Page 27 of Spirit Trials (The Spirit Kingdoms #1)

When I get downstairs, I follow the heavenly smells to the kitchen.

I don’t have to look over my shoulder to know that Shade is shadowing my every step.

He sort of terrifies me and yet makes me feel safe at the same time.

The first two people I see when I get to the huge dining area are Harper and Kinsley.

They’re wrapped in furs, sitting at the table and drinking steaming mugs of something.

I’m going to guess tea. They both freeze when they see the wolf at my side. “Hey,” I pause. “This is Shade.”

“Yeaaaah,” Harper draws out. “We’ve met him.”

“You’re alive,” Kinsley says, changing the subject.

“Did you think I wasn’t?” I ask with a smile.

“Well, with the way you were carried out of here,” Harper says, giving me a questioning look.

Since I don’t even know what that was all about, I ignore it. “I passed out for a few hours; sorry about that. How about you girls?”

“Oh, we totally crashed,” Harper says after taking another sip. “In your room.” Again, she watches me as she says it.

“Good. How are your injuries?”

Harper shrugs, and I know her well enough by now to know that means her injuries are still bothering her.

I look down at the wolf for a moment, considering.

I don’t really know if he would lick their wounds, and I don’t know if my friends would go for that.

“Hector,” I say instead and walk over to where he’s standing at the wood-burning stove stirring and take a deep sniff.

“Whatever that is, it smells amazing. Are there any kind of healing herbs or anything here that I can use for my friends?” He nods at the shelf to my left.

I reach up and grab a tall bottle of some kind of green stuff. “This?” He nods.

“That’s Hector’s magic healing potion,” Lox says with a grin. “I have no idea what’s in it, but it’s miracle working. It can heal anything.”

“Can I use it on them?” I ask Hector, and he nods.

“Thank you.” I pick up the bottle carefully from the shelf.

“Do you need any help with that?” I nod toward the pot he’s stirring.

He shakes his head, and I leave him to his cooking.

Shade stands in the doorway, alert, as I walk past him to the table.

“When you’re done eating, we’ll put some of this on your wounds. ”

“What is it?” Kinsley asks, scrunching up her nose.

“I don’t really know, but Lox says it heals everything,” I tell her.

“And you believe him?” Harper asks.

“Hey, I’m a trustworthy guy,” Lox says as he walks to the table, carrying a large wooden board with a loaf of bread on it.

Hector follows a moment later with the huge pot.

My stomach growls loudly as I head back into the kitchen to grab bowls and spoons.

Hector ladles out some for everybody gathered.

I groan out loud when I take my first bite of the fish stew. “This is soooo good, Hector. Thank you.”

“Yes, thank you,” Kinsley echoes.

I feel like I can’t eat fast enough; I don’t ever remember being this hungry.

It takes me a minute to realize that the room has gone silent.

I look up and see that Rysden’s in the room, which is surprising because he never joins us for meals.

His eyes are on me. “Make sure you eat enough.” Before I can say anything, he turns around and leaves.

“I will,” Harper calls out after him. It’s exactly what we need to cut the tension.

I laugh along with the others and go back to eating, but my mind is still on Rysden.

I can’t figure him out. He acts like he hates me one minute but then takes care of me the next.

I eat until I can’t eat another bite. Then I fill another bowl to the brim and grab a spoon.

“I’ll be back.” I walk from the room, and as I’d hoped, Shade follows me.

“Where is he, Shade? Where’s Rysden?” I ask softly.

He leads the way, and I follow. I can’t really believe that this is my life right now; I’m asking a wolf to guide me.

Shade leads me upstairs to the door at the end of the hallway.

When he stops, I open the door and step out onto the balcony that wraps around the entire back of the house and spot Rysden immediately.

He’s leaning over the railing, staring out.

I walk over to him. “I brought you some food.”

He doesn’t turn to me. “You didn’t need to.” His voice is still low and intense like it was earlier.

“Yeah, well Shade told me to,” I tease, trying to lighten the mood. “Speaking of Shade, I have a bone to pick with you.” He doesn’t react in any way. “You lied to me. You said you won without a spirit animal, but you had Shade.”

He turns his head to face me. “I didn’t lie.

They didn’t allow Shade to enter the competition with me, and they cut off the bond between us, just for the trials.

So, I won the trials completely on my own.

” I take in his words and lean against the railing next to him.

“You had your bond with Shade before the trials?”

“Yes. Did you eat enough?” he asks, changing the subject.

“I couldn’t eat more if my life depended on it. I’m so stuffed.” I rub my stomach. When he doesn’t eat, I nod at the bowl. “I didn’t bring that out here so you could stare at it.”

He reluctantly takes a bite. And then just like I was hoping would happen, it seems to remind him that he’s hungry.

I give him a couple minutes to eat before I ask, “So why did you do it? Why did you risk me getting disqualified by sending Shade into the trial?” When he stays silent, my frustration builds.

“You could have cost me the whole thing, Rysden.”

He turns to me, his eyes flashing. “I was just supposed to let the poison get to your heart?”

“Yes! I can’t get cut because of cheating.

” He turns away and stares back out again.

His body is stiff, and I can tell he’s angry by the way he grips the railing.

What I can’t tell is why. The silence wraps around us, and so does the darkness.

The sun is quickly setting, and the light is almost gone.

“How did you even know I was in trouble?” I ask softly.

“I just did.” I open my mouth to ask more, but he stops me. “I just knew; Shade did too.”

“You can’t send him into the next trial, Rysden.” He doesn’t say anything. It’s hard to see his face in the dark, but I can feel the intensity of his gaze. “Okay?”

“I’ll try. Shade doesn’t always listen to me.”

That’s more than I thought I’d get from him, so I’ll take it. “Do you not trust me, Rysden?”

