Page 124 of Empire of Flame and Thorns

I barely dare to breathe as I hold his gaze.

Then he forces out a breath, and that usual mask of calm authority slams back down on his features.

“No,” he replies, his voice respectful and composed. Then he turns around to face the empress and lowers his chin in deference. “No issues.”

Without another look back, he strides over to the Iceheart monarchs and takes up his customary position a little behind them to the right.

I can’t even feel the relief that should be washing through me, because the pain and exhaustion that course through my every vein are so all-consuming that I can barely breathe. Agony sears through me and black spots float in my vision as I crawl across the grass with a broken hand and a shattered ankle. Whimpers of pain spill from my lips.

Both Iceheart monarchs, all eight clan leaders, and four of the other contestants are standing there on the grass, watching me. But I can’t even muster enough energy to be embarrassed. I don’t care if I’m crawling on the ground. I don’t care about the pitiful noises that escape my throat. All I care about is that I’m about to win.

Empress Jessina watches me with cool gray eyes, somehow managing to look both amused and bored at the same time. Emperor Bane studies me as well, but there is a vicious smirk on his mouth as he watches me crawl up to their feet.

Pushing myself up to my knees, I drag in a deep breath to steady my spinning head. Then I hold up my right hand and unclench it.

Gold glints in the afternoon sunlight as I present the ring to them.

Bane’s smirk widens.

“Finally,” Jessina says, and flicks her wrist impatiently. “We have the third winner.”

I snap my gaze towards the four other contestants on the grass, realizing that two of them have already brought the other rings.

Isera, Fenriel, Alistair, and Trevor stand there a short distance away. Isera looks cool and composed, and completely unharmed. Alistair, on the other hand, has bloody claw marks all over his face and arms. Most of the blood appears to have dried at this point, but a few of the slashes on his face must open every time he blinks and moves his mouth, because drops of blood slide down his skin.

I stare at him before shifting my gaze to Fenriel. He and Alistair must have gotten into quite the fight. Or rather Alistair and Talon the hawk. But pain swirls in Fenriel’s eyes too, and I can see that he is sporting burn wounds both on one of his arms and his left thigh. Next to him, Trevor is swaying slightly wherehe stands. Dried blood covers the back of his head, and his eyes are sliding in and out of focus.

Empress Jessina snaps her fingers and points to the ground in front of her feet. “Come on then. Let’s get this over with.”

My heart pounds in my chest, and I hold my breath, hoping that it’s Isera and Fenriel who will step forward.

A faint groan slips from my lips when Isera and Alistair are the ones to approach.

Both of them keep a blank mask on their features as they walk up to the Icehearts and then drop down on one knee next to me.

“I hereby declare the final trial finished,” Empress Jessina calls. “And the victors are Isera Shaw, Alistair Geller, and Selena Hale.”

Triumph sweeps through my soul like a glittering wave.

Behind Jessina’s shoulder, Draven is glaring at me with burning fury in his eyes. But even he can’t dim my joy now. Because I did it. I won the Atonement Trials.

“Tomorrow morning, three of our soldiers will come here to collect you,” Emperor Bane picks up. “They will fly you to the Ice Palace where the formal winner’s ceremony will take place in front of our entire court.”

Empress Jessina levels a commanding stare on all three of us. “Our soldiers will arrive at sunrise. If you are not already waiting on the Dragon Field when they arrive, you will forfeit your place as winner of the Atonement Trials.” Her eyes sharpen. “Don’t be late. We wait for no one.”

All three of us bow our head in acknowledgement.

“Excellent,” she says.

Then she snaps her fingers again. But when I look up, I realize that it’s not meant for us this time.

“Rin,” the empress calls. “Heal the winners.”

Rin Tanaka, leader of the Orange Dragon Clan, steps forward without a word. Her long black hair ripples over the shoulders of her orange dragon scale armor as she walks up to us. She stops next to Alistair, who is kneeling closest to where she was standing previously, but her gaze darts over to where Fenriel and Trevor are standing.

“And the others?” she asks.

“No.” Jessina scowls at her as if that should have been obvious. “They lost.”

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