Page 17 of Soul of Thorns
“It is meant to be intimidating, child. For living beings especially. It was not made for you. Though you can, of course, pass through it.”
“Of course.” I roll my eyes.
“You can believe me or not. That is a choice you must make. I am surprised though,” he drawls. “Why are your wraith allies not helping you in this challenge? Did you get them killed with your stupidity?” The wraith’s smoke swirls over his eyes in a strangely haughty way.
“They are both alive,” I say with no intention of expanding. There’s no telling if this wraith is a spy only seeking to gain information.
“They are not friends,” Rev says. “Both have abandoned us.”
“I wouldn’t be so certain about that. Kin have a way of sticking around, for better or for worse.”
“Reahgan was kin, the other was just a strange tag along,” Rev says.
“Ahh, so your mate has not yet told you?”
My eyebrows pull low in a grimace. “How do all of the wraiths seem to know so much?”
“Told me what?” Rev asks, his expression hard. “What didn’t you tell me?”
“Nothing important,” I say.
The wraith chuckles. “No, nothing important at all,” he drones, clearly sarcastic.
“It isn’t. It changes nothing.” The fool wanted me to use his information to betray Rev, but that will not happen. I am here. I am trapped. I will not have the opportunity to put his information to any use.
“Caelynn...”
I toss my hands up. “Wraiths. Always have to make everything so difficult. The wraith was some great, great, great relative of mine, and he wants me to claim the Shadow Court’s heritage and make it strong again. Obviously, that’s not happening. So, again, itdoesn’t matter.”
Rev is still examining me, his eyes narrowed, but he doesn’t speak. Yes, I’m withholding some information. I’m not yet ready to admit that I’m technically the true heir to the Shadow Court throne.
I’m not taking that throne. So, it doesn’t matter. I don’t even want to think about it.
“Who was he—the wraith?” Rev asks, his eyes darting to the wall and back to me. “Does he have something to do with the reason the Night Terror wants you?”
The ground rumbles beneath our feet. More of the magic of the flames?
I nod and cross my arms. “I didn’t even get his name, but he was the fae who placed the curse on the walls surrounding this place so that the Night Terror would remain trapped. They need someone of his blood to reverse the curse. Someone powerful.”
Rev searches my expression, but I won’t let him see the emotion beneath the surface. It was all their fault. My court was systematically weakened over the last several generations all because of the Night Bringer.
Another shudder runs through the mountains, stronger this time. Like thunder. It’s a quick boom, then it fades away.
“What is that?” I whisper, eyes shifting toward the flames.
“A powerful creature,” the wolf-wraith whispers, so low I almost don’t hear him. My heart hammers in my chest. His eyes are wide as he stares at the wall.
One more boom sounds, and we begin stepping farther away from the fiery wall, down the main road, wondering where we should move.
“So, that’s why they’ve targeted you. But it’s been centuries. Why now?”
I bite my lip. “The shadow fae have had their magic purposefully bred out so we wouldn’t be strong enough to reverse the curse.”
Rev’s eyes narrow. “Until you.”
“Perhaps we should take this conversation elsewhere,” the wraith says suddenly, for the first time sounding anxious.
I nod both to Rev and the wraith. I don’t know what’s making the thunder-like sound, but I don’t mindnotfinding out. We begin a brisk walk away from the magical wall, back down the main trail.
