Page 33

FRAYED

E lder Melina Harrow was going to reap the consequences of her wickedness.

That much was certain. I’d never felt such deep conviction before. But I knew it to be true because I was going to make it so.

I bit the inside of my cheek, maintaining my mask of indifference— of ignorance —as she prattled on before us on the training field. She wore a dark, gossamer cape that fluttered behind her, snagging on the weathered wooden fence as if trying to claw its way off her shoulders. Her long black dress skimmed her body, draped sleeves dripping off her wrists.

I huffed a breath of disgust out of my nostrils. There were still plenty of unknowns bouncing around my head, but I certainly was no longer oblivious to the unjust cruelty and selfishness of the Elders. Well, maybe not Marah and Endurst. They stood behind Melina in a stupor, teetering between Lucan and Ryboas.

We’d have to figure out a way to free them.

Repulsion swelled through me, cresting along my spine at the thought of Melina’s ember repeatedly slicing through our minds time and again for so many turns. Picking at scarred wounds until it crippled our very essence.

My fists tightened, one wrapped firmly around the hilt of my dagger. I widened my stance, digging my heels into the grass.

She had no clue I evicted her cursed shadows. They had covered my mind like layers of cobwebs over the turns—the bits in between erased by the Dormancy.

Lost memories continued to weave through the cleared spaces like spider silk, their delicate webs greedy as they seized onto passing recollections. With one impulsive decision, I’d unearthed the missing half of my life.

I recounted her cruelties—not just against me but countless others. All the times Lucan and Ryboas participated or followed but did nothing to stop her wanton savagery.

I shifted my gaze to the sea beyond the cliff and then dragged along the inky line of its edge, the roar of the cascading waterfall to our left goading me.

Nineteen coils of rope were piled along the precipice beyond the fence. My stomach churned. An image of me spiraling into the angry river below stole my breath.

I focused on Melina’s voice. The sickly, sweet tone grating along my nerves. “Congratulations on making it to the grand finale.” She waved her hand toward the fence. “The rules are simple: Find your way into the arena without using the main entrance or your ember, and then do whatever it takes beyond that to be the last one standing. Using your power is permissible once you’ve entered the cliff. Everyone will be watching your every move from the amphitheater below—so do try to make it fun.” Her lips curled as she turned to the Haadran and Pneumalian Elders, nodding. Lucan leaned, snarling something at them.

Marah jerked forward as her powder-blue energy enveloped her. Liquid-like orbs reflected within her halo like mirrored balls. A film of swirling blue water materialized between her hands, moisture pulling from the damp air. It expanded, and a citrus haze burst around Endurst as he directed its wisping yellow currents toward it. His ember supported the watery membrane, guiding and suspending it. Its blurred screen sharpened, clear fluid rippling over it like liquefied glass.

A faint hum vibrated under our feet as an image of a cheering crowd flickered on the screen’s surface. Endurst flinched, the film splintering into various hovering globes, the spectators fading in and out of their undulating curves.

The Elders moved toward the barracks, Melina flicking her fingers in the air, dismissing us. “May you withstand the currents of the Winnowing. For only the worthy will remain.”

My teeth ground together as everyone moved toward the fence. The floating water projectors, or whatever they were, soared around us in the background and over the abyss, broadcasting our every move.

It was clear that the ropes were for us. Breena and Rhaegar hopped over, handing Kaden and me our bundles. I stared blankly at the rough coils, the bristly threads scratching my skin. A deafening buzz vibrated in my ears. Was it my heart or the roiling water?

Quickly, Kaden knotted one end of his rope to the nearest fence post along with the others. He glanced at me, his eyes crinkling just a fraction. I felt the weight disappear from my trembling hands, and without a word, he fastened mine to the post as well.

“Thank you.”

“No problem,” he grumbled and threw his leg over the fence, easily shifting to the other side. My knees numbed, tingles running up and down my calves. He rubbed his lips together, his shoulders dropping as he held out a hand. “It’ll be okay. Come here.”

My feet fumbled, and I put my hand in his, his warmth sinking into my chilled fingers. He helped me over the fence and handed me my line.

“Listen.” He rested his hands on my shoulders, his brows furrowing at the contact. I looked at him, my mouth tense. “You are going to be all right. Remember that one summer with the rope swing over the pond?” I nodded, releasing a shaky breath. “Just hang on like we did then. Use your feet to brace the rope between them. You can do this, Ser. Just follow me.”

