Page 10 of Spirit Trials (The Spirit Kingdoms #1)

The next two days drag by. I spend most of the time in my room; I’m not sure what else I’m supposed to do.

I’ve pretty much worn a hole in the floor with all my pacing.

I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I do know that all this extra time to worry about my mother and brother and my village isn’t doing me any good.

This morning, I decided I wasn’t going to spend one more moment in my room; or I’d surely lose my mind.

I helped the guys make breakfast and then told them I’d wash the dishes.

I’m just finishing the last dish when Rysden walks in.

It’s obvious the guys already knew he was back.

I turn around and face him. Two days of him being gone, and I’ve already forgotten how formidable he is.

With his dark hair and strong jaw, he’s already intense.

But then you add his height, muscle, and his permanent scowl, and he’s sort of terrifying.

He brings with him this sense of...power or something.

I’m not quite sure yet what exactly it is.

“Let’s go,” he says, interrupting my train of thought.

I look at the other guys, but they’re not paying any attention.

“Me?” I put down the towel and follow him as he strides away.

I blow out a breath. "You could ask, you know.” He ignores me and opens a door and begins to make his way down a winding stone staircase.

There are lanterns burning with permalight on the walls to light our way.

“Are you taking me down into a dungeon to torture me?” I ask.

“Yes.”

I can’t really tell if he’s teasing or not so when he turns suddenly, I step back and put my hands up.

He looks down at my hands and then back at my face.

“Come on.” He sounds irritated, and I wonder if he’s going to take it out on me.

I follow him to an open area and take it all in.

The walls are lined with every kind of weapon imaginable, and there’s a huge open stone area that’s roped off.

Rysden walks over to the weapons wall and turns around to face me.

“Over here.” I walk over to him, still staring at the wall in awe.

He starts picking up a few weapons. “You’re small.

Weak. Small fingers.” I frown, but before I can defend myself, he faces me.

“Try this.” He holds out a knife. I stare at him a minute before I finally reach out and take it. “How’s the weight of that?”

I shake my head. “I’m sorry. What is happening right now?”

He has the audacity to scowl at me. “We’re finding weapons that will work for you. You’re small and—”

“Goodness, will you stop with that already? First of all, I am not small, and I’m not weak.” To prove my point, I jab my finger in his chest. It’s a whole lot harder than I was expecting; I’m pretty sure I just jammed my finger. I scowl at him.

“You done?” he asks with no emotion. “You are small, and you are weak. Those are the facts. That’s something we’re going to have to change.”

I laugh without humor. “You’re going to make me taller?” I’m not super tall, but I’m not short either. Of course, compared to him, everybody is short.

He says nothing. From the wall, he grabs something that’s small enough, it fits in his palm. “Ever thrown one of these before?” He holds out a star with four wickedly sharp points.

“Whoa,” I say, taking it from him.

“It’s a throwing star. I already know you can use a bow, but I don’t know how good your accuracy is from far away.”

“Want to be a test subject, and we can see?” I ask without skipping a beat.

“No.” He holds up one of the throwing stars.

“You hold it here and throw it either vertical or horizontal.” He turns and throws it, nailing one of the targets on the wall.

I work hard to keep my expression unimpressed when just the opposite is true.

When he turns back to me, he hands me one and nods at the target.

“Let’s see what you can do.” I want to ignore him, but I also really want to try throwing the star.

I keep my mouth shut and copy exactly what he did, but mine doesn’t even make it to the target.

I scowl and retrieve it. “The force comes from your arm; you only flick it with your wrist,” he says.

I try again. This time, the star makes it to the target; it just doesn’t stick.

He hands me another one, and I try again.

It takes me four stars to get one to stick, and three more to get it to land in the center.

I’m riding high, but he doesn’t even acknowledge it.

“Do that ten more times and then come over to the circle.” He walks away, and I watch him go.

“Why?” I ask.

“Why what?” he asks without turning back.

“Why are you showing me this? I would think you would want me to remain, you know, weak and small,” I say taunting him.

“Less talking and more working.”

I shake my head at the infuriating man. “You know, I think I’m done. I’m going to head back upstairs.”

“You’re not done.”

I laugh as I walk away. “Unless you’re going to force this weak, small person, I’m heading upstairs.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Watch me,” I return.

“You won’t survive if I don’t train you.”

I turn around, irritated at his dramatics. “What are you talking about?”

He stalks towards me, and I see the danger flashing in his eyes.

I don’t take a step back or turn away. I know never to turn my back on a dangerous predator, and that’s exactly how he feels right now.

