Page 55 of Empire of Flame and Thorns

Above us, Jessina and Bane let out a furious roar. It’s so loud, and so full of rage, that I flinch and have to press my palms to my ears.

Isera, however, pays them no mind. She just runs up the wall with confident steps.

Bane swoops down towards her. I hold my breath as he opens his mouth and roars at her again.

She reaches the top of the wall.

He snaps his lethal jaws shut right next to her. She doesn’t even flinch. Instead, she summons what looks like a slide on the other side, because she simply leans back and glides out of view.

On the ground, the rest of us stare at the now empty space atop the wall. Bane roars again and then climbs back into the sky to circle it with Jessina. The bursts of wind from his wings are so powerful that some of the closest contestants stumble back a step.

For a few seconds, no one moves.

Then we all lurch into motion.

Lavendera sprints forward next. But to my surprise, she isn’t aiming for the ice wall. My mouth drops open as she simply parts the hedge wall before her. With two quick steps, she’s through. Then the thick vegetation snaps back into an impenetrable wall.

“Oh, that’s so not fair,” Fenriel mutters a little to my left. Then he hands his small wooden box to his hawk. “Alright, come on, Talon.”

The hawk grabs the box in his talons, lets out a screeching call, and then flies towards the ice wall. Fenriel runs after him.

I give my head a firm shake to clear it and then start towards the wall as well.

Thankfully, the surface isn’t smooth. Instead, the ice flames hardened the way they hit, in uneven sections, which has created handholds in the ice.

Even though my egg is already broken, I check to make sure that the box sits securely inside my clothes before I reach for the first handhold. Next to me, on both sides, other contestants are doing the same.

A hiss rips from my throat as I grab hold of the chunk of ice. The coldness sears into my skin. Almost like iron. But at least this ice won’t block my powers and sap my energy.

Gritting my teeth against the coldness, I start pulling myself up the wall. I only make it a short distance before the woman next to me slips and falls back down. She hits the ground with a huff, and immediately checks her box. Since the distance wasn’t that great, it appears as though the fall didn’t cause her or the egg any damage.

However, before she can start back up the wall, a muscular guy with brown hair shoves her aside and takes her place. Tommen. Alistair’s friend and the guy who is determined to get revenge on me.

Shit.

I pick up the pace, trying to climb faster.

My hand slips on the next handhold. Sucking in a gasp, I grip the chunk of ice harder with my other hand and press myself against the wall. While cursing under my breath, I move my other hand back to the handhold, but this time much more carefully.

Unfortunately, being careful means going slowly, which gives Tommen a chance to catch up to me. I try to pretend that I don’t see him as he climbs up next to me. Hopefully, he is too focused on his own progress to mess with me.

I cast a quick glance in his direction.

And I’m immediately met by a vicious grin and a pair of glowing red and brown eyes.

While channeling his magic to get enhanced strength, he reaches up to the spot right above my handholds.

And then slams his fist into the wall.

Ice shatters in an explosion of flying shards.

A scream rips from my lungs as my handholds break off from the wall and I tumble down towards the ground. Twisting mybody, I barely manage to get into a position where I won’t break my legs.

Pain pulses through my side and back as I crash down on the ground. Air explodes from my lungs.

I gasp in shock and pain.

For a few seconds, I just lie there on the damp grass and stare up at Tommen. He looks down at me and grins before starting up the wall again.

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