample opportunity?
Which makes me wonder what she would do...
Trial of Thorns (Wicked Fae Book 1) Page 26