Page 25 of Spirit Trials (The Spirit Kingdoms #1)

We run right into the trap. One second, we’re running, the next, all three of us are down.

I try to take a breath and take in what just happened as waves of agony crash through me.

From my position on the ground, I see the thin rope strung between the trees.

“Get up!” I shout, rolling as I do. “Now! It’s a trap!

” Before the words are even out of my mouth, the arrows begin.

One lands right next to where I was a second ago.

“Get behind a tree!” I shout. Something grazes my cheek, leaving behind a painful streak; but I ignore it.

I glance over to make sure Harper and Kinsley are both okay.

I breathe a sigh of relief when I see they’re both behind trees.

I try to catch my breath, but it’s getting harder and harder.

“Farrah, are you okay?” Kinsley calls out in a panic.

“Yeah,” I wheeze out. “I’m good. You?”

“I’m good,” she responds.

“Harper?” I ask.

“I’m fine, but those idiots won’t be when I’m done with them.”

“What’s the plan here?” Kinsley calls out. For now, the arrows have stopped; but I’m under no allusion that our attackers are actually gone.

“They have to get back in time too,” I call out. “So eventually, they’re going to stop shooting at us and go forward and finish.”

“We just have to wait them out,” Harper throws out.

“Yeah.” I peek around the tree and am rewarded with an arrow hitting the tree seconds later. I scan the area around us, trying to take in every detail. “As long as they stay in front of us, we’ll be okay. I don’t think we’re too far from the edge of the woods.”

“How do you know?” Kinsley calls out.

“Because of the trees,” I say in response.

“Is that supposed to mean something?” she asks.

“They’re not as thick and dense right here. It means we’re close to the edge of the woods,” I explain.

“How long do you think we have?” Harper asks.

“I don’t know.” I look up at the sky. “All I know is when they stop shooting, we have to run hard and fast because we’re probably out of time.”

“Oh goody. More running,” Harper says dryly. It’s quiet for a minute, and I try not to think about my pain. I’m still scanning the woods, looking for more threats. I hear a sound and whirl around and see a spirit wolf running towards us.

“Watch out!” I call out. “It’s a trap!” I don’t know if she didn’t hear me, but she just keeps running.

“Stop!” I yell. “It’s a—” my words die in my throat when she’s struck in the chest. She staggers to a stop and then falls over backward.

My scream lodges in my throat, and I watch as the spirit wolf whirls around and races back to her.

I stare in horror as he flickers once, twice, and then disappears into the girl.

“No.” A soft sob follows the word.

“Kinsley, are you okay?” There’s no response for a moment. “Kinsley?” There’s panic in my voice now.

“She’s okay,” Harper says in a softer than usual tone. “Just...too tenderhearted.” I turn back to the girl. I know she’s gone. The arrow went right through her heart.

“What happens to the spirit animal?” I ask softly.

At first, I think neither of them are going to answer me, but Harper finally does.

“It dies with its bonded.” Even though I think I already knew that in my subconscious, it hurts my heart.

None of us say anything. Every few minutes, I stick a hand out.

Each time, an arrow lands on the tree right next to where my hand was.

Until finally, it doesn’t. I pop my head up.

“Harper, you try,” I call out.

“Oh, sure. I'll be the sacrifice.” But she does it anyway. When nothing happens, I take a tentative step out from behind the tree. “I think—” The blast of a horn cuts off my words.

Kinsley turns to me wide-eyed. “What’s that mean?”

“Run!” Harper and I both say at the same time, and we take off.

I run faster than I’ve ever run before. I have no idea if that was the last horn, and we’re already too late, but I’m not taking any chances.

We get to the edge of the woods and don’t stop as we burst into the clearing.

Kinsley cries out, and I whirl around. She’s on the ground.

I race back to her. Harper’s further ahead but comes back when she sees Kinsley down.

I drop to the ground next to Kinsley; her eyes are wide with pain and panic. I see the blood on her arm. “It went through,” I shout and pull her up and put her arm over my shoulder. “Harper, other side.” Together we run with Kinsley between us.

Harper cries out and stumbles, and we almost all go down. “Harper?”

“Who’s still shooting at us!” She demands. “I’m okay,” she says roughly, getting to her feet. “It just grazed me. Let’s go.” We’re back to running, even though I know we’re just running right into enemy fire.

“We’re not going to make it,” Kinsley says.

“Yes, we are!” I snap. “Run faster.” I did not come this far to fail now .

I hear the arrow a second before it hits.

I cry out when it hits my leg, only centimeters from where the last one did.

“Let’s goooo,” I push out through grit teeth.

“Keep moving.” I limp through the agonizing pain.

The end is so close; we’re almost there.

And then the horns blast through the air, shaking the ground.

“Don’t stop,” I tell them, afraid we’ll get cut if we’re not right up where the rest of the constants are.

