Page 73 of Trial of Thorns
I don’t wait, my brain hardly working. I flee, knowing that I’m too injured to get far.
Knowing, without a doubt, that I’m going to die.
Caelynn
Drake, Kari, and Ifollow the wounded Rev. A wall of stone erupts from the sand to block his escape and his eyes grow wild with anger and fear. For a moment, I think it came from Tyadin, but I realize that Kari has similar powers. Their courts split into two around the time of the dwarfish civil war. Now, the pure fae bloodlines of the Crystal Court rule over the secondary stone court—the Crumbling Court.
Rev backs into the stone barrier, hands frantically searching for an escape, all the while keeping his eyes on the enemies in front of him. He’s trapped and injured.
Maybe if he’d fled the moment he realized something was wrong. Maybe if he’d fled when I exposed the trap. But he waited. He second-guessed. He let the pain of the betrayal get to him.
Now, there’s no escape.
Rev is going to die.
The thought sends a pang of regret through me.
I’d never spent much time thinking about what I desired for him all these years after I killed his brother, but the image of his scared face as an adolescent—of the pained expression the orb showed me at his brother’s death—rages through me, and I swallow back the pain.
It’s too late to change my mind now. He’s an injured animal, cornered. He’s done for, and he knows it.
“Why?” he forces from his lips as he turns to face us, his whole body feral.
“Animal,” Drake spits, and I roll my eyes.Please.Put Drake in the same position, and I guarantee the spoiled brat would be sobbing and begging for mercy. The insult seems to hit home with Rev, though, and he stands up straighter. His head high but his eyes still wild with pain.
I clench my fists tighter.
A raven screeches overhead, crying out. I can practically hear her begging me to change my mind.
There’s nothing I can do, I repeat to myself. He’s injured, blood dripping down his abdomen all the way to his legs. His face is pale. He’s weakening quickly.
If I were to try to stop this, I’d be fighting four future fae lords and ladies. Their strength is nothing to be scoffed at. Each of them.
I could fight one or two easily. Four? I shake my head but I notice how close we all stand together and my mind starts spinning...
“Why!” he shouts again.
