Page 34 of Trial of Thorns
“Ew. I hate politics.”
“I’m pretty sure everyone does.”
“What about you? Are you from a lesser court?”
I nod. “Yes, my court has been cast out for a few hundred years.”
“So they don’t want you to win because of that? Or because of... what you told me last night.”
I swallow. “Both.”
She runs her fingertips over my shoulders absently. I shiver and then dunk my head under the water. I hold my hand out for the towel and use it to scrub my lower back and legs.
“You made it past this one... does that mean the next will be easier?”
I turn to face her, noticing a smudge on her nose. She’s markedly cleaner than I am but still—being a bird hasn’t done her any favors in the cleanliness department. I reach over and grab her a fresh towel. “I’m not the only dirty one,” I wink.
She turns, but I think I notice a blush on her cheeks.
“The next challenge will definitely not be easier. But... I suspect it’ll be less likely to result in my death.”
She turns back, smiling faintly. “Well, I suppose that’s good news. When will be it be?”
“Three days, I think. They’ve scheduled one day of full rest tomorrow. Then a ball the next day, which will be all posturing and annoying but whatever. It’ll probably give me a chance to recruit an ally or two.”
“I thought everyone hated you?”
I smirk. “Oh, they do. But some have other motives beyond destroying the lesser courts. I’m hoping I can solidify something with my dwarf friend, but maybe I can get someone else as well. Rev is my biggest enemy—or well, I’m his.”
“You don’t hate him back?”
I dip lower in the water until my lips just graze the surface. “No,” I whisper.
She narrows her eyes at that response, but I don’t give any more explanation and she doesn’t pry any further.
“But Rev is also the favorite to win this competition and to win the crown. There has to be someone else in the trials who is determined to beat him, and knowing how I affect him—“
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
I smirk, my eyes shining.
She tilts her head. “Why do your eyes grow brighter sometimes?”
I blink and adjust my emotions, and Raven watches my eyes closely. “How do you do that?”
“Fae eyes are a window to their souls. The color shows their element and their court, and the brightness is evidence of their strength. The strongest fae have very bright eyes.”
“You’re pretty strong, then? Cause your eyes were like glowing just now.”
I take in a long breath and nod. “I don’t want anyone else to see that, though. I don’t want them to know, especially if I’m to gain an ally or two. If they think I’m a threat to win the trials, they won’t align with me. If they think of me as only a tool to distract Rev—their real competition—and they can easily dispose of me later... it might work in my favor.”
“So, how do you hide it?”
“Pain,” I whisper. “Eyes dim, appearing dull when a fae is in pain.”
“You hurt yourself?” Her face crumples in an adorable pout.
“No. It’s not only physical pain that does it. Emotional pain can also dim eyes, and I’ve learned to channel it.”
