Empire of Flame and Thorns (Flame and Thorns #1)

Chapter 41

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

E verything inside me screams in pain and exhaustion and sheer fucking desperation as I try to run with a broken ankle while the beating of wings grows louder behind me. Lightning shoots up my leg with every step, and the agony is so blinding that I can barely see the forest before me. I cry out in pain as I stumble through the trees.

I have to make it. Please, Mabona, I have to make it.

Begging to any deity that will listen, I shove my way through tangles of vines. Thorns slice into my skin.

The beating wings draw closer.

With a scream, I shove myself out between two twisted tree trunks right as a dark shadow sweeps through the air above me.

My legs give out and I crash down on the grass right at the edge of the massive field between our city and the Golden Palace.

A second later, Draven slams down on the ground a few strides away.

Lightning flashes in his eyes as his gaze locks on me where I’m crawling forward across the grass. My heart jerks violently at the expression on his face. He looks like he’s about to slaughter every person in this court and then burn the whole forest to the ground.

Clenching his fist, he takes a threatening step towards me and opens his mouth to say something. But right before the first word can make it out, another voice breaks the silence.

“Draven,” Empress Jessina says. “You’re back. Were you monitoring the trial all night?”

Draven freezes in place. There looks to be a war going on behind his eyes as he stares at me.

“Yes,” he at last replies.

“Any issues?”

His golden eyes sear into me, burning through my very soul. Behind his thigh, where only I can see it, he flexes his hand again. It looks like he’s about to pick me up and simply throw me back into the forest. But I’m gambling on the fact that he can’t interfere while Empress Jessina and Emperor Bane are watching. However, based on the way Draven is clenching his jaw, it looks like he might ignore their orders and do it anyway.

I barely dare to breathe as I hold his gaze.

Then he forces out a breath, and that usual mask of calm authority slams back down on his features.

“No,” he replies, his voice respectful and composed. Then he turns around to face the empress and lowers his chin in deference. “No issues.”

Without another look back, he strides over to the Iceheart monarchs and takes up his customary position a little behind them to the right.

I can’t even feel the relief that should be washing through me, because the pain and exhaustion that course through my every vein are so all-consuming that I can barely breathe. Agony sears through me and black spots float in my vision as I crawl across the grass with a broken hand and a shattered ankle. Whimpers of pain spill from my lips.

Both Iceheart monarchs, all eight clan leaders, and four of the other contestants are standing there on the grass, watching me. But I can’t even muster enough energy to be embarrassed. I don’t care if I’m crawling on the ground. I don’t care about the pitiful noises that escape my throat. All I care about is that I’m about to win.

Empress Jessina watches me with cool gray eyes, somehow managing to look both amused and bored at the same time. Emperor Bane studies me as well, but there is a vicious smirk on his mouth as he watches me crawl up to their feet.

Pushing myself up to my knees, I drag in a deep breath to steady my spinning head. Then I hold up my right hand and unclench it.

Gold glints in the afternoon sunlight as I present the ring to them.

Bane’s smirk widens.

“Finally,” Jessina says, and flicks her wrist impatiently. “We have the third winner.”

I snap my gaze towards the four other contestants on the grass, realizing that two of them have already brought the other rings.

Isera, Fenriel, Alistair, and Trevor stand there a short distance away. Isera looks cool and composed, and completely unharmed. Alistair, on the other hand, has bloody claw marks all over his face and arms. Most of the blood appears to have dried at this point, but a few of the slashes on his face must open every time he blinks and moves his mouth, because drops of blood slide down his skin.

I stare at him before shifting my gaze to Fenriel. He and Alistair must have gotten into quite the fight. Or rather Alistair and Talon the hawk. But pain swirls in Fenriel’s eyes too, and I can see that he is sporting burn wounds both on one of his arms and his left thigh. Next to him, Trevor is swaying slightly where he stands. Dried blood covers the back of his head, and his eyes are sliding in and out of focus.

Empress Jessina snaps her fingers and points to the ground in front of her feet. “Come on then. Let’s get this over with.”

