Page 31 of Spirit Trials (The Spirit Kingdoms #1)

When I feel like I’m finally sufficiently warm enough that I can take a bath, I head upstairs. I knock on the door Harper and Kinsley are sharing, and Kinsley answers. “I’m just making sure you’re both okay.”

“Peachy,” Harper says, coming around the corner with her hair wrapped in a towel. “Who doesn’t love a refreshing ice bath when it’s cold out?”

“Her snark is back; she’s fine,” Kinsley whispers. “Are you okay? You had to stay out there longer than us.”

“Yeah. I survived. It wasn’t my first ice bath and probably won’t be my last.”

Kinsley gives me a sympathetic look. “Hey, um, we wanted to ask you something.” She gives Harper a nervous glance.

“What is it?” I ask.

Kinsley looks around the hallway and then pulls me inside the room and shuts the door. “Do you think we could visit our community soon?”

Remorse hits me. “I’m sorry; I should have taken you home sooner than this. I’m sure you want to check in.”

“Well, sort of,” Kinsley says. “We were wondering if, maybe,” she pauses, obviously uncomfortable.

“It’s like this,” Harper joins in. “You have so much food here. They wouldn’t notice if we took some of it to our community.”

“To the little ones that need it,” Kinsley says quickly.

I stare at the two of them. “Seriously?” I look between the two of them. “You want to steal from Rysden?”

“We’re not stealing, exactly,” Kinsley hedges.

Harper levels a look at me. “They have so much food. They won’t notice if we take just a little bit.”

“It’s still stealing,” I say, exasperated. “How about I ask Rysden and—”

“You can’t ask Rysden,” Harper says. “He’ll just say no. He doesn’t care about the banished. I mean that couldn’t be more obvious. Look at all the wealth he’s sitting on.”

A defense rises on my tongue, but I keep silent. I get it. I thought the same thing when I first got here. I look between the two of them and shake my head. I already know I’m going to say yes. “Only a little bit and just extras of what we can find.”

“Done and done,” Kinsley says and starts getting dressed.

“We’ll meet down in the kitchen tonight after everybody’s asleep,” Harper adds.

“Wait. Tonight?” I look between the two of them again and groan.

“We can’t go during the day because of your captor,” Harper says.

“He’s not my captor.”

Harper raises her eyebrows. “Do you go anywhere that he doesn’t know about?” I open my mouth but don’t know what to say. “Exactly. Unless you’re going to stay here, the only way we’re going to get out is while he’s sleeping.”

I groan. “This is such a bad idea.”

Kinsley must take this as a yes from me because she hugs me tightly. “Thank you.”

“I’m going to be in so much trouble,” I mutter.

“It will be worth it,” Harper says and disappears into the bathing room again.

“I’m going to my room to take a bath and then sleep for a few hours. I’ll meet you both later.” I’m just about out the door when Kinsley stops me.

“Thank you.” Her eyes are so earnest, I can’t find it in my heart to not go with them and help them. I head to my room. “This is such a bad idea.”

“What’s a bad idea?”

I whirl around at the voice. “Rysden, you scared me.” He advances on me and stares at me.

I suddenly remember that he asked a question.

“Oh, nothing. Just...never mind. I’m off to take a bath and try to warm up.

” I disappear inside my room and lightly hit my head against my door because I have absolutely no game.

I shake my head at my own stupidity the whole way to my bath.

I soak in the tub until it turns cold, and then I dress in the warmest clothes I can find before pacing around my room, questioning all my life choices.

When I’m sure it’s late enough, I leave my room quietly and head downstairs.

Kinsley and Harper are already in the kitchen.

There’s enough light because of the fire that hasn’t gone completely out yet.

They’re shoving something into bags; I can’t quite tell what.

Honestly, I don’t really want to know. I’m already trying to figure out how I’ll pay Rysden back.

My stomach cramps, and I about shut the whole thing down.

But I think of the times when we were desperate for food and that hopeless, helpless feeling that would fill me.

I square my shoulders and help them pack up the food.

I’ll figure out a way to pay Rysden back; I vow it.

A few minutes later, we each have a heavy sack on our backs. “Did you leave any food for the guys?” I ask in a hushed whisper.

“There’s so much food here,” Harper chides.

“She’s right,” Kinsley adds.

Part of me can’t believe Kinsley’s even in on this; she’s seems too sweet to be doing something like this.

But I get desperation, so I lead them to the front door.

I unlock it and open it slowly, holding my breath.

When nothing happens, I step outside and motion for them to follow me.

We make our way to the stables wordlessly, and I make quick work of saddling a horse for each of us.

“I don’t want to ride by myself; horses make me nervous,” Kinsley whispers.

In the silence of the night, it feels like she’s yelling.

“You can ride with me,” I say softly.

Within minutes, we’re loaded up and begin to make our way through the city. Though it’s quiet this time of night, there are plenty of permalight lanterns to light the way. When we get close to the gates, and I see the guards, I start to rethink this whole thing. “Harper,” I call out quietly.

“It’s fine,” she calls back, just as softly.

