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The bodies had been cleared away and new sand spread across the blood. It wasn’t enough to hide the stains or the smell. My head swam, and I had to grab Than’s arm to keep upright.
“You okay, kitten?” He looked at me, concern tightening his features.
“Yeah,” I said, forcing myself to smile. This had been my idea, and if my comrades died, it would be my fault. My grip tightened until Than winced. He loosened my fingers gently.
“Don’t blame yourself. All of us joined this fight willingly.” He stopped, laughing ruefully. “Well, actually, only you did. But now that I know what’s at stake, I’m glad I’m here, by your side.”
If his words were meant to make me feel better, they didn’t.
Dyf had been watching us thoughtfully. Taking me by surprise, he stepped up and wrapped one arm around my shoulder. Then he lifted his other arm, looking straight at Than.
“Join us, human. Let us draw strength from one another.”
Than followed his invitation, and then both beckoned Daeary. The incubus’s eyes grew large, and he shook his head. “No. It would be dangerous. I do not want to weaken you.”
Dyf laughed. “You are buzzing with energy, demon. I trust that you can control yourself. Come and comfort your mate.”
Daeary hesitated for another moment, before closing the circle. I didn’t know if it was a Fae thing, but Dyf and Daeary leaned forward until their foreheads touched.
Than and I followed their example, and for a moment we formed a circle of support, of friendship, and so much more. Daeary kept his sexy powers to himself. He was getting better at controlling himself. All my fears fell away as we all became part of something larger than each of us.
When we straightened up, I felt calmer and stronger. Than ran the back of his fingers down my cheek.
“That’s it. We are in this together. And when all of this is over, we’ll discuss how we can make this work.”
His words scrambled my brain as I gaped at him. Make what work? Us? All of us? Wowza. For a moment, I forgot where I was, but the announcer’s booming voice brought me back to the present fast.
“Well done, you who survived round one. As you know, the trials are devised to whittle you down. Only one in twenty will survive today, but those will achieve the highest honor bestowed on the citizens of Gwerin. Prepare yourself to face the next challenge.”
Like everybody else, I faced forward. All I saw was a sea of broad backs. Even hopping didn’t help me get more than a glimpse of the commotion ahead. Strong arms grabbed me from behind, and before I could protest, Than had lifted me onto his shoulders. I yelped, grabbing his forehead for balance. He pinched my leg playfully in retaliation.
And then I saw what was waiting for us. Somehow, they’d erected a black tower in the thirty minutes we’d been in the resting room.
“How?” I bit out the word, not expecting an answer.
Than shrugged, his massive shoulders rolling under my butt like a wave. “Fae magic, I assume?”
The tower rose to the top of the arena, maybe seventy feet high. There was no broad base to it. It went straight up like a cylinder, defying the laws of physics. About half way up, creatures circled around it. They were too far away for me to identify, but their wingspans were massive. My companions had stopped talking and stared grimly ahead.
“What do they want us to do?”
The announcer’s voice drowned out my question. “Behold the Tower of Aelwyd. You must scale the structure and retrieve that which is hidden at the top. Good luck and fare thee well.”
“Not ominous at all,” I mumbled, the fear rising again like heartburn. Last time I’d climbed anything, I’d fallen out of the big elm tree in our garden back home. And now I was supposed to get up to the top, while those things took bites out of me?
My mouth was as dry as the desert. When Than felt me sway, he lifted me off his shoulders and hugged me tight. “You can do this, girl. I believe in you.”
But even he couldn’t hide the fear in his eyes.
THAN
Holding Beth in my arms again was more than I deserved. In my life, I’d let down everybody who I loved. I’d been too young to protect my sister and too inept to find her again in this cursed realm.
When I met Beth in the ice dungeon, I’d stepped on any feelings I might have developed for her. Not only did her silver eyes give her away as half-Fae, but we were two convicts, unlikely to survive the coming weeks. All she could ever be to me was a bit of fun before the eternal darkness.
I hadn’t been prepared for how much she touched my heart with her kindness and courage. When the traitor prince’s guards caught up with us that night, the least I could do was to guard her escape, even though I knew it would cost my life.
The pain of the hounds’ teeth in my flesh was worse than being cut with knives. And believe me, I knew what that felt like. They tore the tendons and muscles from my bones as I screamed, begging for oblivion. The flow of blood as the vicious animals shredded my neck smothered my howls until the only sound from my mouth was a rattling wheeze.