My heart pounds in my chest, and I hold my breath, hoping that it’s Isera and Fenriel who will step forward.

A faint groan slips from my lips when Isera and Alistair are the ones to approach.

Both of them keep a blank mask on their features as they walk up to the Icehearts and then drop down on one knee next to me.

“I hereby declare the final trial finished,” Empress Jessina calls. “And the victors are Isera Shaw, Alistair Geller, and Selena Hale.”

Triumph sweeps through my soul like a glittering wave.

Behind Jessina’s shoulder, Draven is glaring at me with burning fury in his eyes. But even he can’t dim my joy now. Because I did it. I won the Atonement Trials.

“Tomorrow morning, three of our soldiers will come here to collect you,” Emperor Bane picks up. “They will fly you to the Ice Palace where the formal winner’s ceremony will take place in front of our entire court.”

Empress Jessina levels a commanding stare on all three of us. “Our soldiers will arrive at sunrise. If you are not already waiting on the Dragon Field when they arrive, you will forfeit your place as winner of the Atonement Trials.” Her eyes sharpen. “Don’t be late. We wait for no one.”

All three of us bow our head in acknowledgement.

“Excellent,” she says.

Then she snaps her fingers again. But when I look up, I realize that it’s not meant for us this time.

“Rin,” the empress calls. “Heal the winners.”

Rin Tanaka, leader of the Orange Dragon Clan, steps forward without a word. Her long black hair ripples over the shoulders of her orange dragon scale armor as she walks up to us. She stops next to Alistair, who is kneeling closest to where she was standing previously, but her gaze darts over to where Fenriel and Trevor are standing.

“And the others?” she asks.

“No.” Jessina scowls at her as if that should have been obvious. “They lost.”

For one second, I swear I can almost see a flicker of anger in Rin’s black eyes. But when she speaks, there is no change in her tone. Her voice is as smooth and calm as before.

“Of course,” she replies.

Alistair lets out a strangled noise of relief as she begins healing the vicious claw marks across his skin. My ankle and hand throb in pain, and I glance longingly towards Rin as I wait for my turn.

“What about the other contestants?” Fenriel suddenly asks from across the grass. He casts a worried look towards the woods. “Trevor and I only came back here because we had to drop out because of our injuries. But what about the ones who are still in the forest. How will they know that the trial is already over?”

Emperor Bane shrugs, making his silver wings rustle behind his broad shoulders. “They’ll figure it out eventually.”

“What if they don’t?”

“Who cares?” He shoots Fenriel a sharp look. “If they don’t return, it means they weren’t worthy of living anyway.”

All five of us contestants, even Alistair, jerk back a little at his cruel words. Fenriel opens his mouth, and it looks like he’s about to argue, but then Bane flares his wings slightly.

The subtle threat is loud and clear.

Dropping his gaze, Fenriel bows his head and takes a half step back.

“I’m bored, Bane,” Jessina announces. “And I’m tired of breathing the same air as these uncivilized people. It’s high time we leave this filthy court and return to the Ice Palace.”

There is a malicious smile on Bane’s lips as he sweeps his gaze over us. I squeeze my uninjured hand into a fist and clench my jaw, but I remain on my knees with my chin lowered.

“Agreed,” Bane says. “Let’s go.”

Spinning on their heels, they start striding farther out onto the field. Sunlight gleams in their silver clothes and wings.

Jessina casts a glance over her shoulder. “Draven, come.”

For a few moments, Draven’s gaze lingers on me. There is an unreadable expression on his face now. And for some reason, that is almost worse than his previous anger.

Then, without a word, he tears his gaze from me and strides after his monarchs.

Black smoke explodes across the grass as all three of them shift into dragons.

The grass trembles as strong winds whoosh down over it when the three dragons beat their wings and take flight. Still on my knees, I sit there on the grass and wait for my turn to be healed.

Jessina and Bane let out loud roars that make the woods shake in fear. Then the two of them soar upwards and towards their Ice Palace somewhere far up north.

Draven, in his massive black dragon form, hovers over the field for a few seconds.

His eyes sweep over me one last time.

Then he too flies away.