The king himself gave a little chuckle, which pissed me off. I strode over to him forcefully, crossing the grass. This time I didn’t run but kept eye contact. I could feel my anger burning inside as everyone around me laughed.
“Give me the apple!” I shouted when I was a foot away from him. I held out my arm and concentrated. All around me people stopped laughing, and all I could hear was silence. The king looked at me through mocking eyes, as if daring me to come closer. I knew if I took one step nearer to him, he’d be gone again, and I’d be left chasing him until the studio decided enough was enough. I thought of Cass, and my anger intensified. I hated the fae, and he was the king of all of them. The king who was currently mocking me.
“Give me the apple!” I repeated, this time a little louder.
“Why don’t you make me, human?” His words were amused. He was enjoying this.
The apple was less than a foot from my hand. I concentrated the anger into a pinprick as Tristam had shown me. It burned my insides as I thought about all the time that had gone by since I last saw Cass. Then in a rush of energy, I pushed it out of me, concentrating on the apple. It wavered a bit in his hand which caused him to stiffen, but the apple remained steadfastly where it was.
Until a jet of purple light flew up from the ground, knocking his hand and sending the apple flying into the air.
I leaped up and grabbed the apple. In front of me, the king stared at me in shock as the buzzer sounded. My heart thumped in my chest as I realized I’d made it through. Relief warred with excitement and trepidation. I was going in!
It was only a few seconds later when my excitement had died down that I thought about what had happened. There was no doubt in my mind that I’d made the apple move a little, but the more I thought about it, I couldn’t see how I’d made the purple light. I hadn’t felt a power coming from me, not like I had when I’d lit the fire on the roof. I turned to the rest of the contestants to join them, and it was then that I noticed Tristam.
He pulled his hand back quickly and shoved it in his pocket, but I’d already seen it. He winked at me.
The veins in his hand glowed purple. It wasn’t me who had moved the apple after all. It was Tristam.
10
I’d hardly had time to think about what had just happened when Patricia waltzed to the front, cue card in hand. “I have here the new rankings for the Fantastic Faerie Race. The top human competitor will have first pick of our fabulous fae competitors.” I could almost hear the tense music they’d be playing over the scene as it was broadcast.
“The first competitor to choose is…Genevieve Running Deer!”
I was happy for her. At least one Helena girl could represent, even if I’d been a serious embarrassment in the last task. Cass would be proud.
Genevieve stepped up. “I choose Zee Morningfire,” she said. It was the red-haired girl with the purple tattoos on her face. I’d found out she was half-salamander, a fire elemental. She was a serious competitor. Good pick, Gen, I thought.
“Next is Phillip Ryan!”
He rubbed a tattooed hand across his beard as if considering. It was for show. I’m sure all of us had decided exactly who we wanted as our partner, and in what order. Not like I’d get to choose. I was pretty sure I’d still be last. It was like fifth-grade gym class all over again. Except I’d killed it in gym. I’d always been picked first. Stupid magic.
“I choose Dulcina Silver,” he said. Also a smart choice. The purple haired Pegasus shifter. He could just make her turn into a horse and fly them through Faerwild. I suppressed a pang of jealousy.
“Our next competitor is Sophia Hernandez!”
Sophia stepped up and waited about one-millisecond before declaring her choice, “Tristam Obanstone.” She beamed at him, and I had to hold back an eye-roll. But I probably would have picked him too, if I were her. Besides his looks, he was the king’s son. Surely, he’d have some sort of leg up in the race.
“Duncan Riker!” Patricia called.
Duncan swaggered to the front of the stage. “Yael of Barr Sliebhe,” Duncan nodded his head towards the impossibly tall pale faerie. I didn’t know much about the faerie male beyond his croissant-stealing abilities. If I was honest, he creeped me the hell out. Well, most of them did. The strange aura around the fae was faintest with Yael—as if he was barely even there. Which seemed in keeping with his ability to pop in and out and scare the crap out of me.
That left two. Pink-haired Molly and me. And two faeries. The impossibly handsome Ario Lazer, whom I had learned was an incubus—um yeah, apparently, that was a real thing—and Orin. I shivered as I looked at him, his black gaze cast down, his jaw set. He hadn’t done poorly in training. If anything, he had kept up with the rest. But his broody silence and death-glares had kept everyone from approaching him. He was the only one I hadn’t seen performing magic. Not any at all. He must be able to because he was quick to finish his tests, but he kept his talents…or lack thereof, well hidden. He was an average competitor, but a world-class asshole. And because of it, he would be picked last.
Horror overtook me as I realized what was about to happen.
“Molly Rhodes!” Patricia said, ushering Molly to the front.
I could practically mouth the words with her. “I choose Ario Lazer,” Molly said with a giggle. Ario swaggered over, throwing an arm around her shoulder, grinning and baring two pointed canines. Ugh. Those two deserved each other.
“That leaves our final competitor,” Patricia said. She seemed surprised when she read the card, but hadn’t I lived up to their little test? I either had to wow them or do magic. And I had done magic. Or, they thought I had, anyway. “Jacqueline Cunningham.”
