The room hushes. Even as heir to one of the ruling courts, this is information I know little of. We’ve been told of a cure, but not the details of how it was found.
“Deep inside the Schorchedlands, the cure has been hidden. We require a savior to retrieve it. Since the cursed walls of our hell will only allow one living soul to return every year, we will choose only one. The strongest. The most cunning. A champion that will not fail us. Each court has been given the opportunity to choose their champion. The Trial of Thorns will decide only one victor to become our world’s savior.”
The crowd claps politely, eyes darting to examine the fifteen courts and their supposed champions. Many are well-known and unsurprising.
My brother was the previous High Court heir. Until that no-one betrayer from the Shadow Court murdered him in cold blood.
After his death, most expected I’d be chosen in his stead. But after ten years, the queen has still made no such announcement. Now, the rumors of my weakness grow daily.
I am not weak, and I intend to prove it. The other courts have propelled the rumors that I am lacking to promote their own agendas.Why else would the Queen refuse me? They ask. Truthfully, that’s a question I’d like answered myself.
“Tomorrow, we will begin, but there is one provision I must make clear here and now. No champion is to be harmed. If any champion dies by another fae’s hand—any fae—outside of the trials, the punishment will be steep. The killer will be put to death immediately. Without trial.”
I twist away from the queen to watch my sworn enemy. Thin and beautiful. Aloof. Her face fill of disdain. I’m going to kill her at my first opportunity. Though I am not the only one who will try. The queen knows this, which I assume is why she’s set this rule so clearly and forcefully.
I can’t kill her yet. But I noticed the wording in the queen’s warning.
Any champion that is killedoutside of the trialswill incur a steep punishment. But if they happen during the trials?
My lips turn up into a bitter smile and acidic joy fills my heart. I have my plan.
She’ll see it coming, of course. But that will only make the hunt that much more fun.
Caelynn
Ikeep my attentiontight on the queen of the fae. Her amber eyes find mine, and I find no solace. She turns away quickly. Of course, she hates me as much as the others—I killed her chosen heir—but her position prompts her to at leasthideit.
I can feel their heated gazes on me. Fae from all over the realm who hate me.
Reveln’s eyes pierce me, so dull they appear more gray than silver.
I hold my gaze steady on the queen as she addresses the crowd, avoiding meeting Reveln’s harsh stare. Even so, I can’t help but register several things about him in the precious instants my eyes dart his way then back.
He’s filled out a lot since the last time I saw him, his body sharper, harder than as an adolescent. That’s the thing about coming back here like this—I have a lot of history with the other contestants, even if I haven’t interacted with them very much.
Rev— well, Rev more than anyone else.