I notice in dismay that the large double doors are closed, and I wonder what in the world we’re going to do.

I pull my horse to a stop behind Harper.

I can’t hear the conversation between her and the guard, but it only lasts a few seconds.

Then a door to the side opens, and Harper guides her horse through.

The door closes behind us, and I glance behind us and the closed entrance into the city.

“What did you say to get out?” I ask, pulling my horse alongside Harper’s.

“I just told him we had business outside the walls,” Harper says.

“And he didn’t question that?”

Harper gives me a side eye. “The people aren’t prisoners, Farrah. They can leave whenever they want.”

“Even if it’s the middle of the night?” She shrugs again. “What about getting back in?”

“That will be more difficult,” she admits.

My stomach falls. “But you have a plan, right?”

“Sure.” But the way she says it doesn’t give me much confidence.

“Harper, how are we getting back into the city?”

“So, they don’t open the gates to the city for anything during the night. We’ll have to wait until morning to get back in.”

“What?” I lower my voice and try again. “Are you kidding me? We can’t get back in until morning?” I’m trying and failing to keep the panic from my voice.

“Chill. It’s not that big a deal,” she says. “Besides, we slept during the day today, so it’s perfect.”

I can’t argue with her there. I’m not nearly worried as much about losing a night’s sleep as I am about what will happen when Rysden realizes we’re gone and doesn’t know where we are. “What time do the city gates open?” I ask.

“At sunrise.”

Her words give me hope. All we have to do is make it back here right when the gates open and get back to the house. Rysden will never know if all goes according to plan. It’s that if that makes me nervous. To get my mind off it, I ask, “So where are we headed?”

“There are several areas where the banished live outside the city,” Harper says. “We’re taking you to the larger one, where we’re both from.”

“Are you both happy to go back, or will this be hard?” I ask, unsure.

“This is all we’ve ever known, Farrah,” Kinsley say softly. “Neither of us have family living, but we have people that we know and love.”

My heart tugs at their words. I can’t imagine not having any family in this world.

I’m suddenly glad we’re doing this. The further away we get from the city, the darker it gets.

It doesn’t make me nervous, though. I relish it; it reminds me of our village.

I look up at the stars and wonder at the fact that my mom and brother could be looking up at these same stars.

The silence settles around us, and I breathe it in.

We ride for probably close to thirty minutes or so before Harper begins to slow.

I don’t see anything at first. And then I see a fire, and it casts light on the area.

I take in the tattered tents, the shelters made from branches.

Harper talks to someone and climbs off her horse.

She whistles, and the noise of it pierces the silence.

Suddenly, the place around us comes alive.

Kinsley climbs down, and I watch as she’s welcomed and hugged, just like Harper was.

I watch as people gather around them, both young and old.

Even though it’s nearly the middle of the night, everyone acts as if it’s the middle of the day.

They laugh and talk, and the kids run around.

I climb off my horse and tie it to a post that honestly doesn’t look like it will hold, but I have no other choice.

Kinsley grabs my hand and pulls me over to the group.

Curious eyes take me in, and I smile at the varied group.

It’s impossible not to notice the tattered, torn clothes, the gaunt cheekbones, and thin shoulders.

Harper sees me coming and points me out. “This is our friend, Farrah. She’s going to win the spirit trials and get rid of the rules that keep the banished outside the city.” Silence falls, and I could kick Harper.

“Um, hi,” I wave.

“Are you from the Wolf Kingdom?” somebody asks.

“Oh, no. I’m from a village about a week’s ride from here,” I tell them.

“Are you really going to win the trials and help us?” somebody else asks, and I don’t know what to say. I look at the people in front of me and recognize the hopelessness. Nobody should have to live this way, especially when the Wolf Kingdom has more than enough to share.

“I’m going to try,” I tell them. Something moves deep within my heart, and I know I won’t go back on my word. Somebody needs to help these people. It may as well be me. Somebody tugs at my hand, and I look down to see a little girl smiling up at me.

“You’re pretty.”

I squat down, so I’m at her level. “You’re pretty too.”

She giggles. “Want to watch me spin?”

“I would love to.” I watch her spin and spin, wondering how she doesn’t get dizzy. When she finishes, I clap for her and then wander back over to where Harper has set up a distribution area of sorts.

“Eleanor,” she calls out. I watch a hunched woman shuffle over to the table.

“I brought you some oil,” Harper says softly. I watch as the woman reaches out gnarled, twisted hands.

“Thank you,” the woman says as she takes the little bottle. “You’re an angel.”

Kinsley laughs. “Yes, that’s exactly what she is.”

Harper scowls but gets back to work. “Rita.” She waves over a young mom who’s holding a baby and has a toddler hanging on to her legs and another little one following close behind.

Harper gives her just a few things—I can’t even see what they are.

And yet, you’d think she just gave the woman the moon.

“Thank you, Harper. Thank you.” Harper nods, and I can tell she’s choked up. It makes me choke up too. I don’t understand it. I don’t understand how these people have nothing. Somebody tugs on my shirt, and I turn around. I nearly stumble back in surprise at the woman standing in front of me.