We get to the back of the group just as the horns cut off.

“That is the end of Trial One,” Terron, the gryphon says. “If you are standing here, you passed. Congratulations.”

I can’t help but suck in a breath of air and fight back emotion.

We made it. We’re alive. “You have seven days to recover before Trial Two begins. Get some rest. Remember, that in between trials, you may not do damage of any kind to any other competitor, or you will be eliminated from these games. From Trial One,” Terron continues.

“Twenty-three wolves and two jaguars presented.” I can’t help but feel despair.

I mean I knew nothing was going to happen to me, but I know how much my two friends are hoping for theirs to make an appearance.

“And now, please listen as we call out the placements of each competitor after Trial One. First, the ones who didn’t make it. ”

He begins to read the names, and my stomach turns.

I don’t want to hear any more. He calls out more than a dozen names, and my stomach turns for each one.

But it’s not until he calls out Sariah’s name that I think I’m actually going to be sick.

Somehow, I keep from throwing up. The king steps up and says more of his pompous nonsense, and then finally, we’re done.

“You may go,” Terron says. “You have seven days to rest up. Be here at sunrise eight days from now.”

Everybody begins to disperse. I take a breath as it finally hits me that we made it through the first trial.

Suddenly, every ache and pain of the last four days comes rushing back.

I look down at my leg and see the arrow sticking out.

I take in Harper and Kinsley; they look just as rough as me.

I start laughing; they stare at me like I’ve lost it, but I just can’t help it.

“I’m sorry,” I gasp out. “We’re just such a mess. ” They give me tired smiles.

“Farrah.” I turn and can’t help the smile that crosses my face when I see Lox. It fades when I see he’s not smiling. “What’s wrong?” I ask instantly.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, eyebrows raised. “Have you seen yourself? And your friends are just as bad.” He shakes his head. “Let’s get you back to the house and get your injuries taken care of and some meat on those bones.”

I shake my head and smile softly. “I was only gone four days.”

“Yeah, and you’re skin and bloody bones.”

“Hey,” I protest weakly.

He eyes my leg. “Want to deal with that now or when we get back to the house?”

“When we get to the house.” He nods and starts walking over to a horse. “Oh, and Lox?”

He turns back to me. “My friends are coming with me.” I keep my eyes locked with his when I say it.

He smiles. “I figured.”

My eyes widen when I see three more horses behind his, like he already knew they were coming.

Suddenly, it hits me that they might have families they want to get back to.

I turn around. “This is Lox. He’s a friend of the prince’s.

I should have asked first. Do you want to go with us, or did you want to go back to your homes? ”

“Back to the streets or to the prince’s home? Let me think about it.” Harper rolls her eyes. “Of course, I’m going with you.”

“Me too,” Kinsley says. We slowly make our way over to the horses. It takes me three times to mount mine because of my bum leg, but I refuse Lox’s help when he offers. Finally, I make it up, and then we’re off.

“I thought you weren’t with the prince,” Harper says loud enough for me to hear.

“I’m not, not like that.”

She gives me a look. “Right.”

Kinsley asks a hundred questions on the way, and Harper even throws in one or two-mostly in reference to the prince’s house.

When we finally get to Rysden’s castle, an odd feeling of relief flares up, but I immediately squash it.

This is not home , I remind myself. And just like that, the pain of missing my mom and brother flares up.

I turn my gaze towards the path that leads back to the entrance to the city.

It’s futile. Not only would I not be able to escape, but in my current condition, I wouldn’t last long.

Besides, I need to finish these trials. A bone-deep weariness settles over me, and all of a sudden, all the pain I’ve been pushing down comes roaring back with a vengeance.

We ride up to the front of the castle, and I watch as Lox dismounts easily.

Harper and Kinsley manage too as well. Meanwhile, I feel like I can’t move a muscle.

Literally, every muscle feels like it’s locked up.

“Do you want help?” Lox asks but doesn’t reach out to help me.

“No.” I make myself move. I pretty much just fall off the side of the horse, but thankfully, I don’t faceplant.

My breathing is shallow, and those black dots appear in my vision again.

My leg and wrist are causing me so much pain, I can barely move.

I slowly follow Lox inside and focus on just putting one foot in front of the other.

Jamik comes down the stairs and stops when he sees me.

He makes a move to come forward and help me, but Lox puts a hand out, stopping him.

I frown but keep moving forward. “Is it okay if the girls stay in my room? It’s big enough.”

Lox nods. “Of course.”

“This way,” I call out over my shoulder.

When I don’t hear any footsteps behind me, I turn back around.

Harper and Kinsley are both standing in the middle of the huge entryway with mouths open.

I take the first step up the stairs and nearly fall over from the pain.

I gasp and grab my leg and try to keep my breathing even, so I don’t pass out.