Page 27 of Their Trials

I closed my eyes and focused on the smell, pushing through the intoxicating scent of Rhowyn that surrounded me now. It smelled slightly of blood and decay, magic clinging to it as I tracked it. In this form, I could tell where it was going to be.

The smell of magic intensified to my left. I snapped my eyes open and pointed. “There.”

Not hesitating, Rhowyn fired off her magic, the creature freezing before our eyes as the ice struck it. “Fucking finally!”

I moved forward toward the creature, getting my first real look at it. The beast resembled a small house cat, hairless everywhere except for a mane around its head and a tuft of fur at the base of its tail. The creature’s feet looked like hands instead of a normal cat's paws. Wide eyes stared up at us, solid black with menace leaking from its gaze even though it couldn't move.

Rhowyn shivered behind me. “What the fuck is that?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” I told her, still having to yell because the mist was thicker than ever.

I raised my sword, preparing to strike the beast to get rid of the fog, unsure what other magic it had. Thrusting my sword downward, I struck it in the heart, the only resistance against my blade coming from the coat of ice surrounding the animal. The kill was immediate as the ice shattered, and the fog dissipated.

Rhowyn gasped, finally able to see clearly. When I turned my head, I was greeted with wide eyes and an open mouth, my actions having completely shocked her.

Slowly, her face softened into something resembling resignation before she spoke, “I get why you had to kill the thing, but you did it so suddenly, and it looked like a house cat and...” Her rambling faded as she took a deep inhale, gathering her composure. Her eyes met mine as I stood there, my mask in place. Her condemnation of my actions irritated me, but I wouldn't show it.

“Thank you. I couldn't have done that, so I'm glad you could. We couldn't be sure what else it could do, and you did what you had to do to keep us safe. So, Thanks.” She smiled sadly at me, her words of gratitude taking me off balance.

I could do anger. That was easy to understand. I didn't know what to do with what she was making me feel, like I was being tossed about in a storm, never knowing which way was up.

Falling back into habits which had gotten me through life so far, I remained quiet and stoic, at least on the outside. She shifted uncomfortably, studying me through my silence.

Sighing, she said, “So what now?” She glanced around her, trying to figure out exactly where we had wound up. “Do you think the others are close?”

“I'm not sure, but don't call out for them. They'll find us eventually.” I didn't need her alerting whatever was out there that we were near. We'd faced enough as it was. We were both tired, as evidenced by Rhowyn’s curved shoulders and her arms, which hung limply at her sides. It was like she didn’t even have the energy to hug herself in comfort, only able to stand there in shock.

Her eyes were still wary, scanning our surroundings as her mind worked out the next course of action. She chewed on her lip as she did so, and I fought back the urge to reach over and pull her lip from the abuse of her teeth.

Startled at the thought, I huffed out a breath and stomped past her and the dead creature still at our feet. “Let's not stand around here all day.”

She scrambled to keep up with me as I marched away. “Shouldn't we wait for them? You know, since that'd be the easiest way for them to find us?”

I glared at her as she struggled to keep up with my pace. “What makes you think they're looking for us? Maybe they're waiting for us to find them?”

“Good point.”

We continued until we reached another “T” in the maze. I glanced in both directions trying to decide which way to go, looking for any hint of which was the safest route.

Apparently not happy with my indecisiveness, Rhowyn turned left and stormed past me. Now, it was my turn to catch up. “This is as good a direction as any since we have no idea where we are or how close we are to the center of the maze,” she explained.

We walked in silence for a while, continuing straight down the mystery path until Rhowyn decided to destroy the peace. “So, I know the Ankou was mostly to blame for the things we said to each other. It's just, on my end at least, what I said was truthful. Was it the same for you?” she asked softly, her muscles tense while she waited for my response, not daring to look at me.

“It was the truth,” I admitted after debating whether I should or not. I had said things I regretted to my Chosen and to her other Consorts, mostly because if we were to have any chance of beating the Queen, we'd need to be a united front. My private thoughts would only create dissension.

“Okay.” She chewed her lip again as I watched her from the corner of my eye, neither of us looking at each other. “I think you really hurt Lennox,” she whispered, aware that we were being watched and not giving away our conversation.

I sighed. I had hurt him, which had been my intention at the time. As his one-time best friend, I knew exactly where to strike and how to twist the knife to ensure optimal damage. I had never spoken to him like that, though the thoughts had been lingering in my mind.

“I know I did,” I admitted on a low growl, not happy with myself. My parents would be ashamed of my actions back there with the Ankou. I watched my feet as I walked, trying to find the right words. “Look, my past is common knowledge that I'd just rather forget about. I'm not going to talk about all of that out here but know that I still harbor a lot of anger with Lennox. He was responsible for the pain in my life, whether intentional or not. I've never had the chance to resolve the issues I have with him, and he deserves to feel just an ounce of the pain I've gone through because of him.

“I'm not proud of how things went down, but it was all the truth. Maybe, one day, I can move on, but that day is not today,” I told her softly and honestly, more vulnerable with her than I'd been with anyone in a very long time. My body was tense with anxiety after revealing so much to someone, my breaths shallow at the thought of how it could be used against me.

Rhowyn finally looked at me, studying my face as we walked side by side before she nodded. “Okay. I get that.”

I let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, relief making me feel ten pounds lighter. I glanced at her, our eyes holding as our steps paused. “Just know that if you need to talk to someone about it, someone who might know what betrayal feels like, I'm here,” she told me earnestly.

She let that sink in, not waiting for a response, before she turned and continued onward. I stood there, digesting her words, a weird feeling in my gut that I didn't like, churning at the idea that I might have finally found an ally that I could trust. And that scared me. I didn't know how not to be alone.

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