I gulped, bobbing my head as if dazed and not in full control. It had been so long since he had spoken to me. Said my name. We were so far from the days of playing on the rope swing.

Melancholy and fear lumped together, sticking in my throat. I swallowed, weak legs shuffling closer to the precipice as I craned my neck to peek over.

Kaden gripped his rope, positioning his body on the edge. Most of our opponents were shimmying over the brink, some already rappelling down the cliff face.

Breena winked at me before the top of her head disappeared, Rhaegar’s massive form unseen.

Stone bit into my knees as they met the ground, my fingers digging into the rope’s taut fibers.

As I inched over the stony threshold, my heart slammed into my throat, the skin under my scar pounding. The twisted hemp dug painfully into my hands as I squirmed, the full weight of my body and dread pulling me down into the rumbling abyss below.

As a breeze pushed into me, my rope creaked and swayed. I yelped, desperately clamping my boots around the cord and crushing my eyes closed.

Each terrified, ragged breath was a prayer to the Ancients—their response lost in the crashing waves.

“Ah, might as well piss yourself now, you gutless twit. Even better while your team is below.” My eyelids snapped open as my temper flared. Sebille was several feet to my left, her long legs bunching as she descended with ease, a cocky sneer carved into her face.

My nose crinkled, lips puckering as I turned away from her, scowling at the black rock glinting before me. With a determined growl, I forced the air from my lungs, chin jutting. My molars clamped tight as I sucked in a full lungful through my nose.

You can do this , I repeated in my head. Over and over.

I slackened my feet, letting the rope slide through them, my hands clutching and releasing as I moved.

“You got this, Ryn!” Breena shouted from several feet under me.

One hand over the other, I inched my way down, letting the movement repetition and muscle memory take over, tucking my fear deep within my belly.

Droplets of water sprinkled upon my leather-clad chest, and I paused, licking a drop from my bottom lip. Narrow waterfalls were scattered across the wall, spouting or trickling from various hollows. My fingers squeezed tighter, beads of dampness sinking into the rope threads.

As I met my team, I looked up at the top half of the cliff, sunbeams blinking off the dark brim. Then my gaze dropped to the river’s currents, closer now, flicking like grasping fingers.

“Well done.” Rhaegar’s deep timber drew my focus as he leaned back, his feet anchored on the cable, one beefy hand holding it.

Breena grinned, “I think there’s a cave over there.” She nodded to the right, and I gulped. A gaping opening sat several lengths away, a thick ledge protruding and a stream gushing over its lip.

“We’ll need to swing over and grab onto the others’ lines,” Rhaegar rumbled.

A flash of movement to my left caught my eye, my attention drawn to two bodies screaming and plummeting toward the raging water, flicking coils of rope and a few dripping projector orbs trailing behind them. I looked at Sebille, following her glare as her mouth twisted.

Farther up and to her left, an average-sized Druik with short, curly brown hair and wearing navy leather armor sheathed his knife, his tongue tucked into his cheek as the frayed remains of hemp jerked beside him.

The severed rope taunted me, trying to unravel my tightly bound nerves like its tattered threads swishing in the breeze.

A look of determination washed over Sebille’s face as she pushed her feet against the stone, her rope swinging precariously close to mine. Our opponents mimicked her, either realizing the danger they were in or where the entrance was. I was mesmerized, staring vacantly at the oscillating ropes as if they were the sweeping pendulums of several chiseled clocks.

“Move!” Kaden barked, snapping me out of my stupor. A sharp stab of panic shot into me, and I slipped down my rope before gripping tightly, my body jerking on the line. My mind clicked off, limbs and muscles shifting, pulling, and pushing in time with my best friend’s movements.

Kaden’s fingers stretched and then grasped the wiggling rope to his right, holding both cords tightly. As I swung toward him, his hand shot out, grabbing my rope. From my peripheral, another person crashed into the river, and I vaguely saw two forms to the right grappling, spinning, and lurching down as they wrestled and jabbed into the spaces around their opponent with blades. They both fell, one hurtling to their demise, the other snatching a line just in time, his back slamming into the cliff with a thud.

My lips pressed inward, nostrils flaring as I grabbed onto the braided cord Kaden held. His hands and feet were positioned below mine as he released the other two ropes.

Rhaegar and Breena were close to the hollow now. Sebille latched onto my discarded rope.

Kaden moved, our rope swinging and creaking with the extra weight of two bodies. He grabbed the next line. “Go now. I’ll be right behind you.”

