Page 34 of Spirit Rites
I shake my head. “He was just checking on my injuries.”
Harper groans. “Please tell me we’re not going to have another Farrah situation on our hands.”
Farrah scowls at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just that the entire kingdom knew that Rysden was in love with you, but you refused to see it.”
“I did not,” Farrah argues.
I don’t pick a side, even though I agree with Harper. When they both turn back to me, I raise my hands in surrender. “It’s not like that. Kaldar and I aren’t...” I don’t get to finish the thought before Harper groans again and falls back on the bed. “Okay, well, I have to get a bath because I’m covered in grime.”
“And you stink too,” Harper says from her reclining position.
I wait for Farrah to protest, but she gives me an apologetic shrug. “You kinda do.”
“All right. I’m heading into the bath.” I take a few steps and stop. “Are you both just going to sit there?”
“Pretty much,” Harper, who hasn’t sat up yet, says.
Farrah nods. “We need to catch up on everything before you leave again.”
My impending departure makes my nerves flare again, and I decide to focus on the hot bath. While the water is filling the tub, I pull off my grimy, destroyed clothes, vowing to burn them. When I climb into the tub, I don’t even bother to contain my groan. I’m not sure when, if ever, anything has felt so good. Thankfully, the girls let me soak in peace. Only after the water begins to cool, do I finally wash my hair and body and then get out. I feel like a new person, an exhausted one. I move into the room I share with Harper and look through the few articles of clothing I have. Rysden was gracious to get us some clothes for the Trials. The other clothes I came with are all threadbare. I pull on a pair of black, stretchy pants and a cream tunic. It’s pretty standard, but it works, especially if we’re going to be traveling today. I comb my long blonde hair and braid it, so it doesn’t drip water everywhere. Once I’m dressed, I feel ready to face the girls. “All right.” I sit on the other side of the bed. “What questions do you have?”
Farrah doesn’t waste a minute. “What happened to you guys that you both had so many injuries? One minute you were there, the next you were gone. It was so crazy! And why were you gone so long? And—”
“Let her answer one before you keep piling them on,” Harper says without any emotion.
“Let me start at the beginning. So, I didn’t know this, but as soon as I touched Kaldar, it sucked us into the Spirit Rites. Well, it was supposed to just be my trial; but he hung on and came with. The Spirit Rites are a Jaguar Kingdom thing. They’re basically a way of proving you’re worthy of leading. Kaldar had his when he became king; these were for me. But he didn’t want me to do it by myself. I for one am grateful. It was a series of challenges or tests, not unsimilar to the Trials, just all at oncethough. We were there six days in that world at least; I guess the time works different there.”
“Where was there?” Farrah asks.
“It’s not a real place. I mean it is. There were living things there, but it’s a place created just for the Rites.”
Farrah’s eyebrows lift. “Somebody has a lot of magic.”
“Yeah, Kaldar made it sound like it’s magic from their kingdom. I think it’s always been this way. Anyway, we had several things that tried to kill us. Well, actually, everything wanted to kill us. But the short of it is, we survived. We’re back here, and we passed.”
“What got you that you were bleeding everywhere when you showed back up?” Farrah asks.
“That was a jaguar.”
They both stare at me in surprise. “You fought a jaguar?” Farrah asks.
“And won?” Harper asks.
“Well, it was either it or us. I had to kill it. It was trying to get to Kaldar.” Sorrow fills me at the memory of taking the jaguar’s life. “I didn’t have a choice.”
“Hey.” Farrah’s hand covers mine. “We’re not blaming you. Of course, you had to kill it if it was attacking you guys. And then the poison thing?”
“Yeah,thatwas scary. Not that everything else wasn’t, but when he told me that if you’re bitten you only have twenty-four hours to live...” I shake my head. “That was terrifying.”
Farrah cocks her head to the side, taking all this in. “So, I take it they have those creatures in their kingdom because they had an antidote.”
“Yes, apparently, they have mirelings in the Jaguar Kingdom and everybody has an antidote in their home.”
“That’s dumb,” Harper pipes up. “Why don’t they just get rid of them if they’re that dangerous?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “Maybe it’s easier said than done.” Harper looks skeptical at that.
