In the Wake of the Wicked (Veridian Empire #1)

20. Rose

20

Rose

I rode hard out of the central sector, passing lively villages and crowded streets until I entered the less populated, more forested west sector. Lush trees lined the path, the rushing sound of the nearby Scarre River reaching my ears. I looked back over my shoulder a handful of times to see the tips of the tall, circular palace spires shrinking in the distance. Slowing Colette so I could check the map and be sure I was still heading in the right direction to the memorial, we eventually crossed a wide bridge across the Scarre River, my destination and hope growing closer with every step.

After another five minutes, the smooth stone path became interrupted with large thickets, the leaping waters of the river now muffled by the grassy undergrowth and copse of trees surrounding me. If I didn’t have the ticking clock of this trial hanging over my head, it would be peaceful. Quiet. Only the sound of wind whistling through leaves and Colette’s hooves tromping through kept me company.

Until—

A few yards behind me, another pair of hooves clicked over stone .

My head snapped around, Colette veering slightly to the right at the motion.

And just like at the mausoleum, there was nothing there.

I sighed in frustration, turning Colette back to the main path. “Fates, Rose, get your?—”

Colette reared up, causing my words to catch in my throat as she almost threw me off her back. In the middle of the road, mere feet from her nose, was an enormous dark gray stallion.

With a smirking Callum perched atop.

“Fancy meeting you here, Feywood.”

I cursed. “What are you doing? Are you following me?”

“I don’t need to follow you. I have eyes and ears everywhere,” he said smugly. “Spend a year preparing for this tournament, and you make some friends. But you wouldn’t know that, would you?”

Anger burned in my core. His ego was so large, I wasn’t sure how his head didn’t blow clean off his shoulders. People like him who got off on making others feel inferior made me want to lash out irrationally.

I acted as if I was tightening my hold on the reins as I reached for my pouch of herbs. “Be careful, Callum. If you get too distracted, you won’t be able to hold onto Iluze’s precious champion title.” Nudging Colette with my thighs, we trotted forward. “Now get out of my way.”

He drifted even closer, as I knew he would. Before he had time to respond, the henbane was on my tongue and I whispered a hurried, “ Phyxie .”

But instead of gasping desperately for air as all the breath escaped his lungs, Callum’s smirk widened. His form rippled like waves on water.

A wicked laugh came from behind me. “Neat trick,” he said as I whirled to face him. “But I won’t fall for that again.”

I flashed him a smile, the faint licorice taste of the angelica I’d grabbed mixing with the acrid one of henbane still on my lips. “Didn’t expect you to. Incendar . ”

This time, he wasn’t prepared.

Flames burst at his wrist, quickly encasing his arm. He cried out in alarm and leapt from his horse, crashing to the ground. I watched with a sneer as he rolled on the grass to try and quell the blaze.

My energy was waning again. I could feel it, like a cavity in my chest hollowing out. I’d used more magic today than normal, but glaring down at him at the feet of my horse, I couldn’t find it in me to care.

It was like the fire was a part of me. It licked at his clothes, his skin, tasting him and spitting him out like ash. His cries and heaving breaths against the smoke were music to my ears, a sweet melody of retribution.

Dismounting, I stalked toward him, not entirely sure what I was doing. When I blinked, I saw another image of a different man lying before a fireplace covered in blood. Panic clawed up my throat before I shook the memory away.

Illusionists . Callum was the same as the people who murdered my father. I’d never see those two men again, but the one before me…he would do just fine.

“Feywood—please—” Callum choked, still thrashing at the flames that couldn’t be quenched. It spread to his legs, burning away the fabric and revealing dark skin beneath.

He isn’t your true enemy , a voice whispered in my head. Remember what you’re here for .

The mission. The curse. Saving my uncle.

That’s what mattered, even more than this tournament, more than the vicious threats of challengers. Callum was a bastard, but he didn’t deserve to die for his tricks. This was my past breaking free, my grief and fear taking control.

I had to hold myself together.

“Finiscere ,” I mumbled, taking my thistle leaf charm, and the flames immediately died. Turning my back on him, I strode to Colette. “Learn your lesson this time, Callum, and leave me alone.”

In my next breath, a slew of bats appeared from the forest behind my mare, aiming straight at my head. Colette bucked and I screamed, barely keeping my feet from being trampled as I swatted at the bats.

My hands fell through them like they were smoke. More illusions . His magic was so incredibly powerful. I swear I could feel their leathery wings beating against my skin, their sharp claws digging into flesh.

The bats disappeared, only to be replaced by writhing snakes, twining themselves around Colette’s legs, then mine, slithering up our bodies without me feeling a thing. My mare’s frightened whinnies filled the air. One of the fake snakes hissed, its beady eyes locked on mine and forked tongue flicking wildly. A whimper tore from me.

It’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not real.

“Scared, Feywood?” Callum rasped, still on the ground, his clothes in tatters and smoke rising from his body.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, hating the way my voice panted with fear.

He chuckled then coughed, ash spread across his arms as he gingerly got to his feet. “Don’t kid yourself. You’re not special—you should see what I did to the Lightbender.”

I shook my head. “You would save yourself a lot of time if you tried to find your own artifact instead of coming after the rest of us.”

“Who says I haven’t?” he asked sinisterly. But there wasn’t just one of him. Suddenly, there were dozens of Callums closing in from all sides, that cocky laugh echoing tenfold. My eyes flitted to the left and right, unable to escape the multitude of raised eyebrows, glinting lip rings, dark eyes that spoke of hatred and victory and vengeance.

I inhaled sharply. Go for the eyes . That was how you weakened an Illusionist. But which one was the real him?

There was always a tell. I may not know his kind of power the way I knew my Alchemy, but all magic had a weak point, a way to determine reality from illusion. My eyes darted across each of his faces as they converged on me, scanning for anything off, any sign of?—

There.

The one to the far left, several steps back from the other versions of him. He was the only one limping—from when he’d fallen from his horse, I imagined.

I felt through my satchel of herbs until my fingers found blackthorn ash—not a particularly offensive herb, mostly used for silencing or in combination with other charms. But it could still do damage. In a burst of adrenaline, I lurched past the false Callums and straight to the real one.

And shoved the ash into his eyes.

The illusions vanished and Callum staggered, howling and clutching at his face.

I sprinted to Colette. The sound of crunching leaves followed me. Fates , I couldn’t get rid of him. When I glanced back, he brandished a dagger, all cockiness wiped from his gaze. Instead, he wore vicious retribution.

No more tricks.

I reached into my pocket for the vial Rothy had given me. “ Don’t get too close to that potion when you use it,” she’d said.

Sucking in a breath, I tossed it at Callum’s feet as he barreled after me, then stuck my foot in Colette’s stirrup and hoisted myself up.

Crunch . The vial broke.

“Feywood! What the?—”

Success blazed through me as I gripped Colette’s reins, turning to find Callum pounding his fists against thin air, as if there was an invisible barrier blocking him. He couldn’t take a single step in any direction.

Rothy, you little genius .

“See you in the second trial, Callum,” I said with a smirk.

I patted Colette’s side and she took off, but not before I saw Callum raise his hands.

Everything happened so fast .

Colette let out a neigh as loud as a lion’s roar. She reared up on her hind legs, frightened by something in front of us that I couldn’t see. My hold on her reins wasn’t tight enough.

I went flying.

My head slammed into the ground, and my vision went black.