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

70. Rose

70

Rose

T he cyclone moved from the ocean to land, growing larger by the second as it gathered more and more debris into its revolving grip. It followed us through the woods and back to the clearing the earth trial had spit us out at, creating a barrier that trapped us in.

We weren’t the first to arrive.

Magic was heavy in the air, along with dust and leaves the wind caused to spin across the clearing. Callum and Arowyn faced off in the center, the former hurling what looked like small, handcrafted arrowheads made of sharp rock at the Strider, who disappeared and materialized feet away after every strike. She dipped and twisted to avoid what I assumed were illusions only visible to her, barely having time to stride from his arrowhead attacks.

To my right, Lark let out a loud gasp. When I saw what her eyes had landed on, bile crept up my throat.

Against a tree to the left was a body pinned to the trunk with a roughly hewn spear through his chest. The man’s head lolled onto his shoulder and fresh blood dribbled from the hole, pooling at his limp feet.

“Vincent,” Lark said, her jaw clenching. The other architect, the one who had been working for Gayl and killed her friend in the tunnels.

One of Callum’s arrowheads whizzed past my face, narrowly avoiding my ear. Leo snarled and started to charge toward the center, but I grabbed his arm.

Reaching into Salome’s pouch of herbs, I stuck an angelica leaf in my mouth and said, “ Incendar!”

Two circles of fire appeared around Arowyn and Callum, separating them from each other.

“Why are you fighting?” I shouted and took a few steps forward despite Leo’s low growl of warning. “We’re supposed to be getting out of this trial. There’s no point in killing each other!”

“Tell that to him,” Callum said with a sneer as he pointed to the dead architect. “Things changed, Feywood.”

“What are you talking about?” Lark asked, stepping to my side. I glanced at Arowyn, whose face remained impassive. But when she met my stare, her brow creased, a momentary glimpse of fear shining through.

“Your friend there told me how this works. How we’re supposed to get out of here. Only, not all of us will.” For once, Callum’s haughty expression was nowhere to be found as he spoke. He was outraged. A crazed, furious look gleamed in his dark eyes. “Is this your way of toying with us, architect? Leading us to believe it’s all for show, your pretty little tests and trials. Wit, heart, courage. If you wanted to see bloodshed, all you had to do was ask.”

Lark looked as confused as the rest of us. “Mr. Orlox, I don’t know what you mean. We never intended for any of you to die. I had nothing to do with this?—”

“You had everything to do with this,” he hissed. “You and your emperor. You think we’re going to stop now? When we’re so close to the end?”

Thick shadows approached Callum’s and Arowyn’s rings of fire, and I saw Alaric lurking across the clearing. Listening. Waiting. Tension stretched like a bowstring, and I knew one slight movement would make it all snap.

“Callum, listen to me,” I said, taking another tentative step forward. “Lark can help us all get out. We don’t need to fight. We can end this now.”

“You don’t get it,” he responded. He shook his head at the ground with a laugh that was both cruel and woeful at the same time. “Before I killed him, he told me the truth.” His eyes lifted to meet mine. “This trial was made for six people. Six challengers.” Pausing, he scanned the clearing. “And only six can get out.”

I blinked, trying to take in his words. Lark spun on her heels and gripped her head as her lips moved frantically to form numbers. Counting.

Callum, Arowyn, Nox, Alaric. Me.

Lark, Horace, Rissa, Leo.

Nine left. Only six could escape.

“This isn’t a trial,” Lark murmured. “It’s an execution.”

Across from me, Callum bared his teeth and lunged over the fire.