The jungle floor had disappeared into darkness by the time we reached a suitable place to stop. My arms and legs shook, and my wound kept breathing fire across my bones.
Most of us dropped down onto a particularly wide branch, though Bryson remained standing, leaning against a thick limb.
“Let’s go through Kerralyn’s pack,” he said after seeking my gaze and waiting for me to nod. “We’ll eat and then we’ll pick branches where we can get some rest. It’ll be safer to lean against the trunk.”
“Sounds good.” Kerralyn sent a smile Jaxon’s way.
His face brightened.
I curled my legs beneath me, trying to hold in my fever shakes.
Above us, small, dark, green-furred creatures moved through the canopy, stopping to peer down at us, their bushy tails swishing and their whiskers twitching. Birds with translucent tail feathers caught the dying light like stained glass. They shifted along the upper branches, their claws scratching to maintain their hold, their eyes filled with curiosity. A few took flight, soaring to neighboring trees. Rain fell in a steady drizzle, but the thick leaves overhead kept us from getting any wetter.
Glass-thimble bees buzzed through the foliage, their bodies catching light like tiny lanterns. They seemed intrigued rather than aggressive, hovering near us before drifting away on fluttering wings. Pale fungi clung to the tree in patches, the silver-blue phosphorescent vegetation Kerralyn had pointed out during our climb.
The soft moss coating bark made it surprisingly comfortable. Maybe we would be able to sleep.
Below us, glowing insects drifted like fallen stars, their light pulsing in slow rhythms.
The patchy view stretched endlessly in all directions, jungle canopy rolling toward peaks of distant mountains, mist rising from the thick vegetation below.
Gorgeous and terrifying. The sheer scope of this place hit me. We were specks in a lovely yet vast, hostile world that appeared to want us dead.
Kerralyn pulled out her journal to make notes in the dim light. “I’ve never read about anything like the ecosystem here.”
“It’s trying to kill us,” Maddox pointed out, but even he seemed awed by the alien beauty surrounding us.
Kerralyn looked up from her journal. “I read…” Her swallow took a long time to go down, and she glanced toward Maddox before continuing. “I read that the trials take place on an alternate plane.”
That would explain the attacking creature I’d never seen or read about before.
“All I know is that this place sucks,” Maddox said. “I came to the castle excited to learn how to use magic, not die.”
“Death seems to be a big part of the Rite of Bonds, though I haven’t read why,” Kerralyn said.
Maddox’s lips thinned.
“What’s that?” Lexie pointed at my upper tunic pocket.
Glancing down, I found the top of a pouch half the size of my fist poking from the leather. I tugged it out and placed it on my palm. Soft, the fabric appeared well-made, and it had been tied with a simple cord.
I had not put it in my pocket.
“You wouldn’t hide food from us, would you?” Maddox actually teased.
I hoped it was a tease. I was too worn out to deal with his sneers now.
Kerralyn held out her hand. “Let me see?”
I gave her the small bag, and she opened it carefully and sniffed. “Fraewort. You must’ve tucked it in there and forgotten. Smart, with your arm injured. Put some on the wound and eat a few bites. It tastes bitter, but it works fast. You’ll feel better by morning.”
I took it back, pretending I remembered bringing it. The leaves were sharp and medicinal on my tongue, with an aftertaste thatreminded me of a mix of dirt and pine. Lexie helped me carefully unwrap my wound, then spread the herb across the red, seeping gash. Almost immediately, the throbbing pain eased.
I tugged my tunic back on and gingerly leaned back against the tree trunk, wondering how the herb had ended up inside my pocket. Was it there when I put it on? I doubted that because I would’ve noticed something large enough to create a bulge.
Whohad put it there since I entered the trial, then?
I suspected I already knew, and I wasn’t sure what I thought about that. I didn’t want to like him.
