Kaelric’s fists clenched, eyes flashing yellow and pelts of fur rippling down his arms. He breathed deeply as I stepped closer to him, getting right up in his face, so close that I could smell salt and pine on his skin.
“I know you’re used to being in charge here, but youdon’tboss me around. I’mnotleaving, so you better clue me in on what’s going on. We’re wasting time.”
His body shook, and I could have sworn I heard his teeth snap. His gaze fell to my lips, and then he leaned in. For a wild moment, I thought he might kiss me, and nervous excitement thrummed through my veins. But he bypassed my lips and leaned into my ear instead.
“I could make you bow before me right here and kiss my feet if I wanted to,” he threatened.
Fear and wonder roiled through me in equal measure. He could? Even though I wasn’t wolfkin?
He pulled back and sighed, his eyes green again. “But I would never do that to you.” There was something in his gaze, an endearment I wasn’t prepared to see there.
He sighed. “That warded camp down there?” Hepointed to the column of smoke over the ridge. “It’s rigged to blow the second we get close. And then Elia dies. They have an Elite with them doing magic.”
“Elia isn’t dying,” I declared, voice steady even as my pulse raced. Warded camp rigged to blow the second the threshold was crossed? That was some serious magic.
‘I can cut through the ward and bring it down,’Val told me.
“Valkaryn says she thinks she can cut through it,” I translated quickly to Kaelric, excited to possibly be able to get Elia out.
He paused, his whole body stiffening.
‘I said Ican, not Ithink,’Val corrected me.
“Sorry, she says she definitely can,” I amended, and I could physically see the relief in his face.
He paused, nostrils flaring. “Is she sure?”
I didn’t bother asking Valkaryn. She was sure. “Yes,” I told him.
He stared at me for a long moment, then gave a grim nod. “If she can, we move fast. We get in, get Elia, and get out. We won’t get a second chance.”
I stepped beside him, drawing Valkaryn slowly.
Kaelric pulled out a hand to stop me. “Not during daylight. We will wait until nightfall.”
I sheathed her, nodding.
“Tell me what you’ve been doing with Cassian. How has he trained you?” Kaelric said.
We had a trial in a few days, so he was right to be trying to prepare for it.
I described the weight training and sword drills, and then the obstacle course.
Kaelric’s brows drew together. “He built an entire obstacle course?”
I nodded. “I think he had to use magic. It was done in a few hours and spans the entire training room.”
Kaelric began to pace. “Why would he do that unless it was important?”
I shrugged, and Kaelric stopped pacing. “I think all of the sponsors have been magically bound from speaking about any of the details about the trials, but…”
I caught on to his meaning. “You think he’s trying to warn us that there’s an obstacle course type set up for the next trial?”
Kaelric nodded, and my respect for Cassian grew. He really did seem to want to see me succeed.
We tucked into our makeshift camp and quietly waited in the shade of a large willow tree for the sun to set. When the sky grew dusky, one of the male wolfkin began making plates of food. He had some dried fruits, meats, and some bread, nothing fancy, but he made the first plate for Kaelric and walked it overto him.
Panic flashed across Kaelric’s face. The alpha took it from him, nodding once to dismiss him.
