Page 34 of Spirit Trials (The Spirit Kingdoms #1)

When we get back to the stables, I dismount and begin leading my horse to the stable. “I can take her,” Jamik says, but I wave him off.

“I’ll help.”

He’s silent as we walk to the stables. I realize that Rysden is behind us, but I don’t acknowledge him.

The three of us get the horses settled before heading back to the main house.

When we get inside, Jamik slips up the stairs.

I take a deep breath and then turn to Rysden.

“I need to get back to training. Do you mind training with me? Everybody else seems to have disappeared.” I don’t look at his face; I keep my eyes on his chest. He doesn’t let me down.

“Let’s go.”

As soon as we get downstairs, he’s all business; and I need that. We don’t talk; well, I don’t. He gives me commands and corrections, but it’s good. I work through my frustration, and it feels good. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asks at one point.

“Nope.” I think he’s going to push me, but he lets it drop. He turns into the Rysden I first knew—the cold, detached one, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

The next few days pass in the blink of an eye, and then the day of trial two arrives.

I’m up early, anxious and filled with nervous energy.

I head into the kitchen and start making breakfast, long before anybody wakes up.

When Hector comes into the kitchen, he stops for a moment and then continues over to where I’m working.

“Are those maple?” he asks, nodding at the small cakes sitting on the counter, cooling.

“Yes.”

“Can I have one?”

I smile. “You can have as many as you want. Those are my maple fig breakfast cakes.”

He picks one up and takes a bite. “They’re good.” That’s all I get from him before he begins crushing the beans for coffee, but I’ll take it.

Rysden’s the next one in the kitchen. “Why are you up so early?”

I don’t let his bad attitude rock me. “Good morning to you too, Rysden. I made maple fig cakes if you want one for breakfast. There’s also—”

“I don’t eat sweets for breakfast.”

“There’s also a pot of meat mix I put together,” I continue as if he didn’t cut me off. “And just for the record, those cakes aren’t actually very sweet.” He doesn’t respond. I move around the kitchen, keeping an eye on everything.

“Eat up. We’re leaving soon,” Rysden says as he leaves the kitchen. I breathe a sigh of relief when he’s gone.

Noticing Hector is still in the kitchen with me, I turn to him. “He’s so charming in the morning, isn’t he?”

Hector looks at me over the rim of the cup he’s holding. “He’s worried about you.”

I blink in surprise. “That’s not...he’s not.

..Nope, that’s not it.” Hector doesn’t say anything more, and I wonder if I should be even more worried for this trial than I already am.

Which, come to think of it, I’m not sure is actually possible.

I couldn’t sleep all night, and now I can barely stomach any food.

The only reason I’m eating at all is I know I have to have strength for today.

“You have your sack packed?” Hector asks a little later.

“Yes, let’s hope I keep it longer than I kept the last one.”

He scowls. “Don’t let anybody take your bag. You can fight. Do it.”

I look over at him, surprised. “Wow, Hector, that’s so much coming from you. We’re like conversing.”

“Don’t get used to it,” he grumbles, and I can’t help but smile. “Don’t die out there.”

A full smile crosses my lips. “I’ll try not to.” I give him a hug, surprising him. “I’ll be back once this is over.”

He nods. “See that you are.” He takes his cup of coffee and leaves, and I work on cleaning up my mess.

Jamik comes in a little while later. “You hungry?” I ask. I don’t bother waiting for his reply before I start filling him a plate.

“Thanks.” He takes it over to the table. But before he sits, he looks over at me. “You ready for today?”

“Yes.” I try to project confidence.

“Try not to come home in pieces this time, so my brother doesn’t have a heart attack. Not sure he can withstand that a second time.”

I stare at Jamik. “I’m sure my well-being is none of your brother’s concern.”

He gives me a look. “Right.” Then he disappears with his food.

Unsurprisingly, Lox is the last one in the kitchen. He must have already worked out because he looks awake and alert. “Mmm, smells good in here. What are these?” he asks, picking up one of the small cakes.

“Maple fig cakes. They’re—”

I don’t even finish what I was saying before he takes a huge bite. “Mmm, these are amazing,” he says around his bite.

“I guess you’re not like Rysden then. He doesn’t eat sweets for breakfast,” I mimic in a low voice.

Lox grins. “That’s his loss and my gain.” He picks up two more. “You ready for today?” He’s uncharacteristically serious, which makes my nerves ratchet up.

“Yes,” I say confidently.

He grins. “You’re terrified, aren’t you?”

“Scared to death,” I tell him.

“You’re going to be fine. I think you’re better trained than I was when I went in,” he says, putting his hand on my shoulder. “You’re going to do great.”

“Lox!” Rysden barks from the doorway. “Stop flirting and let’s go.”

Lox grins down at me and winks and then steps away. I face Rysden, who looks more angry than usual. I think of Hector’s words and wonder if maybe he’s nervous for me. “If you’re done staring at me, we can go,” he snaps at me.

