Page 43 of Faerie Trials

Her eyes darted back and forth across my face, her skin pale. Her lips were white and dark circles formed beneath her eyes. I saw the moment she relented. The moment when she finally gave in and let her guard drop. “All right, Tavi. I’ll keep your secret. I won’t tell anyone about your heritage. You have my word.”

17

Iworried about Juno and Bronwen, with only their word to protect me. Did I trust my future in their hands? One’s promise to keep silent and one’s promise to clean away the evidence?

I had to. Because I had enough to worry about already.

Someone was out there with enough muscle tomakeme worry, someone who apparently wanted to target the people I cared about. Although Juno didn’t look like any of the other women the half-shifter had attacked, he’d gone after her regardless, and it felt personal. His attention on her and on Bronwen felt personal. Was it because of their connection to me?

And if that was the case, then who would be next?

Through the window in my room, I studied the shadows between the bare trees now beginning to bud with green. I stared down at the quiet meadow and found nothing amiss. The moment I’d gotten back to the castle, quietly shifting form so none of the guards would see me enter, I’d shucked my clothing aside. Stared at myself in the full-length mirror and memorized the roadmap of bruises. This wasn’t the body Mike had touched earlier. This was someone new. Someone with battle scars I hoped would heal and internal ones I knew never would.

Mike could never know the extent of it.

I took a long soak in the bath with a few of the herbal remedies I had on hand and a spell or two to promote rapid healing. Between those and the nature of my blood, I knew the bruises would be all but gone by morning. And I didn’t have any broken bones.

A small miracle.

Then I was back at the window, watching for…I didn’t know what.

The king could never know about the half-shifter terrorizing his domain. As the ruling monarch, he would have to retaliate by launching a massive campaign to clear the land of my kind. We couldn’t risk word getting out, but if we didn’t find the guilty party soon, it would be too much to keep hidden for long.

The light of the full moon cast the world below in shadows of silver and black.Stupid. It was absolutely stupid to watch for the beast’s return, to see if he would come for me this time and finish what he started. But nothing moved outside in the courtyard and finally I went to sleep right before the sun rose.

Two days later marked the end of break and the start of the new school week. Although I couldn’t say I felt better, I was at least a little refreshed from spring break and ready to deal with the Trials, whatever they may be.

Mike had walked with me through the portal and then found me between homeroom and first period, resting a hand on my locker and casting a warm smile down at me.

“Don’t be nervous,” he said at once.

It was his standard greeting at the start of any term, as though I might lose it if he didn’t say the words. I took small comfort in them nonetheless.

I forced a nonchalant shrug even as every piece of me threatened to burst into flames at his nearness. “I should say the same thing to you. You looked a little green on the trip over here. Something on your mind? Like maybe the Trials?”

The Trials. He didn’t want to talk to me about them but from the way he glanced at me, I knew. “What?” Mike scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I’m a seasoned pro at dangerous games, Tavi.”

Dangerous, sure, like the one we were playing with each other right now. But I knew that wasn’t the kind he meant.

“Oh, I’m sure. Which was why I had to intervene to save your ass during the Summer Games.” I lowered my voice to a whisper for the joke. “Seasoned pro. Don’t make me laugh.”

Mike wagged a finger in my face. “No fair, no fair. You know they brought out the thing I’m most terrified of facing. Then expected me to kick its ass. I had it handled.”

“No doubt in my mind.”

I’d been so terrified for Mike’s safety I’d transfigured into a bird and nearly pecked the eyes out of the muskie he couldn’t see or smell thanks to a genetic defect. I’d gotten screamed at for my intervention, feeling like I’d done something wrong by stepping in. I probably should have stopped to think before I acted, but this was Mike, and I lost my head with him.

Still, I had no regrets. I liked him alive and I wanted to keep him that way.

“I need to knowyou’reready for whatever we face. Otherwise I’ll worry and it will distract my focus.” Mike adjusted his bag over his shoulder and those green eyes practically bored a hole straight through me.

“Well, I haven’t been working with a mentor for nothing,” I told him. Hopefully with more confidence than I truly felt. “Juno has done everything in her power to get me ready. She and I really developed a plan to deal with the Trials.”

I didn’t mention how I had yet to make it through and complete a past test or how I’d botched things every single time. Or how I’d gotten my ass kicked two nights ago and still woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, swearing I felt the shifter’s fangs at my throat, come to finish the job.

I squared my shoulders to adjust the weight of my backpack with a thousand books stuffed inside. Books I would surely need once they announced the direction of the first Trial. Luckily, they gave us ample time to research and plan our magic accordingly, I believed because they wanted to see the best we could offer.

“What’s this? You’ve had to work with a special tutor, Tavi?” Coral sidled up to the lockers with the rest of the little elite gang in tow behind her, reminding me so much of Persephone, who’d attracted an identical group of little meanions within her first few hours in Faerie.

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