I can feel his surprise. “Why?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were the prince? And why didn’t you tell me about Shade? What’d you do? Hide him the entire time I’ve known you?”

He's quiet, but I don’t get the feeling that he’s ignoring me.

It’s more like he’s gathering his thoughts, which is such a Rysden thing to do.

“I didn’t tell you I was the prince when I first met you because it didn’t exactly come up,” he says dryly.

“By the time we got here, I wasn’t sure how to just throw it out there.

As for Shade,” he pauses. “I’ve gotten used to keeping him hidden when I’m outside our kingdom, mostly to protect him.

If our enemies knew he was out and about, they would kill him in an instant or try to take him. ”

“I can’t imagine that would go well for them,” I interject.

“No, it would not.” There’s a protective edge to his voice.

“Why would they try to take him?” I ask, curious.

He doesn’t answer right away. “Because we’re bonded, if one of us dies, the other does as well. If we’re separated long enough, the bond will start to fade. If it faded completely, we would both die. As heir to the throne...well, it wouldn’t be good.”

I take in his words. In a way, I’m not surprised. It makes sense. It's quiet between us for a little bit. “Once we got back to our kingdom, I should have showed him to you,” he says.

“Yeah, well you’re not exactly the sharing kind of guy...”

“No, I’m not.” His forceful words surprise me, and I forget the rest of what I was going to say. “I should probably tell you that Shade is very protective of you. Once he knew you were in trouble, he came to you that night on his own. I couldn’t have kept him here if I tried.”

I take in his words and turn slightly to the wolf that’s sitting just a few feet from us. “Can I pet him?”

“You don’t have to ask permission,” Rysden says.

“I just didn’t know if he would...like if that was an insult to him.”

“That you touch him? No.”

Shade chooses that moment to rub up against my leg, and I lower myself to my knees and reach out and tentatively run my hand over his head.

“Thank you for helping me,” I tell him softly.

“Your fur is so soft.” After a few minutes, I stand up again; but Shade doesn’t go anywhere.

He stays right between the two of us. “He’s pretty amazing, Rysden. ”

“Yeah,” he answers gruffly. “It’s been the two of us for as long as I can remember.”

His words catch me by surprise; he’s actually sharing a little bit about himself. “Were you alone a lot growing up?” I ask cautiously.

“My dad was always busy running the kingdom, and my mom,” he pauses. “She wasn’t really around either.”

I feel like there’s a story there, but I don’t ask. “What about Jamik?”

“He’s several years younger than me, so he and I didn’t really do a lot together growing up. He was taken care of by a nanny, and we rarely saw each other. I was on my own most of the time.”

His words paint a picture of a cold childhood, and my heart aches for him. “But you had Shade?”

“He came to me when I was six.”

“Whoa. Is that normal?”

“No. Our people always get their spirit animals during the spirit trials, and that’s usually when the royals get theirs as well. But Shade came to me early. It’s always been the two of us against the world. I guess that’s why I’m protective of him.”

“It’s okay, Rysden. I get it. He’s all you’ve had for a long time. How do Lox and Hector play into all this?”

“Lox and I met when we were kids. He declared us friends and hasn’t left my side since.”

I laugh. “I can totally see that.” I can hear the affection in his voice when he talks about his friend though. “How long ago was that?”

“When we were both eight.”

“And Hector?” I know that he’s his uncle, but I’m curious about how they came to live together.

He doesn’t answer right away. “He’s my uncle, my mom’s brother.

He came to the castle when I was fifteen and insisted on training me for the Spirit Trials.

I don’t know where he was before that. We don’t talk about it, but he spent four years training me.

And then after the spirit trials, I snagged this place and asked him to move in with me and Lox.

He agreed and has been here ever since. Jamik joined us when he turned fourteen, two years ago. I know we’re an odd group, but...”

“But they’re your chosen family,” I fill in for him.

“Yeah. I’d kill for any of them.” His words are fierce, and a sort of ache fills my breastbone—a longing to be a part of a group like this, to be protected fiercely.

I swallow a lump in my throat. In our family of three, I’ve always had to be the protector, even as a young girl.

I guess that’s part of losing a dad, wanting that feeling of being protected; and I lost that at a young age.

I rub my heart and try to push down the emotion his words have stirred up. I take a breath and step backwards.

“I’m going to head inside.” My words aren’t as steady as I want them to be, and I scold myself.

I turn away, but Rysden snags my good wrist. “You’re in that group now.” I swallow hard, as my emotions threaten to spill over. “Shade claimed you first. It’s taken me a little longer, but I consider you part of my group now. I’ll kill anyone that hurts you or threatens you.”

A tear threatens to spill over, and I pull on my hand. “Please don’t.”

His thumb strokes my wrist, and I nearly come undone with the tender touch. I don’t think he’s even aware he’s doing it. “Don’t what?” He asks softly.

I struggle to put it into words; I’ve never been good with expressing what I’m feeling.

“Rysden, my entire life, all I’ve ever wanted is to be protected.

” And loved. I keep that part to myself.

“Joining your group would be...” Everything.

I steel my spine. “But I have to stay focused. I have to win these trials, so I can get back to my mom and my brother. They’re my family; they’re everything to me.

I know you get that because you have them .

” I nod my head towards the house. I know it’s dark, but I also know he knows exactly who I’m talking about.

“So, as good as your protection sounds, I can’t have it.

I have to do this on my own and when the time is right, go back to my home, where I belong.

” I feel the change in him—the pulling away.

My heart mourns, but I know it’s for the best.

“You’re right.”

I take a breath and push all the emotion rolling through me deep down. I have a job to do. I have to win these trials and take care of my family. It’s my purpose now, and anything else is just a distraction. Without another word, I turn around and head back inside, leaving Rysden and Shade behind.