Page 10 of Bonded to the Fallen Shadow King (Of Fae and Wolf Trilogy #1)

Chapter Ten

Briar

T he bong echoed through my ears until the piercing screams of the manticores drowned out its deep voice. Supernatural darkness swallowed me whole, and I shook myself back to reality. Even the lava had gone dark. Only the purple and dark-teal lights of the platforms were visible.

Time was running out, and there were people relying on me.

The guardian eagle remained steady, still not trying to buck me off. I had no idea why this one was being patient, but I knew for a fact the others would be more than happy to kill me.

My wolf snarled. I had to get my ass moving .

Wings flapped over my head as the manticores took flight. I tugged at my wolf, needing some of her power but not enough to shift. I needed to remain in human form to hold on to the crystal.

My vision adjusted to the darkness, allowing me to see even better than before, which emphasized how piss-poor the lighting had been.

I jumped from the guardian eagle almost as far as I could’ve in wolf form, to the nearest guard eagle below. My left hand grabbed some of its feathers and locked my legs around it a moment before the guard eagle barrel-rolled. On the second roll, my head started spinning, and the crystal slipped in my sweaty palm.

Heart lurching, I jammed the crystal against my chest. The stone dug into my skin and stung. I pushed away the discomfort, and when the eagle spun me back upside down, I dropped to the next one.

Cold, foul air whoosh ed past me and I tried not to gag. My toes hit the edge of another bird. I dug them into the feathers, getting traction and pushed myself off to reach the last bird.

But the animal darted ahead, and I plummeted toward the ground. A scream echoed through the arena, and I wasn’t certain if it was from me or the manticores.

Loud laughter came from below as I steeled myself, bracing for the inevitable impact. I closed my eyes, trying not to see all the horrible creepy crawlies skittering below me, and tightened my hold on the crystal. At the last second, I angled my body, hoping to land without breaking my neck or legs.

Boom! I struck the stone floor, my legs buckling. The momentum had me rolling over, and my head and chest slammed into a rock. Pain blasted through my body, and blood poured into my left eye.

My skin crawled, and I raised my head to find that the centipedes, snakes, and spiders were swarming me. Adrenaline burst through my veins, pushing enough of the pain away for me to jump to my feet.

The floor wavered underneath me as if I were on a boat. Yet I stood on flat ground.

Fuck. I might have gotten a concussion, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.

“Briar,” Aelir screamed frantically. “Hurry!”

I shook my head, trying to get the world straight, and glanced down at the crystal to find I didn’t even have half of it. What the hell happened to the rest?

Heart hammering, I dropped to my knees and shoved my hands into the mass of crawling bodies on the stone floor, groping for the remainder of the stone.

Something hairy skittered up my forearm, and fangs sank into my wrist before I could yank away. I gritted my teeth, grabbing blindly for the crystal pieces. My fingers closed on something that had to be one—sharp, hot, and slick with grime.

A centipede coiled around my knuckles and bit even harder. My hand burned as if it were on fire. But then something pulsed through my veins, like my wolf was trying to help me.

Unlike Ember, I didn’t have healing magic, so I hoped to hell these creatures weren’t deadly. The sting intensified, and tears streamed down my face.

I didn’t have enough of the crystal. There had to be more pieces, and I needed all of it to protect our platform.

I shoved my hand deeper into the squirming mass, frantically searching for the pieces. The floor writhed beneath me like it was alive. Wet crunches met every push of my palm and knees as I fumbled forward and crushed spiders, scorpions, and Fate-knew-what. My fingers found another chunk of the orb. I yanked it free just as something with pointed legs dropped on to the back of my neck and stung me.

Something cold and gut-wrenching jolted down my spine, and my vision pulsed around the edges.

The stench hit next—rot, sulfur, damp fur, and something coppery that might’ve been my own blood. My stomach heaved.

I swatted at a snake as it slithered over my thigh, then lunged for the next glimmer of crystal as a centipede slid off it. I grabbed it, and a spider sank its fangs into my hand. Yelping, I snatched the crystal back, clutching the pieces together. It was still too small. I was missing one or two more.

Fate was a real bitch.

I dove for them, ignoring the needle-sharp legs crawling over my back. A sting hit my hip, and a second later something else bit my ankle. I grabbed a shard and bolted upright, panting and shaking. My hands were blistered, bleeding and raw from the stings and bites, but the crystal still seemed a little less than complete. There might be one more piece around here.

