Page 117 of Trial of Thorns
“That was your loophole,” I say, repeating the truth back to her. “He asked you to kill the youngest son. But I am not one, so the youngest son was actually Reahgan.”
She sits back on the stone. “I know you hate me, and I don’t blame you.”
My stomach sinks. Shit. How did this conversation end up with me hating herless? I don’t know what I think or feel.
I don’t even know who I am right now.
“Who is my father then?”
She shrugs. “Someone high up in the Luminescent Court. I don’t know exactly.”
I’m afraid to ask the next question, but I know I can’t avoid it. “Why do you think... thatthingwanted me dead?”
“He said something about your fate, but he never said exactly. That was always part of what I hated. Those questions have haunted me for years. Why? If I knew what the reason was, what it achieved, maybe I’d have felt better. Maybe I’d have less guilt. But then again, knowing this creature, he probably wants to ensure the end of the world. For all I know, he wants you dead because you’re the one who will save our world from the scourge.”
She bites her lips at that comment, and I narrow my eyes.
“I think I’ve had enough truth for one day,” I admit.
Caelynn lets out a barking bitter laugh. “I did warn you.”
“Did you bring any alcohol with you? I could really use something to take the edge off tonight.”
“Sorry,” she says so softly, I almost wonder if she’s talking about something else entirely. “Let’s get some sleep. We still have another full day of this shit ahead of us.”
I shake my head. Dammit, this challenge sucks.
Caelynn
Rev and I don’t speakthe entire next day. I don’t know what he thinks about everything I told him last night or the creature below the caves.
I don’t know what else to say to him, so I don’t. My heart’s armor is back up, my face schooled into a mask of indifference. I simply focus on the task at hand. There was no clue today, but I suspect that was purposeful. We know this will be our last night of the challenge, and we still need to hit the northwest corner of the arena so that’s where we go—northwest. Keeping an eye out for portals as we go.
Several hours later and no obvious portals to be found, I begin to wonder if we’ve missed something. We pass beyond the shadow lands and into Glistening Court. This lack of anything even hinting at the trials is disconcerting, but we keep moving without a mention of it.
Because we’re too afraid to talk to each other.