I stepped up, my words catching in my throat. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, to face the frosty stare I knew was shooting my way. “Orin Treebaum,” I said, the words feeling like a yoke settling around my neck.
Orin and I walked stiffly to our spot on the stage as the cameras panned across the teams. These were my competition if I wanted to get the king’s boon and get Cass back. And Orin, for better or worse, had just become my only ally.
The producers wasted no time shuttling us from Herrington House to Caerleon, where we’d pass through the faerie circle into Faerwild. It seemed we were to go everywhere with our teammate now, so I was stuck with Mr. Crabbypants, as I had unceremoniously named Orin. There had been nothing but stony silence between us on the bus ride, and now that we were turning off the highway, I thought I would scream just to hear something. “Listen,” I turned to him, shaking my head. This was stupid. We’ll have to learn to work together. “You weren’t exactly my first choice either, okay?” I said. Best get it out there. “But we’re going to have to make the best of it.”
“Agreed,” he said, his arms crossed before him. “So let me handle the magic, and you can just, bat your eyelashes or whatever else you did to cheat your way into this race.”
My mouth dropped open in outrage. “If you recall, I got into this race by saving the girl you abandoned! You know, the injured one you refused to help despite the fact that a crocodile was about to eat her?” And since when did I ever bat my eyelashes?
“She would have been fine,” Orin said. “They would have sent someone for her if you hadn’t interfered.”
“Well, you can’t leave me behind,” I said. “Because we both have to make it to the end if you want your precious money.”
“You don’t have to remind me,” he snapped. “So like I said. Just let me handle the magic and stay the hell out of the way.”
I huffed and turned towards the window, fury searing me. Who the hell did he think he was? I turned back to him. “I’ll have you know I excelled in the physical and weapons training. You’re lucky to have me as a partner.”
“Says the girl at the bottom of the rankings.”
“Says the faerie who was chosen last, and wouldn’t have been chosen at all if I had anything to say about it! I’d rather go into Faerwild with Pat
ricia in her stupid stilettos than you!” I screeched.
I heard snickers from the other competitors, and my face burned. We were imploding, and we hadn’t even gone over the Hedge.
“Just stay out of my way,” he said, pinning me with his dark gaze. “I won’t let you hold me back.”
Orin and I said nothing else to each other the rest of the day. Not when we were shuffled off the bus into a forbidding forest, not when we lined up in a semi-circle around a pair of tall, weathered standing stones carved with squiggles and slashes. Patricia appeared, looking fetching in what looked like tight riding pants, an emerald blazer, and knee-high chestnut boots. Apparently, this was her “forest” attire.
“It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for,” she said to the camera. “Our contestants will be going over the Hedge, the human competitors for the first time. They don’t know what they’ll find. The dangers that will face them in Faerwild are real. Magical creatures unlike any they’ve ever seen. A landscape so foreign, it will put Wonderland to shame. They’ll have to rely on the wisdom and cunning of their faerie partners to help them navigate challenges no human has ever faced. How well these partners work together will determine the fate of the race. And maybe their very lives.”
Great. I wanted to cry. Or kick Orin. Or both. I was totally screwed. Across the circle from us stood the producers, the Faerie King, and a pack of cameramen with high-tech body rigs. I spotted Ben among them, and we locked eyes. He gave me an encouraging thumbs up, and I felt one tiny bit better. At least I’d have one friend in here.
“Each contestant will receive a backpack of items they’ll need for the race. Also in the backpack is a clue that will help get them to the first checkpoint. This first trial of the race, the Sorcery Trial has three legs ending in three checkpoints—whoever reaches the last checkpoint first wins the Trial and will have a leg-up going into the second trial.” Patricia was milking this for all she was worth. “My handsome assistant will be passing out rings to each contestant.” A good-looking man in a suit did just that, giving each of us a plain silver band. I held it in my hand, feeling its weight before I slipped it on my middle finger. “These are tracking devices that will enable us to know where you are at all times. There is a button on the inside that will signal us to evacuate you. But mark my words, do not choose evacuation lightly. Once you press that button, you’re disqualified. You’re out of the race, and that means your teammate is too.” Okay, so do not press the button. I wouldn’t be eliminating myself. Not after busting my ass to get here.
“Lastly, a cameraman or woman has been assigned to each team. They will join you now.”
The five camera guys (and one girl) crossed around the circle, coming to stand with each of our teams. My heart soared when Ben stepped in between Orin and me. I grinned at him. Thank god for a friendly face.
“You are not allowed to seek aid from your camera crew. They have been supplied with a means of protection, shelter, and transport. These do not apply to you. If you utilize them, you are disqualified.” Great. So Ben would be munching on popcorn on his portable couch while I ate magic crickets in the rain.
“The world will be watching your race, and you would do well to remember that,” Patricia said, waving her hand wide. “Good luck to each of you.”
My stomach flipped as she stepped back and the Faerie King stepped forward. He had changed into medieval garb, perhaps three-piece suits weren’t the rage over the Hedge. He drew a line through the air and murmured under his breath, and a lavender glow winked to life between the two stones. The hair on the back of my neck rose with the energy emanating from it—I could feel the faint crackle of magic.
