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Darnell flicked his eyes in that direction, and I felt smug that at least he’d looked away first. Small victories and all.
“Let’s get moving,” I ordered, considering which of the seven passages we might take.
“We need to make a map first,” Darnell said, withdrawing a pencil from a pocket on his vest. Jillian glared at him when he beckoned for the book, but after a few moments of another staring contest, she held it open for him, still keeping a firm grip on the binding.
He sketched the outline of the clearing and the seven corridors inside the book, using one of the mostly blank pages in the front.
“Maybe the Trial ends early if we collect all the books,” Jillian said, snatching the book from Darnell as soon as he’d finished.
“Or kill the other teams,” he added.
I shook my head. “We can’t kill the others - Merden said no mortal harm. Otherwise, there would only be three competitors for the final Trial.”
“Sounds like good odds,” he replied, shrugging.
I rolled my eyes. As much as I’d love to drive my knife through Jillian’s neck, that wasn’t the game.
If it was, I’d have to kill the weapons I’d just laid claim to a few hours ago.
The mist knew more than I did, and I trusted my men would stay safe a while longer. But the mist also knew about the prophecies. Jillian and Darnell had no idea what else we might be up against.
Speaking of which...
There could even be gobbelins in this labyrinth.
––––––––
RUSH
By some miracle, I made it out of the dark forest alive, though not unharmed.
With a bloodied face and tattered clothing, I was a sight to see by the time I reached the massive network of trees that housed all of Aralia’s nobility and most of the warriors. For outsiders, it appeared to be a single tree, but fae were born with the ability to see the layers of earth magic that had woven it together.
I took some comfort from the fact that I could still see the magic, given that I’d just learned I wasn’t, in fact, completely fae. I’d lived my entire life in that lie.
I entered the Queen’s Realm, which I supposed had been renamed to the Kings’ Realm, now that Ignea was dead, and her sons had decided to share equal control of Aralia instead of installing another dictator.
“I request an audience with King Ronan, and King Kier and King Brigance, if they’re available,” I announced to the first guard I came across.
The female gave me a scathing look, but I didn’t exactly want to take the time for a bath, no matter what protocols I was breaking by entering in such an offensively dirty state.
“I will deliver your message,” she said haughtily, and I ran my hands through my tangled hair as I watched her go.
It was risky to speak with my half-brother and the others about what Tante had said, but I didn’t see how else I might find out more information. Any further details about my mission had been buried with Queen Ignea, as far as I knew.
I was hoping my family relation would be reason enough for the kings to help me. Unfortunately, Ronan and I had never been close.
“Declan... you look... well.” Brigance’s forced greeting spun me around in time to catch his grimace.
“Apologies, my King. I have been in the Desolate Forest to see Tante.”
He frowned but said nothing else. Tante was well-known, of course, but I doubted the three fae kings had ever ventured into her section of the forest for help. They had plenty of servants and advisers for that sort of thing, and Ignea would have never given them the independence anyway.
So far, the brothers had ruled Aralia well enough, but they were completely untested. Their mother had kept them in line like prize ponies, and for a moment, I wondered if coming to them about the gobbelins was a mistake.
“Declan. Long time, little brother. Though maybe not long enough,” Ronan greeted me coolly. He had always alternated between disowning me completely and reminding me of my lower status, regardless of the fact that I was actually older than him. “Kier is not available,” he added.
“Well, I wish I came on better circumstances. The vampire problem has become... more problematic,” I finished lamely. They knew I’d been tasked with something regarding the vampire princess long ago, but I wasn’t sure they were aware of the magnitude of my assignment.