My pulse and ember thrummed under my skin as if I were one giant heartbeat, but I kept swinging, advancing, and clutching the rough braids—one after another—despite the burn on my already raw palms. As I reached the last rope before the entrance, my grip slid down the damp hemp before I twisted my boots in the slack below. My body wrenched, muscles screaming and limbs shaking.

After hurtling toward the cave’s lip, Breena heaved her body on top of the ledge. Rhaegar grabbed her hands and helped her the rest of the way. His massive boot upset the flow of the rivulet, its water flinging over the edge in broken torrents.

She brushed her snug red leather trousers off, droplets flinging from them, and then stretched her arms out to me, her leather breastplate pushing against her armpits. “One more. You can do this, Ryn-Ryn!”

As I ran along the cliff, building momentum, the Draumr, who’d been brawling earlier, landed near Rhaegar. The guard swiftly drew his sword and jabbed it at Rhaegar as he jumped out of the way, crouching and circling an outstretched leg into the man’s ankles. Rhaegar righted himself as the guard toppled over, falling into the gorge, his holler chasing him the whole way down.

Cringing, I leaned the full weight of my body into my swing. With one last impetus, I released the rope, fingers and boots clawing at the empty space around me as I vaulted toward the jutting cave entrance.

My breath sunk within my ribcage, acid rising to meet it. Everything seemed to slow as I pitched forward, a raven cawing and soaring past me as I flew.

Rhaegar gripped the back of Breena’s ruby leather armor as she lunged forward, our hands locking around each other’s forearms. They pulled me in, our bodies tumbling into the cavernous opening in a mound of flesh and rawhide.

“Well, that’s one way to do it. If you wanted to jump my bones, all you had to do was ask.” Breena chortled as I rolled off them, shuddering and whacking her in the stomach with a limp arm.

Rhaegar grunted, jumping up to help Kaden as he landed on the ledge behind us and patting him on the back. The warrior promptly stalked into the cave, drawing his battle axe. “Let’s move.”

I jerked to my feet, muscles groaning. As we journeyed deeper into the cave, shadows engulfed the sunlight, the chilled atmosphere thick and dank. Our footfalls echoed around us, mixing with the sounds of the rippling creek.

One of Marah’s orbs zipped ahead, bursting apart. Its pieces melded with the current and dripped down the cave walls, winking at us. My lips crushed together, thinking of everyone watching us through the embered water. I sighed, stretching my neck from side to side.

The glow from Rhaegar’s rune tattoo bounced off the glassy chips and crevices, the space lengthening as we progressed. All four of us fit comfortably; the ceiling and walls were tall and wide enough to accommodate double our number.

At the back of the cave, a gentle aqua pool gurgled, a stony shelf bordering it. Behind this, three darkened passages branched off, sputtering water flowing from them into the sparkling pond.

I studied each ingress, my gift thrumming under my scar when I looked to the left. “This is the one,” I said, confidently moving my feet along the ledge. Hurried steps echoed through the darkness behind us, prompting my team to follow me hastily.

We scurried through the carved stone, Rhaegar and I on one side of the stream, Breena and Kaden on the other. The warrior’s rune glowed, and the rest of our auras shimmered around us. My ember bubbled gleefully at its freedom.

Crossroads lay ahead of us, the channel splitting into two. To our left, the tunnel narrowed around the stream, its flow slapping the curving sides.

We turned to the right, the water sparse and trickling. Before long, the faint sound of wet, smacking footfalls reverberated ahead of us.

“Snuff the lights,” Rhaegar whispered, his clipped words echoing. His rune’s radiance extinguished. I nudged my energy aside, willing it to recede as well. It sunk into my skin, but the hum of it lingered along my nape.

We lurked in the blackness, the trickle of water mingling with our bated breaths. A wobbling glow painted the archway of another crossroad. It was well ahead of us; far enough that our halos had not yet revealed its existence.

The light grew brighter, its edges jerking frantically. A shrill scream tore through the air, bouncing against the crags. Soon, a female Druik sprinted past the arch, her rosy ember flashing around her as she flung balls of it behind her.

We pressed our bodies against the walls, my breath sticking inside my ribs. In the fading aureole, something substantial skittered in front of the opening. Breena’s darkened outline flinched, her breath sucking in. She hissed, stepping back in the direction from whence we came. “What the fecking feck was that?”

“Let’s not find out,” Kaden muttered, following.

Another terrified shriek sliced through the air—promptly cut short by the sound of squelching. The rose hue blinked out, leaving us in total darkness once more.

