Page 47 of Blood of the Fallen
But that was the problem. How was I supposed to trust a side of me I’d had no idea existed only mere weeks ago?
CHAPTER 18
“Wakeup.”
My eyes sprang open. Ila was kneeling next to me. I stirred under the warm furs.
She smiled gently. “I got breakfast for you. You will need extra energy today.”
I sat up, rubbing my eyes. “Do you know what they’ll have us do?”
She shook her head as I picked up a large wooden bowl filled with pieces of dry meat, fresh figs, and a couple of corn cakes. My stomach twisted at the sight of the food. I had barely slept last night, thinking of what awaited me today. I was too nervous to be hungry, but I forced myself to eat, washing everything down with a cup of tea sweetened with one of Bethel’s honeycombs.
Ila sat with me until I finished everything. “I know that wasn’t easy to stomach, but I’m glad you ate it all.”
“I’ll be awake and fed. That’s all I can do as far as preparation goes.”
She rolled her eyes. “You need to have more confidence in yourself.”
“I never lacked confidence, but I was also never a shifter.”
“You werealwaysa shifter,” she said, cocking her head to one side.
I frowned, considering. In a way, she was right. I felt the truth of her words deep in my chest. She smiled as she saw that her words had hit home. I smiled back.
“I… I hate that we missed so much time together,” I said, wondering if there was a way to make up for it.
“I do too, but we’ll make the best of it, and we’ll never, ever, let anyone tear us apart again.”
I nodded, aware that the feelings that crowded my chest were as strong as any I’d ever experienced. I had once thought of the initiates at the Academy as my siblings, but the connection I shared with Ila was much deeper than that. It didn’t compare in the least.
After a cold dunk in the river, I ran my fingers over my hair, shaking off the excess water. It had grown out about an inch, much faster than ever before. It seemed that every time I shifted, my hair was a little longer. Perhaps, I was subconsciously using a bit of my shifting magic to erase the last trace the Academy had left in me. They had forced all the females to look as plain as possible, cutting our locks whether we wanted them to or not. I planned to let my hair grow down to my butt just to spite them.
Sunlight spilled through the foliage, and the river gurgled happily without a care for all our trials and tribulations. I could see why everyone hated leaving. This was a beautiful place, a fair distance away from the Academy, therefore closer to peace and a life without persecution. Still, it wasn’t far enough to stay hidden forever, not now that the Academy was bent on destruction. We couldn’t just sit here doing nothing. We had to act, and whether or not I won the trials, I would be ready to exert my revenge.
Sitting on a rock, I slipped on my boots, stood, and marched toward the center of the camp. When I got there, everyone was already there. This time, the ceremonial paint and outfits had been forsaken for timeliness and practicality.
Desna and Zenib glowered at me with irritation as if I’d been late instead of exactly on time, as if the Chieftess hadn’t asked the contenders to be out of the way while they made preparations for the race.
A race… in wolf shape.
That was the next test. I had no idea how to feel about it. In my human form, I was fast. I had always been. At the Academy, only Val had been quicker, and that was because he was taller and his strides ate mine up. But as a wolf? Even with the catch-all to let my instincts take over, I was sure I didn’t stand a chance.
Chieftess Yura stepped up when I joined the other two contenders. She nodded respectfully at us, huge circles under her eyes becoming apparent in the sunlight. She had the look of someone who hadn’t slept a wink, someone with a lot on her mind.
“In this second trial, you will find your way over the trails and back to the heart of the camp by following your nose.”
Well, at least I’d practiced the sniffing skill with Ila and Bethel.
“Desna, Zenib, and Sheela, are you ready?”
The other two nodded and crouched, ready to shift. I hesitated and glanced at Ila, who stood next to the triad. I fought the urge to look over at Kall, but I could feel his gaze on me. He’d placed too much faith in me, and I didn’t want to disappoint him, but I was afraid I would.
The Chieftess cocked her head to one side as if to pry the answer from my lips.
“Yes, I’m ready,” I said, though I knew that even if I’d had ten more days to prepare, I would still be unprepared.
“Then shift,” Chieftess Yura ordered.
