Page 25 of Hallowed Games

“The Order believes that those who make it out of the trials have been guided by the Archon. He protects those with faith. And as for the final one, the forgiven one…only the Pater knows how that works.”

“Theoretically,” I ventured, “I could touch all the other accused and remain the only one standing.”

“No.” His deep voice resonated in the air around me. “You won’t be able to use your magic. The Luminari will kill you.”

I wanted to ask him why, if the Archon truly controlled everything, I’d ended up with a curse that he loathed, but I kept my mouth shut.

Nearby, lightning cracked the black sky, illuminating dark, rolling meadows that spread out in either direction. Thunder pealed over the shadow-cloaked kingdom.

“What happened to your wrists?” Maelor asked in a quiet murmur.

“Burned.” I didn’t need to tell him that the Baron had held each of my arms over an open flame while I screamed. That he’d wanted me to feel a real terror of fire so then he could use my fears against me.

“It must have hurt a lot.”

I clenched my jaw. What was this ridiculous pretense of sympathy? “Not nearly as much as it will to burn at the end of the trials.”

Rain weighed down my wool cloak against my skin, making me shiver. When the lightning flashed, I caught a glimpse of a towering castle on a hill on the horizon.

In the relentless storm, my thoughts kept flicking back to Leo, wondering if he’d found the right road or if he’d found shelter in the rain. I didn’t know how well he’d managed to find the acorns, of if he’d remember to boil them, or—

“I can feel your fear,” said Maelor quietly.

“I’m not afraid,” I lied. I made my voice calm, almost singsong.

Leo must be out of his mind with hunger. I had no idea if his uncle would take him in, even if he made it there. There wasn’t a lot of protection for an orphan boy in Merthyn.

But I had no reason to say all of that to the lord. Here, it was always a mistake to let strangers know what you truly cared about.

Up ahead, gold lights glittered from some of the castle’s narrow windows.

“What is Ruefield Castle?” I asked. I’d never even heard of it.

“Long ago, in the dark ages, it was a center for philosophy and worship of the old gods. Once the Tyrenian Empire arrived to teach us about the one true god, the Order took over. Apart from the trials, it’s a place where Ravens can quietly study the Luminis Codex.”

Pious studying to the pleasing sound of human screams. Sounded just like the Order.

“Elowen.” Maelor’s deep voice had a soothing quality that made me want to lean further into him, even if he was a monster. “If you want to get back to that boy, you need to do everything you can to survive. Think about nothing except survival. If others die…that is as the Archon chooses.”

I let out a long, slow breath. “Any other words of advice for me, Raven Lord?” I might not know what his agenda was, but if he was willing to tell me things, I’d use him for every ounce of information I could get.

“Be brutal,” he replied bluntly. “You have no friends here. You have no family. You are not Elowen anymore. You are just another witch.”

My mouth went dry as I thought of Lydia. Maybe, within the next few weeks, my oldest friend would die at my hands.

Maelor guided the horse onto a cobbled road that led to the castle gates, which glistened in the rain.

Lightning reflected off the soaked walls and towers of Ruefield Castle. Standing on top of the hill, the castle towered over the dark landscape. The lights I’d spotted from farther away were still just pinpricks of gold, even from closer up. Its highest spires disappeared into the storm clouds. As it loomed ahead, I felt tiny and powerless in its presence. Ruefield Castle was the size of a city, fortified like a kingdom.

Another burst of lightning had me gazing up at the stone walls surrounding the castle, dizzyingly high and made of golden stone. The gate barring entry looked a hundred feet high, with thick wood and iron reinforcements. I shivered as we approached, hoping Leo would soon be drying off in a home much cozier than this.

Guards flanked the enormous doors. Wearing hooded cloaks, they shielded their torches beneath the large gargoyles that jutted from the walls. The flames whipped and danced in the darkness.

I flexed my wrists, imagining that I had the strength to break free from these manacles. But all I could do was scratch at my skin.

Moving closer, I let my gaze flick up at the colossal door, its surface marred with dents from battles in centuries past. Rivulets of rain streamed down the front of the iron bolts across the door. On either side, the towering battlements and walls stretched out across the dark landscape.

Just a few feet from the door, the Magister called out, “The Magister Solaris returns.”

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