The gong sounded again, softer this time beneath the din of the manticores above and the creepy crawlies below. The dark-teal disc of light from our platform might as well have been miles away, and I had no clear path back.

Aelir screamed from the center of our platform, "Get your scaffing ass in here, Briar! Please! Just run!"

One last small chunk of crystal caught my attention, wedged beneath a cluster of twitching legs and glistening black pincers. I dove, and my hand plunged through slime and brittle carapaces.

Fuck, I screamed inwardly as my fingers wrapped around the broken shard, and I ripped my hand free.

This had to be enough. I staggered to my feet and charged forward. Nausea sliced through my stomach, and the ground seemed to move from underneath me. I wasn’t sure if it was from my head injury or the critters.

The stone smashed against the soles of my feet, sticky and slick with guts and grit. Something popped under my heel while another crunched under my arch. Prickly legs skittered over my feet, and pinchers cut at my calves.

My whole body felt as if I was covered in these atrocities, and I suspected that, even if I survived, I would never feel clean again. The cold continued to course through my bloodstream like it was their venom. My skin burned, slick with blood and spit and whatever else coated the ground.

Ahead, another woman was running, her light-blue hair matted to her skull and back. She looked as terrified as I felt, blindly dashing forward as the seconds ticked down.

Aelir screamed for me again. She'd stepped to the edge of the platform and was using her wind magic to try and clear the creepy crawlies away. The wind faltered and faded, but my path was better than it had been before, and I wouldn’t complain.

Once again, loud laughter rang out, and Kaylen shouted, “Do that again, Aelir. Your magic is just so strong and powerful.”

Keeping my legs moving as quickly as possible, I raised my free hand and held out my middle finger. She and Fate must have had a lot in common.

Before they could respond, the shriek of a manticore split the air above me, and heavy wings beat loudly as if it was coming after me. The rancid stench filled my nose. I ducked and rolled as claws stopped short of me by mere inches. If I hadn’t moved, the manticore would’ve hit me in the spine. A gust of wind knocked me sideways, my shoulder slamming into the ground once more.

A tortuous scream lodged in my throat, and more blood trickled down the side of my head. The crystal shards nearly slipped again, and my hands were numb as I clutched them tight to my chest.

Struggling to my feet, I gritted my teeth, determined to keep moving. Even if I died, the others didn’t have to. A stinger jabbed into my thigh as something stung me in the side.

My legs trembled. Each step was fire and ice, blood pouring now from my head to my knees. The ground swayed beneath me even worse than before.

As I neared the first of the circles, Kaylen cupped her hands around her mouth. "You're never going to make it. Come into our circle. We'll share." That vicious smile of hers mirrored Ceana's and that of the water fae standing next to her.

I knew better than to trust any of those twatwaffles. The pale-blue-haired woman knew it too, but Kaylen had stolen her crystals. Maybe she thought that meant Kaylen owed her.

“Don’t trust her!” I gasped, my throat raw and lungs barely working. “Come to my circle. You can share with us.”

Her eyes flicked from Kaylen to me to my dark-teal circle, still several yards away.

Aelir raised her arms, white hair whipping as she forced the air outward in weak blasts, tears streaming down her dirt-streaked face. Her magic splattered into the swarm, scattering some bugs, but it wasn’t enough. Not alone. “Help her!” she cried out, spinning toward the others. “For Fate's sake, please—just help her!”

For a second, no one moved. Then Myantha stepped up beside her. Her face was tight with fear, and her medallion glowed that weak pink, but her boots thudded against the concrete as she braced herself. Her earth magic cracked a stone and swiped along the path to smash some of the scorpions and centipedes out of the way.

Thalira stood behind them, water coiling at her feet but not moving. Her mouth was drawn tight, eyes fixed on me like she wasn’t sure if this was worth the risk or if she should save her strength. Velessa held her injured arm, hunched in the center. Rhielle stood like a statue, elegant and still, shadows curling at her wrists. Brow pinched, she didn’t lift a hand.

Kaylen’s voice cut through it all, slicing over Ceana's shrill laugh and the other woman's nasally one. “Come on, Naevys. You know you can't make it. Briar, if the winds can forget, then why can't we? I found your little display inspiring. Let's all be friends!"