Or not. “ Yep. I’m ready.” I throw my sack over my shoulder and then my quiver and finally my bow.

“You have your bag?” I nod. “Knives?” He scans my body, mentally checking off each one. “Bow? Quiver? A blanket for nights? Rope? Dried meat? A waterskin?”

“I’m good, Rysden,” I tell him softly. I wonder if just maybe Hector is right; maybe he is a little worried. “I’m going to be fine.”

His eyes meet mine. “Yes, you will.” His words are stiff. “Let’s go, or we’re going to be late.” Shade meets us outside, and I’m surprised to see the other guys aren’t with us.

“We’re going by ourselves?”

“Jamik’s going too.”

Thankfully, I get my own horse for this ride. When we get close to the gathering place, Rysden pulls his horse to a stop. “I can’t go any closer with you.”

“Oh, right. Of course. Okay. Well, thanks for everything. I’ll see you at the end of this trial.”

He doesn’t say anything, and I shake my head and turn to Jamik. “Thanks for everything, Jamik. I’ll see you soon.” He nods.

I slip off my horse. “I’ll just leave her here with you now, so you don’t have to collect her later.

” I leave the two somber brothers behind and walk to where the contestants are all gathered.

My eyes scan the crowd for Harper and Kinsley.

When I don’t see them, I feel a sense of loss.

I feel just as lonely and confused as I did before trial one.

I push those thoughts aside and focus on the competitors that are left.

The numbers are smaller; we lost several in the first trial.

Unbidden, Sariah’s face comes to mind before I push it from my mind.

That won’t help me now. It doesn’t take long for the Wolf King, Jaguar King, and Terron to join us.

After the long-winded Wolf King finally finishes welcoming all of us, as if this were a fun outing instead of a trial designed to kill us, Terron steps forward.

“Trial Two is upon us. Welcome and congratulations on making it to this trial. This trial is a nod to the Jaguar Kingdom, so I would like to welcome the Jaguar King to tell you about it.” I watch intently as the Jag King, the one I met briefly at the dinner before trial one, steps forward.

“The challenge for this trial is simple. All you have to do is stay in the trees until the horns blow. If your feet touch the ground, you’re done.

” After that, he steps back. I turn to Harper and Kinsley excitedly before I remember that I’m alone.

Still, I’m excited about this challenge.

The trees are my second home. I’m feeling really good about this one.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Rysden warned me, and I was able to pack accordingly.

Terron steps forward once again. “Do not forget that while your goal is to remain in the trees; that is not your sole goal. You also need to collect gold coins. Listen for the first horn. Once you hear it, you will have twenty minutes to find your tree and climb. The trial ends when the second set of horns stop blowing. Now, this challenge will start a little differently. Each of you will be flashed to the area in which our competition takes place. Gather in groups of ten, please. That’s as many as Eaglon can take with him for each journey.

” I’m still staring at the stage when the people around me start grouping up.

I’m still stuck on the fact that we’re going to be teleporting somewhere.

“Farrah.”

I turn in surprise to Kinsley. As excited as I am to see her, a wariness fills me. “Hi.”

She surprises me with a hug. “I’m so sorry about everything that went down. You didn’t do anything wrong. Maritus should have never held a knife to your throat. What happened to him was his own fault. I told Harper she was way out of line, if that helps.”

I smile, relieved to have at least one friend back. “It does. I really am sorry, though, about what happened to your friend.”

“I know; I am too. But it really wasn’t your fault. Can I go with you?”

“Yes!” I don’t even have to think about it. “Do you think we should find a group?”

“It looks like we’re already in a group,” she says, nodding at the few people standing close to us.

“I guess that works.”

We’re both silent after that. Terron starts walking through the groups with his gryphon at his side.

Then his gryphon flashes a group at a time.

One minute, there’s a group of ten people standing around the gryphon, touching him, the next they’re all gone.

Seconds later, the gryphon appears by himself and heads over to the next group.

It’s truly amazing to watch. It takes a little bit, but Terron and his gryphon finally approach our group.

We gather around the gryphon and reach out and touch him.

“Is there room for one more?” a voice asks, and I close my eyes in relief.

I don’t turn to look at Harper, afraid that if I do, she’ll go with another group.

But Kinsley meets my eyes and smiles, and I smile in return.

Maybe this challenge won’t be so bad after all.

And then we flash. The world falls away for a moment and then reappears.

I swallow hard and work to keep my balance.

A few in our group land on their knees as we recover from being flashed here.

The gryphon doesn’t stick around, and we’re left alone.

I take a step and feel myself tilting to the side, so I stand still.

“Wow, that was a rush,” Kinsley says from right behind me.

I turn around slowly, so as not to fall over. Her face is pale, but she’s smiling.

“Yeah, that was crazy; but I don’t think I like flashing.”

“Yeah, me neither. I like keeping the contents of my stomach where they belong.”

“Me too.” The smile slips from my face as Harper walks over to us, and I brace myself.