Page 37 of Manor of Wind and Nightmares (Fae of Brytwilde #3)

Now

M y sister’s nightgown was slick with blood, crimson swiftly overtaking the white fabric. Her gaze was glazed over, her expression vacant, pained, and confused. Blood dribbled from her mouth.

“Callista!” My voice cracked and my hand shook as I dropped my blade, leaping forward to cradle my sister. Tears clogged my throat.

“Help!” The word sounded ragged and broken. There was no one to answer, no one to save her.

Callista’s form was still in my arms, her last strangled breath leaving her on a sigh.

No! I was supposed to save you.

Horror and guilt screamed through me. I reached for Callista futilely, running fingers stained with her blood through her hair, begging her to stay, to come back.

I spoke utter nonsense, trying to bargain with gods who were not listening, and with fae who, if they did hear me, did not care. “Please come back, Callista. Please.”

“You’ll always fail or lose those you love,” someone whispered. I glanced over my shoulder, and though my vision was blurry with tears, I could tell no one was there.

I shuddered, a chill worse than the one that had afflicted me from the water wraith’s magic wracking my body. It was soul-deep, wrought of crushing anguish and loss.

Collapsing in the mud beside my sister’s body, I sobbed, pleading silently with the gods. Begging. Demanding. Surely this couldn’t be how it all ended. I’d fought for my sister. I’d killed Kaede for her. I’d returned to Willowbark for her. She couldn’t be dead now.

I can’t do this, I thought. There’s no point in fighting now. I can’t return home and tell Lavinia and Father that Callista isn’t with me because...because...I failed.

A noise broke through my thoughts. I lifted my head, wiping at my cheeks with the backs of my hands and squinting at the pool, certain I’d heard something disturbing the water.

Nothing was there, making me wonder if my grief-addled brain was playing tricks on me.

I lowered my gaze back to my sister and my bloodstained hands, hating myself all over again.

This isn’t right.

It wasn’t the situation, horrific and wrong, but something off about it all that pricked at my mind.

I tried to dismiss it as my guilt attempting to justify what had happened, but the sense remained.

I scanned my sister’s form again, taking in her features.

Her glazed eyes were open, staring at nothing.

Her perfect dark hair lay in thick curls around her, soiled by the mud.

I blinked, wondering if my teary eyes were distorting my vision.

No. Her nose wasn’t right, just a little too wide. And her lips were slightly too thin. The color of her eyes was a shade too light.

Inhaling deeply despite the stench of blood tainting the air, I forced myself to focus.

Just as before, I grounded myself in the present, soaking in the feel of the mud, the scent of the pool, the silver glow of the moonlight.

I concentrated on what I believed was real—and then let myself assess what I’d thought was real.

Wild hope unfurled in my chest, growing stronger by the moment.

This isn’t Callista.

Somehow, the fae had glamoured me. Either this was all an illusion, or this was a body belonging to someone or something else, magicked to look like my sister. Whatever it was, Callista could yet be alive, wandering somewhere in this maze. There was still hope.

I rose, seizing my knife and wiping the mud and blood from my hands against my skirts.

As soon as I did, the sky shifted again.

The moon vanished and the darkness lightened to grey.

My pulse raced in my ears. Had the fae also concealed the true sky, tricking me into thinking I had more time than I did?

I hated this. Hated that I couldn’t reason myself out of a world that abided by such different rules, ones where magic could distort reality.

Without wasting another moment, I trudged through the mud, determined to make my way around the pond and find my way through the rest of the maze.

But as my boots slid along the pond’s edge, pushing toward the path on the opposite side, something cold and clammy rose from the water and coiled about my ankle.

Nausea and fear were like a punch to my gut as I whirled, hesitating only long enough to see who my attacker was before I swung my knife.

The creature bore no resemblance to a fae, goblin, or other monster I’d encountered in Brytwilde before.

It was something different, with the appearance of a man but with green skin, hair like seaweed, and webbed fingers.

The creature had eyes that glowed an eerie shade of green in the dark, and its mouth opened like a maw, so large it seemed to consume its entire face.

Within, countless rows of sharp teeth protruded in a terrifying circle.

I thrust my blade toward one of its eyes, but the creature was fast and strong, tugging on my ankle and yanking me to the ground. My strike missed. As the breath whooshed from my lungs, I kicked at the creature’s face, struggling to dislodge its grasp.

A piercing pang lanced into my leg and I choked on a gasp, feeling blood bloom.