Rhaegar’s palm met mine as he silently urged me to move. We rushed, my fingers grazing the wall for guidance, our feet splashing.

A strange, resonant clicking sounded behind us. I held my breath as my heart plummeted into my belly, acid consuming it. The scuttling grew closer.

“It’s following!” I cried, my aura bursting forth. There was no use hiding any longer when the beast was already pursuing us.

“Almost there,” Breena grunted, arms pumping. Her power burned around her, mixing with Kaden’s luminosity beside her.

We fled into the other burrow; its width only big enough for us to move in single file. Its rushing water licked at our calves.

A screech, frustrated this time, chased us down the tunnel, but not the monster to which it belonged. The clicking waned as we pushed forward.

We paused, my chest heaving as I braced my hands on the tapering walls. My ember pulsed around me, its energy growing more insistent as we progressed. I looked ahead, and the tunnel continued to contract, our torsos stooping, water splashing against our thighs. My lips scrunched into my cheeks as I exhaled sharply. “We have to keep on this path.”

“What now? This tunnel is already feeling a bit cramped,” Breena groused.

“Believe me, I know. But something is calling to my ember, and I trust it.” I shrugged, wading forward.

“All right, firefly. I’ll pick drowning in this bloody tunnel with you over being eaten by whatever that thing was.”

“I’m happy to hear that our friendship is so meaningful.” Rhaegar’s head swept back and forth, his shoulders shaking.

The aqua liquid rushed against my hips, undercurrents ramming into my legs, trying to knock me off my feet. My teeth clenched—I needed a distraction. “You know, there are only so many cave-dwelling creatures in Surrelia that grow to such a large size.”

“Don’t say it. I’d like to stay in denial a bit longer,” Kaden grumbled, his chest touching the water as he bent double. He huffed, his forehead wrinkling. “Bollocks. Say it.”

A nervous laugh puffed from my mouth, warmth spreading up my spine at his droll tone. He sounded like himself. “Well, there are trolls, various hollow sprites, some species of wyrms, burrowing wyverns …”

“The children of Arachne,” Rhaegar stated, his massive frame bent and submerged to his thick neck.

“That’s right.” My smile faltered as I looked at the bleak set of his mouth. An image of the half-woman, half-spider beast crawled through my mind. It was said that a mortal weaver challenged an Ancient to a weaving contest and was punished for it when she bested them—cursed to live as a monster for eternity. “You don’t think …”

“Don’t say it,” Kaden moaned.

The Draumr nodded. “I do. I think it’s a chasm spider.”

“He said it.” Kaden’s eyelids crunched, his bulky frame stalling as water lapped at his chin.

“Uh, hate to break this up. But we have bigger problems.” Breena and I were treading water now, our limbs swishing through the nippy liquid, tiptoes skimming the floor.

For a moment, panic scratched my chest, the memory of almost drowning when I was young trying to break my concentration. I drew in a deep, slow breath as my chin tipped up. My eyes squinted, peering down into the scurrying fluid. My heart skipped a beat. “Everyone, switch off your ember.”

A dim, otherworldly glow pierced the shadowed depths ahead, fractured reflections dancing in the turquoise currents.

“Ready?” My brows rose as I looked at my friends.

“Nope.” Kaden balked. Breena splashed him in the face, and he growled.

“Let’s do this.” She snickered as acquiescence lined Rhaegar’s face.

A lungful of air inflated my chest, and I dove toward the light, my friends following in a single line. As I approached the submerged exit, my body strained against the vigorous flow. Air bubbles fled from my nostrils, burning my lungs. The sound of my heart thumped in my ears. I kicked with all my strength, my arms stretching.

With one final drive, my fingertips clamped onto the edge of the opening, the obsidian slick and jagged. I yanked myself forward, ignoring the bite of the stone along my palms. My boots pushed off the rock, and I propelled headfirst, breaking through the seemingly endless current.

Lungs screaming for air, I clawed through the liquid. Just as my body was about to surrender, spasms tugging at my ribcage, my face broke through the surface, the cool air slapping my cheeks and tumbling down my throat.

I sputtered, coughing up salty water and gulping down much-needed breaths. I rubbed my stinging eyes and then pushed some sopping, errant curls off my face.

Breena and Kaden broke the surface, doing much the same. Rhaegar popped up behind them, swiping his hands across his face and bouncing his head to the side to rid his ear of water.

The din of muffled ovations echoed through the cavernous space looming around us.

We’d entered the arena.