I didn’t even look in her direction. The pale-haired girl beside me slowed, her feet dragging like she wasn’t sure which way to go.

A stinger drove deep into my heel. Cold fire licked up my leg. I stumbled, caught myself, then shoved forward again.

I hit the stone edge of the platform hard, my knees slamming down. My shoulder cracked into the side as I slid forward, pain exploding up my arm. The crystal pieces spilled across the platform, one nearly sliding over the edge.

Gasping, I crawled and jammed it into the slot.

The circle’s light flared under me, shifting from dark teal to a stronger teal.

Breaths scraped my throat like broken glass. Pain surged through every limb, a steady drumbeat of bruises, cuts, and stings. My arms trembled as I tried to sit upright, the jagged edges of the broken crystal digging into my palm like teeth.

Aelir crouched beside me, her pale hands shaking as she offered me my clothes. One more gong sounded, and a large glass-like bubble formed over our platform.

“I thought you weren’t going to make it.” Her voice broke as she leaned in closer. “I’m so glad you’re alive. Come on. Let's get you dressed. Oh, Fate help us, you're covered in stings.”

I nodded once, barely able to lift my head. Every muscle ached. My lungs still wouldn't fill completely. The welts burned, my skin was wet with blood, sweat, and bug guts. I was alive, even if just barely. But the entire world was spinning like it was off its axis.

Footsteps clicked softly on the stone behind us. I forced my head to turn.

Rhielle stood at the edge of the circle, shadows curling around her. Her expression remained smooth, almost bored, but something sharp glinted in her eyes.

“That was an impressive showing.” One brow arched as she pursed her lips. "Not sure if it was smart, but damn, you’ve got follow-through. Even if it was foolish, I can admire that."

Screams tore through the air, interrupting us and I turned toward them.

Siray stood at the edge of her circle, holding a short woman by the throat. The short woman’s bronze skin did not burn beneath Siray's fiery grasp, but she couldn't break free either. Fire flared from the shorter woman’s hands. Her crimson eyes blazed as she thrashed against Siray’s grip. Siray didn't even flinch.

The short woman yelled, "Let go, you pyre pot!"

Siray smirked. “Let’s have our own little competition and see how the unknowns fight. Malron, Deallan, get your contestant. Ready, Quen?”

The other two fae in her circle backed away, pressing into the opposite side of their shield like Quen might infect them just by being near.

In her own circle, Malron, her indigo hair loose around her shoulders, held one arm of a smaller fae. Deallan, unmistakable with her bright pink eyes and the yellow flower in her hair, held another. Mossy green hair clung to the woman's face as she struggled between them, her feet slipping on the stone.

“Please,” she cried, looking between them desperately. Her breaths came in terrified pants, and her face had gone pale as ash. “Don’t do this. I brought over half the crystals!”

“If you kill Quen,” Deallan said to the moss-green-haired fae, loud enough for all of us to hear, “we’ll let you back in.”

"That's right, Quen," Siray said, tightening her grip. "You kill Yuki, and you're back in."

In the other circle, Naevys stood behind Kaylen, body drawn tight, arms wrapped around herself. Ceana laughed beside her, joined by another woman with sharp eyes and a cruel smile. Kaylen watched like a queen surveying a feast.

Naevys’s gaze flicked to me. Her mouth pressed into a thin line, but she didn’t move, fear bright in her eyes.

My voice came out hoarse but strong. “Stop!”

Not one of those damned mean girls so much as flinched.

With a nod at her friends, Siray hurled Quen from the platform.

Quen hit the stone hard and rolled straight into the swarm. She caught herself and snarled as she swiped the insects and centipedes off her. "Fecking bastards! I'll kill you all!"

Bugs surged toward her, drawn by the urge to attack.

Malron and Deallan flung Yuki out seconds later, sending her stumbling straight into the path of the swarm. Yuki screamed as she was thrown out of the shield.

Quen's attention snapped to Yuki, flames curling around her hands. Then she crouched and swept her arms wide, and red-gold fire exploded outward. A wall of it flared up, shielding them both from the incoming swarm.

Yuki shrieked and swatted at the bugs as she tried to find a bare spot. Rock cracked beneath her feet and launched into the air. She swung her arms, guiding the slabs like a second skin. The stones shot toward the manticores and bugs—not toward Quen.

