A pained laugh escaped me. A moment later, her hands stopped moving. “It’s done. Fates, that’s…” She trailed off, but the horror in her tone left little room to question the state of my injury.
“Won’t you heal on your own?” Lark asked.
“Not quickly enough,” I said, craning my neck to look at them and ignoring the pulsing heat of warm liquid oozing down my side. “I have—some herbs,” I forced out. “In my pocket.” Bending my arm, I tried to prop myself up on one elbow and reach down for my pouch of charms, but Rose placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me.
“You know I can heal you quicker without those,” she said, too quiet for the others to hear. Her green eyes were troubled, a small crease in her brow showing how worried she was for me.
“It’s not worth the risk. Use what I have. It’ll be enough to allow me to walk, at least.”
Fire lit in her gaze, the urge to argue brimming to her surface. But I wouldn’t let her win this one. Using blood magic to save herself was one thing, but this? I wouldn’t be the reason she or anyone else paid a price.
She held my stare, a challenge hanging in the air and pulling taut between us. That burning, throbbing pain in the center of my back mixed with her heat. Her stubbornness drove me wild, making me want to grab her and haul her beneath me until she relented.
Finally, she nodded. She moved her hand from my shoulder and down to the pocket of my pants, feeling for the healing herbs. I sucked in a breath as she pulled the pouch out.
“Tell us about the rest of the trial, Lark,” I grounded out, needing a distraction from both the wound and having Rose so close to me as she guided her hands across my back, using a combination of charms to slowly work on mending the skin.
I couldn’t see Lark or Horace from my position, but I heard the former’s footsteps fall against the grass as she moved into my line of sight. She collected her full skirt and twisted it into a knot between her legs so it was fashioned more like pants, then planted herself on a boulder.
“We’re on a remote island to the east of Mysthelm. Emperor Gayl’s spies discovered it over a decade ago when they got lost on a reconnaissance mission, and he felt it was a perfect spot for a future trial. We’ve been working ever since we were elected as architects to prepare it. Since magic doesn’t work outside of our empire, it took years to figure out how to set up the proper enchantments. Much of which was the emperor’s doing, seeing as his Alchemy is one of the only one’s strong enough to pull off a feat like this.”
“So the tunnels weren’t the end of it? There’s more?” Horace asked, crossing his arms.
She nodded. “The trial has four main stages.”
“Four?” Rose gaped.
“Yes, each one based on an element of nature. The objective is for the challengers to use their courage to face unknown foes and obstacles, all devised by the very nature surrounding them. The tunnels were the earth portion of the trial. Somewhere on the island”—she brandished a hand behind her—“they will face fire, water, and air.” Pressing her lips together, she amended, “Wewill face them.”
“You must know where these parts of the trial are, then,” Horace said. “We go hunt them down, beat them, and get home.”
“I will havesomeadvantage,” she conceded, shifting her feet. “Knowing what charms and traps were used will help us. But the island isalive. The emperor enchanted it to work of its own accord, catching the challengers unaware and throwing them into a new part of the trial when they least expect it. Even I don’t know when or where we’ll face each portion. The test is of constant vigilance, of courage when you don’t know what’s coming.”
“Have I mentioned how much I hate this tournament?” Rose mumbled before placing several stems on her tongue and uttering a string of healing spells. The pain slowly lessened to a dull ache, and I was able to push off the ground into a sitting position for her to continue working.
“We need to find shelter and provisions,” Lark said as she stood. “There’s no time limit on this trial—it could take hours or days. But we don’t want to be left out in the open in the middle of the night.”
“How do you feel?” Rose asked me. “Do you think you can walk?”
The skin at my back was already beginning to stitch itself together, partially due to her magic, but I could also sense my Shifter half taking over. While it didn’t respond as quickly as a full Shifter’s magic would, I was grateful for the increased ability to heal.
“It’s better,” I said, taking the hand she offered me and rising to my feet, breathing through the twinge at my back. “Thank you.”
I opened up my Shifter half to speed the healing process along, and the familiar sensation of heightened senses slammed into me. Darkness faded as I focused on the vivid colors of the nearby forest, the rustling of leaves on the wind, and the heat coming from Rose at my side.
“I’m sorry you got dragged into all of this,” she said as Horace and Lark launched into a discussion on where to move next. “It doesn’t make any sense. Why are all of you here? Unless it’s some power move on Gayl’s part. But Lark said your blood is needed to transport you here.” Shaking her head, she bit her lip. “I don’t understand how he could have gottenyourblood. You’ve stayedhidden, you haven’t had any interaction with him or the Guard…” She trailed off and let out a tired sigh.
“We’ll figure it out, sweetheart.” I brushed back a lock of her hair. “But it’s not your fault. You don’t need to?—”
A breeze cut through the clearing, carrying with it a scent that made me jerk my head mid-sentence toward the forest.
I sucked in a breath, my hand frozen at Rose’s temple. “No.”
And then I was running. Ignoring the pain from the still healing gash, blocking out the surprised cries of my companions, I tore across the field and into the dense trees. Instinct took over, my Shifter speed allowing me to race past fallen branches and overgrown roots.
Her scent practically blinded me.
I paused, nostrils flaring as I whipped my head to the side toward a small oak tree. A clump of reddish orange fur was twisted in the leaves at the base of the trunk.
