My brow furrowed. “You said we were welcome.”
“We are,” Shade replied, confusion evident in his tone as the snake-vines began to writhe angrily.
A series of charcoal crows cawed in fury above.
Burning thwomps shot fire into the sky.
Gargoyles inside all took up arms, rushing the gates.
Stonepeckers snarled.
A phoenix landed a few feet away to expand his feathers in a furious show of color.
Fire gnats began to swarm.
And a sinking sensation churned in my stomach.
“Shit,” I breathed, locking gazes with Zeph. His expression told me he’d figured it out as well.
“What?” Aflora demanded. “What’s happening?”
“It’s your next ascension trial.” With Constantine running the show, he hadn’t bothered to give her a break. And of course he chose to engage this one next. “You remember how I told you all Midnight Fae creatures were mine to command?” I asked softly, stepping up beside her.
“Yes,” she whispered, her fear palpable.
“Well, you’re the incoming monarch now. The second ascension is about taming the Midnight Fae creatures to your will. Show them you’re their queen and they’ll kneel at your feet.”
Fail… and they’ll eat you alive.
You and Iare going to have a very serious discussion about these trials and what to expect,I snapped at Kols through our mental link.Assuming I survive.
You will, he replied immediately.I’ll ensure it.
Those snake-vines say otherwise.I’d never been a fan of the hissing, writhing vines that surrounded Midnight Fae Academy. And they’d never been a fan of me.
But Kols had always commanded them before, which meant they’d mostly left me alone.
The way they were circling and acting now told me that would not be the case today.
Tell me what to do,I thought at Kols.Quickly.
You need to win them over by proving you’re their superior. I recommend picking the biggest and baddest of the creatures to tame first. Some of the smaller, less volatile ones will bow on instinct.
I took in all the beings surrounding us—including the fiery birds soaring above. They were smaller than the phoenix but still deadly in appearance. Mostly because their feathers were flames, not soft bristles.
“Clove,” I whispered, calling my falcon to my shoulder.
She landed with a ruffle of wings, her beady black gaze on the sky and the approaching creatures.
A dome of magic appeared from Zeph in the next instant, his defensive skill manifesting just as two of the fiery birds dove toward us.
They hit the green-glowing shield with a sizzling spark that reverberated through the air, their agonizing cries splintering my heart.
Death isn’t necessary, I thought to myself.But death is the Midnight Fae way.
Did that mean the creatures would only understand if I reacted violently?
There had to be another way, a more peaceful manner to tame them. To prove my worth. To be their queen. It didn’t matter that I wanted to undo the ascension later. I needed to master them now, to survive this trial, then find a way to fix everything.
