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Something clicked inside me. I remembered how to use my connection with the earth. When I didn’t think about my magic, it came naturally. All the other times I’d tried, I’d been overthinking.
I channeled energy from the ground, letting it absorb through my feet and up through my body. My blood thrummed, and I locked eyes with Curry. I didn’t want him to die quickly—that was too easy for him. I wanted him to know he’d lost and dread his inevitable death.
Vines from the hedges snaked toward Curry, and when Kieran started driving him toward the wall, I realized he knew what I was doing. Swinging his sword harder, he pushed Curry back.
The vines wrapped around Curry’s ankles. I jerked my hand up, and the vines followed, stringing him from his feet and hanging his head several feet above the ground.
“What—” he rasped and lifted his head, eyes locking with me. “You did this?” he asked, surprise in every word.
“She might have strung you up, but I’ll kill you,” Kieran vowed, raising his sword.
“Don’t.” I lifted a hand. “Don’t give him an easy death. Allow him to watch us climb over the canopy and know we made it to the next trial.”
Kieran smirked, pure delight dancing in his eyes. “That’s ruthless, Princess. I love it.”
My heart fluttered, but another part of me nagged that I should be ashamed.
For Moire, Curry deserved to spend the last moments of his life embarrassed and knowing he’d die.
“Come on.” I sheathed my sword. “We’re running out of time.”
Surprising me, Kieran nodded, but he didn’t sheath his sword. Instead, he sliced Curry’s throat and watched the blood spill down his face and into the earth.
“What the hell?” I gasped. We’d agreed to let him hang there.
“It’s not deep.” Kieran put his sword away. “With his blood spilling, his magic will drain, and he won’t be able to use it.”
That was sick, but it worked. I nodded, and we headed for the canopy.
“Get back here and kill me!” Curry shouted. “I deserve to die like a warrior.”
We ignored him.
Kieran tensed. He reached for the vines but hesitated.
“We’ll do this together.” I brushed his hand. “I’ll be right beside you.”
He glanced at me and nodded then began to climb.
Wanting to keep my promise, I followed him, and Beth’s whispers haunted me again. I focused on the canopy top and found the best vines to climb, one thing at a time.
Kieran’s breathing was steady, but I sometimes sensed him flinch beside me. The two of us climbed almost in sync.
“Why do you keep ignoring me, Ivy?” Beth asked, her voice as loud as if she were right beside me.
My head jerked toward the voice … and there she was. I paused, unable to believe what I was seeing. Her eye was black and swollen shut, and she wrapped an arm around her stomach. “You told me you’d be here.” The hurt in her voice was the same as the night when one of the other foster girls had stolen her teddy bear and left for good, leaving Beth with a black eye, broken nose, and split lip. “You were supposed to protect me.” Beth’s bottom lip quivered.
“I’m sorry.” My vision blurred as I pressed on. “We missed the bus. When the study group got outside, it was already pulling away. We had to walk home.” I was back at the house by eight, Beth’s bedtime. The altercation had gone down just fifteen minutes earlier.
Fifteen minutes, and Beth had lost the one thing that had helped her remember she was loved. She’d also lost her trust in the one person she’d let in—me. Eleven years old, and that one night had changed her. Then I was moved to another home, a place all the way across town, after I’d angrily confronted the last family. I’d meant to check on Beth, but each time, something had happened to prevent it, which meant I’d abandoned her completely.
“Why didn’t you leave earlier? You promised me. You liked the other kids more than me.” Tears spilled down her cheeks and onto her stained pink shirt. “You should’ve been here.”
Those were the words she’d told me when I’d used that very explanation.
A sob racked me as I muttered, “I’m sorry.” I had to get to the top. I had to end this trial. This was worse than seeing Stan because this moment had actually happened.
“Alina,” Kieran rasped beside me, pulling me back to the here and now. I’d forgotten he was next to me. “I shouldn’t have told you all that. I didn’t mean it.”
