Page 268 of The Mortal Trials

As if reading my mind, August plucks our weapons up and we walk together to join our friends.

Koda is the first to speak. “The two of you make a great pair.” He gives me a fatherly smile. “Carina would certainly approve.”

Niall focuses on the crowd, chewing at the inside corner of his lips.

Elias smirks, one brow smugly raised. “Let the record show that I called it.”

My mouth gapes. “What?”

“I. Called. It,” he says again.

Ignoring Elias, August crouches in front of Koda. “How are you feeling?”

Koda pulls the red cloth tighter around his chest. “About the same.”

I hold the back of my hand to his forehead. His skin is hot to the touch.

The tin of loose tea rests against my leg. I need to brew it for him as soon as we leave the temple. “I’m staying with you tonight.” Koda starts to protest, but I insist. “I want to help. Please?”

He finally relents, thanking me.

August cups my elbow. “You’d both be safer if he stayed with us.”

Elias gives an evil chuckle. “I’d formally like to request an invitation to this sleepover.”

Niall groans and rolls his eyes at Elias, but a smile plays at the corners of his lips.

Elias leans forward to better see him. “Don’t tell me you don’t want to come, too.”

My allies watch as I work to unbind the cloth from the obsidian strapped to the spear’s end.

“What is that?” Niall studies the glassy stone.

I finally free it and drag it through the grit to clean it, then look up at him. “Obsidian.”

Just then, Ulani, Vailea, Tae, and Thoth’s mortal Yuuki burst through the portal together on the heels of a group of three unchampioned. Their clothes and leathers are pocked with burnt holes.

“The boar’s blood?” I guess.

Hazi confirms, pointing out some burns on his shins and a few holes in his pant legs.

The four mortals plod through the sand to join us, looking exhausted. Pale and overwhelmed, Yuuki crashes onto his hip in front of Koda.

August asks our married friends, “What happened?”

“The immortal boars happened,” Tae replied.

I tick my head back. “Boars? As in plural?” That explains why it sounded like they were everywhere all at once.

“Yes, there were three. At first, we thought there was only one, but then we noticed that one had been stabbed in the side, one had been stabbed on both sides, and one had no wounds at all.” Tae leans in and whispers, “Yuuki’s friend was gored and fell ill. We had to leave him behind.”

“I’m sorry.”

Tae takes in my bloodied bodysuit. She twists her leg, revealing a charred piece of skin on the back of her calf. “That’s not boar’s blood.”

I raise my chin so she can examine the cut and point to the hole in the suit and skin over my heart. “All this is mine.”

Her lips thin. “Courtesy of?”