With a growl, I pushed all my fear into my motions and lunged toward the creature, hoping to startle it.

I nearly collapsed into the pond, but my attacker was unprepared for such an action and loosened its grip.

It was just the opening I needed. Wrenching my leg free, I slammed the blade toward the creature’s face.

This time, the swing struck true, snuffing out one of the glowing eyes as suddenly as if I’d blown out a candle.

Without waiting, I whirled and ran—or did my best attempt at running.

Pain throbbed up my leg, each step feeling like a steel splinter was being driven further into my flesh.

I stumbled and hobbled, feeling blood drip, likely marking my trail.

I nearly fell in the mud again. When I paused to catch my breath and rest my leg for a moment, I heard something slithering and breathing behind me.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the one-eyed creature crawling after me, its webbed fingers slicing through the mud like it was swimming through water.

Stomach twisting, I pushed myself toward the path, praying that I could make it. Praying Callista was somewhere ahead—not behind—and I would find her before this creature could.

Above, the sky was lighter than ever, the first hint of gold kissing the easternmost clouds.

I stifled a groan. “Callista!” I called out, no longer worried about stealth. The water monster was already following me, swiftly gaining ground.

Sweat beaded on my brow as I lunged for the dirt path, half-trotting and half-hopping to give my wounded leg a rest.

“Callist—”

The water creature leapt, slamming into my back with a gurgle-like growl.

Pain speared into my shoulder as it bit down, but I ignored it, clearing my mind to focus on my next move.

I rolled so it was crushed to the ground beneath me, swinging my knife with my good arm to strike at its face.

If I could blind it, gaining the upper hand would be far easier.

As it was, the creature outmaneuvered me in both strength and speed, not to mention I had no idea what type of magic, if any, it possessed.

My strikes eventually connected with something solid, weakening the creature’s grasp enough that I was able to launch myself back to my feet. Black blood leaked from the monster’s face as it writhed on the ground, its webbed hands covering whatever wound I’d inflicted.

Lightheaded, I stumbled past the creature, desperate to find my sister and reach the end of the maze. Above the hedges, I thought I could make out the first rays of the rising sun, the sight sending a bolt of fear through my chest.

I rounded a bend and nearly tripped in my surprise when I found myself facing the courtiers. When I scanned their group, I found no sign of Callista or the other contestants.

Ji gestured toward the gold touching the eastern horizon. “It looks as if everyone else has failed.”

“No.” Kaede’s deep voice boomed out as he strode from the maze, emerging from a different path to my right, closer to the manor.

Wind whipped at my hair and fluttered his jacket loosely behind him as he approached, cradling a dirtied and bloodied form.

Laura. Arms wrapped around Kaede’s neck, she was conscious, but she lay still and her complexion was pale.

Her golden curls spilled over his arm like a curtain, limp with sweat and dirt.

My concern for Laura’s condition was alleviated somewhat when I couldn’t discern any visible wounds, but, to my dismay, the feeling swiftly shifted to envy.

A hollow ache spread through my chest the longer I watched them, his gentle hands cradling her waist and legs, her gaze upon him intent and full of awe.

“Your Highness.” Ji forced a bow despite the scowl lining his features. “You are not to interfere.”

“You forfeited the rules of this challenge, and therefore my vow has been nullified. You and Father deliberately sent these women into this maze as sacrifices for the uhgmil. That was never part of our agreement. We are to test their strengths as a potential ruler, not use them. For entertainment or anything else.”

Ji quieted, clamping his mouth tightly shut and dipping into another bow. He appeared nearly as pale as Laura.

“Fetch healers for these women,” Kaede ordered. “Check every one of them. Any still left in the maze will be hunted down. Those already in the manor will be treated for ailments down to the smallest of scratches.”

As Kaede swept away, the nobility scurried to obey his wishes, calling for guards to search the maze for other survivors and for healers to be brought out. Swaying on my feet, I stumbled toward the nearest noble, one already racing toward me. Florian. “Please. My sister is in there.”

Florian hesitated, a frown creasing his brow. I seized his arm, teetering on my feet. “You’re losing blood,” he protested. “I need to get you into the manor.”

“Not without Callista!” I pleaded. “Please, I lost her and...” The world spun, and I paused to take a breath.

At that moment, a guard emerged from the maze, carrying Callista in her arms.

“Callista!” I cried, trying to turn and run to her.

Instead, inky spots flashed across my vision and I collapsed into darkness.