Page 30 of Trial of Thorns
We made it. Elation fills my being so intensely that my veil falls and the shadow-vyrn thrashes wildly at the champions standing at the finish line.
They scream and run from the panicking monster—not at all where he’s supposed to be. Fae soldiers run out to control the beast. I toss the veil back across his eyes, attempting to sooth him, but the roar of the crowds is enough to keep him thrashing in panic.
The dwarf jumps off his back as I steer the creature into the sky. I leap off once he’s about a hundred feet off the ground and land in a crouch before the crowd. I wince at the impact through my already pained body.
The crowd roars with excitement and disbelief as the shadow-vyrn soars back towards the cavern.
Rev
My mouth falls openas I watch the shadow-vyrn fly off, the dwarf and the betrayer safely on the ground past the archway. They join us in the winners’ circle.
Brielle’s expression matches my own. Fury. Disbelief. Everyone else is wide eyed and slack-jawed. Impressed.
Dammit!
How in the world did she do that? When Brielle melted the wire across the cavern, I thought there was no way anyone would follow us. We were already celebrating the defeat of the betrayer.
But here she is. In some ridiculous miracle.
She rode a damn shadow-vyrn! If I didn’t hate her, I’d be impressed too. Young fae everywhere are going to idolize her for this.
This is bad. This is so much worse than just her continuing in the competition. People are going to startlikingher. That’s the worst thing that could happen.
I press my eyes closed as the announcements are made. Eight of us made it through the challenge. That’s just over half. Eight is even the number I anticipated—it’s just the wrong eight.
Six of the ruling fae courts. And two from the lesser courts. The dwarf and the betrayer. I ignore the names as I listen. Only two of the missing seven champions are alive. The girl trapped in the thorns and one lesser fae that was freed from the sandpit. Everyone else died there, almost all of them from the canyon.
Some of them don’t even have bodies to collect.
Two of them were my allies. Nante didn’t make it over the Canyon, and Brielle is teary eyed over that fact. I hardly knew the girl, so I try to hide that it doesn’t bother me so much. Crevin was the other ruling court champion to perish there. He was an acquaintance at most and he hadn’t declared an alliance so it’s not as much of a loss as it could be.
Honestly, I’m more saddened by the girl whose name I still don’t know.
I look around, watching the faces of the courts around me. I scrunch my nose at the Shadow Court celebrating. Not that I can blame them. What she did was amazing, even if I hate her for it. I’ll turn their joy into acid the first chance I get.
Tears well in several eyes as I scan the crowds. I stop when I see a woman with black, white, and grey webs lining her ears and wrists. I approach the group slowly.