My hand tightened around the four broken crystal pieces still in my palm. My knees burned as I forced myself to my feet, limbs shaking under the weight of everything I had already endured.

I stumbled to the edge of the platform, the purple flickering across my blood-slicked skin.

“Get to my platform,” I shouted, lifting the pieces high. “Now! We’ve got space—get over here.” I shoved my hand against the shield to see if I could open it. The cold material squelched around my fingers, more flexible than I’d expected. Then I plunged out into the horrid space between the circles as the manticores attacked the shields.

The second I stepped beyond the shield, the pain sharpened. Every sting, every bite, pulsed back to life like a second heartbeat thudding beneath my skin. My legs nearly gave out beneath me, and I stumbled forward, catching myself with a bloodied hand as fresh agony lanced through my shoulder. My breath hitched, shallow and ragged, and my vision darkened at the edges.

Aelir raised her arms again, the wind curling around her wrists before pushing out in short, desperate bursts. Each gust bought me inches of space as the insects scattered, only to swarm back the moment the air weakened. Myantha used her magic to shove jagged stone pieces through the swarm, creating narrow lanes that buckled and cracked beneath the weight of creeping bodies.

A low snarl echoed across the arena as a manticore dove from above, the rush of its wings nearly lost in the chaos of shrieks and snapping limbs. My steps faltered, and I barely registered the danger in time to flinch.

Thalira surged forward and swung a thick ribbon of water into the air. It whipped outward and cracked against the manticore’s side with a wet, violent thud . The creature spun in midair, screeching as it reeled away and crashed into a wall.

Shadows unfurled behind me, curling like smoke and slithering low to the ground. Snakes and centipedes jerked and thrashed as the tendrils seized them and dragged them backward into the dark.

Quen had cleared a firebreak and now stood surrounded by flames, her hair wild and her hands glowing with heat. Yuki summoned a crumbling stone slab, her arms shaking as she kept her footing and moved toward me.

I reached them just beyond the edge of the shield, my legs wanting to give out with each step. I crouched, taking raspy breaths and fumbled with the crystal pieces. My fingers barely worked, but I managed to press one into Quen’s hand and another into Yuki’s.

“Here,” I rasped. “Go—get into the circle and put these in the center. I didn’t have time earlier.”

Before they could move, Kaylen’s voice rang out across the arena, shrill and cruel in the firelight.

“Are you missing a friend, Briar? You must feel so sad. You wanted all the weaklings for yourself, didn’t you? Well, I’m not greedy. You can have this one.”

I turned just in time to hear the scream.

Naevys flailed midair as Kaylen hurled her out, the girl’s body twisting as she flew across the arena toward the farthest edge of the swarm. Her scream split the air—high and terrified—before it cut off in a sickening instant.

A manticore burst from the dark, its scorpion tail lashing forward with brutal precision. The quills struck hard, driving through Naevys’s back as the beast lifted her into the air. She spasmed once and then went still, her body impaled and hanging limply from the curved black spike. The manticore’s face twisted into something like a grin—too human, too old—and it let out a low, rasping chuckle before beating its wings and vanishing into the darkness with her body still dangling beneath it.

The sound that tore from my throat barely resembled a scream. My vision blurred, red and wet and blinding, as something inside me snapped.

How could these people so carelessly kill one of their own? The places where my old pack’s links used to be before the slaughter seemed to pulse inside me. What the fuck was wrong with this world?

My skin burned, searing me from the inside out. Shifting was dangerous when I was this injured, but I didn’t give a fuck. I dropped to my hands and knees, my skin tingling as fur began to sprout.

“Briar, no!” Yuki said, grabbing one of my arms while Quen grabbed the other.

They had to move, or they’d get hurt. There was no stopping my wolf. “Move,” I half growled. “Or you’re going to get hurt.” I yanked my arms from them, and Quen gasped, letting go and taking a couple steps back.

“She’s got… fur.” Quen stumbled over her words. “Let her go.”

Immediately, Yuki released me, and I plopped back on the ground as my ribs cracked and folded. My breath caught and my spine arched and twisted, and cold fire tried to take over my body, but my wolf and I both pushed through despite the shift taking a little longer.

My wolf didn’t care if this killed us.

She wanted blood, same as I did.

My claws raked against the stone. Shift completed, I lifted my head.

My stomach clenched. A manticore charged at us.