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“Laelia,” Kano calls, and I spin to see my half-brother walking towards me with a frown. “I’m sorry I couldn’t see you earlier. The queen has been keeping me… occupied.”
We all know what that means, and it makes my blood boil. He’s forced to warm her bed like her own personal whore, and not treated like the general who’s in charge of keeping this place safe. She’s been ordering him to fuck her, keeping him away from me and proving to Luna that she’s in charge here. My gut twists with disgust. There has to be a way to keep him from her grasp. I’m not very good at keeping those feelings hidden, and as I look up at him, my expression drops. “Kano—”
Cutting me off with a wave of his hand, he smiles. “It’s fine. It keeps her attention away from you for a bit.” This might work on other people, but I can see the tension in his expression. “This is my way of keeping you safe. Let me help, Laelia.”
Leaping forward, I wrap my arms around his middle. He’s startled to begin with, since I’ve never hugged him before, but after a moment, he lets out a content sigh and hugs me back, resting his chin on the top of my head. I hate that he’s willingly going to the queen’s bed just to keep the heat off me.
Untangling himself from my embrace, he looks down at me with a complicated expression. I can’t quite work out what he’s thinking, but he seems concerned. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one has followed him out of the hall, he leans in a little closer. “Whatever happens today, just know that I’ll do everything from my end that I can to help you.”
That doesn’t sound great. If he feels the need to impress upon me that he’s going to help from the outside, it means that the challenge is going to be hard and dangerous. I’m not naïve, I wasn’t expecting this to be a walk in the park, yet the more cryptic messages I’m given, the more anxious I’m getting about it.
Clearing my throat, I give him a tiny, hopeful smile. “I don’t suppose you can tell me what we’re about to face?”
“I’m sorry, but I’ve been bound, so I can’t tell you anything.” He seems remorseful, and I get the impression that if he could, he’d tell me everything. All of a sudden, his expression shifts and his posture changes. I just begin to wonder what happened when I notice someone waiting by the door. How Kano knew they were standing there before I heard them, I don’t know, and I don’t get the chance to ask as he clears his throat.
“It’s time to go in. Are you ready?”
Glancing over my shoulder, I take in my mates and friends, all of whom are watching me expectantly. None of them have griped about doing the challenges, in fact, they have been eager to help me. Heart fluttering with gratitude, I look at Kano.
“As ready as I’m going to get.”
We’re led into the meeting hall in silence. It’s packed, the towering tiers of seats all filled with eager witches who watch us with fascination. As usual, the whispers follow us as we come into view. The last time I was here, the atmosphere was tense, yet today, it feels charged and excited. There are those who are still very vocal about how awful werewolves are, but the attitudes of most witches seem to be changing towards us, even if it’s mild.
Kano leads the way, followed by myself with Atlas on my left. It was decided that of all my mates, he would be better going first, and I can see the quirk of the queen’s lips and know we made the right choice. Scott, Nicolai, Syn, and Joel follow behind us, protecting our backs. They walk in a line, my two alphas unbothered about the hierarchy of who goes where as long as we’re all safe and protected.
At the top of the room, the queen sits on her throne. She looks ethereal in her rose pink gown, which is very modest in appearance compared to her usual attire. Her golden locks tumble over her shoulder, and she is the picture of innocence as her pale pink lips pull into a welcoming smile. It’s all an act, and I don’t know how her people don’t see right through it. Personally, I’ve witnessed the queen’s multiple personalities, and it’s enough to give me whiplash.
Reaching the open space in the centre of the room, we come to a standstill. Kano bows to the queen, and at her nod, he joins her on her right. Just behind her throne is the familiar dark shape of Ivar, but he says nothing and stays out of sight. Following Atlas’s lead, we drop into bows, holding them for the expected time. As I straighten, I find the queen’s stare locked on me, her eyes sparkling with mirth.
“Greetings, all,” the queen begins, her light voice musical as she looks up at her people with a smile, the acoustics of the room carrying her voice. “As you are aware, today we shall host the first challenges to test that Laelia truly is the one from the prophecy.” She gestures towards me, her smile turning condescending. “Each challenge will focus on a different skill she will need. Laelia, are you ready to learn your first quest?”
I don’t have a choice, but I know I need to play to the crowd here. Their support could mean the difference between life and death, so I play along with the queen’s little script. Rolling my shoulders back and tilting my chin up, I banish any of my doubts and force a small smile onto my lips. “I am.”
With my mates behind me, I know we look like a pretty impressive and formidable team, which helps to strengthen my confidence.
The queen’s eyes narrow on me, but before I know it, she’s smiling again and looking around the room. If I didn’t know what she was like, I’d assume I just imagined it.
“Our hero will need to be brave and risk his or her life for the greater good.”
This doesn’t sound good, fear causing me to break out into a cold sweat. The werewolf trials made me feel like this before they started. Is this just a repeat of what happened then? They were deadly, and I almost didn’t survive them.But you did survive them,I tell myself firmly.Now is not the time to doubt yourself.
The queen begins talking again, and I have to force myself to pay attention. We’re finally going to discover what we’re expected to do. “This challenge is simple. Find and defeat your opponent. You will be allowed to take your team into this challenge with you.” Her smile twists into a grin, dread making my breath catch in my chest. “May the goddesses watch over you.”
The overwhelming scent of magic flares around me, and everything goes dark.
ChapterEighteen
Disoriented, dizzy, and confused, I press my hands to my head as I try to stop the world from spinning. Wincing at the bits of grit and dirt now stuck to the side of my face, I wipe my cheek and then my hands on my trousers. I’m not in the meeting hall anymore, and whatever magic they used to move me here has made me feel nauseous. They really had to use magic to knock us out? We couldn’t have been blindfolded and walked here? Oh no, the queen had to have the upper hand.
Wherever I am, it’s so bright, the light hurts my eyes, and I can barely open them. The sound of birdsong tells me that I’m outside, which is a surprise. I hadn’t thought they’d conduct this challenge outside of Haven. After a moment, I realise that although the light is bright, it doesn’t warm me like the sun does, the birdsong sounds a little tinny, and there’s no breeze, the air feeling stale.
Once my eyes finally adjust enough so I’m able to look up from the ground, I take in my surroundings. The first thing I notice is that I’m on my own, and there’s no sign of my mates. That’s what the queen was so smug about. I’m able to have my mates for support in this challenge if I can find them.
“What a bitch,” I mutter under my breath, standing on shaking legs and brushing my trousers down.
A large wall stands behind me and continues on for as far as the eye can see, stretching up above the light. When I glance up to try and see above the light shining down on me, I’m pretty sure I can make out part of the ceiling, meaning I’m probably still inside Haven.
Anxiety has slowly been building in my chest, and I can’t avoid looking at the task ahead of me any longer. In front of me is what looks like a maze. A large, manicured bush creates the living wall, except for the part in the centre which acts as an entrance, allowing me in.
