‘We don’t have time, Rose. If you don’t start with the others, you’ll be at a disadvantage. Listen.’ Her expression shifts, her voice lowering. ‘They have Kay.’
My stomach drops as ice floods my veins. ‘What?’
She shakes her head quickly. ‘She will be fine. But she is in the forest. You must retrieve her before dawn. Do that, and you will proceed to the next trial. If you don’t reach her in time, you will be out of the competition.’ She pauses. ‘There are threats here, Rose. Very real threats. Do not let your guard down.’
I’ve barely registered any of the words after Kay’s name. My little sister is in the forest and I have to find her. If ever there was something to spur me on in a trial, this would be it.
‘There’s one other thing.’ Dinah’s lips twitch into a smile. ‘There will be no use of magic in this trial.’
My breath stills. No magic. I lock eyes with her and her smile broadens, though she tries to hide it.
‘They have no advantage over you, Rose,’ she says. ‘And you and Kay could find each other even if the world cracked apart.’
She reaches out, pressing a hand briefly to my shoulder.
‘Go now. And I will see you when I can.’
Fuck me,it’s dark.
That’s all I can think as I enter the woods. My feet crunch on the ground beneath me, though on leaves, twigs, or crunchy insects, I’ve no freaking idea. All I’ve got to do is find Kay. That’s it. Find Kay and don’t get killed.
Two very straightforward aims, I’m sure.
I turn around and assess my surroundings. The track leading here stretches behind me, and I’m willing to bet I need to travel away from it to find Kay, heading deeper into the trees. A flood of memories sweeps through me. This could be the very same part of the forest that my father used to bring us to. The very same area where I would scour the ground for tracks and broken branches, any sign that someone may have come through that way. I recall the desperation I felt in those times. The desperation not only to get out of the forest, but also to prove to him my proficiency.
‘Cornelia?’ I hear someone shouting into the night. ‘Are you there?’
I’ve no idea who would be searching for someone of that name, but it’s not as though I know the intimate details of many of the remaining Rettlings. I’m not even sure who would be there at the end for Jonas to find. Still, rather than focusing on that, I think strategy. If there are tracks here, it’s either too dark or they’re too subtle for me to see, which means I need to think of another option.
However spread out the Rettlings are, if we can hear each other, that’s a good sign. It means the geographical boundaries of the trial are limited. As long as I move swiftly, I shouldn’t have any problems finding Kay quickly. And then there’s the bonus that I don’t have to worry about magic. If I run into Zara, she will actually have to fight me for once. And after all of my hours with Zelle, I’m betting that will end differently than our last two encounters.
Shit. Zara.The infusion.Well, it’s not as though I deliberately sabotaged the trial for the Rowells and Kyor. But maybe Etta’s even more on my side than I’d hoped.
My feet get snared on a low branch, but as I try to pull myself out, my trousers snag too. By the time I’m free, I’m completely turned around and unsure which direction I came from.
Benny’s words filter unbidden into my head.You can climb.
Trees are my bread and butter. They’re what I learned to climb on. Though I did learn in daylight, when I could see the branches and the dangers. Climbing when you can’t see anything is risky. Then again, so is wandering aimlessly around a forest where dire wolves prowl. Stretching my hand out in front of me, I find a tree with low-hanging branches and begin to ascend, feeling my way.
It’s a massive use of energy. The leaves and branches snag at my hair and shoulders, and catch on my boots and elbows, clawing at every part of me. I find climbing trees fairly straightforward, but trying to push through a canopy of twigs and dried leaves when you can’t even see where the gaps are is a whole different feat.
At some point, the branches start to thin, but I keep moving until I’m at the top. Stars glint above me and a white moon gleams down in bright rays, washing me in some much-needed light.
It’s a stunning sky. An entire universe is at the edge of my fingertips. If ever a sight made me believe in the presence of the Gods, it’s this. But I am not here to worship. I need to find Kay. I draw my gaze down and across the forest.
I twist around, starting to wonder if I’ve made a mistake, when I spot several concentrated glimmers on the forest floor. It’s the only area of the forest that appears to be illuminated. Thathasto be where Kay and the others are, and judging from the position of the stars, it looks to be to the east and no more than a mile or two away from where I am. It’s definitely walkable before dawn. Assuming I don’t get attacked. Or get knocked off course, which would be incredibly easy to do, considering how dark it is. I go to descend the tree when I hear sounds below me.
There’s a deep retching, followed by the unmistakable, liquidy splash of vomit hitting the ground. My muscles tighten. It could be a random sickness. There’s no reason to assume the person vomiting below me is one of the people I poisoned, but if it is, I’ve definitely got a list of the order in which I’d want to bump into them.
I should sneak down and move away from them as quickly as possible, but as I lower myself onto a weaker branch, it snaps beneath my feet.
‘Who’s there?’ Fuck. It’s Zara’s voice that calls out. ‘I heard you. I heard you, and I’m armed. I’ll kill you.’
I don’t doubt she’ll try, but the words have barely left her mouth when she starts retching again. I use the moment to make the final descent. Fast. Even when I hit the ground, she’s still heaving. I know that staying silent is the sensible thing to do right now, but this woman has made my life hell, so I can’t help a little dig. ‘It doesn’t really sound like you’re in much of a state to kill anyone.’ A slight chuckle leaves my lips. Bitchy? Yes. Deserved? Absolutely.
She spins towards me, her hands rising by instinct, only to find they have no effect.
My smirk widens into a grin. ‘Surely your priestess told you that this is the trial without magic. Did you forget?’