The king stepped back with a predatory smile. “Welcome to Faerwild, racers.”
I licked my dry lips. This was it. I was going in.
11
I’d expected some kind of magic portal where I’d walk through a wall of light into another world. What I hadn’t imagined was that before we were allowed into Faerwild, we’d all be lined up and sent through a metal detector similar to the ones I’d had to walk through at the airport. As with everything else so far, I was placed at the very back.
I watched as the competitors were taken one by one through a machine that turned out to be a full body scanner with a small screen attached to it, which an FFR employee was glued to. What were they looking for? We were all wearing the Lycra uniforms we’d been assigned, and there was hardly any room in them to hide anything. All our personal belongings had been left in safes back at Hennington House.
As each person passed through they were given a full body pat down at the other side for good measure and then walked over to the actual magical portal. By the time they got to me, I could see that the FFR guards, or whoever they’d hired to do security, were on edge as though they expected to find something.
The only one they’d pulled to one side was Ario, and that was because he’d stashed some chewing gum which they’d confiscated and thrown in a basket at the side of the scanning machine. I walked up to the scanner and stepped inside, adopting the position I’d seen the others take with my legs a foot apart and my hands crossed above my head. Although I couldn’t see the screen, I could certainly see the three men and two women crowded round it, looks of concern and concentration on their faces as the large machine whirred around me.
“Step off the scanner and stand to one side, please,” one of the women said, walking over to me with what looked like a paddle. “This is the same as you’d expect to find in any airport,” she explained, pulling my arms out to the sides. “I’ll pat you down, check for illegal substances and then my colleague will check you for any illegal magic.”
I nodded, knowing they wouldn’t find any of that on me. I couldn’t even muster up any legal magic, let alone the illegal kind. As she ran the paddle up and down my legs, I wondered what exactly constituted illegal magic.
Once she was satisfied, a second woman walked over and placed her hands on my shoulders.
“This won’t hurt, but you may feel a tingle. It’s completely harmless and will let me know if you’ve got any magic you shouldn’t have. I’m a detector and am fully trained, so there is nothing to worry about. Just stay completely still for me for a moment.” I nodded to tell her that I understood and closed my eyes as her magic washed over me. As she had said, I felt a light vibration pass through my body.
“No metal, no drugs, no bombs. She’s clean.” I heard someone whisper.
Opening my eyes, I saw the first woman chatting discretely to the head guard who nodded his head. Not quite discretely enough though, because I caught every word. Something about the magic running through me had made my senses keener, and though the guards were whispering, I could hear them perfectly.
No bombs? They actually thought one of us might try to take explosives into the faerie realm? Why would they think that?
“You’re done,” the second woman said before turning and giving the head guard a thumbs up. Finally, I was allowed to join my fellow contestants in front of the portal that would take us into Faerwild.
The magic field enveloped me as I walked through the wall of lilac light next to Orin. As we were the last to go through, I heard Patricia speaking to the cameras just before the magic cut off any sound from the human world.
“Caerleon isn’t the only portal from the human world to the faerie world, but don’t come here thinking you can get through. Once all our competitors are through, the Faerie King will seal the portal, and there will be no way in or out. Other places that have enough energy to create portals include Stonehenge in England; Pammukale in Turkey; Fingal’s Cave in Scotland; Havasupai in Arizo…” I couldn’t hear any more as the magic blocked out any noise.
As my vision cleared, the landscape before me presented itself. Directly in front of me stood my fellow contestants and the Faerie king, not to mention the camera people. To the right, in the distance, across a sparkling stretch of water, a huge city dominated the horizon. Soaring s
pires and towers, unlike anything I’d seen before, sprouted from the ground between smaller buildings and trees.
Hope bloomed in me. I knew in my heart, that’s where Cass was. It would be easy to hide someone inside a sprawling magical metropolis. And more importantly, it would be easy to get lost in.
I'd not heard her voice in over two years, but I swore I heard her call my name. I jumped, trying to see where it came from, but it was only an old jackdaw cawing in the tree above. I'd been in Faerwild all of thirty seconds, and already, the hair on my arms was standing to attention, and my thoughts were on Cass. Not that I had thought it would be any different, but now that I was here, it was as though I could feel her. I closed my eyes to try to get a grip on the feeling, but the only thing I noticed was that the weird crackling of the faeries’ magic had ceased. I could no longer feel it, probably because everywhere in Faerwild was magic and so it all blended together. My endless headache from the past month was also beginning to clear. Well, that was something. It would suck to go through this entire trial with a migraine.
I opened my eyes and focused my attention back on the contestants in front of me. All eyes—human and fae alike—were turned to a huge shimmering wall that seemed to go on for miles in both directions and the gate that was opening to let us all in. This was my chance. I could find Cass without the king’s boon, without all the danger and rigmarole. I needed to slip away before anyone noticed I was gone. My muscles bunched to move when I felt the cold grip of someone’s hand on my wrist.
“Don’t get any ideas about going in there ahead of me,” Orin said, his voice low. He’d misunderstood my intentions and thought I was going to cheat him. What a joke.
I wrestled my wrist away and shot him my best dirty look.
The Sorcery Trial Page 8