She and others under her command concentrated their efforts on inflicting deep wounds on my hands and feet. It was remarkable how blows to these areas almost hurt more than killing strikes. Anjani removed two of my fingernails from my right hand, while her cloaked footman broke the digits on my left. My feet were struck with the same barbed whip, making it impossible to walk even if I wanted to.
Fuck, this hurt.
Somehow, I managed to control my roars of pain, refusing to break. I retreated deep into the chasm of darkness inside myself, where no feelings existed, distancing myself from physical pain, and truly becoming Silver Shadowonce more.
Chapter Eight
Skylar Cathal
The three days spent sailing to Solace were not wasted.
Winds were in our favor, almost like Valdor itself was helping us along the journey. No storm clouds threatened our passage, with only blue skies and warm winds to whisk us through the Narrow Sea.
And so, I trained from sunup to sundown. So exhausted that I couldn’t keep my eyes open come nightfall, sinking into a dreamless sleep each time my head hit the pillow.
A part of me wished I could dream of Daxton again, but I also knew it was for the best. I needed to focus on the trial, and the temptation of drifting off with him was far too alluring.
I concentrated on working through the various movements Daxton and Gunnar had taught me during my time training in Silver Meadows. I knew I wouldn’t be able to overpower the alpha with brute strength. I would have to use my head.
The question was, would the alpha be Alistar or Gilen?
Alistar had been our leader all my life. He was well-versed in combat and had access to his animal. ButGilen was on his way to take his father’s place. His power had likely grown since my departure, and if I were to wager who I thought held the position, it would be Gilen.
I hated the thought of challenging my childhood best friend. I hoped and prayed to the Gods that he would see reason and listen to me.
The scroll had deemed this task a trial of the soul, and I had to admit, before ever setting foot back on the mainland, I knew this would be the most difficult trial yet.
A long, high-pitched whistle sounded from a sailor high atop the crow’s nest, signaling land was in sight.
We were here.
Solace.
I climbed the mast, wrapping a rope around my wrist and jumping onto the pristine white railing to lean over the starboard side of the ship. My heart leaped in my chest, seeing the shoreline I knew so well. The scent of the familiar forest, even at this distance, made my spirit soar.
Just as we rounded a cluster of sea rocks, revealing the cliffs plummeting into the waves, sheer dread replaced my joy.
“Dear… Gods,” a nearby High Fae whispered and gasped in absolute horror.
No.I sucked in a sharp breath.
The cliffs between the green sand beach and the shoreline closest to Solace held threads of the wilt. Likeink spilled on parchment, it congregated near the sea and slowly spread across the land.
Black veins snaked along the shoreline, intruding into the forest that held trees resembling burnt skeletons. The once vibrant greenery now mimicked the territory overrun and controlled by the creatures of the dark magic in the Inner Kingdom. They were blackened with a lifeless sway from the sea breeze. Bare of any bark or leaves, even the pines farther inland were brown and wilted.
The decay of our world was no longer a threat but a reality. The wilt had finally made its way onto the mainland.
Valdor was in grave danger.
It was clear now, if I failed—if I didn’t win the trials—everything would be lost. We would not survive another hundred years. The High Fae queen’s magic might fend off the creatures and the progression of the decay in the Inner Kingdom, but the mainland would not be safe. We had no defenses against this. Nothing to combat the wilt that suffocated the land and everything in its path.
I swung back over the railing, sailors lining up along the side, gawking at the shoreline.
“I can’t believe it,” one of the High Fae females stammered. “How? How did this happen so quickly?”
That was the same question I had. It had only been three months, and when we left, the black veins of death did not yet cross into the mainland.
What made this progress so quickly? Did the human lands to the south hold these threads as well?