I lift my chin when he gets close. “You will be entering the spirit trials two weeks from tomorrow.”

I stare at him. “What are you talking about?”

He returns my stare for a moment “I need to show you something.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Show me.”

It’s not a minute later that Lox joins us. He’s oddly serious, and that worries me. I eye the two of them, wondering what in the world this is all about. “So, what’s this about some trial?”

Lox turns to Rysden. “You couldn’t get her out of it?”

“Do you think we’d be doing this if I could?” Rysden asks in a terse voice. Lox’s lips tighten.

“What are the spirit trials? And why am I entering them?” I demand, wanting answers.

“Lox is going to show you his spirit animal,” Rysden says. That gets my attention.

“His what?” I question.

“Just watch.” That’s from Rysden.

Lox’s eyes flick to me. “Ready?” he asks with a grin.

I stare at Lox, waiting for something to happen. When it doesn’t, I turn back to Rysden. “What is—”

“Watch.” Rysden cuts me off.

I turn back to Lox and go still. Standing next to Lox is a huge, beautiful, translucent wolf. I don’t move a muscle. One beat of silence passes. Then two. “What is that?” I finally whisper.

“It’s his spirit wolf.”

I turn to Rysden and cross my arms. “I want to know everything. Now.”

“This is the Wolf Kingdom. Everybody that lives here has a spirit wolf,” Rysden begins.

I wouldn’t take him seriously; except I’m staring at this.

..spirit creature. I blow out a shaky breath and stare in awe.

I can’t tear my eyes away from the beautiful, translucent wolf next to Lox.

He looks alive, but he’s not fully corporal.

Yet he moves just like a wolf out in the wild. “He’s beautiful,” I whisper.

“Every person in our kingdom has a wolf spirit animal,” Rysden says in a low voice.

“Our spirit wolf is connected to us, and we can pull from their strengths. Having a wolf spirit animal gives us enhanced strength, stamina, and vision. We can swim and run longer distances. Our sense of smell is incredibly good. We’re stronger and more powerful, and we’re connected.

Through our mental link, we can alert others up to several miles away. ”

I stare at the two of them. “So, you’re what? Stronger than regular people?” They both nod. I squint at the two of them, trying to piece this together. “But I traveled with you.”

Rysden pins me with a look. “Show her,” he tells Lox without looking away from me.

“What do you want me to do, Princess?” Lox asks with an easy smile.

“Don’t call me that,” I snap at him, and his grin widens.

“I don’t know. What can you do?” The wolf looks up at Lox, and I watch in awe.

He looks so real. I look around the huge room and see two huge wooden beams. I walk over to them and try to lift one; they don’t budge.

“Pick that up,” I tell Lox. Lox smirks at me and walks over and picks it up with one hand and launches it across the room like it’s a stick.

My eyebrows hit my hairline. “That’s insane,” I breathe.

“Every person who lives here is like that?” I question.

It's Rysden that answers. “Yes. To live here, you must produce a spirit wolf. If you produce a spirit wolf, then you’re blessed by the Maker.”

His words catch my attention. “Those who are blessed,” I say slowly.

“Yes. That’s what the Spirit Trials are for.

We host them every year, and every nineteen-year-old must compete.

The trials are a set of three tests designed to push a person to their absolute limits, so that their spirit animal will emerge if they’re worthy to have one.

The trials mark our passage into adulthood. ”

I take in what he’s saying. “And what if a person doesn’t produce one of these...spirit wolves?”

“Then they’re banished.” Rysden’s words are fierce.

“Without a spirit animal, you can’t stay in our kingdom,” Lox interjects quietly.

“Why not?” I ask again.

“Because if you aren’t blessed by the Maker with a spirit animal, then you aren’t worthy and don’t deserve a place in our kingdom.”

I jerk back at Rysden’s words. “Well, that’s stupid.”

Rysden turns his dark gaze on me. “It’s necessary.”

“Sure it is,” I respond, crossing my arms over my chest. “So, what happens to these banished?”

“They have to leave the kingdom and never return,” Lox says.

“Where do they go?”

“They live outside the city walls,” Lox says after a beat.

“I think it’s terrible that you kick people out of their own kingdom, but living outside the city walls isn’t a death sentence. Not everybody lives in a city like this.”

Lox gives me a hard look. “Banishment is not pretty, Farrah. It’s a struggle to survive out there.”

I frown and look between the two men. “Who banishes these people?’

“The Wolf King,” Rysden answers.

“He sounds terrible.”

Lox shifts on his feet. “Don’t ever say something like that outside these walls. It’s a death sentence to speak against the king.”