Page 29

Hannah

Oh, shit. I have no idea how to win this next trial.

All my confidence of the last two days dries up like spilled water in the Sahara.

When Naomi and the other representatives placed their hands on the bridal crystal, it transported everyone here, to the waterfall. Then a scroll appeared in front of Varyn, and he read, “Today’s trial is the trial of strength. Although time was not a factor in the first trial—”

I squirm as everyone looks at me.

“—it will be in today’s, because strength and speed go hand in hand. Contestants, your task is to retrieve the jewel from the heart of the waterfall and present it to King Severin. The successful candidate with the best time will win.”

As soon as Varyn stops reading, magic shivers through the air. A gem as big as my fist appears in the middle of the waterfall, glowing a brilliant purple. It’s a good ten feet above the pond’s surface and completely encased in rushing water.

Only one of us will have an easy time of it, and Meloria flashes me a superior smirk, clearly having realized the same.

Floating hour glasses full of purple sand appear by each contestant’s head.

“What are you going to do?” Naomi asks. “How can animal magic help with this?”

She’s been nothing but a cheerleader, proud I discovered my magic, but she’s right. This feels dire.

“I don’t know,” I say.

When I sneak a look at Severin, he’s scowling so hard I almost expect a storm cloud to appear above his head, rumbling with thunder. He also thinks I have no way to win.

“I could jump from your shoulders,” Finn offers. “I might be able to catch it in my teeth.”

“I think it’s too high for that, little bud,” I say. “But it’s a good idea. We’ll hold it in reserve.”

Calling up my magic, I send a wave of it rolling outward. I sure as hell can’t win if I don’t have any idea what animals are around. There are fish in the pond, but they’re not the massive salmon that might have a slim hope of ascending the falls.

“As the winner of the previous trial, Elowen will go first,” Varyn announces.

As soon as she moves, her hour glass tips over, the purple sand pouring.

The tall wood nymph crosses the shallow pool at the side of the falls to approach the rock cliff right where Severin and I had sex.

Her arms and legs lengthen like spreading branches, giving her tremendous reach, and her fingers and toes also grow, fitting into cracks and giving her solid holds as she climbs surprisingly quickly.

Ignoring her, I send another pulse of magic outward, looking for any larger animal. Could a bear get the gem? Bears can climb, right?

Then I sense it. A presence high in one of the trees, a consciousness that knows diving and the silver gleam of fish scales. It’s one of the large predatory birds.

When Elowen reaches about five feet above the gem, she launches sideways, diving into the rush of water to plunge into the pool below.

She rises like a cork popping to the surface of the water, holding the gem up triumphantly.

She swims back to the bank, and the second she hands the gem to Severin, her hour glass freezes, marking her time.

The gem, a huge piece of amethyst, glowing with magic, disappears from his hands to return to the waterfall. He holds my gaze, the burning question filling his eyes: What are you going to do?

It’s probably too much to get across with a look, but I try anyway, staring at Severin and thinking: I’m going to talk to a bird!

There’s a chime, and a scroll appears in front of Varyn. “Elowen’s time is twenty-seven seconds. Who would like to go next?”

“I will.” Meloria leaps into the air, and her hour glass inverts. Her shadow wings stream from her back as she streaks toward the falls, far faster than Elowen. Damn. She’s going to be so freaking hard to beat !

I tip my head backward, aiming my voice straight up. “I will give you all of the fish you want if you get that glowing gem for me.”

People turn to shoot me puzzled looks, but I ignore them.

“ All of the fish. Big fat fish from the ocean. They’re yummier than the ones you have here.”

“Is she all right?” the wood nymph representative whispers to Naomi.

Clapping breaks my attention as Meloria’s representative applauds her.

Damn. Her hour glass has barely any sand in the bottom.

Varyn reads from a new scroll, “Meloria is currently the winner, with a time of thirteen seconds.”

Shit, that’s going to be hard to beat. But it doesn’t matter. I have to try.

“Will you do it?” I shout upward.

“Yes!” Comes a piercing cry.

My magic surges inside me. I don’t wait for Varyn to give me permission to go. I scream, “Now!”

My hour glass tips over right as a bald eagle—a mother-effing bald eagle —dives from the tree, headed straight for the waterfall. Eight-foot wide wings snap open, and its feet plunge into the water, gripping the amethyst in wicked claws.

I sprint for Severin, yelling, “Here! Bring it over here!”

With another piercing cry of yes, the eagle dives again, swooping over our heads, the downbeat of its wings blowing my hair back as the gem falls into Severin’s hands.

“I did it!” I fist pump the air. “I freaking did it! ”

The sand in my hour glass looks miniscule. My time has to be better than Meloria’s. It just has to! Joy fills me. This is it! I’ve done it! I’ve saved Ferndale Falls.

Severin’s lips twitch, and he gives me a little nod. He thinks so as well.

I can barely breathe, bouncing from foot to foot.

The scroll pops into Varyn’s hands, and his face goes impassive as he glances at it. Oh, no. A spurt of doubt stops my triumphant jiggle. He’d look happy if the news is good, right?

The shadow fae clears his throat and holds the parchment spread open in front of him. “Meloria and Hannah are tied with a time of thirteen seconds.”

“What does that mean?” I look at Severin. “What does a tie mean? Do we do it again? I can probably get the eagle to go again.”

“No, that’s not how this works,” Severin says. “If Ruby wins, everything’s fine.”

“And if Ruby doesn’t win?”

He scowls so hard at Meloria I expect the other woman to turn to stone and crumple away into dust.

No such luck, more’s the pity. Instead, she stands there grinning and stroking the handle of her knife. It’s seriously creepy.

“If Ruby doesn’t win,” Severin growls. “You and Meloria must fight.”

I gulp, swallowing the stone lodged in my throat so that it drops into my stomach like a lead anvil.

Shit.